by Willa Blair
Her eyelids fluttered closed as her hands reached up around his neck to entwine in his thick hair. An eternity seemed to pass before he tore his lips from hers, their breathing ragged as he gazed down at her, his eyes burning into hers. He took her hand in his, leading her to a soft patch of grass.
They kicked off their shoes, and he moved behind her to undo the laces of her gown. He kissed the back of her neck, sending shivers down the length of her spine. He loosened her plait so that her long hair unraveled, rippling about her. He ran his fingers through the silken strands, making her scalp tingle. Moving in front of her once more, he slowly eased the gown off her shoulders to pool at her feet.
He stepped back to look at her, and her heart pounded when she saw the rigid stance of his body, the hot desire emanating from his emerald eyes. She reached for him, removing the brooch that held the ends of his plaid together across his chest, the extra fabric falling down around his hips.
She reached between them to undo his belt, but her hands were trembling, making her fingers clumsy. He gasped as her shaking fingers brushed against him and stepped back, removing his sword and dagger and placing them within easy reach on the grass. With impatient hands, he undid his belt, catching the loosened plaid at his lean hips. He shook it out and laid it with her gown on the soft grass, creating a bed for them to lie on.
He drew her down beside him on their makeshift bed, caressing her as his mouth plundered hers. She clutched at his shoulders as his hand trailed down her belly, moaning as he touched her where she burned for him. Her head fell back and he took the opportunity to kiss her exposed throat, dipping his tongue into the hollow between her neck and shoulder. She felt a pressure building within her and cried out his name as his fingers continued to work their magic.
His fingers left her and he rose above her, bracing himself on one hand as he stroked the other down her cheek and over her shoulder.
“Abby?”
Why had he stopped? She was so close... She opened her eyes to meet his green gaze as his face loomed over her. She reached up to pull him down to her once more, entangling her fingers in the silky waves of his hair. She closed her eyes again, pressing her lips eagerly to his as she waited for him to continue touching her. He hesitated for a moment, and then kissed her passionately, his hand cupping her cheek as his tongue swept inside her mouth.
She needed him to finish what he’d started. She ran her hand down his arm to drag his hand back to where she throbbed for him. Her fingers brushed against soft cotton. Cotton? When had he put his shirt back on? She pulled back slightly, breaking their kiss, and opened her eyes again.
“Abby?” Ian’s voice held a questioning note as he stared down at her, his eyes showing both confusion and desire.
Oh my god! “What are you doing in here?” Her face burning with humiliation, she snatched up the blanket from where it lay twisted around her bare legs and scuttled back until she hit the headboard.
Ian backed away from her to stand by the door. “I’m sorry, Abby. I knocked a few times, and when you didn’t answer, I came in to wake you. I…I’ll go wait for you downstairs.” He fled the room before she could say anything else, leaving her staring after him, her face and body burning.
****
Ian pulled the door shut behind him and slumped against it, his body pulsing with desire.
She must have been having one hell of a dream. He knew what that was like, having awakened just a short time earlier from his own very realistic erotic dream. They had been making love in the grass in front of Loch Ness, and were dressed as if they were from the pages of a history book. He’d taken a painfully cold shower that had done nothing to lessen the heat in his blood, and had come to wake her so they could go riding. When there was no response to his knocking, he’d opened the door and called out her name a few times. When she didn’t reply, he became concerned and had cautiously entered the room.
Sunlight streamed through the curtains. Abby had been lying on her back, the covers twisted around her bare legs. The long t-shirt was high on her shapely thighs; one hand rested on her belly, the other was pillowed beneath her head. She’d looked so peaceful lying there, with the sunlight glinting off the golden highlights in her hair.
He’d reached his hand out to gently shake her shoulder. She’d opened her blue-gray eyes and her lips curved in a seductive smile that made him swallow hard as a jolt of desire ran through him. He’d had the irrational thought that maybe she decided she wanted to renew their relationship.
Now, he could kick himself for his stupidity, for acting like a randy teenager. He trudged down the stairs, wondering what else could possibly go wrong today.
