by Diane Darcy
The man managed to get the back door open and fall out.
“Hey! What is going on here?”
Ronan ignored the tiny man behind him, and jumped out after the thief, now stumbling across the grass to get away.
Ronan jumped down to follow.
“Wait! What are you stealing?”
Outrage stopped Ronan in his tracks. He turned and roared at the man, “How dare ye? I saved the possessions of those on yer bus while ye were not paying a whit of attention! And now you dare accuse me? Perhaps ye’re the villain I was sent here to slay! I’ll have yer head for such insolence!”
One last glance at the thief running in the distance, and Ronan strode toward the entrance to the bus.
The man slammed the door shut, and locked it.
“Ye will beg for death when I’ve finished with ye, ye black-hearted scoundrel!”
Ronan bashed at the door for a moment, but when it didn’t open, turned to go in the back way, only to be faced with some of the returning crowd.
The looks on their faces gave him pause. Horror, curiosity, surprise, the lot of them were stunned into silence.
Ignoring them, Ronan strode to the back, only to have the door slammed shut before he could reach it.
He roared his outrage.
Ashley was glad when everyone flinched, so it wasn’t just her.
Logan moved to the front of the group, his arms spread protectively. He seemed like such a party boy, but he obviously had plenty of Scottish gumption in him! “Will someone tell me what’s happening?”
Earlier she’d thought the Highlander attractive, but now, breathing hard, a dagger clutched in one hand and glaring murder in the direction of the bus driver, she had to rethink.
He was scary.
The driver lowered a window, his young face appearing scared. “I didn’t mean it, sir. I swear, I didn’t.” Fear laced the man’s voice.
The Highlander was trying to find a way onto the bus. He ran his hands over the seamless door, tried digging his knife in it, and studied the man in the window as if determining if he could get at him from that direction.
Logan looked around in confusion. “Mean what?”
The bus driver, Lewis — she finally remembered his name — was breathing hard. “I accused him of … well, never mind. I didn’t mean a word of it, and I do apologize most sincerely.”
All eyes turned back to the Highlander. The man was obviously considering whether to accept, or continue to attack the bus door and force his way inside.
Finally, he lowered his dagger, tucked it in his kilt, and gave a short nod.
Ashley must not have been the only one holding her breath, because several in the crowd sighed as the tension dispersed.
The Highlander faced them, and all Ashley could think was, wow! The man really was blindingly attractive, especially now that he had some emotion in his face, his eyes alive and fierce.
“Lewis!” Logan snapped. “I’m going to need a little more detail.”
Again, Lewis gulped audibly as he looked down at the man below him. “I was just having a smoke.” His eyes darted.
Behind them, whispering started up, and Ashley started to feel sorry for the guy.
“There were two blokes on the bus. What was I to think? My first thought was they were both robbing the bus. But from this man’s reaction I think maybe he was chasing the thief off.”
Logan started talking to the Highlander in a lowered tone.
Ashley gripped the edges of her backpack, suddenly very aware of her laptop on her back. She walked a few steps toward the bus, tilting her head back to ask, “Are tourist buses targeted often?”
The man shook his head. “It’s been known to happen, I suppose, but it’s certainly not the norm. I hope this doesn’t mean things are going in that direction.”
Ashley nodded and shot a worried look at her friends. Paranoia was the reason she hadn’t left her backpack on the bus as so many others had, and she was grateful for the inclination.
Logan called up to Lewis. “All right, then, open the door, it’s all been sorted.”
One look at Lewis’s face said he didn’t agree.
Impulsively, Ashley took a few steps forward and joined the Highlander. “Hi, I’m Ashley Martinez. By any chance are you looking for a job?”
“What are you doing?” Garth hissed behind her.
Good question. She half-turned to respond. “I’m sure we’ll have more fun on this vacation if we feel safe and protected.” She turned to look at the crowd behind her. “Won’t we?”
Dubious gazes met hers. As well they might. She wasn’t sure what she was doing, exactly, just that she’d felt an instant connection to the man and had no desire to drive away and leave him behind.
Logan crossed his arms. “That would be nice and all, but it will be an added payment for someone new to join in.”
Ashley nodded. “Of course. I’ll be glad to pay the fee.”
“All right, just so we understand each other.”
The wild man studied her, taking her measure. “Did the witch send me to ye?”
“Witch?” The word caught her for a moment, and then she smiled. “Oh, are you actually part of the paranormal tour?”
He stared at her for a long moment, as if trying to decipher her words. “Aye, lass, I’m with ye, for now then, and I’ll guard ye. But if something more important comes along, I’ll leave.” His chin jutted stubbornly. “Do we have an agreement?”
Ashley grimaced at the more important comment — way to make a girl feel special — but the man didn’t look like one who would be kind with his words, so she shrugged it off.
She wanted a guard, and he’d agreed to come. Who was she to quibble? She stuck out her hand. “Agreed.”
After a slight hesitation, he clasped her hand in his much bigger, much warmer one, and shook it once. “Aye, we have an agreement.”
