by Kam McKellar
Pushing up, she carefully extracted herself from his warm body. He sat up, rubbing his eyes and then plowing a hand through his hair. He grabbed his artificial leg, adjusted the liner he wore over his skin and attached the leg. After that was done, his arms stretched high over his head and he twisted his back left to right.
Dear Lord.
Annoyed with herself, Riley straightened her clothes and stepped to the bright window. She needed sunglasses to look at all that snow. It covered everything. But it had stopped snowing at least, and the sun was out. Hopefully it'd melt soon so Mark would be able to leave the country.
Jamie joined her at the window. "Bloody lot of snow, that," he muttered.
"Your accent is heavier."
He scratched his jaw and smiled. "Give it another six months and ye willna ken I was raised in the States."
The thick Scottish brogue rolled over her, making her stomach flip and bringing a goofy smile to her face. "That's pretty impressive. I had a thing for Scottish accents when I was younger."
Why did she say that? She resisted the urge to slap herself on the forehead. Truth was she had a thing for all things Celtic and all things Scottish ever since reading Grammy Lin's treasured copy of Highlander's Harlot at the tender, and impressionable, age of thirteen.
Jamie faced her. "Used to, huh." Yeah. He totally wasn't buying it. "So what if I talk to ye all day like this, lass? I ken ye like it. Can see in it yer bonny eyes."
"Oh my God." Riley shoved his shoulder and rolled her eyes. He didn't budge. "You're ridiculous." And so freaking hot, she should really throw open the front door and dive head first into the snow. This version of Jamie was cause for concern. She could deal with the solemn Jamie, the one who watched and rarely interacted. But this one? This one was a big red danger sign.
Jamie reached out and poked her sides, making her jump away with a scream.
He moved past her. "Hang tight, New York. And I'll make ye some porridge, toast, and bangers. I think I have bangers," he muttered, disappearing into the kitchen.
Riley stood by the window for a long while. Being here with him, in the morning after the night they shared, felt a little awkward and yet comfortable at the same time, though how that was possible she didn't know. Maybe she should just enjoy herself and not read too much into it.
Determined to go with the flow, she went into the kitchen to find Jamie standing there in his kilt, his feet braced apart and his hands on his hips. A sigh blew threw her. He glanced over his shoulder and she came around to see whatever had gotten his attention. "Oh, right. Your kitchen. It's a freaking train wreck, MacLaren."
"Aye. Needs a wrecking ball."
Dirty dishes were piled in the sink. Empty whisky bottles sat on the counter-tops along with dirty glasses. The stove had become a placeholder for dirty pots and pans.
"Think we should make for Fran's kitchen?" he asked.
Mark's image sprung to mind. "No. We can tackle this, no problem." His eyebrows rose significantly. "Oh come on. Big bad Jamie MacLaren can't wash dishes?"
He made a face at her, let out a heavy huff, and approached the sink.
It gave her something to do, something to focus on, though she was very aware of Jamie next to her as they cleaned. They made idle conversation. Bantered a little. But the room grew quiet when Jamie grabbed a new trash bag and started throwing away the whisky bottles. The look on his face made her heart turn over. He was disappointed in himself, she could see it in the tight jaw, the sadness in his eyes, the frustration, and even a bit of embarrassment.
She knew from Lucy and Kate that Jamie had eased up on the drinking the last month or two after Devin and Ian intervened and had it out with him, an intervention that had resulted in a black eye for Ian, a bruised rib for Devin, and a bloody nose for Jamie.
Finally the kitchen was clean and Jamie set to work making her breakfast.
Riley used the time to freshen up in the bathroom, then she pulled on her boots, borrowed Jamie's coat and walked out into the winter wonderland. The air had a nice, clean bite to it. The snow crunched under her feet as she made her way around the stone farmhouse. There was a barn a few yards away with cattle gathered together, eating from a round bale of hay. On the other side of the barn three horses stood with their heads hung, dozing in the morning sun.
