Niall: A Highlander Romance (The Ghosts of Culloden Moor Book 32)

by Diane Darcy

  She slowed the car and turned down a dirt road, the type that he was much more familiar with. There was a large house ahead, painted white with blue trim. It looked to be well maintained and surrounded by much property. “Your grandfather is a landowner, is he?”

  “Potato farmer.”

  “Truly?”

  “You sound excited.”

  “I come from a farming background. I’ve seen many different types of employment over the years, some which puzzled me, and others that astounded me, but this one I understand.”

  She grinned at him. “You and my grandfather will get along just fine.”

  “I expect we will. Now about that driving lesson?”

  She laughed and he tried to ignore the attraction between them once more, and looked away. Her face was far too beautiful for his peace of mind.

  “Seriously, I’d love nothing more than to teach a grown man to drive, as I’m sure it would be quite amusing for me. But we’ve got to get inside before Tina and Zach show up.”

  “All right lass, though I’m going tae hold ye to it.”

  “It’s a date. I mean… what I meant was…”

  He looked away to spare her embarrassment, but was glad to find he wasn’t the only one flustered in this situation.

  Before they even pulled up to the front door, an older couple came out and stood on a huge front porch.

  Jenny waved through the car window and quickly exited the vehicle.

  Niall did so at a slower pace.

  “Grandma, Grandpa! It’s good to see you!”

  The older couple hurried down the porch stairs to greet them and Niall shut the car door and stood at attention.

  “Glad you’re here early. Is this the man?” The elderly gentleman, stout, deeply tanned, and with a thick head of gray hair, was slightly shorter than Niall. He sported a wide, thick mustache, and looked to be someone who smiled a lot.

  “Yep. This is Niall MacDonald for all intents and purposes. And we’re not going to mention his profession to Zach or Tina, right?”

  The lady, her thick white hair falling to her shoulders, placed a finger to her lip. “Not a word, we swear. It’s so nice to meet you, Mr. MacDonald. I’m Amelia Hudson, and this is my husband Sam. Just call us Amelia and Sam.”

  She held out her hand, and he shook it, her grip letting him know this was no fainthearted woman, but one used to hard work.

  “Tis nice to meet ye, as well. Please, call me Niall.” He shook Sam’s hand next, noting the way the old man glanced between Niall and his granddaughter, speculation in his gaze. “Will do. We wouldn’t want to let the cat out of the bag.”

  Amelia smiled warmly and gestured for him to follow. “Come inside. Breakfast is almost ready, but we’ll wait on Zach and Tina and hope for the best, shall we?”

  Sam turned to his wife. “Do I have time to show Niall around?”

  “That’s a good idea. Jenny, you come and help me finish crisping the bacon.”

  The women went up the stairs and Niall followed Sam around the house where a field started, not far away, and spread into the distance. Rows of the short greenery of potatoes, with the tops of the vines already dying off, covered the area. “It looks like you’re ready to harvest, sir.”

  “You know potatoes?”

  “Aye, we planted them in Scotland the year before I left.”

  “How did you harvest them?”

  He guessed the man was referring to what sort of equipment was used. “We dug them up.”

  He could see he’d surprised the elderly gentleman. “By hand? That would have taken forever.”

  “Many hands make light work. The whole village would join in.”

  “Huh. That would be a sight to see. Nothing like the good old days, eh? Around here, we have a tractor with a front-mounted haulm topper and a trailed potato harvester. Best of its kind. A couple of men can harvest a field of potatoes like this,” he jerked his chin toward the vines, “in about a day.”

  Niall looked out over the field, and couldn’t help but be impressed. “I’d like to see that.”

  “Come up next week and I can accommodate you.”

  The old man got down on his knees in the dirt, and dug up a couple of potatoes. He handed them to Niall. “Do you know how to tell if they’re ready?”

  Niall rubbed the potatoes together to check if the skin would flake off, but it held firm.

  Samuel chuckled, stood up again, and brushed his hands on his pants. “You know what you’re doing.”