Chapter 3
Ronan wasn’t sure why he’d agreed to stay and guard the girl. He was supposed to look for something far more important to do, surely.
A quick glance around assured him there was no immediate danger, but then, there was no immediate direction either, so he might as well take whatever opportunity afforded itself.
And, if he was honest, when she’d asked, he hadn’t been able to help himself. She was like a wee little fairy, so fresh and pretty with eyes the color of dark honey, and darker curls hanging down from a tail, a bit of plaid keeping it together.
Protective instincts surged within him and a strange desire to snatch her close and nuzzle her hair left him feeling a fool.
Drawing in a breath, unwittingly taking her fresh scent into his lungs he deliberately turned his attention away and eyed the shorter, thinner man at his side.
No doubt the beauty didn’t trust him to keep her safe, and with thieves running about, and perhaps worse, she felt she needed the added protection.
Sensible on her part and yet another trait to like about her.
As this was where the witch had placed him, he’d do his part until and unless he felt the need to leave. For surely the witch meant him for much greater things than guarding buses from thieves.
He noted her glancing at his dagger, and tugged his plaid to the side to hide it. When she turned toward the bus, he followed, and then stopped when she did. She glanced back at him. “You’re not going to hurt the driver, are you?”
“I’ll spare the man.”
“All right, just checking.” The impish smile she sent his way left him stranded in his tracks for a moment before he hurried to catch up. The woman was potent, and he had to admit she affected him like no other. Though, what was he to expect? He’d been a ghost for nearly 300 years, and she was the first lassie to talk to him for longer still.
He followed her up the stairs, and when the driver shrank back in his seat at his appearance, Ronan was gratified and held the man’s gaze for a long second before moving on.
The girl sat in a seat, and he lowe
red himself beside her.
“I’m Ashley Martinez, and I’m from Seattle.”
He stared at her for a long moment, once again captured by her beauty. Her friends in the seat in front of them giggled, and he finally came to himself again. His mother had ever tried to teach him manners and he tried to remember some.
“I am Ronan Finnie, from Glencoe, off the shores of Loch Leven. I’ve been dead these 300 years and trapped upon the moor with my comrades. Tis my pleasure to meet ye.”
There was a long pause in which those around them looked at him, and then the crowd started clapping.
He glanced around in confusion, and then at the girl at his side, his brows raised in question.
She placed a hand upon his wrist, and the slight heat of her touch sent unexpected sensation running through him. “That’s awesome! You’re awesome! You should definitely be part of the tour!”
She made no sense, but as she gazed up at him, eyes filled with admiration, he decided not to pursue the matter.
When she removed her hand once more, he felt slightly bereft.
He knew he was only there for a short time, that there was no future for him, not anymore, but he certainly hoped that whatever the task he was to accomplish, it took its time finding him.
Once everyone was settled again and they were on their way, some of the people around her continued to stare at Ronan — whew! What a great name to go with that body! — though others pulled out books, electronic games, or looked appreciatively out the window.
She looked out the window too, though she had to admit she had a hard time focusing. She barely saw the gorgeous scenery that had fascinated her earlier.
Her other senses were completely focused on the man beside her. She could hear him breathing, burned at the touch of his leg against her own, and she would swear he smelled of heather, Highlands, and crisp loch air.
She grinned.
Like she knew what any of those things smelled like!
She finally couldn’t stand it anymore and turned to look at him once again. “So, 300 years upon the moor?”
“Aye.”
Her heart fluttered. “You look good for such an old man.”
His lips curved upward. “I thank ye for the compliment. But I suspect I’m still all of five-and-twenty, the age when I was stuck full of arrows and left to bleed upon the motherland.”
She sent him an amused glance. “That’s good, because if you were bones and dust, I’m not sure you’d have been invited on the bus.”
Again, he looked amused, and she found herself liking him better by the minute.
Monica looked back over the seat. “Ashley, what did you think of Blackness Castle? I was hoping to hear some moans from the angry ghost knight, or at least the sound of furniture being moved about.”
“I know, right?”
Ronan scoffed. “To tell you true, lassie, I’ve my doubts the living can see or hear the dead. I’ve run many a visitor through in my time, and tried slicing heads off vandals, but all I received for my trouble was sore disappointment. Not a soul heard me, nor did any harm come to those deserving. Other than a shiver or two, the ghosts have no say.”
A few people near them started to clap.
Ashley chuckled. This guy was the greatest. “It’s not that I don’t believe you, but we’re here to see ghosts, so I’ll be keeping my eyes and ears open just the same.”
His shrug was pure Gaelic, both prosaic and grim at the same time. “Suit yerself.”
“Don’t worry, we will.”
His gaze lit upon her once more. “I’ve no doubt ye’re a handful with all that sass.”
“Don’t you forget it.” The words were sassy enough, but she actually blushed. She, who prided herself on making her way in the world all by herself, blushed and became tongue-tied by a simple observation. Sheesh.
When Ronan’s attention was taken by an older gentleman in the seat across the aisle, Ashley took the time to get out her phone and send payment to Logan for another bus tour ticket. If Ronan ended up bailing, well, she’d be out the money and out of luck. But if he didn’t? Ah … that’s what she was gambling her hard-earned cash on.