She breathed in deeply, the cold air freezing the insides of her nose, catching a whiff of Jamie from his coat as she pulled it tighter around her. She could like him. Really like him. But she wasn't ready. And he wasn't either. They both had too much healing to do. Even though she knew she was right, sadness still gripped her, and she felt loss for what might have been.
Jamie called her through an open window.
With one last look at the steep hills rising from the valley where she stood, Riley went back into the house and ate breakfast with Jamie. Her sadness lingered through the meal and continued after Jamie excused himself to shower and change while she offered to clean up.
Just as she finished wiping the counters, the sound of shutting doors from outside had Riley making her way to the front door. She was surprised her cousin hadn't arrived at the crack of dawn. She opened the door to find Kate bundled up like a kid with Devin next to her. Their dogs bounded around in the snow. "We wanted to make sure you guys had supplies," she explained, hefting a bag of groceries.
Riley continued to stare at Kate.
"Fine," her cousin finally admitted, "I was worried about you two, okay? Going off like that last night… What do you expect?"
"You to come calling this morning," Riley answered, holding the door wide for them as Devin chuckled at her comment, earning him Kate's elbow in his gut.
"Jamie is in the shower." She knew that would probably cause Kate's head to explode, but she wasn't explaining. Actually she was glad they were here. Riley took the grocery bag and put the items away as she listened to Dev's low down on the weather.
"Mark paid Liam MacLaren two hundred pounds to drive him to the airport. They left a little while ago."
"You think they'll make it?" Riley asked.
"Aye. Liam's truck is four-wheel drive and his tires have chains. He'll get to the airport."
Well that was one piece of drama she no longer had to worry about.
"Checking up on us already?" Jamie said as he came into the kitchen dressed in a long sleeve flannel shirt open to reveal a T-shirt underneath, and tan cargo pants. He grabbed Riley from behind and hugged her. "We fell in love. We'll be getting married at noon. Oh, and she's pregnant."
He released her with a wink and a smile that left Riley feeling a little off-center.
"Haha. Very funny," Kate said and then cast an odd, quick look at Devin, her cheeks turning pink. Riley's eyes went wide and goose bumps shot up her arms.
"Oh my God. You're pregnant."
"What?" Kate blurted. "No. I mean, yes, but…"
"Yes?" Riley squealed and wrapped her arms around Kate. Her heart pounded with happiness. Kate was having a baby! A beautiful little baby. Holy cow. Tears sprang to her eyes.
"This wasn't how we planned to tell everyone," Kate said, her voice muffled.
Jamie clapped Devin on the back and then pulled him into a hug. "Congrats, man." He straightened, a wide smile on his face. It went all the way to his eyes and brightened his entire face. Riley almost cried harder. "I'm gonna be an Uncle." He shook his head. "Hell."
Devin's smile was as blinding as the snow outside. Pride shone in his eyes. He pulled Kate close and slid his arms around her. "About three months along."
Riley made the quick calculations in her head. "So what? A May baby?"
"About the middle of May," Kate answered.
"That's only six months away." Stunned, Riley sat down. In six months there would be a tiny life brought into the world. She couldn't wait to love it. Hell, she already did. Amazing, that. "Gram is going to flip out. Have you told her?"
"Not yet. We were going to wait until Lucy got back and tell everyone together."
/> "Suppose we can tell your Gram since Riley knows," Devin said, glancing down at Kate with a questioning look. "And when Ian and Lucy get back, we'll hit them with the news."
Riley stood. "Let's do it now." Gram was seriously going to freak; she'd been after them to "make her some great grandbabies" forever, it seemed. As they filed out of the kitchen, Riley turned back to see Jamie standing there, leaning against the counter. "You coming?"
He gestured to the window. "Got morning chores. Animals to feed."
Her feet became rooted to the floor. Why did it suddenly feel like she was leaving for good, like it was over? Like something great had just sped past her and now was gone in a blink? "Go on," he said gently, as if reading her mind.
Riley swallowed, unable to form a reply, so she nodded and left.
Just left.
