Embrace the Highland Warrior

by Anita Clenney

  Bree nodded.

  “That’s a relief. I was afraid you were having an affair with him.”

  Bree laughed. “Ronan? I do adore him, but as a friend. I hope Faelan hasn’t noticed. He’d kill Ronan if he thought… Maybe I’d better tell him… No. I can’t risk it.”

  They heard Faelan’s raised voice out in the hall, fussing at Ronan. “You wouldn’t know it to listen to them fight, but he and Ronan are like brothers. I think he reminds Faelan of the ones he lost. He had two, Tavis and Ian, and a sister. She was only thirteen.” Bree sighed. “Here I am going on about betrayal, when he lost everything the second that time vault was locked. His family, his world, his time. He would never have been captured if he hadn’t been trying to save the warriors who were with him… and his brothers. He didn’t want them around when he destroyed Druan. If one of them had accidentally aimed his talisman at Druan while trying to destroy one of Druan’s lesser demons, the warrior would’ve been killed.”

  “No wonder they call him the Mighty Faelan,” Shay said.

  Bree started sorting through things on the nightstand. “Cody’s a lot like him. He would do anything to protect someone he cares about. Have you seen how he looks at you?”

  Shay had, but she didn’t know what to do about it.

  Bree lifted a pillow and looked underneath.

  “What are you looking for?”

  “I can’t find my necklace. I hope I didn’t leave it in the emergency room. It belonged to my father.”

  “Maybe Faelan has it. Did you tell the doctor you’re pregnant?”

  “Yes, but I asked him not to tell Faelan.”

  “He’ll be excited that he’s going to be a father.”

  “He will.” Bree touched her stomach. “This baby will give Faelan something of his own flesh and blood, after all he’s lost. That’s why I can’t risk distracting him.”

  Cody came in, glancing from Shay to Bree. His gaze dropped to Bree’s stomach. Had he overheard about the baby? “We have trouble,” he said, but he wore a pleased expression.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nina and Matilda are coming up the driveway.”

  ***

  “Pretend everything is normal,” Shay said as she and Cody hurried across to Nina’s house. Lachlan and Marcas had gone ahead to run interference while Shay exchanged her large bandage for a less noticeable one.

  “Normal?” Cody pulled Shay into the shadow of the back porch. “Is it normal that all I can think about is kissing you?” His head lowered. “And more than kissing. Do you know how often I think about more than kissing?”

  There was a hiss from the back porch. Marcas appeared above them, frowning. Shay’s face burned. “Do that later,” Marcas said. “Nina’s ready to mount a search party. If she finds out you have a stalker, they’ll never leave. And God forbid Matilda sees Faelan in his kilt.”

  Shay let Cody pull her up the steps. They had to get Nina and Matilda away from there. Shay might be willing to take her chances with a stalker, but she wasn’t willing to risk her aunt and Matilda.

  Both ladies were sitting at the table drinking iced tea. Lachlan sat next to them, looking like a caged bear.

  “Nina. Matilda. What are you doing here?” Her aunt was slim, with short, gray hair, the kind that looked like it came from an expensive salon, but didn’t. Matilda’s hair was a shocking color, something between orange and red, resembling a baboon’s nose, a jarring contrast with her purple jogging suit.

  “We’re on our way to meet some of Matilda’s friends in Washington. We thought we would tour some museums,” Nina said.

  “Maybe we’ll run into the president,” Matilda added. “I have a thing or two I’d like to get off my chest.”

  “You could start with that push-up bra,” Nina said.

  “Then we might go to Atlantic City. We’re taking a road trip from here,” Matilda said. “Like Thelma and Louise.”

  “Not if I can talk her out of it,” Nina whispered as she gave Shay a hug.

  “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”

  “We wanted to surprise you. We flew into Richmond and rented a car. I just had to stop by and see all of you together. It’s been so long.” She moved to hug Cody. “Look at them, Matilda. All grown up. Aren’t they just beautiful?” Nina clutched her hands to her chest. “I think I’m going to cry—Shay, why do you have a bandage on your head?”

  “I uh… tripped over the cat,” she said, looking at the creature perched at Lachlan’s feet.