They watched the scenery go by, chatted, and others joined in occasionally to ask Ronan questions about Scotland. Ashley felt she was simply getting used to the guy, her awareness of him making her unaccountably shy.
About thirty minutes later the tour bus parked in front of a castle and they all disembarked.
Logan gathered them all into a group facing the beautiful red-stone castle, with its stunning ivy-covered drum tower. The grounds were covered in green grass, trees, and she thought she could hear a river nearby.
“This,” Logan said as he lifted a sweeping arm to indicate the castle behind him. “Is Dalhousie Castle. The ghost you’re going to try and find today is that of Lady Catherine, a teenage girl from the 16th century. Lady Catherine fell madly in love with a boy who worked in the castle, and her parents, unsurprisingly, did not approve. In typical teenage fashion the girl had a temper-fit, locked herself in her room, refused to come out, and refused to eat. She died of starvation. Bet her parents weren’t expecting that, eh?”
He glanced behind him. “Anyway, the girl is said to have mourned the loss of her lover for eternity. There have been pictures taken where a smoke-like wraith has appeared in the photo. She’s been seen in the dungeon, sliding down the stairs, and many have sworn that she has tapped them on the shoulder, or tickled their feet when they’d been lying abed.”
Logan smiled. “She seems to have a bit of a mischievous nature, eh? She likes to scare the wits out of people who visit, so ye’ve been warned, have ye not?” Logan shivered theatrically.
“Dalhousie Castle is now a hotel, and I’ve arranged with the staff to let you do a quick walk-through, down the halls, and into the common areas. Pay special attention to the dungeon. It’s now a restaurant, and many have said they’ve sensed or felt or even seen her presence down below.”
He gestured to the castle once more. “So, head on up, the staff are expecting you. Have fun, take pictures, and we’ll meet back here in one hour. Set you’re watches!”
They went up the path, the group laughing and chatting, and Ashley noticed that Ronan stayed alert, his gaze constantly scanning, as he actually seemed to be taking his role as bodyguard seriously. He searched the crowd, looked further afield, and even turned to look behind them once in a while.
She’d never been this affected by a man in her life. And it was driving her crazy. If she could bottle the pheromones this guy was putting out, she’d be rich. Well, richer, anyway. She couldn’t believe the country wasn’t overrun with women looking for a Scotsman of their own.
Just then, Logan started speaking again, and as she turned her attention to him, she revised her opinion.
So far, she hadn’t seen anyone else who looked like Ronan.
Maybe he was one-of-a-kind?
Maybe she could put him in her luggage when she went home? He’d like Seattle. She’d make sure of it.
She couldn’t help but grin. She never thought herself to be a fanciful person, but Scotland, and the man beside her, certainly seemed to be having that effect upon her.
They were welcomed by the staff, half of them taken upstairs, and the rest down to the dungeon to make the group smaller. As they weren’t allowed in the hotel rooms, it didn’t take long to tour the common room, with its leather furniture, bookshelves, and ornate ceiling. The fireplaces and the stuffed animals were a nice touch.
The dungeon, with its dining room, made her wish they were staying here for the night; the armored suits, and weapons from medieval times adding atmosphere to the stone-covered and arched walls.
Maybe she’d have to come back sometime.
They were soon back outside, and Ashley expressed her disappointment.
“I wish we’d seen the ghost.”
Ronan snorted.
“What?”
“There are no ghosties ab
out, I can tell ye that for certain.”
“How do you know?”
“I’d see them.”
“On account of you being a ghost, yourself?”
“Aye.”
She grinned at him, and looked around once more, staring especially hard at the upper story windows.
She had to admit that if she had yearned for a lover, and he looked anything like the man at her side, she’d no doubt mourn his loss for eternity as well.
After much picture taking, both of the scenery, and of Ronan, they walked around a while before starting back. Ashley and Ronan lagged at the end of their group,
They walked slow, so that more and more distance was between them and the last person heading toward the bus.
Monica and Garth had gone ahead earlier, so soon it was just the two of them.
“Have you always lived in Scotland?”
“Tis always been home.”
“You’ve never been anywhere else?”
He threw his head back. “I didnae say that. I traveled further afield, going to both France, and Italy.”
“Have you ever been to America?”
“Nae, never.”
“I think you’d like it.”
“Why is that?”
Ashley glanced around, suddenly at a loss. What she wanted to say was because she was there, and the thought left her feeling a bit foolish. She’d only just met the man, knew nothing about him, and suddenly wanted to take him home?
She shook her head at her own musings, and simply said, “Oh, you know, Disneyland, Universal Studios, Las Vegas. We have a lot of national parks as well and, of course, there’s Hawaii.”
He looked down at the ground and grunted at her. “I’m sure tis all verra nice.”
And if that didn’t put her in her place, she didn’t know what would. “I guess we better catch up with the others.”
She started to surge forward, but was stopped when he put his hand on her arm. “Would that I could visit yer country, especially if I could have such a fine lass by my side showing me the sights.”
