by Allison Shaw
“Aye!” Euan answered in a voice thick with emotion. “I gi’e m’ word o’ honor to abide by a’ tha’ ye require.”
Papa looked at Callie, who was both shocked and seething. “And you Callie, will give your word that you’ll abide by this decision and won’t interfere between your young’uns and their daddy so long as he does right by ‘em.”
“Or what?” she challenged before slipping into the local dialect. “Ye might take a strap to me? How could ye do this? You’uns don’t know this man or what he’s capable of! He could light out of here with my children in the middle of the night and be on a plane back to Scotland by daybreak!”
Tears came to her eyes and she shook with fear and fury. She started to continue her protest but Granny Robertson raised her hand. Callie could only stand there as her words were waived off.
“A man has just as much right to his young’uns as the mother,” she said firmly. “I realize that yore perceptions of ‘im are colored by how he done ye, Callie, and I ain’t excusin’ none o’ that. But he ain’t done them kids no harm and his heart is true towards ‘em. There ain’t no deceit in him when he says he ain’t going to take ‘em. Ain’t none there when he says he’s sorry for hurtin’ ye, either. We’uns has decided to give him a chance to prove hi’self because it’s what’s best for the young’uns. Now child, ye’ll give us yore word on it.”
Euan glanced at Callie and felt compassion for her. The last thing he wanted to do was cause her more pain and yet that was all he seemed to be doing. He could only hope that someday this would all be worth it for both of them.
Callie was mad as hell but constrained by a lifetime of upbringing to bow to the wishes of her elders. She hated the fact that her children had taken to their father like he’d always been part of their lives. Resented it as a matter of fact. The son of a bitch just waltzed in and had everything pretty well handed to him and she was going to have to stand by and accept that or face the censure of her family.
But there was the matter of her children. Now that they knew who their father was and wanted him in their lives she would only hurt them if she tried to cut him back out. However, she didn’t give a tinker’s damn if they wanted her and Euan back together. Hell would freeze over a hundred times before that happened!
Taking a deep breath she calmed herself and said, “I’ll agree, but I don’t like this one bit. If anything happens to my children or if he takes off with them, it’s on all y’all’s heads.”
She turned to Euan and looked up at him, her eyes glittering with anger. In a level voice she warned, “If you harm or take my children I will hunt you down and kill you like the damn dirty dog you are. I won’t interfere between you and our children so long as you keep your word to my elders but you had better stay clear the hell away from me!”
Euan could feel something radiating out of Callie, maybe her barely-controlled rage. Maybe something deeper and more dangerous. The look in her eyes was full of fire while at the same time cold enough to freeze a man in his tracks, and the tone of her voice was as chilling as a sharp blade swinging through the air. He could remember when her eyes and voice were warm and soft upon him and the longing cut him to the quick.
“And Euan?” Callie had drawn herself up as tall as her small frame would allow. “Don’t even entertain the thought of using my children to soften me up to you. They don’t deserve to be done that way.” With that she turned on her heel and went outside, slamming the door behind her.
There were a few moments of silence during which Euan wondered if he had damned himself to living in the memory of what had been and the soul-agony of knowing what could have been had he not been such a fool. Maybe his punishment was to live knowing what he had done to Callie, the damage he had done to a soft and innocent heart, and the fact that perhaps neither of them could get past it to love again.
Papa put his hand on Euan’s shoulder. “Young’un, ye have yer work cut out fer ye. My advice is to let her be and concentrate on bein’ them young’uns’ daddy. It’ll work out better for everyone thataway,” he advised.
Grandpa Conley nodded in agreement. “That gal ain’t one to let things go easy-like. She’s got a fierce pride like a fortress wall and she ain’t going to let her guard down. Ye done hurt her bad once. She ain’t fool enough to let ye do it again.”
Euan spoke softly, “I doona want t’ cause her any more pain, sir. I’d cut out m’ ain heart afore I’d do that an’ I’d cut off m’ right hand if it would make things alright for her again.”