  “Maybe we should stay a few days, Matilda. Shay might have a concussion.”

  “No,” Cody and his brothers chorused the word abruptly, startling both women.

  “My head’s fine. We wouldn’t want to interrupt your trip,” Shay said. “It’ll be an adventure.”

  “I could use an adventure,” Matilda said, nodding. “Speaking of adventure—”

  There was a scraping of chair legs, and Lachlan called out, “I just remembered something,” as the back door slammed.

  “If I didn’t know better, I’d think that boy was avoiding me,” Matilda said, her eyes—was that blue eye shadow?—narrowed thoughtfully. “You talk to him, Cody. He promised me a camping trip, and I’m not getting any younger.”

  “Then stop dressing like a teenager,” Nina said. “Have a cookie, Shay, boys. There’s oatmeal raisin and peanut butter.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with my clothes,” Matilda said.

  “Oh, this is just like old times,” Nina gushed. “Does my heart good, I tell you. I even saw Old Elmer peeking out of the woods when we pulled up. I worry about him. If Shay won’t move back, maybe I’ll give the house to him. All he has is that old cabin out there in the middle of nowhere.”

  Cody gave Shay a puzzled look. “Give Shay the house?”

  “I’ve been trying to get her to move back here for a year now. I don’t want to wait until I’m dead and gone and can’t see this place filled with love… and grandchildren. Maybe you boys can help me persuade her.”

  Shay had to admit, coming home, while alarming in some aspects, had made her realize how much she missed everyone. Everyone she cared about was here, other than Lucy Bell. Perhaps it was time to come home.

  “That’s a great idea,” Marcas said. “She’s been gone too long.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” Cody whispered, giving Shay a sullen look. “Now who’s keeping secrets?”

  “It’s not the same thing,” she whispered back.

  “Says who?”

  “She’s over there in Scotland all alone,” Nina continued. “This break-in at her shop proves it’s not safe. The world’s become a dangerous place. Hasn’t it, Matilda?”

  “Very dangerous.” Matilda broke off a piece of her oatmeal cookie. “Muggers, thieves, rapists. You should move back home. Here, kitty.” She handed the cat a morsel. It gave her an arrogant look, turned its head, and flicked its tail. “There are perverts out there too,” Matilda added, inspecting the cookie tray. “And psychos. Scotland’s full of them. I saw it on the news.” She chose another cookie. She handed the cat a nibble, again. It stared at her and its chest heaved once, as if sighing. “Does anyone besides me think this cat acts odd?”

  Nina nodded, either in response to Matilda’s perverted psycho assessment, or the question about the cat. “This is a nice, safe place.”

  “My break-in was probably just a… secret admirer.”

  Nina and Matilda shared a startled glance, followed by twitching eyebrows and widening eyes obviously meant to convey a private message. What were the two of them up to? Matilda fluffed her hair, a sure sign she was flustered. Usually she sprayed it stiff and dared anyone to touch it. “You have to watch those secret admirers. They could be dangerous. I had one in high school. His name was Willy. He stuck notes in my books for the longest time.”

  “If he was a secret admirer, how do you know it was Willy?” Nina asked. She seemed a little on edge.

  “Well, I didn’t know
it was him at first, because he was so shy. I finally caught him sneaking a note into my math book. I think it was because of his ears being so big.”

  “What does the size of his ears have to do with being a secret admirer?” Nina asked.

  “I mean that’s why he was shy. The kids called him Dumbo. He was afraid to approach me. I was so popular all the boys wanted to court me. That’s when my hair was naturally red, of course. The color of love, you know; that’s what Willy said in his note. Poor boy. Kids are so mean sometimes. Teasing someone just because of the size of his ears. Nowadays, he would just put one of those big metal rings in it. The bagger down at Kroger had holes so big I could’ve stuck a poker through them. His ears were big, come to think of it. That’s why I didn’t go out with him.”

  “The bag boy asked you out?” Nina asked, in astonishment.

  “No. Willy. He turned out to be a wife beater. Secret admirers can be dangerous. How about you, Cody? Are you seeing anyone?”

