A McMillan Christmas - A Novella: Book 7.5 of Morna’s Legacy Series

by Bethany Claire

  “But she will do it. We already know that she will.”

  He placed his palms on either side of my face and kissed me gently before pulling away to look down into my eyes.

  “No, she willna do it. For things are not going to happen the same way they did last time. Besides, I doona believe there was malice in Margaret’s choice.”

  I wanted to believe him. While I was willing to enjoy things as they came, neither of us could know for sure if we had any power to change how things occurred between us last time.

  “You don’t know that.”

  He didn’t seem shaken by my lack of faith.

  “Aye, I do know. Things are already different. Five years ago, ’twas not Margaret that greeted us at the door, and none of our guests punctured a tire on the way up here. If those changes can happen, so can many others.”

  Perhaps he was right.

  “Fine. I will say nothing to Margaret, but I mean nothing. I don’t want to see or speak to her and that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

  He kissed the tip of my nose and took my hand as we went to welcome the tour.

  “As long as ye doona insult her or pull her head off, I doona care.”

  When we stepped into the entryway, a dozen tourists stood waiting. I was good with people, but Kamden came alive in front of strangers. His warm welcome had them all smiling and laughing before he even introduced himself.

  We played off one another well. Kamden stuck to the history, and I filled in the yawn-worthy stuff with all the tales of whimsy. It was a good group—not too big, not too small—and all the faces were exactly the same as five years before. With a quick glimpse at the roster, I remembered each of them.

  Kamden always saved the great room for last. It was by far the most breathtaking room in the castle. From its large fireplace and portraits to the massive Christmas tree at its end—it was a guest favorite every time.

  It took only seconds for me to spot it when we entered the final room on our tour—the velvet sack sitting right above the fireplace where Morna’s letter had been the night before. I didn’t falter in my story as I walked over to the mantle and pointed to the portrait of Kamden’s father to direct their gaze in another direction as I reached to grab it.

  It was heavy, and I knew right away what it was. Sidestepping over to Kamden, I gently placed the bag in his hands. He looked at me and mouthed his question, “What is it?”

  Shrugging, I walked away to finish my speech, but when I looked back at him from across the room, I knew I was right.

  A big, smooth rock lay in the palm of his hand.

  Chapter 17

  The moment he concluded the tour, Kamden moved to Harper’s side.

  “Meet me in my study. I’ll show the guests to the kitchen and leave them with Margaret. I wanna speak to ye about this.”

  When she nodded and took the rock from his hand, Kamden turned to see the group downstairs. It took some time to corral them. Many wanted pictures with him by the tree. Others wanted him to sign their souvenir books. It was unusual for the owner of such a great castle to interact with guests. As much as he wanted to speak with Harper, he wouldn’t deny them the unique experience of having some time with him.

  “If ye are all ready, I’d like to take ye to the castle’s kitchen. It is the most updated part of the castle—a necessity to keep our dedicated cook, Margaret, happy. She’s prepared some special treats just for ye. Then, our usual tour guide, Alfred, has arranged sleigh rides around the pond for all of ye. If ye still wish to take pictures in the great room, doona worry. Once ye’ve finished all other activities, ye are free to wander around the castle on yer own, just as long as ye are out of the castle by five this evening. At that time, Harper and I will be leaving for a verra special trip. Christmas Eve will be our fifth year together. I plan to propose.”

  He smiled at the anticipated “oohs” and “awws” from his guests. Knowing they would have time to wander on their own seemed to do the trick, and they gathered around him without delay as he led them downstairs.

  Margaret waited for them at the bottom, a basket of scones in her arms, the kitchen bar lined with mugs of hot chocolate.

  “Do ye and Harper wish to join in? I’ve prepared a mug for each of ye.”

  He stood by Margaret’s side while the group filed into the kitchen. Once all were inside, he turned to speak to her.

  “Thank ye, but no. We need to finish packing for our trip. I’ll see ye before we leave.”

  She waved him on, and he rushed toward the study.

  He couldn’t wait to cancel their trip.

  His family awaited both of them in the past.

  * * *

  I never doubted that a magic rock would show up somewhere. Not after my wish was granted in my dream and our mutual wish was granted when we woke up in the past. The rock’s appearance seemed inevitable.

  Five years ago, Kamden and I left for a trip to the swankiest and most secluded resort in the Highlands. I suspected that this time around, Kamden had other plans in mind. He always longed for family. If this rock truly had the power to bring them to him, he would take it.

  Kamden’s study lay on the ground floor of the castle at the very end of the primary corridor of the staircase. It ensured total privacy when he wished to spend hours going over the books or, as was usually the case, just wanted a moment to breathe.

  I roamed around the room taking in all the memories of years past. Photos of our college years together were scattered around the bookshelves that lined each wall. While each one made me smile, they were also a reminder of all that crumbled between us the day I left. I hoped Kamden was right. I hoped things could be different this time.

  “I like that one of ye.”

  I didn’t know he entered until I heard his voice behind me. I leaned into him as his arms came around me. He bent to rest his chin on my shoulder as we gazed at the photo of me in my cap and gown.