  Niall grinned. “As I said, we grew potatoes.”

  Samuel clapped him on the back. “Do you really think you can help Zach and Tina?”

  Niall had wondered that himself. Surely Soni would not have put him here if he couldn’t be of assistance.

  Surely she wouldn’t have put him here simply to see another man go through the pain he’d gone through, would she?

  He thought maybe his empathy for Zach was the entire point of this exercise. “Aye, I do believe I can help them.”

  Samuel nodded once. “Glad to hear it.”

  “Ye’ve a wonderful farm here, sir.”

  There was understandable pride in Sam’s expression. “I have 625 acres, which isn’t much compared to some, but I grow specialty potatoes, fingerlings and such, so it’s a good business. I have a couple of full-time employees, a building in town for storage, washing, packing, and shipping. All in all, it’s built up quite a bit over the years.”

  The older man sighed. “I’d hoped to pass it on to my children, or even my grandchildren, but it seems they have interests of their own.”

  “Is that so?”

  He shrugged. “I followed my own dreams; I can hardly fault them for doing the same.”

  Sam’s gaze assessed. “How long have you been dating Jenny?”

  The man’s thought process was not difficult to discern. He wanted to know if Niall was to marry his granddaughter, and if there was a chance Niall, himself, was interested in the place. Many a match had been made over a piece of property.

  “We’re just friends.”

  “Shame.” Sam gave a rueful shrug. “Come on, I’ll show you around.”

  After about twenty minutes of looking through barns, vegetable gardens, and equipment, they finally joined the women in the kitchen.

  When Jenny smiled, it was once again like a punch in his gut. The girl made things brighter, but she wasn’t meant for him.

  Was it simply because he’d been given another chance at life and Jenny was the first girl he’d run into? Would he feel this way about any young woman?

  He honestly didn’t know, but felt slightly ashamed of himself for his attraction.

  He was supposed to be helping others, not helping himself.

  “Your folks come from Scotland?” Jenny’s grandmother pulled his attention away, and Niall was glad for the distraction. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “And do you know where you’re from, exactly, in that country?”

  “From Lochaber, in the west.”

  “But what about your ancestors, going back hundreds of years? Do you know where they’re from?”

  The question amused him. Hundreds of years ago would place him directly in the time he’d been born. “Yes, ma’am, my kin were at Lochaber then as well, in the shire of Inverness.”

  “Really? Are you into genealogy by any chance?”

  “I’m not sure that I take your meaning.”

  “Do you like to study your ancestors and find out where you come from?”

  “I come from Scotland.”

  Amelia laughed. “I mean do you know who your mother’s people were, your father’s?”

  “My mother comes from Clan Morgan, and my father from Clan Donald.”

  Her eyes were shining. “If you like, I can look up your family on the computer, and see if there are any gaps in your knowledge?”

  Again, he didn’t take her meaning, but decided it would be easier to simply nod. “That would be fine, then.”

&nbs
p; She tapped the spoon on the edge of a pot. “Jenny, you take over here. I’m just going to do a quick search.”

  Jenny chuckled. “Does that mean you and Niall won’t be joining us for breakfast?”

  “Mind your manners, missy! You’re not too old for the paddle.”

  Jenny chuckled again, but obediently stirred whatever was in the pot.

  “Come with me, young man.”

  Niall followed quickly behind Amelia, and she sat in front of a computer. He was proud of the fact he knew what it was and that he wouldn’t come across as a country bumpkin in this circumstance.

  She clicked around, and then quickly put in his name. “All right, who are your parents?

  “Elspeth Morgan. Brodie MacDonald.”

  She typed for a minute. “I’m not seeing anything here. Do you know what the dates of birth are?”

  He almost told her, and that he shook his head. “I’ve no idea.”

  “Well the only thing that I’m finding here is a couple born back in the 18th century. So that couldn’t be right.”

  “What do you know of them?”