  “Uh…” Cody shook his head.

  “Hmmm,” Matilda said, looking at Shay.

  Cody leaned closer to Shay, his voice low at her ear. “Think I should tell her exactly how much I’ve seen of you?”

  Shay stomped his foot, missed, and hit the cat’s tail. It hissed and clawed its way out from under the table, using Matilda’s purple pants as a ladder. Matilda let out a screech and flew backwards in the chair, feet sticking in the air. Everyone jumped up and rushed to see if she was okay.

  “Oh my Lord,” she said, as Marcas and Cody hauled her to her feet. “I think that cat’s possessed. Did it mess up my hair? Where’s my water bottle? I’m feeling dehydrated.”

  Cody’s cell phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and looked at the number. “I have to take care of some business with Sam. You sure you’re okay, Matilda?” When she nodded, he excused himself. “I’ll see you ladies in the morning.”

  Who’s Sam?” Matilda asked, giving Nina a worried look.

  “His FBI contact,” Marcas said.

  “Well, that’s all right then,” Matilda said, frowning at her push-up bra, which had shifted off center during the fall.

  After half an hour, Marcas left, and Nina and Matilda insisted on getting to bed early, since they planned to leave at dawn. Shay suspected Nina’s trip was to make sure Shay was all right. The cat went out too, and Shay headed to her room, still thinking about Renee. The others doubted the car was Renee’s, but what if someone had stolen her car? Oh, come on, Shay. What were the chances that her best friend’s car would show up on Skyline Drive behind her and not stop when Shay tried to wave her down? Maybe the men were right. She was probably addled from the wreck or it was another red car with a rainbow bumper sticker. After all, she had been thinking about Renee a lot. And she couldn’t be the only person in the world with a rainbow bumper sticker.

  Shay opened her door, and the first thing she saw was a red rose on her pillow. Who had put it there? Aunt Nina didn’t like roses. Shay picked it up and sniffed. Did Cody feel responsible because his brakes failed? Or was he trying to make up for the past? Shay put the rose on her dresser and tried Renee’s number again, and then Renee’s parents. Still no answer. They were probably at their cabin. There was no cell phone service there.

  Shay had just gotten out of the shower when she heard the tap at the window. She peeked around the bathroom door. Cody was sitting in the tree, motioning for her to open the window. Her head reeled as if she’d gone through a time warp, traveling back nine years. Cody had perched in the tree, forehead pressed to the glass, waiting for her to let him in. She didn’t. She hid in the closet, her eyes swollen with tears, until he finally dropped his head in anguish and left.

  Shay dried off, quickly dressing in yoga pants and a soft T-shirt, then opened the window. “What are you doing?”

  “You didn’t think I was going to let you sleep here with Nina and Matilda as guards? Might as well invite the stalker in for tea. Take this.” He handed her his Dopp kit, then stuck his head and one arm through the window. “This is tight.” He tried to pull himself through. “I think I’m stuck.”

  “You can’t be stuck,” Shay said, leaning over him.

  “My shirt’s hung on something.”

  Shay lifted the window higher. “It’s a nail.” She freed his shirt, and he twisted sideways, wiggling his body until he landed on the floor with a thud.

  “Quiet. All we need is for Nina and Matilda to see you.”

  “They’re both half deaf.” He rubbed his shoulder. “That wasn’t as easy as it used to be.”

  “You’re twice the size you were the last time you climbed in here.”

  Cody glanced at her face. “You look terrible.”

  “Pardon me while I swoon from flattery.” Wasn’t this the man who just tried to make out with her beside the back porch?

  “As long as you fall on the bed. You have a concussion.”

  She gave him a hard stare. “You’d better not have handcuffs on you.” She hadn’t forgiven him for that.

  “Want to search me and make sure?” His leer died as he turned to close the window. His body tensed. “Turn the light off.”

  “What?”

  “Turn the lamp off. Now!”

  Shay hit the switch. Cody opened the curtain a sliver and stood still, watching.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Not sure. I saw a streak of… something.” He let the curtain drop. “You can turn the light on.” He pulled out his cell phone and punched in a number. “Lach, you on guard duty? Check the woods again, and keep a close watch on Nina’s house until the others get here.” He hung up and turned to face her. He saw the rose and frowned. “Where do I sleep?”