  “You can’t be serious. You can tell I’ve been crying—my face is all red and puffy.”

  “I never saw anyone less eager to graduate college. Ye loved every minute of it.”

  I had. College brought me to Scotland—the only place in my life where I ever felt truly at home.

  I pulled away and went to pick up the rock sitting on the desk. It could’ve been my imagination, but it even felt magical.

  “So…we’re not going north, are we?”

  He smiled and shook his head.

  “I called and cancelled our reservation as soon as I left the guests in the kitchen. I wish to take ye on another trip instead.”

  “Do you think it will work?”

  I hoped that it would. His disappointment would be overwhelming if it didn’t.

  “Aye. I do. I canna see why the witch would leave it for us if it wouldna. I doona wish for the staff to know about it. We shall have to resort to trickery.”

  “Trickery, huh?”

  He had everything planned. He was quick that way. He could come up with plans on the fly with ease.

  “Aye. They will wish to see us off. The staff is staying on until Christmas Eve even though our last tour is now done. I say we leave in the car as planned, then take the back road to Margaret’s house and park the car in her old shed. ’Tis unused, I know, and I doona believe she’s opened it in a decade.”

  Nothing sounded less appealing.

  “If we do that, we will have to walk a mile back here. It will be freezing.”

  He nodded apologetically but didn’t back down.

  “Aye, ’twill. But if we park the car on the side of the road, someone will see it. I doona wish for them to be concerned about our wellbeing. We will wait until dark to skip the rock. That way, we will be able to leave unseen.”

  At least we wouldn’t be hiking in the middle of the snowstorm of 2016. As long as we bundled up, we would be fine. Uncomfortable, but technically fine.

  “Okay. How long until we leave in the car?”

  Kamden glanced down at
his watch.

  “Two hours.”

  “Great. Are we packing?”

  He thought about it for a long moment before answering.

  “I doona think so. What do we have that would belong in the past? I say we just go with the flow, lass.”

  Laughing, I agreed. It was all rather exciting, really. Wherever the rock sent us, I supposed it would be an adventure. The past years of my life had been much too void of risk. I would make up for it now.

  “All right. I’ve got something I need to take care of. Do you think Henderson is back in the booth?”

  He eyed me suspiciously.

  “Aye, I expect he is closing everything up. Why?”

  “Good.” I pulled him toward me and kissed him until both of us were breathless. “I’ll meet you in our room in an hour. Maybe you can make up for abandoning me in the shower, then?”

  That distracted him enough to stop his questions.

  I took off in search of Henderson.

  Chapter 18

  I heard Henderson’s chair shift from inside the old ticket booth the moment I knocked on the door, but it took me calling out for him to answer.

  “Henderson, it’s me, Harper. Let me in. I’m freezing out here.”

  There was another slow shuffling sound and then, finally, he opened the door.

  “Harper, what are ye doing out here? Ye should’ve told me it was ye from the first. Almost every day we have some guest try to come in after I’ve closed the booth. I’m accustomed to ignoring the knock on my door.”

  “I just wanted to come and see how you were doing. Mind if I sit?”

  He must’ve been suspicious of my answer right away, but he said nothing to indicate he was. Instead, he smiled and ushered me to one of the two chairs that sat inside the tiny space. In peak months, Kamden hired seasonal help to man the other booth window.

  “How did the tour go? It seemed a fine group.”

  “It went great. Maybe the best one ever.”

  The old man smiled, his crooked, yellowed teeth just barely peeking out in the middle of his silvery beard.

  “I’m pleased to hear it.”

  An awkward silence settled between us. I loved Henderson, but I’d never really had much conversation with him outside of normal niceties. It was odd for him, too. His eyes roamed around the interior of the booth uncomfortably.

  Eventually, I decided it was best to be frank with him. He wouldn’t appreciate anything else.

  “Can I ask you a question?”

  “O’course, ye can.”

  “Henderson…are you in some sort of trouble?”

  Whatever he expected me to ask, it hadn’t been that. His mouth visibly opened and closed at least three times before he answered.

  “How did ye know?”

  I couldn’t very well tell him the truth. Instead, I tried to come up with the most believable lie. The only thing I could think of was to tell him that I’d been making the deposits. There was a chance he would know that wasn’t true, but it was the best thing I could think of in that moment.

  “Margaret’s been so busy lately doing her usual end-of-year assessment of the kitchen and preparing food and goods to hold Kamden over for the next few months that I volunteered a few weeks ago to take the deposits into town and pick up the groceries for her. Did you know that I majored in accounting in college? It doesn’t take long for me to see when numbers are off.”

  Even that was a lie—I held a degree in Shakespearean literature, but I didn’t know how Henderson would ever be able to call my bluff on that.

  He crumbled the minute I asked him the question. The pain and guilt on his face was so evident that I moved to gather him up against me as he started to cry. My heart broke for him. Before I knew it, I sat there and cried right along with him. I said nothing. There was no need for me to. In a moment, he would gather himself and explain. Whatever the reason, I could feel nothing but sorrow for whatever position he was in.