Chapter 7
Jamie let her go. He'd stood there earlier in the kitchen and let her walk out of his life. He was well aware that Riley was only here for ten days. Nine of which were already gone. He hadn't gone to the castle. He'd done the morning rounds and then had to fix a broken gate, bust ice out of three huge water tubs, and dick around with the old tractor to get it started in order to drive hay into the north field.
He wouldn't have gone anyway.
And he wasn't sure why. Fear was a good answer. Probably the right one.
But it was more than that. Staring death in the face tended to make one see the truth in things whether one wanted to or not. Had he not almost died, maybe he would've been slow coming to it or would've completely pushed it aside and refused to admit it to himself. But he could love that woman.
Hell what was he saying? He already did.
He hadn't even kissed her. The man who had kissed quite a few women, who his friends said would never settle down—and if he did, he'd take his damn time about it—loved a woman he hadn't even really touched.
Didn't matter.
As he finished unloading the last of the hay, he knew he'd have to wait. And he was okay with that. He had a lot to figure out and adjust to. He wanted to get the farm up and running the way it should be. He wanted to improve his gait. Hell, once winter ended he wanted to start jogging. He had a life to get in order before offering it to Riley. And who the hell knew if she'd even be interested in spending her life on a farm in the Highlands. Probably not her thing.
On the morning of her departure, Jamie sucked it up and went to Balmorie. As he drove up, she was standing by the front entrance with the rest of the family. Grammy Lin was hugging everyone, then she put her hands on Kate's belly and laughed. As he walked over, the old woman parked her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes. "Now where have you been hiding? Come here and give your Gram a hug goodbye."
Jamie smiled. He liked the crazy old broad. He grabbed her up and spun her around to her delight, hugged her tight, and placed a kiss on both cheeks. As she fanned herself and turned to the others, Jamie's gaze locked with Riley's.
She looked pretty with her hair up, her coat, scarf, and mittens nearly swallowing her. Her eyes looked resigned and sad. His heart pounded and the sour knot that had lurked in his gut since morning seemed to grow as he approached.
"You going to get your act together, MacLaren?" she asked quietly.
He smiled and scrubbed a hand down his jaw. "Aye. No more bottles. I'm bouncing back, New York."
"Good." Her eyes seemed a little glassy and her smile wavered. "Me too."
His heart shrunk into a tight ball. Damn it. "Guess next time I see you, will be in May when the baby comes."
She drew in a deep breath and tried to smile again. "Guess so."
Jamie leaned in and pulled her into a hug, closing his eyes and holding on tightly for a moment, not giving a damn what anyone thought about it. He held her back and looked down at her, looked right into her eyes. "In May." You and me.
"Yeah. Okay," she said, sniffling and wiping a mitten across her nose. "See you in May."
"This baby had better not be late," he added with a smile, then leaned over and kissed her forehead, using every ounce of willpower he had to keep from throwing her over his shoulder and taking her back home.
He stood next to Devin as Hamish drove off with Grammy Lin waving through the open window. Riley waved too, but it wasn't until they were about to turn the corner that she looked behind her, one last look. At him. It was only then that he released the breath he held.
"You okay?" Devin asked.
"I will be."
Chapter 8
SIX MONTHS LATER…
Riley was a nervous wreck. The last six months had flown by and during that time she was pretty sure she'd fallen in love with Jamie.
How could one fall in love with a man who wasn't even around?
She hadn't been able to sleep on the flight over, nor the night before. And she had no freaking idea what to do when she saw him.
It'd be awkward as hell.
And maybe once she did see him, things would change. Maybe she'd built him up so much in her mind that she was bound to be disappointed when they did come face to face. And come face to face they would. Little Piper MacLaren was home from the hospital and ready to receive visitors.
"Stop fidgeting. My God, what is wrong with you?" Grammy Lin said with a huff as they bounced along in the back seat of Ian's Rover. From the front passenger seat, Lucy glanced over her shoulder, a questioning look at Riley.
"I can't help it. We've been sitting for hours."
