The Highlander's Hope - A Contemporary Highland Romance

by MacKay, Cali

  “The truth is that you’re a lying bastard and only as good a historian as your thieving skills. And I swear, James, if I find you snooping through my things—here or in Cambridge—I’ll make sure you pay for it.”

  She felt like she couldn’t breathe, and every muscle in her body was knotted tight with anger. Why he wouldn’t just go away, was beyond her.

  “Well, you may have the eldest MacCraigh, but I’ve got the youngest, and if you’re not willing to work together, then I say it’s a race to the finish.” He laughed at her with his highbrow thin giggle. “Or you could just go home, for I do think, my dear, I have this in the bag.”

  “We’ll just see about that.” Without another look, she turned around and headed back out the main door and into the cold.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Iain threw back his whisky and wondered how things had gotten so out of hand, how they’d gone so wrong. Duncan leaned his head on the sofa and gave him sad eyes, as if asking him why Cat had to go.

  “She’ll be back.” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Quit giving me that look, dog. I’m none too happy about it either.”

  The paintings and journals sat there across from him, just the way she’d left them, as if taunting him, a reminder that she was gone. If he couldn’t fix things between them, if she couldn’t forgive him, he now realized it would leave him devastated.

  And for what? All to bail out his brother, who would likely turn around in another year’s time and get himself into yet another mess. Of course, it wasn’t just his brother. No. Malcolm had made sure to involve his father so there was more at stake than just his sorry arse. It was no wonder his sister had fled at the first opportunity.

  It was one day. Come tomorrow, Cat would be back and they would sort things out. And if they didn’t? Well it was her loss, wasn’t it? There were plenty of women out there, and more than a few who’d be happy to distract him.

  And yet… they weren’t Cat, were they?

  Damn it to hell.

  Knowing it would do no good to spend the evening sulking over her, Iain dragged out his laptop and got to work. Grant was taking care of most matters, but there was still plenty to do, most of it woefully neglected.

  He shot off a handful of emails, and started to review some files when a knock at the door had Duncan skittering across the room and barking up a storm, his tail wagging. Iain groaned. The last thing he wanted to deal with was his brother—or Nationalists. Grabbing the shotgun, he yanked the door open and found Cat on his front step.

  His stomach flipped at the sight of her.

  “What happened? Are ye all right?” He stepped to the side so she could come in, and set his weapon down on the sideboard by the door. Something must be wrong for her to not even flinch at being greeted with a gun.

  “No. I’m not. Between you and James, I can honestly say I’m having a real shitty day.” Her entire body looked stiff, and there was a definite wobble to her voice. “And this does not mean I’ve forgiven you.”

  “Aye, love. Come have a seat by the fire, and I’ll get ye a whisky.” With a gentle hand on her back he led her to the library, where she took a seat while he got her a drink.

  She’d been upset when she’d left him, and it was doubtful running into James did anything to improve her mood—especially not if it was bad enough to land her back on his doorstep. Making matters worse was that James was now working with his brother, a link back to the reason she was upset with him to begin with.

  He sat across from her and leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. “Do ye want to talk about it?”

  “Am I stupid?” She looked at him as if it were an earnest question. “Do I have idiot tattooed across my forehead?”

  He shook his head, dumbfounded. “Cat, ye’re one of the smartest women I know. I don’t understand what you’re asking me.”

  “Why is it people think they can lie straight to my face? And it’s not like it’s a one-off, yeah? It happens time and again, and I’m totally clueless.”

  When she looked away from him with hurt in her eyes, his heart broke to think he was part of the reason she doubted herself. “Cat, I’m sorry. I really am. I was only trying to do right by my family. The men my brother owes money to aren’t exactly nice blokes, and though I should let my brother learn from his mistakes, he’s dragged my father into it, and I can’t let anything happen to him.”

  She sighed. “Of course not. I’d be devastated to have your father come to harm.”

  “Unfortunately my options are limited, and the necklace... it was the only thing I could think of to bail my family out of this mess.”