  When he did lift his head, he apologized profusely.

  “I’ll pay every bit of it back, I swear to ye. Did Kamden send ye because he was too angry to speak with me himself? I doona need my last paycheck. I shall gather my things and not ever come back here again.”

  I reached for his hands and tried to reassure him with my grip.

  “Hey, it’s okay. Kamden doesn’t know anything about it. He’s not angry, and I’m not either. We know you, Henderson. I just want to know what’s going on so I can help.”

  “Nothing could justify the trust I’ve betrayed. My reason matters not.”

  I continued to insist.

  “It does to me.”

  For a long while, I thought he wouldn’t tell me. He sat thinking for the longest time, then he pointed out the booth window toward the building on the other side of the trees.

  “Last month, Kamden asked me to take out the old snowmobile and get it running again. He thought there would be enough snow to use it this year. So, I spent two weeks working on the machine, and I finally got it running. Problem was, I dinna know how to drive it. I turned it on, but instead of backing it out of the barn, I plowed it through the front.”

  My hands flew to my face in shock.

  “Did it hurt you?”

  He shook his head and the tops of his cheeks uncovered by beard turned bright red.

  “No, though the barn is in right bad shape. I couldna tell Kamden, for he would’ve fired me and rightly so. I would’ve fired me, too. I doona make enough to pay for its repairs on my own. I’ve pulled aside a little this month to cover the cost. Though, I never would’ve done so if we had not had the busy summer that we did. I swear it to ye.”

  I would’ve burst out laughing if not for the distraught look on Henderson’s face. I truly expected him to confess to some sort of gambling addiction, not for him to tell me that he was so prideful that he would rather steal than admit to a mistake. If it could even be called stealing—the money was going right back into the castle.

  “So, you’re not even using the money for yourself?”

  He looked appalled by my question.

  “O’course not. What sort of a man do ye think I am?”

  “A stupid, prideful one. Kamden would never fire you for something like that, and you know it. You were simply too embarrassed to tell him.”

  “Aye, I am. Please doona tell him, Harper. I’ll pay the castle back. ’Twill only take me some time.”

  “You won’t do any such thing.” I pulled my checkbook out and looked him straight on. “How much have you taken?”

  “I willna allow ye to pay for this, Harper.”

  His arguing was pointless. I held the upper hand and he knew it.

  “Yes you will. How much?”

  He looked down shamefully.

  “Three thousand pounds.”

  Swallowing, I tried to hide my astonishment as I wrote him a check.

  “Cash this, put the money back in next week’s deposit and never say a word to anyone about this.”

  Reluctantly, he took the check from my hands.

  “Why would ye do this for me?”

  “I’m doing it because you’re a good man, even if you are stupid. You came to my defense once even if you don’t realize it, and I want to do the same for you now. Just promise me one thing.”

  “Anything.”

  “If there is ever a time when Margaret asks you to keep a secret for her, promise me that you won’t do it. Promise me you’ll tell Kamden.”

  His wiry brows pulled together.

  “What do ye mean?”

  “It doesn’t matter. Just promise.”

  “Aye. I promise. Thank ye, lass.”

  I stood and wrapped my arms around him in a big hug.

  “You’re welcome. Merry Christmas, Henderson.”

  I breathed easily on my walk back to the castle. At least now we had a safety net. While things were pleasant now, Kamden and I were both opinionated, fiery people. It was still very possible everything would be sh
ot to hell by the time the week was over.

  If so, and everything ended up just how it had the time before, at least Kamden would be able to find his way back to me.

  Whether Margaret wished him to or not.

  Chapter 19

  An hour away from her was absolute torture after such a teasing statement. What did Harper expect him to do for that long? He started by getting two empty suitcases from his closet and filling them with random clothes, shoes, and blankets before placing them by the door. They would need to be heavy enough to not raise suspicion.

  Once that was done, Kamden took to pacing the room with Sileas by his side. He couldn’t wait for her to return. How many times had he dreamed of making love to her over the last five years? Countless times. But each one only left him wanting her more. She couldn’t possibly understand the hunger he had for her now.

  She would find out soon enough.

  * * *

  I knew what awaited me on the other side of Kamden’s bedroom door. I could sense him from all the way out in the hallway. The intensity of it halted me in my tracks. I wanted to weep for how badly I wanted to feel him inside me, but that need didn’t mean I wasn’t freaking terrified.

  So much time had passed. What if things were different between us? Even though kissing him was enough to turn me into mush, what if our real sexual chemistry was gone? Or what if I was just so rusty that he found himself questioning if his memories of our past were accurate? Either outcome horrified me and left me paralyzed outside the door.

  I must’ve done something to make Kamden aware of my presence, for just as I was about to turn around and flee, the door opened and he pulled me inside.

  “What are ye doing standing out in the hallway?”

  “Deciding whether or not to run and make an excuse for it later.”

  He tilted his head to the side in question.

  “Run? Why would ye do that?”

  Kamden’s green eyes were as lusty as I’d ever seen them. His gaze traveled down my neck as I spoke and locked on the dip between my breasts just as my breathing escalated in response.