A little while later, Abby joined him in the kitchen. She was wearing the dress from last night and her hair was pulled back into a damp braid. Her face was still flushed, and she wouldn’t meet his eyes.
“I think I’ll pass on the riding today, Ian. I just can’t.”
He closed his eyes, defeated. MacNab’s words echoed in his head. “Don’t give up, Ian. She came back to the Highlands. Back to you.” He knew the old man would tell him to fight for her. And so he would.
He opened his eyes and laid his hand on her arm. “Abby, please. Don’t leave yet. I know you’re embarrassed, but there’s no need to be. Come riding with me. Give us a chance to talk. I know you’re not unwilling to talk, or you wouldn’t have come here last night, wouldn’t have stayed over. Please. Just a few more hours.”
She said nothing, and his heart sank. He’d blown it. In one minute, he’s destroyed whatever small chance he might have had to clear the air between them, to try and get her back. He dropped his hand from her arm and turned away, his heart in pieces.
“All right.”
He spun around at the sound of her voice. Had he heard her right? “What did you say?”
“I said all right. I’ll go riding with you. We’ll talk.”
Though her voice was flat and clearly unenthusiastic, he felt as though he’d been given a gift. He had this one day, this one chance to try and get his Abby back.
He hoped he wouldn’t fail.
****
Less than two hours later, Abby and Ian were riding along Loch Ness. Abby had borrowed Ian’s sister’s riding clothes: scuffed brown lace-up boots, fawn-colored jodhpurs and a big white button-down shirt, which she wore untucked to disguise the fact that Fiona had narrower hips than she did, the wretch. They’d loaded Jack and Bonny, the black-and-white mare she’d ridden all those years ago, into a trailer, which they’d left at MacNab’s. The old man had seemed happy and also strangely satisfied to see her with Ian, inviting them to come for tea after their ride.
They rode past the boulder to the old oak tree, where they dismounted and spread a blanket on the grass. Neither looked at the other; the memories of the passion they’d shared underneath that tree were like a huge weight pressing down upon them. Ian brought out a thermos of lemonade and some cookies and they ate silently while the horses grazed a few yards away.
Abby drank her lemonade as she stared at the loch. She hadn’t been able to make eye contact with Ian since that morning. She was still mortified. It was one thing that she kept having flashbacks to passionate moments from their past. That was to be expected, given that she was back here and face-to-face with Ian. It was another thing to have had a dream like the one she’d had that morning, which seemed to have been ripped from the pages of a historical romance novel. But to throw herself at him the way she had was humiliating. She wanted this over with. Now.
She finished her lemonade and turned to him. “Okay, you brought me out here to talk. So talk.”
He got to his feet and paced for a moment, clearly at a loss for words. Finally, he looked down at her, a troubled expression on his face.
“Why did you stop returnin’ my calls and answerin’ my emails?”
It was amazing how quickly the hurt and anger returned to her, even after their emotional reunion the day before. She jumped to her feet and m
arched over to him.
“Because you’d clearly decided that your career was more important to you than me, than our relationship! Because while I was studying my ass off in New York, you were flitting from one bimbo to the next and having the time of your life!”
He gaped at her in shock. “What? What are you talkin’ about? I never…”
“Don’t lie to me, Ian! Oh, forget it! I knew this was a bad idea!”
Suddenly cold, Abby reached down and snatched the blanket off the grass, wrapping it around herself as she stalked toward the loch. What the hell was I thinking, to come here with him today? To come to this place especially, with all the memories it holds? It was so stupid to think I could patch things up with him, when even now he won’t admit to doing anything wrong!
“Abby, please! Come back here and let’s start over!”
She ignored him and kept walking, needing her space, needing to stare at the still waters of the loch to calm her down enough to ride back with him.
Was that a ripple on the water? Thoughts of Nessie flashed through her mind. Even in her current emotional turmoil, it was too tempting not to take a closer look. She walked down to the shore, shading her eyes with one hand as she looked out over the glittering water.