  She let out a weary sigh, tears of frustration now spilling over. “Is there anything else you’re not telling me? Cause I swear, Iain, I won’t forgive you if I find out there’s more.”

  “There’s nothing else, love.” Needing her to believe him, he took her hand in his. “I swear it on my mother’s grave.”

  “There has to be a way to pull together the money, even if the banks won’t touch the house. How much does he owe?”

  “Too much—over a million, with the interest growing daily.”

  She made a choking sound. “Bloody hell, Iain.”

  “Aye. Now ye know.” What a mess. The smartest thing she could do would be to run as far as she could from him and this place. “I’m sorry I kept it from ye, but it was also the reason I needed to tell ye, if we were going to pursue something more serious. I still want that for us, Cat, if ye can find it in yer heart to forgive me.”

  He looked at her in question, wondering whether he’d mucked things up beyond repair.

  “I don’t know if I can, Iain. I like you, and I like your father. And I get that you’re only trying to protect your family. But I don’t know if we can just pick up where we left off when it was probably a mistake for me to get involved with you in the first place.”

  It felt like his heart was breaking. “So I was a mistake?”

  “You don’t think so?” She scoffed, but he could see the pain in her eyes. “Then you’re only kidding yourself. I’d give you a month’s time before you grew tired and bored, and found someone new to entertain you.”

  “Well thank ye kindly for reminding me of what a bastard I am.” Didn’t she see that the man he was had ceased to exist when he fell for her? “Ye’re being unfair, Cat. But I think ye already know that. Don’t ye?”

  She shrugged, looking indifferent. “Maybe I do. But if you think it changes anything between us, I can tell you that it doesn’t. It was a mistake for me to fall for you, and to lose sight that I’m here for only one reason, and that’s to find the Highlander’s Hope.”

  “So that’s it, then? I tried to be honest with ye, Cat. Does that not count for something?”

  “Iain… I don’t know what you want me to say. I get why you did it, but I don’t know that it changes anything. I’d love to just forget all about this mess, but I don’t feel that I can trust you. Maybe if we had time to start fresh, but we don’t. I’ll be gone as soon as we find the necklace.”

  He brushed her cheek, unable to stay away when she’d just given him a glimmer of hope. He’d make her see he was worth her trust. “It could take a while to find the necklace. We might end up with plenty of time to try and make this work.”

  “No, we won’t, Iain. I’ll have to head back to Cambridge before long, whether we find the necklace or not.”

  “Then give me what little time we have to convince ye that I’m worth yer trust.” With her just a breath away, he nuzzled her cheek, his heart racing when she leaned in to him in response. “Please, Cat. I couldn’t bear to leave things between us the way they currently are.”

  She let out a weary sigh, pulling away enough to look at him. “We can work together to find the Hope, and you can try to change my mind while I’m here, but that’s it, Iain. We’re not just going to pick up where we left off.”

  It was all the hope and encouragement he needed, his heart alight as
he realized exactly what she meant to him. He ran a hand down her cheek and gave her a quick peck. “As ye wish.”

  With a finger on his chest, she pushed him away. “No kisses, no hugs, no nibbles, no cuddles. Do you hear me, Iain? We’re here to look for the Hope.”

  His lips quirked into a smile, as his eyes took her in and he resisted the urge to devour her. “Aye, love. I promise to be on my best behavior.”

  ***

  Iain set aside the letters and got up to stretch. Since it was too dark to search the tunnels, they were back to looking at the letters, journals and paintings, but they’d been at it for hours, and he could take little more. “I don’t know how ye do it, love. My brain feels like it’s turned to mush.”

  “I’m used to it.” She barely looked up from what she was reading.

  He’d had enough. Pulling the letters from her hands, he set them aside and hauled her to her feet, ignoring her protests. “Come on. I need to get out of this house or I’m going to go mad.”

  “And go where? It’s late, and we have work to do.”