"And you've bitten your fingers nails down to nubs and your knee is bouncing a mile a minute. Do we need to stop for a potty break?"
Riley frowned at her grandmother. "No. I don't need a potty break. I'm fine." Gram shook her head, obviously not buying it. And Lucy was looking awful curious. "Really. I'm fine. Just want to get there. See the baby…"
Lucy's face instantly softened. "Wait til you see her. Prettiest baby I've ever seen. A head of black hair and big blue eyes. Devin is completely in love with her. He even cried."
"He's gonna love you spreading that around," Ian said.
"I don't think he cares. He's too immersed in all things baby. Besides, a full grown man crying over his child isn't a weakness. It's hot." Ian took his eyes off the road to give Lucy an incredulous look, which she ignored. "Oh, and you should see her with Jamie. She adores him. She doesn't cry much, but if she does and he's around? Forget about it. All he has to do is pick her up and she stares up at him in wonder. It's so cute."
Riley's chest went tight. She never asked about Jamie, but she savored every time he was mentioned over the last six months. She'd wanted so many times to talk to him, to share the things that had happened in her life since Lucy's wedding. She never called. He never called. In May, he'd said. Oh, she'd turned those words over in her head a million times, his tone of voice, the look in his eyes. She questioned what it meant over and over every night as she lay in bed.
Finally they turned onto the road that led to Balmorie Estate. "You got a new sign," she commented as they passed.
"Like it?" Ian asked.
"Yes. Very classy."
An Olympic somersaulting event was going on in her stomach and light airy zings kept breezing through her chest. Doubts started to sink in as the five story castle came into view. "This view never gets old," Grammy Lin commented on a reverent breath, staring up at the old stone tower.
"Our reviews have been really great so far," Lucy said. "All the cottages are restored now and renting well. And this summer we'll be able to use a lot of the farm produce in our meals, and to sell."
Jamie's truck wasn't in the driveway. Relief rolled over her in a continuous wave. Thank God she didn't have to face him just yet.
"We'll get you both settled," Ian said, "and then I'll drive you out to the lodge when you're ready."
And there went her nerves again because it was highly probable that Jamie was at the lodge with Devin and Kate.
Her room was the same one she'd had for Lucy's wedding. It was spacious, and Riley
loved the old stone wall with the Gothic window. After staring at the view, she turned on the shower in the adjoining bath, unpacked, and then stood under the hot spray.
The hot shower didn't perk her up as she'd hoped. In fact, it made her even more exhausted. After drying off, she wrapped the towel around her and crawled under the covers for a quick twenty minute snooze, knowing it'd take Gram at least that long to unpack and redo her make-up.
The knock at the door woke her.
Riley sat straight up with a start. It took a moment for it to register that the room was dark. Crap. She'd been asleep for hours.
Extracting herself from the bed, she hurried to re-wrap the towel around her body before opening the door, an apology already on her lips. Gram was probably fuming by now. Not that Gram couldn't have gone without her. "Sorry, I—"
Her stomach dropped. And her jaw went slack.
Jamie MacLaren stood in the doorway.
With one hand braced on the door frame, one corner of his mouth twisted into a lop-sided grin, those blue eyes ate her up, branding her from head to toe. Riley's knees went weak in appreciation of that rugged face and hard body. Yeah, her worry about building him up and being disappointed? Totally unfounded. She almost laughed. He was more striking than she remembered.
"Remember me?" he asked, his Scottish brogue thicker than last time, his words laced with humor.
Her mouth had suddenly gone dry and her brain couldn't figure out how to form a reply. His hand dropped and he moved closer. Riley stepped back, clutching the towel tighter. He shut the door behind him. Her heart hammered. Her breathing went shallow. The lock clicked and a zing of lust shot straight through her belly.
He continued his pursuit. And Riley continued backing up. Her skin tingled, every nerve alive and electrified. She hit the wall.
Jamie parked a hand over her head. "It's May."
Riley nodded.
"Six long months."
She swallowed. "Uh huh."
"Thought about you every day, New York. And every night. We both had things to work out. To get over."
