The words seemed to bounce around in his head, his heart pounding, thoughts jumbled as he tried to sort through everything that was happening. He hadn’t intended to hurt her or make her this mad. He was only trying to do what was right and honorable by staying away from her! But it wasn’t right or honorable to treat her like this.
“It’s me!” His voice echoed around them, he’d shouted so loud.
Shocked, Isobel’s eyes widened, staring at him. Her mouth snapped shut, hands sliding from her hips, her entire form frozen.
Unsure of what to do, Will halted as well, mouth hanging open in shock. Before he could think of how to remedy his outburst, he was moving forward, his emotions taking over. Closing the distance between them, he wrapped his arms around her waist, dragging her against him, and kissed her like he’d never kissed a girl before. She remained frozen for a split second, even her breath stopped, but then she was kissing him in return, her hands pressed against his back.
Eyes shut, he held her to him like a man who was drowning and she was the raft that would save him. The world seemed to shake around them, the roaring of his own heartbeat pounding in his ears. Dry bits of reed that were stuck in her dress poked him, but he didn’t care. All he could think of was Isobel, here, in his arms, caught in the same moment he was. The taste of honey and oats lingered on her lips, the scent of heather heavy on her clothes and wrapped into her hair. Reaching up, he undid the tie she’d locked it all away in, sinking his fingers in the softness of it, loving the way it felt as it tumbled down her back into his waiting hands.
Breaking away, he took a deep breath, releasing her hair from one hand to rub his thumb over her bottom lip. His other arm still anchored her against him evenly; he wasn’t about to let her go now. She looked up at him, still surprised, but there was a different emotion there now, one he’d never seen her wear before—fear.
Upon seeing her face, Will immediately released her, stepping away. “I—Forgive me. I didn’t mean . . . I’m so sorry, Isobel. Miss Delaney.” Turning his back on her, he quickly left the clearing, slipping through the trees and leaving her behind.
The racing of his heart seemed to cloud everything else around him. What had he done? At the same time, he was so overjoyed at having finally kissed her, he felt like he could walk on air. She had kissed him back, which was wonderful, but he’d caught her off guard. He hadn’t meant to scare her, but he had.
He’d scared himself a little, to be honest.
“Stupid,” he muttered to himself, stepping over a fallen branch. Why had he done that? Hadn’t he decided not to entertain thoughts of Isobel in that way? It all happened so quickly. What would Da say, if he knew? Fiona?
Fiona. The woman he was supposed to marry. Someone Isobel didn’t know existed.
Guilt filled him as he thought of the situation he’d gotten himself into. If he’d told Isobel from the start, they wouldn’t be having this problem. How could he tell her now, after everything that had just happened? How could he tell his future wife about what he had done?
“Hell!” Sitting down against a tree, he put his face in his hands, wishing he could go back and stop himself from committing such a stupid mistake. What about his honor? What about being fair to Isobel? What about the plans his family had made for him? He’d thrown that all out the window for a chance to kiss to woman he loved.
Halting in his thought process, he looked up, surprised at where his mind had taken him. Did he love Isobel? Was it possible to fall in love with someone you’d known for such a short time? He cared for her, of course, but he’d never been in love before. How would he recognize it when it happened? Before he could explore the revelation further, a sound reached his ears.
“Will!” Isobel’s voice echoed through the trees, off in the distance. “Will, come back!”
Surprised, he looked in the direction he’d come from, overcome with emotions for the second time in the day. She was coming after him—that had to mean something, didn’t it?
“Will!” She called again, farther away this time, and he realized she was going the wrong way.
“Isobel!” Rising, he went toward where he’d heard her, looking through the branches and around tree trunks for her. “I’m here.”
Finally, he saw her, her long hair still cascading over her shoulders as she held her skirts out of the way of the foliage reaching up to grab her. Her expression was somewhat frantic, worry laced through every inch of her face.