  “It can wait.” After what happened between them, he had to make it up to her. “I want to show ye something.”

  “This better be good, Iain.” He could see her struggling, trying to keep her distance, despite the smile that tugged at her lips.

  From what he knew of her, she just couldn’t stay angry or annoyed. Her temper seemed to flair and burn out, a smile and contagious enthusiasm waiting in the wings for the moment when she let down her guard and got tired of being angry. That said, he had no doubt she could truly get mad and hold a grudge—and he pitied the person who pushed her to that extreme. He had no doubt that, if someone made her that angry, it would not fade, and there would be hell to pay. James was a perfect example of that.

  “It doesn’t often happen, but the Northern Lights can be seen just north of here as of late, and for once, it’s a clear night. I thought ye might like to see them.” With the promise of a spectacular light show, all put on by Mother Nature, how could she possibly say no? He took her hand and brought it to his lips, his eyes on hers as he waited for her answer.

  She bit her lip and continued to debate, but the fact that she hadn’t denied him outright gave him hope. “Only if you promise to behave yourself.”

  “Och, aye. I wouldn’t dream of misbehaving.”

  ***

  It was about an hour drive, which ended up feeling like an eternity to Iain. As if to guarantee there would be no chance for romance, Cat had insisted they bring Duncan along for the drive, and in his excitement, he’d been a constant nuisance with his excessive energy, drool and hair. Matters were only made worse by Cat, who barely spoke a word to him, lost in her own thoughts and not willing to share no matter how many times he tried to start a conversation.

  They pulled off the road and found a place to park. “Can ye see them, love?”

  She leaned forward to look out the windshield and up at the sky. “Oh, Iain, it’s beautiful.”

  “Come on then. I’ve got a blanket or two in the car boot.” He grabbed two blankets and a flashlight, and then led the way through the heather and brush. “Just watch yer step. Ye can take my arm if ye need.”

  When he offered it to her, she took him up on his offer. “How is it you’re so surefooted on such uneven terrain?”

  He let out a laugh. “I’m a highlander, love. Been walking these sorts of hills since I was a wee laddie.”

  They wandered towards the cliffs and sea with Duncan romping at their side. When they found a small clearing, Iain laid out the blanket. The sound of the waves could be heard breaking on the rocks, the perfect accompaniment to the show playing out above them and lighting the sky. He waited for her to get comfortable on the blanket and then took a seat next to her.

  “I’ve got another blanket if ye get cold.” They were sliding into November, and the temperatures at night weren’t ideal for long periods of time spent exposed to the elements, especially when the wind picked up coming off the water. When she nodded, he spread the blanket over them.

  The sky above held her attention as she spoke. “I can’t believe it. It’s breathtaking, Iain. I didn’t realize the Northern Lights made it this far south or that they’d be this bright.”

  “It’s the solar storms we’ve been having. They’ve increased the intensity of the lights.”

  Streaks of aqua and red shimmered across the sky and up to the heavens. They said nothing for a long while, the moment already perfect and not needing words. Even Duncan finally mellowed, now curled up by their feet.

  Cat reached out and took his hand in hers, giving it a squeeze as his pulse quickened. “Thank you for bringing me here, Iain. I’ll never forget it.”

  “Aye, love. Neither will I.”

  When she leaned her head on his shoulder, he wrapped his arm around her and held her close. She let out a sigh, but didn’t pull away. “You know this means nothing, right.”

  “Of course not. As a matter of fact, it ne’er happened.”

  “Neither did this.” She turned towards him and kissed his cheek.

  A knot of tension in his shoulders slipped free with the thought that not all hope was lost. He didn’t want things to end before they’d given them a fair go, but he also needed to respect her wishes. He’d have to show her she could trust him, and from there, she’d have to take the lead—not that it had been a problem in the past. She was by far the most forthright woman he’d met, and he liked that. A lot.

  They’d been quiet for a long while, just taking in the lights, when Cat broke the silence. “What will you do if we don’t find the necklace?”