  “Nina’s in her room, and Matilda’s in the one next to it. Both beds on the other side of the house are made up, and there’s the one downstairs.”

  “Too far away.” He took the blanket from the bottom of her bed and draped it over the small sofa, then unzipped his jeans.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Getting undressed.”

  “Why?”

  “I’ll do a lot of things. I won’t sleep in jeans again.”

  “You’re going to sleep here?”

  “I am.” He shucked his jeans, stretched, and grimaced at the small sofa.

  “Why didn’t you bring something to sleep in?”

  “I’m wearing underwear.”

  “Don’t you ever wear pajamas?”

  “Not if I can help it.” He picked up his Dopp kit and padded toward the bathroom, giving her a long look at his backside in boxer briefs. “I’m going to brush my teeth.”

  “Geez.” She took a blanket from the bed and put it on the sofa, accidentally knocking a photo album off the table. It fell open to a picture of the MacBain boys in full knight garb, scowling. Shay had paid them from her allowance to pose in the costumes. She was the damsel, of course, draped in yards of calico fabric Laura MacBain had found in her attic.

  The bathroom door closed, and Shay’s skin tingled as Cody moved behind her, looking over her shoulder. He reached around her and turned the page to a picture of a young Shay and Cody, the same day she chipped his tooth. He flipped another page, and a loose photo fluttered out, falling to the floor. Shay picked it up and looked into the smiling faces of the people she grew up believing were her parents, Bob and Nancy Logan, who died in a plane crash and were buried in a cemetery in Vermont. Who were they? Distant relatives? Actors? Picture frame models? She lost not one, but two sets of parents, neither of whom she knew. Or were they both a lie? The only proof would be to dig them up and check DNA. She felt the old frustration raising its head as she closed the photo album and put it away.

  “I’m sorry, Shay.” Cody closed a warm hand over her shoulder and then pulled her into his arms. “We were trying to help.”

  She closed her eyes, standing stiff-armed in his embrace. The warmth of his body took the edge off her irritation, and she relaxed against him, letting her softness
melt into his harder planes. What was it about him? She couldn’t even think straight when he was near. Her face was pressed against his shoulder, and she could see the bruise her teeth had made on his neck. “I shouldn’t have bitten you, even if you did deserve it.” She touched her lips to the mark.

  He pulled in a harsh breath and his hands slid down, resting at the top of her hips. He dropped a kiss on her hair, before moving lower. He nipped her ear with his teeth, and she went boneless, sagging against him. His legs bumped the sofa, and they both sat down hard, Cody first, Shay sprawled across his lap. She licked the bite on his neck, and he groaned.

  There was a knock at the door. “Shay?”

  Shay scrambled up, patting her hair and clothes, then swiped a hand across her lips, as Cody slipped into the bathroom. She opened the door. “Yes, Nina.”

  “Just wanted to say good night.”

  “Good night, Nina. It’s good to see you.”

  “I’m so glad you’re home. I worry about you, with all the terrible things happening in the world. You look tired, dear. If you’re not sleeping well, Matilda has some pills that’ll knock you out cold.” She turned and looked up the hall. “Matilda! What are you doing? I swear… I have to go.” Nina hurried off, muttering to herself.

  Shay closed the door. Cody stood just inside the bathroom watching her. “My turn,” she said, walking toward him. With each step, she prayed, first that he would move; then that he wouldn’t, so they could pick up where they left off.

  He moved, and Shay sighed with relief as she entered the bathroom. When she returned, he was settled in. If you could call it settled, with his feet hanging off the end of the sofa. “You don’t look comfortable.”

  “I’d be more comfortable in a bed,” he muttered, looking longingly at hers. He glanced at the rose again.

  Was he waiting for her to thank him? “Did you leave the rose?”

  “No.”

  Probably Jamie or Marcas. If Marcas ever gave up being a warrior, he would make a damn fine husband, thoughtful, sensitive, and all male. Shay pulled back the covers and climbed into bed.