“Will, I’m sorry,” she started as she came closer. “I didn’t mean—”
“Ye’re sorry? For what?” Staring at her like she had two heads, he tried to think of what she could have possibly done to upset him. Not a single thing came to mind. “I’m the one that should be apologizing. I didn’t mean to frighten ye, lass. In fact, I didn’t mean for any of—that—to happen.”
“It’s not that,” she said, exasperated. Sighing, she seemed to think over her next words, saying them hesitantly. “Ye caught me off guard and all I could think was that everyone I’ve ever gotten close to has died.”
The change in direction left him silent, gazing at her in anticipation of what she would say next. Her eyes seemed to shine as she looked at him, but it wasn’t with the usual light he saw in them. This light was different. Sad, even.
“I wasn’t afraid because ye kissed me.” Laughing once, under her breath, she breathed in deeply, looking up at the sky as she crossed her arms. “No, I quite liked that. I was afraid because I suddenly realized that ye and I are closer than anyone else I’ve ever been with. I don’t want ye to die, Will. It’s hard enough to think of ye leavin’ after ye’re done working here. There would always be a chance I’d see ye again, though. If ye were to die . . . that would be it. Ye would be gone from this world, no matter what I did. I can’t go through that again.”
Hesitating, he didn’t know exactly what to say. “Everyone dies eventually, Isobel.” Speaking softly, he took a hesitant step toward her. “It’s not yer fault when the Lord calls a soul home.”
“Ye don’t understand. My family . . . anyone I stayed with after . . . death follows me, Will. That’s why I’m up here, alone. Why I didn’t want ye here in the first place. Too many people have been lost because of me. And now, because ye’re so important to me, it’s going to follow ye too, until it takes ye from me.” Tears gathered in her eyes, rolling softly down her cheeks as she watched him, her lip trembling. Taking a deep breath, she seemed to push herself forward, her next words coming out in a rush. “I don’t want to live in a world that ye’re not part of, Will. Can’t ye see that? I’ve been dreading the end of this week like it was my own funeral. Just now, when ye ran off and I thought that could be it, it felt like my own heart had run away from me.”
It was too much. Seeing her like this, crying, pouring her soul out to him, made his own soul cry out to comfort her. Not hesitating one second, he crossed the space and pulled her into his arms once more, cradling her face against his bare chest as she cried.
“It’s alright, mo muirninn.” Stroking her hair, he simply held her, letting her be vulnerable around him for the first time. It was a side of her he’d yet to experience. The fact that she’d chosen now to show it to him made it all the more impactful.
Slowly, she calmed, her sobs turning to small hiccups and, finally, silence as she leaned against him. The forest around them was quiet and still, as if watching and waiting for what would come next.
“Say something,” she whispered, wrapping her arms around his waist and holding him tightly.
He wanted to say so many things. Every possible option swirled in his head, fighting for a chance to break free, but he kept them all at bay. Instead, an idea formed in his mind, taking hold and laying out the perfect plan for what he wanted to do.
“Will ye come somewhere with me now?” Pulling away some, he tilted her face up, looking at her with a smile. “I want to show ye something.”
Ten
The water from the falls crashed down the
side of the mountain, spray from the cool water dusting Will in a light dampness. Tiny droplets coated his skin and soaked into his kilt as he carefully climbed over the edge of the drop off, settling onto a large shelf a few feet down. Looking out over the scene ahead of him, he felt as if the air filling his lungs was saturated with some kind of magic, all of his problems pushed out of his mind. Sunlight bathed the mountain tops, shadows creeping through the small valleys, and the blue sky clear above him.
Turning back to the precipice of the waterfall, he motioned for Isobel to come close, holding his hands out to her. “I’ve got ye,” he assured her, smiling.
Carefully, she took a few steps toward the edge of the drop and sat down on the edge, placing her hands on his shoulders, fingers twisting into the fabric of the shirt he’d put on before leaving the hut again. There was some trepidation in her eyes, but it all vanished as he wrapped his hands around her waist, complete trust on her face.