  “Just birth and death dates. No personal information or anything like that going that far back.”

  “Could ye look up another name for me?”

  “Sure, what is it?”

  “Fiona Ranald.”

  She quickly tapped the name, and Niall found himself holding his breath.

  “I found a couple of girls with that name, one was born in 1725 and the other in 1892, and one more—”

  “The one born in 1725. What does it say of her?” His throat tightened, and he could barely get the words out.

  She tapped at the keys some more. “Hmm. There isn’t much about her. Based on her location and the time period, she very well might have been caught up in the Highland Clearances.” She glanced up at him. “I imagine you know what those are?”

  “Aye.” Every ghost on the moor was aware that many of their families were forced to flee or were evicted from their lands after the Battle of Culloden.

  Amelia sighed. “I wish I had more time. I’ll look into this and get back to you. She probably immigrated. I’ll look into her and let you know what I find out. Why is this girl of interest? A relative you’ve heard of?”

  “Aye. Something like that.”

  “Tina’s here!” Her grandmother pushed the curtain aside to get a better look.

  Jenny hurried forward. “Do you see Zach?” She was worried the two of them would arrive at the same time, and one or both of them would turn around and leave before their plan had a chance to work.

  “Just Tina.”

  Jenny glanced out the window herself then headed quickly for the back door.

  She scrambled down the stairs just as her sister-in-law was getting out of her car, her long blonde hair blowing in the breeze. “Tina! I’m sorry, can you park around back? Grandpa’s going to drive his truck through here in a minute, and needs the space.

  Tina glanced around the large area, then glanced back, blue eyes widening. “Can’t he go around me?”

  Jenny shrugged, trying to look casual, though butterflies had taken up residence in her stomach. “You know Grandpa.”

  With a sound of exasperation, Tina got back in her car, started it, and pulled around the house.

  Jenny blew out a slow breath. One disaster averted, anyway. She quickly followed her sister-in-law around to the other side of the house and met her as she was getting out of her car for the second time.

  “Better?” Tina’s tone was snippy, which was the last thing Jenny wanted. She wanted her in a good mood for when Zach showed up.

  With that in mind, Jenny smiled broadly. And pulled her sister-in-law into a hug. “It’s so good to see you! Are you feeling okay?”

  Tina’s look of surprise made Jenny wonder if she was the one who’d been in a bad mood lately.

  “I’m fine.” She looked around. “Glad to be here, actually. The drive out was nice, and I didn’t realize how much I needed to get away.”

  “I know what you mean. Driving in the country makes everything look better, doesn’t it?”

  Tina frowned. “Not everything.” She still clung to her car door as if undecided whether to stay or not.

  “Come on. Grandma has made a veritable feast, as usual.”

  Tina chuckled at that. “I bet.” She still didn’t move. “You haven’t said anything to the grandparents, have you?”

  Jenny knew she referred to the baby. “Not a word.”

  Tina let out a long breath, and finally shut the door. “All right. Lead the way, then.”

  They went in the back door and through the mudroom, down the hallway, and back into the kitchen.

  Grandma was all smiles. “Tina, dear! It’s so good to see you.” She enveloped Tina in her arms, hugging her tight.

  Tina hugged her back, but looked helplessly over her shoulder at Jenny, as if she was on the verge of panicking.

  “We’ve made a ton of food, so I hope you came hungry.”

  “Oh, I did. Don’t worry about that.”

  Grandma went back to cooking, and Jenny followed Tina’s gaze to Niall. “Let me introduce you. This is Niall MacDonald. He’s a friend of mine from Scotland.”

  Tina’s brows rose as she reached forward and shook Niall's hand. “I didn’t know that Jenny had any friends in Scotland. How did you meet?”

  “I know him from college.” Jenny inserted quickly, glancing at Niall. He was so handsome her heart twisted.

  “Really?” Tina looked between the two of them. “Did you ever watch Jenny play basketball?”

  “Nae.”

  “Have you met Zach?”