  It was a question he wished he had the answer to. “I have no idea. I haven’t told my father or sister, knowing they’d do nothing but worry. I’m trying to free up funds. I just don’t know if I can manage it in time.”

  “And if you don’t come up with the money? What will they do, Iain?” He could hear the worry in her voice, mirroring the way he felt.

  “I don’t know, love. I’ve ne’er dealt with these sorts of people, but I have to take their threats seriously since they involve my brother’s well-being. There are days when I’m tempted to let him get his due. Maybe he’ll finally learn a lesson. But I couldn’t live with myself if he was seriously hurt, and it’d kill my Da.” He let out a weary sigh, feeling overwhelmed by the whole thing once again. If there was a clear solution to his problems, he wasn’t seeing it.

  “But you do think that with a bit of time, you could free up enough funds?”

  “Aye, love. I’m already moving some of my holdings in that direction, but these things take time, and the bastards my brother’s dealing with aren’t exactly the patient sort.”

  She didn’t say anything more, but Iain hoped she now saw that his options were limited, and finding the jewels could be the life-line he needed. He’d not risk putting the necklace up as collateral otherwise.

  Not yet ready to go, he carefully lay back to watch the sky some more, his head propped on his arms, and his bruises easy to ignore when Cat was so close. “Let me know if ye get cold or want to head back.”

  “It is cold, which is why I’m going to steal some of your heat.” She settled back on the blanket and snuggled up against his side, her head nestled against his shoulder as he held her close. “Do I need to say it?”

  “Say what? That this ne’er happened?” He laughed and kissed the top of her head. “It’s already forgotten, love.”

  “Good. Then you won’t remember any of this either—which is not to say you’re off the hook. Yeah?” Cat brushed her thumb across his lips, and then kissed him with complete abandon.

  He lost himself in the nearness of her, in her touch, in her kisses, his heart aching with the want of her. He gave her all he had, including his very soul, there under the brilliance of sky and stars, as they came together as one.

  ***

  Come morning, Duncan’s distant barks rang in Iain’s ears, pulling him from his slumber.
He awoke to find Cat in his arms and in his bed, still not quite believing the night they’d had. In the short time he’d known her, she’d turned his world upside down, and he didn’t know if it’d ever get put right again—not that he wanted it to. The relationships he’d had in the past seemed like a distant memory and a pale comparison to what he had with Cat.

  “Come on, love. Wake up. We’ve got a necklace to find, and Angus will be knocking on our door and giving us looks.” He gave her a kiss as she started to stir.

  She popped one sleepy eye open and looked at him. “Oh, crap. How the hell did this happen? You… you snuck in past my defenses with freezing temperatures and celestial light shows.”

  “And a good morning to ye, too.” He laughed, knowing better than to take offense. Whatever relationship they did have, it defied definition and convention. “How’s breakfast sound?”

  With her grunt of agreement, he threw on something comfortable and headed out to find the dog, that was, no doubt, desperate to go out. Despite the troubles looming over his head, Iain found himself in a damned good mood.

  He ground some coffee beans and got a pot going, the deep rich scent filling the air as it started to brew. After the night they’d had, there was a good chance Cat would be hungry once she got around to waking up. With a loud rumble, his stomach reminded him that she wasn’t the only one in need of nourishment.

  Iain was half way through frying some black pudding, rashers and eggs, when Cat wandered into the kitchen and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, leaning her head against his back.

  “What are ye doing up? I thought ye’d sleep until noon—or at the very least until I woke ye up with breakfast in bed.” Damn if it wasn’t hard to concentrate on the task at hand, when his body’s response to having her close was automatic.

  “I could smell the coffee all the way up on the second floor. Impossible to sleep through it.”

  Iain could hear the smile in her voice. “Do me a favor and drop some toast?”

  “Sure.” She went up on her toes and nipped at his ear, the absence of her touch already missed as she moved over to the toaster. “Seems like you do a lot of cooking.”