Pulling her against himself, Will steadied her, grinning as they clung to each other in the tiny space. The motion of her hands sliding off his shoulders and onto his chest made him want to shiver, her touch warm through the moisture. Taking extra precaution to not startle her, he slowly turned her around, keeping her captured in his arms as her back rested against him and they rotated to look across the way once more. As the water soaked into her hair, causing it to stick to the both of them, he was reminded of their first night together, when she’d rescued him from the rain. So much had changed in the short time since she’d invited him inside. The thought made his stomach twist with guilt, but he shoved it aside quickly. Instead of focusing on what had been—and the issues he’d no doubt created for himself since then—he was going to live in this moment.
Breathing in the faint scent of heather that still clung to Isobel, he tightened his hold around her, resting his chin on her shoulder as they both looked out. A rainbow had formed in the spray, like a beacon of hope to those who were faint of heart. The sound of the water rushing over the mountain’s edge and crashing down below roared around them, the falls disappearing into the pool at least one hundred feet beneath them.
Still, the most captivating piece of the entire scene was the woman in his arms. Sunlight shone through her hair, making it look like a fiery, wet halo. Water droplets slowly trickled down her skin, as if to tease him over the fact that they were caressing her and he wasn’t. Her dress greedily sucked up the moisture as well, a sheen of light reflecting off the layer of liquid that covered the both of them. Beneath all of that, he could feel the faint rushing of her heart, the movement of her chest as she breathed in deeply, and the pressure of her head leaning against his.
Without a doubt, he knew this would be an instant he would remember for the entirely of his life.
“It’s beautiful,” she said softly, her words almost lost to him in the falls. Her hands brushed over his arms around her waist, as if it were the most natural thing in the world for them to stand like this.
“Aye. It’s a magnificent land we live in.”
“It truly is. Ireland is beautiful as well, but I’ve never tired of the view of the Scots.” Chuckling softly, she turned her head, looking at him with a smile.
“Is that so?” He wanted to kiss her again so badly, it was as if his entire body were urging him to take her by surprise again.
Eyes sparkling, she nodded, her gaze flicking down to his mouth for half a second. “I could stand on this ledge with ye every day till the end of time and it would never be enough.”
For some reason, the statement made his heart flip, skipping a beat once more, and his mouth suddenly went dry. “I dinna believe it,” he said weakly, allowing her to turn in his grasp and face him once more.
“It’s the truth,” she swore, touching the side of his face, her fingers curling into his beard softly.
“Then prove it,” he challenged, caught up in the moment. “Let’s stand here every day until ye’re sick of it, just like this. We’ll see how long it really takes.”
Rising up on her toes, she pulled his face towards hers, kissing him slowly. Her lips moved over his with such grace and sincerity, he felt his breath catch as well. It was as if she were holding him steady now, keeping him from tumbling over the edge into darkness and despair. Everywhere their bodies touched, he felt a fire growing, like the warmth you sought from the hearth after being out in the cold for too long. The heat was instant, but slowly grew to encompass you, bringing feeling back into your limbs and cocooning you in a safe cushion of health and happiness. Now, with Isobel warming him, it was as if his entire self, body and soul, was finally thawing and coming back to life, after an eternal winter.
Breaking away, she rested her head against his chest, breathing heavily, and closed her eyes. “Remember what I said, Will. Never is an awfully long time—and I’ll never be sick of spending time with ye.” Blushing, she let her hair fall over her face, hiding her from view.
Realizing his moment had arrived, Will seized upon the opportunity she had given him, feeling a trickle of nervousness seep into his stomach. “Come back home with me,” he said softly.
“What?” Surprised, she looked up at him again, eyes wide. “Why?”
“I want ye to,” he answered truthfully. “I dinna want to be away from ye either, lass.”
“But I’m happy where I am,” she argued, her tone more concerned than angry. “I don’t want to go anywhere else. I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“I told ye; it’s not safe for me to be around other people.”