Suddenly, it grew oddly dark, as though a cloud had passed over the sun. A cold mist permeated the air, and she pulled the blanket more tightly around herself, its edges dragging on the ground.
She turned to tell Ian she wanted to leave, and saw only the big tree.
“Ian?” He had been there a moment ago, over by the horses. They were gone too. What…? Had he taken the horses and left her there? No, if nothing else, he was a gentleman, and would never have left her stranded, no matter how angry he might have been. She set off at a run towards where she’d last seen him.
“Ian! Ian, where are you?” She called his name over and over, her desperation increasing as each time she received no answer. She tried to tell herself to calm down, that it had to be something silly, like one of the horses wandering off and Ian had to go after it. He’d be back in a minute.
****
Ian went to get the horses ready, knowing that the discussion, such as it was, was over. He had just finished tightening the girth on Jack’s saddle when the horse suddenly shied away, neighing loudly, rolling his big brown eyes in fear. “What is it, Jack? What’s wrong?”
He finally caught the reins and held tight so the horse wouldn’t bolt, the muscles in his arms straining against the strength of the spooked horse. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up and slowly turned to check on Abby.
She wasn’t there.
“Abby?” He called her name several times. She wouldn’t have gone too far, would she? He jogged towards the nearby stand of trees, pulling a snorting Jack along with him.
“Abby? Abby!”
No answer. As angry as she was, she wouldn’t ignore him when he was so clearly worried about her.
He shouted her name over and over. Had she stumbled and fallen into the loch?
Ian’s fear gave him the strength to hold Jack still long enough for him to swing up into the saddle, and they galloped straight down to the shore. The horse was moving so fast that he didn’t stop until he was belly-deep in the cold water.
“Abby?” He continued to shout her name as he rode Jack up and down along the loch.
There was no answer. No sign of her. She was gone.
He lost track of how long he searched before he pulled Jack to a stop. The horse’s sides were lathered with sweat as he hung his great head, breathing heavily. “I’m sorry, Jack,” he whispered, tears choking him. He slid from the saddle, his legs shaking as his feet touched the ground. He rummaged in the saddlebag for his mobile phone.
Where was it? He tore the saddlebag apart, spilling everything on the ground. Nothing. He ran to where Bonny’s gear still sat on the ground by the tree, the mare peering anxiously at him from underneath her heavy forelock. He dumped out that saddlebag too. No phone. For the first time ever, he’d left it at home.
“Shit!” He would have to ride back to MacNab’s, half an hour away. But how could he leave? What if Abby had simply wandered off and gotten lost? If she found her way back and he wasn’t here, she would be terrified. Then he thought about it. She couldn’t have gotten so far in a split second that she wouldn’t have heard him yelling.
Unless she was hurt. What if she’d fallen? Maybe she couldn’t talk. Ian dragged his hands through his hair as he paced back and forth.
No, he needed help. He would have to ride back to MacNab’s and call his father and brother to come help him, and he needed to go now. He would leave Jack behind and take Bonny. Jack was winded from their breakneck run and needed to rest. Besides, if Abby did come back, she would see Jack and know that Ian would return for her.
Ian tethered Jack to a tree alongside the loch so the horse could drink. In that spot, he would also hopefully be out of sight of any passing hikers. The horse would sense Abby if she was near, though, and make his presence known to her. He hurriedly saddled Bonny and galloped off towards MacNab’s.
Less than thirty minutes later, he rode into MacNab’s yard. The older man heard the pounding hoofs and came running outside.
“I need your phone!”
“Of course, lad. You know where it is. Let me see to your horse.” Ian threw the reins at him and ran for the house. He grabbed the phone and dialed home. It rang several times, and Ian let out a sob of relief when he heard his father’s voice on the line. He could barely speak.
“Da, I need you. And Robbie. Now. Abby’s gone.” His voice broke.
“What do you mean, gone?” Ian couldn’t answer; he was so overcome with fear. “Ian?” A pause. “Ian, take a deep breath. You need to tell me where you are, son.”