  “Niall is staying at my place, so, yes.”

  “Hmm.” Tina flashed her a sympathetic look. “Zach is really cramping your style, isn’t he?”

  “Not at all. But if you’d like him back, just say the word and I’ll have his bags packed within five minutes. I’ll even drive him to your house.”

  Tina smiled, but somehow still managed to look sad.

  Niall cleared his throat and moved forward to pull the chair out for Tina. “Have a seat, lass.”

  Tina glanced around. “Grandma, do you need any help?”

  “Nope. I’ve about got everything done. Just sit yourself down, and we will be enjoying this meal lickety-split.”

  “All right, if you’re sure.”

  “I am.”

  Tina slowly, almost reluctantly, took the seat Niall offered.

  Jenny sat across from Tina and Niall sank into the chair beside her.

  “Your grandmother has been showing me some of my relatives.”

  “His family tree.” Grandma seemed amused by his choice of words.

  “It was nice to see how many of them remained married in that day. Divorce was unheard of, ye understand.”

  Jenny, incredulous, gaped at Niall. What did he think he was doing? For a man who was supposed to be a therapist, he didn’t seem to have a subtle bone in his body. Which might have worked well for Zach, but not for Tina!

  “Anyway …” Jenny stressed the word. “It sure would be fun to go to Scotland and see old castles and graveyards and such.”

  Tina looked between the two of them, looking slightly flustered. “Are you planning a trip to Scotland?”

  “Not anytime soon. It’s just that Niall seems to really like history, and listening to him talk about it is making it come alive for me. Who wouldn’t want to go to Scotland?”

  Grandma was setting food out on the table. With a quick glare in Niall's direction when Tina wasn’t looking, Jenny jumped up to help.

  She set the plate of crispy bacon in front of Tina, and couldn’t help but note the way the other woman jerked back.

  “Are you okay?”

  “I … I …” Tina jumped up, and raced out of the room.

  Grandpa was just coming in and had to move out of her way. The kitchen suddenly went silent.

  So it was hard to miss the fact th
at Tina was retching in the bathroom.

  “Is that girl pregnant?” Grandma asked.

  Jenny stood frozen by the table and didn’t say a word.

  Just then, a car pulled up to the front of the house.

  Of course, it was Zach.

  Chapter 7

  Niall heard Zach pounding up the back stairs just seconds before the man threw open the door.

  No one moved a muscle.

  Zach took in their shocked faces and suddenly grinned. “What? I know you were expecting me.”

  Just then Tina moved back into the kitchen, a scowl on her face. “What is this? Some sort of set up?”

  That is exactly what it was, and none of them could deny it.

  “Tina,” Grandma ignored the rest of them and stared at the younger woman with concern. “Should we be expecting a new grand baby?”

  Tina gasped and her gaze flew to Jenny.

  Jenny shook her head vigorously.

  Niall surged to his feet, feeling helpless. This was what he was here to fix, and though he had not the slightest idea of what to do, he raised his hands in the air and said, “All right, we’re all tae calm now.”

  It was as if his words set off the opposite reaction he was hoping for.

  “Baby?” Zach’s voice exploded. “What is she talking about? What baby?”

  Tina crossed her arms in front of her, not a good sign in Niall's estimation, and glared at her husband. “That’s none of your business, is it?”

  “Oh, dear.” Grandma leaned back against the sink, looking helpless.

  Jenny turned and glared at him, then motioned him toward the couple.

  What was he supposed to do? He didn’t have any experience with any of this, and he didn’t know the right words to say. But he supposed he’d have to try anyway.

  “As I said, let us all just calm down for a moment, and talk about this rationally.”

  Zach’s face darkened in anger and he pointed at Tina. “If you’re expecting my child, you’d of told me about it, wouldn’t you?”

  “Oh, I just knew you were going to go straight there.”

  “Straight where? I haven’t even said anything yet. I’m just wrapping my mind around this!”

  “But I can see you’re going to. You are as predictable as I thought you were.”