Papa gave Euan a slight smile. “Our Callie has always been a little warrior, but a wounded one. It’ll take a gentle hand to deal with her, son. If’n ye show her that yore word is true, that’s the first step. Show her that ye love yore young’uns and that yore a good daddy to ‘em and that’s the second step. Ye ain’t getting’ no further with her unless ye can do that.”
Granny Robertson cleared her throat. “Well, she needs to accept what is and quit fightin’ it. She’s born to the blood.”
Euan asked, “If ye doona mind, could ye explain that t’ me? Callie used to speak of the gift. Are ye witch-born?
Granny Robertson and the other women laughed. Granny Stockett explained, “Not as ye most likely think of witches. It’s more a knowin’ of things that no one tells ye, seein’ things others can’t see, and hearin’ what most folks is deaf to.” Her dark eyes shone as she continued, “We’uns dream dreams, sees visions, and walk amongst the spirits. Now, we’uns don’t cast spells or hex a body. Most of the time.”
“And Callie can do this?” Euan asked.
“Hers is small and she keeps it to herself,” Jolena replied. “She’s never been one to share it with anyone. Says most of the time it’s about bad things a-fixin’ to happen and she just don’t want to deal with it.”
Granny Robertson asked, “Do none of yore people do this anymore?”
Euan shook his head. “Nae in m’ immediate family, ma’am,” he said. “There’s folk I ken who hae what we call the glamour, but they doona go talkin’ aboot it much. Used tae get a body killed for witchcraft, ye ken. Nowadays its verra likely tae peg ye as bein’ daft or a liar.”
Heads nodded. “Folks pretty well leave us’uns alone up here in these mountains,” Grandpa Crockett said. “And we’uns leave they’uns alone as well.”
The meeting adjourned and Callie’s elders headed home. Papa and Jolena drove back to their cabin. Jim and Darlene went to bed as they had to head out early to Morristown for some hardware supplies. Everyone else turned in as well.
Euan had a hard time falling asleep and when he finally did he dreamed of Callie. Loving her. Losing her. Trying to find her while being lost himself.
In one dream she was angry, yelling at him in words he couldn’t quite hear. His voice was gone and he seemed to be under water but was breathing. He saw Red Wolf and Mountain Rose. Callie picked them up and held them over her head and they became a long sharp blade which she plunged into his heart.
He awoke with his heart pounding as he took deep, shaky breaths, swearing in a harsh whisper as he collected himself.
Throwing off the covers, he got up and headed down to the kitchen to get some water. The lodge was quiet except for the sound of John’s snoring. Euan was glad they didn’t have to share a room as the big yin could have drowned out the average rock band going full throttle.
Feeling his way along, he reached the kitchen and turned on the light. He closed his eyes against the glare and then opened them up, startled to find Callie sitting at the table. “Ye…ye’re up?” he asked.
Her eyes narrowed as she replied, “Yeah. What of it? And why are you up, Euan? Up to something already?”
The venom in her voice stung him for a second and then pissed him off. Mustering his self-control, he answered evenly, “I couldna sleep, lass, so I come doon t’ get me some water.”
Her face registered her disbelief. “Right,” she said. “And I’m here on a pleasure cruise.”
Eu
an turned to face her. Looking her dead in the eye, he returned her glare with one of his own. A minute passed before he spoke. “Callie, ye can be angry wi’ me for aye. I admit I deserve it. But ye need nae t’ goad me intae a fight. I’m here for m’ bairns. Ye ha’ nae t’ worry tha’ I’ll bother ye.”
He gave her a pointed look before adding, “And ye ha’ nae need t’ fear tha’ I’ll run off wi’ ‘em. I gave yer elders m’ word. I may be a bloody bastard for hoo I treated ye but I’m nae a liar!”
Callie’s nostrils flared and her eyes narrowed. How dare he? After what he had done to her, ‘bastard’ didn’t even begin to cover it!