“MacNab’s,” he gasped before slamming down the phone. All he could do now was wait. He went back outside to check on Bonny, who was now at the water trough. MacNab had removed her tack and came out from the barn holding a bucket of oats as Ian ran anxious hands down the mare’s legs.
“I think she’ll be all right, laddie. She’s a good strong horse. She needs a rest, but no real harm done. What happened, Ian? Where’s Abby…and your horse?”
“She’s gone, Mac. We argued, and she walked away. I knew she’d want to leave, so I went to get the horses ready. Suddenly, Jack shied, and I felt…I felt as though something wasn’t right. I turned to check on Abby, but she wasn’t there. I rode Jack nearly to death, searching all over, shouting her name. But she was gone, just like in my dream.” Ian looked up at MacNab. “I left Jack by the loch. If she sees him there, she’ll know I’ll be comin’ back for her.” He dragged shaking hands through his hair. I don’t understand, Mac. Where the hell could she have gone?”
MacNab gazed at him thoughtfully, saying nothing. He patted Ian’s shoulder and the two men sat on the porch to wait for Duncan and Robbie.
****
Duncan hung up the phone and ran to find Laura and Robbie. Ian had sounded so desperate on the phone. Within minutes, Laura was packing their saddlebags with water, flashlights, mobile phones, a first-aid kit, and blankets, while Duncan and Robbie loaded Lucifer and Wee Angus, their enormous Clydesdales, into the second horse trailer.
Fifteen minutes after Ian’s phone call, Duncan and Robbie were bidding farewell to a tearful Laura, promising to keep her posted. Robbie drove out of the yard as fast as he dared without risking the horses.
When they arrived at the farm a short while later, Ian was slumped on MacNab’s porch, his head in his hands, his fingers tunneling through his hair. He jumped to his feet as the horse trailer entered the yard.
Duncan jumped from the passenger side of the cab almost before Robbie had come to a stop. He was shocked by the look in Ian’s eyes, the pallor of his face. He clasped Ian’s shoulder reassuringly as Robbie lowered the tailgate to begin unloading the horses. “Don’t worry, lad, we’ll find her.”
Ian gave them a run
down of what had happened as they got the horses unloaded. He was preparing to saddle Bonny when MacNab came over, nodding a greeting to Duncan and Robbie.
“Ian, why don’t you take one of my horses? This way you have a fresh horse, and this one here can rest.”
Ian gratefully accepted the offer, and MacNab ran into the stable, emerging a few minutes later with a sturdy-looking chestnut gelding. Moments later, the three men galloped out of the yard.
The horses responded to the urgency of their riders, and less than thirty minutes later, they reached the old oak tree. Jack was where Ian had left him, and there was no sign of Abby. The men split up; Ian headed south along the loch, Duncan headed north, and Robbie headed back towards the woods. They agreed to look for half an hour and then reconvene in the middle to decide what to do next.
They searched everywhere and found nothing. They met down by the loch where Jack was tethered. The black stallion anxiously pawed the ground and whinnied as they approached. Ian dismounted and halfheartedly tried to soothe his horse. He glanced down and saw faint footprints in the soft wet sand, footprints that he missed seeing from atop Jack’s back earlier.
“Come take a look at this!” The other two dismounted and hurried over. All three knelt down to examine the footprints. They were too fresh to be from someone on a different day, and much too small to be Ian’s. They came from the direction Abby had been walking, and they led to the water line.
And then they ended. There were no tracks leading away from the loch.
Ian swore in frustration and fear.
“Da? What is it?”
Ian turned at the sound of Robbie’s voice to look at his father, whose face had drained of all color. He gently grabbed Duncan’s arm, gasping at the chill of his father’s skin. “Da? Are you all right?”
Duncan looked at his sons, a stricken look on his face as he backed away from the water’s edge. “We’re not going to find her here.”
Ian’s fingers tightened on his father’s arm. “What the hell are you talkin’ about? Do you know something about this? Was she taken by someone? Speak to me, damn you!”