He could tell from the look on her face that their happy memory was going to be quickly marred by a disagreement if he didn’t act fast. She was nervous, pushing away a little, then realizing they had to stay together on the ledge. While he wanted to instantly relieve her anxieties, he also realized he could use their position to his advantage.
“Come just for the weekend, then,” he urged, trying to persuade her. “For the party. Ye can meet the family and all yer neighbors. The food will be good, as will the entertainment. It will be a nice reward after fixing up the house. When it’s over, ye can come back home.” Hesitating, he realized what a bad idea this actually was. There was a whole wealth of things that could go wrong, not excluding the fact that Fiona and her mother would be in attendance. The main reason he wanted her to come won out, though and he smiled, putting his fingers under her chin and raising her face up once more. “And ye’ll be with me. Come with me, Isobel. Stay with me, if only for a few days longer. It won’t be perfect, hell, it may not even be that much fun. But we’ll have each other.”
Biting her lip, she seemed to think it over, the water they were soaked with suddenly cold as he waited for her answer.
“I dinna want to be in a world that ye’re not part of,” he said softly, echoing her words from earlier.
That did it. He saw the decision as she made it and grinned.
“Fine. But just for the weekend.”
“Good. Now, let’s get out of this water. Ye’re starting to look like a wet dog.”
“Hey!” Slapping him playfully on the shoulder, she laughed, wiping the strands out of her face. “Ye look like a wee mongrel yerself.”
****
Nervous, Will paced outside the hut, Arth’s reigns in his hand. Glancing up at the house, he paused momentarily, smiling. What had once been an unlivable ruin was now a complete home. The wall stood strong and the new roof looked as good as any other thatch he’d ever seen. It had all come together perfectly, once he and Isobel had worked out what was causing the tension between them. With that thought, his earlier uneasiness returned and he took to pacing once more, trying to sort out all of his thoughts and emotions before Isobel came outside.
It was clear that he was going to have to say something about Fiona. When he’d asked Isobel to come to the ceilidh, he hadn’t been thinking clearly. It had crossed his mind that his fiancée would be there, but it hadn’t seemed like a big deal at the time. Now, with the actual
day of the event having arrived, he was realizing that he might have taken on a larger task than he realized. A list of required steps had been forming in his mind, but there was no time to successfully finish them all.
First, he would have to talk with Da and explain that he was in love with Isobel. Da wouldn’t make him go through with the wedding to Fiona, especially after he met Isobel and could see what a wonderful person she was.
Second, he would have to visit Fiona herself. This task would be tricky, given the fact that he would somehow have to leave Isobel behind. While he wasn’t sure how his fiancée would take the news of their broken engagement, he was sure to hear a lot from her mother. Hopefully, the woman would keep her mouth shut during the festivities and they could avoid any public scene.
He would tell Maw after everything was finished. She would be too busy with all the cooking and fun. Besides, she would be likely to make a scene as well, trying to apologize to Fiona. She might even tell him that it was wrong to break off his engagement, but so long as he had Da’s approval, she would accept it.
And then there was Isobel. He wanted desperately to tell her the truth, but the words just wouldn’t come out of his mouth whenever he tried. Logic said she should be told of the situation first, but he didn’t want to hurt her feelings or scare her off. With his current plan, she would never find out about Fiona at all.
That felt the most wrong out of anything in the whole situation. He’d been going against his own personal code of honor since the day he met her and didn’t tell her he was spoken for. Hopefully, in doing the right thing with everyone else, he would feel that he’d restored his own honorable standards for himself. Maybe he would tell Isobel after the fact. Would it be better not to, though?
Mind turning over and over as he tried to look at his predicament from every angle, he continued to pace, working himself into a nervous energy. The more he thought about it, the more he didn’t know what to do. As the painful examination of his own decisions consumed him, he felt a growing sense of despair start to take over. What if Da didn’t agree? What if Fiona’s mother made a scene? What about this? What about that?
Taken Away (A Swept Away Saga Origins Story): A Scottish Highlander Romance (The Swept Away Saga) Page 7