As far as giving his word, she didn’t consider that worth the breath it took to speak it. Nor did she honestly think he was the least bit sorry for the way he had treated her. She had never been more than a passing fancy, meaning nothing to him then or now. All he cared about was the fact that he had two children. Two heirs to his part of the family fortune.
She hadn’t bothered him since the day he told her to get out of his house. Hadn’t bothered to confirm her pregnancy to him or ask for support. Hadn’t ever asked him for one damned thing, except the one thing he couldn’t give.
His love.
She rose from her chair and glided silently passed Euan with her head held high and her back as straight and stiff as a yard stick. Pausing at the door, she turned and gave him an icy glare. In a voice as sharp and cold as the north wind she said, “You won’t bother me, Euan. You’ll never hurt me again. You do need to understand this, Mr. Wallace; the only reason I haven’t cut you high, wide, and deep and fed you to the pigs is because of those two children up there. But I swear to God if you do anything to hurt them or try to use them against me, you’ll be in hell before you even know you’re dead!”
She turned on her heel and disappeared into the darkness.
Euan stood by the sink for several minutes with a glass of water in his hand, lost in memories and thoughts. He could picture Callie’s face from four years ago, alight with her love for him, and compared it with the stone-cold hatred he had seen a few moments ago. It was like looking at two different women.
And it was entirely his fault.
She really had been innocent, a virgin in every way. Never been in love let alone touched. He had shown her the joys and pleasures of love and she had opened her whole heart to him. She had been completely his.
But he had betrayed her love and hurt her to the core of her being, shattering her innocence as completely as she had given it. There could have been no worse sin he could have committed than that. He allowed that he deserved her wrath.
His ego tried to argue that his apology ought to be enough, that he was being sincere so she should see that and accept it. After all, he had been suffering as much as she had for the past four years….
That was a load of crap and he knew it. God, what I wouldna give just t’ go back and do it o’er, he thought. What I wouldna give for aye t’ just make it right.
He drank the water and went to bed, too tired to think about it anymore.
Chapter 8:
And A Bane
The next morning dawned with freezing temperatures and the land covered with a rime of hoarfrost. Jim had arisen early to rekindle the fire in the hearth, stoking the coals and adding kindling and firewood before placing a large log on the andirons. Darlene brewed up a fresh pot of coffee for the men to brace themselves with before going out to tend to the stock, and another to take the chill off when they came back in for breakfast.
Callie had awakened to find that her children were not in bed with her and flew out of her room in a panic. She heard them giggling, followed the sound, and found them in Euan’s room, bouncing on his bed and laughing giddily. She strode into the room and angrily ordered, “Get off that bed right now! What are you two doing in here? You left our room without asking my permission!”
Mountain Rose looked wide-eyed at Callie. “But Mama,” she protested, “we’re visiting with Daddy! We’re just having fun…we’re not doing anything bad!” The child looked as if she was about to cry.
Euan spoke up. “Leave the bairns be, Callie,” he said softly. “They came intae m’ room to wake me for m’ morning chores.”
Callie’s face darkened with rage. “How dare you tell me what to do with my children, Euan Wallace!” she hissed. “You don’t have the right to even be here!”
“But Granny said -” Red Wolf started to say.
“SHUT UP!” Callie shouted at her son. The boy started to cry, and his sister hugged him tight and cried with him.
Euan threw back the covers and got out of bed. “What are ye doin’, woman?” he asked. “Ye’ve made the bairns cry an’ for what? Yer ain temper? What’s wrong with ye, Callie, that ye would take yer anger at me oot oon wee bairns?”
Her fury flew at him like lightning across the sky, striking him a stinging blow just as surely as if she had actually hit him. Euan had never felt anything like that and wasn’t even sure of what had happened. His chest tightened and his legs wobbled.
“Mama, don’t!” the twins pleaded in unison as they rose to stand between their parents.
Callie glared at all three of them before returning her gaze to Euan. “You have no business telling me how to raise my kids!” she spat. “I’ve been the one taking care of them! I carried them for eight-and-a-half months, gave birth to them, nursed them and changed their diapers, stayed up with them when they were teething or sick, worried over them, taught them! You weren’t here for them until the day before yesterday!”
She paused and added, “And that was your own doing, not mine!”
“But Daddy’s here now, Mama!” Mountain Rose pleaded. “Please don’t hurt him! Please don’t make him go away!”
“Daddy loves us, Mama,” Red Wolf said softly. “And he loves you, too.”
She wanted to cuss so bad it hurt her head trying to keep it inside. Callie seldom swore around her children and had never yelled at them until a few moments ago. That was Euan’s fault, she decided.
This whole mess was entirely his fault.
She turned on her heel and strode out of the room, slamming the door behind her before screaming out her wordless rage in the hallway.
Euan heard John hit the floor in the room across the hall. The door opened and John’s voice boomed, “Wha’ the fook is goin’ oon oot here?!”
Callie’s door slammed and even through two sets of log walls they could hear her venting her rage quite colorfully.
Darlene’s voice rang out as she ran up the stairs. “What the hell is going on up here?” she asked. She opened Callie’s door and stepped inside before slamming it herself.
“Alright, young lady!” she barked. “Just what the hell are you doing?”
“Euan had the kids in his room!” Callie yelled. “His room! And without my permission!”
“If you remember correctly, dear heart,” Darlene noted, “He has our permission to be here and our family’s permission to spend time with his kids, so you might as well put on your big girl panties and deal with it like you’ve got some sense left in that hard head of yours!”
John stepped into Euan’s room as Darlene and Callie argued. “Are ye alright, Euan?” he asked. “I heert wha’ sounded like thunder clapping an’ a banshee screamin’. I’m fair conflummixt tha’ I didna piss m’self!”
“That was Mama,” Mountain Rose sobbed. “She’s mad at Daddy and she yelled at us!”
Euan sat down on the edge of the bed and hugged the twins. “Yer mathair isna herself a’ the moment,” he soothed. “Things arre whammled for her.”
Red Wolf looked up at Euan and asked, “They’re what?”
“Whammled,” Euan repeated. “Turned upside-doon. Ye ken tha’, lad?”
“Is that like her apple cart’s upset?” asked Mountain Rose.
“Aye, lass,” Euan replied. “’Tis exactly tha’.”
“Well, the wee virago managed to upset my apple cart for aye!�
� John huffed. “An’ I was havin’ suich a gude dream, too.”
Mindful of the usual nature of John’s good dreams, Euan said quickly, “If it involves birdin’, lad, there’s bairns present. Keep it tae yersel’.”
John smiled sheepishly and said, “Aye, lad, tha’ I’ll do. If ye’ll excuse me, I’ll go take m’ mornin’ ablution.” With that he smiled, waved at the twins, and left.
Red Wolf asked, “Why didn’t he just say he needed to go pee?”
Euan laughed. “Och, lad, I suspect he was tryin’ to be a bit more modest wi’ ye bairns present. Grown men tend tae be a bit coarser in their speech than is proper for children tae hear.”
Mountain Rose piped up. “I know. Sometimes Grandpa and Uncle Dave and the menfolks use really bad words. We’re not s’posed to talk like that.”
“Maw-Maw don’t allow them to talk like that around her, either,” Red Wolf noted. “Not Grandma or any of our Grannies, either. Papa says women and children shouldn’t cuss at all.”
“Yeah, but Mama does when she gets mad and nobody spanks her for it,” Mountain Rose said. “I think she’s too stubborn to listen.”
Euan thought that was the understatement of the year if not the century. Callie was stubborn enough to make a natural-born Scot look easy-going in comparison.
“I think folks are afraid to spank Mama,” Red Wolf added. “Uncle Caleb said she could whup a grown man with one hand tied behind her back and blindfolded.”
“Grandpa isn’t afraid of Mama,” Mountain Rose said. “Or Papa. If they tell her something -”
“THE HELL WITH THE WHOLE BUNCH OF YOU!” Callie’s voice cut through the thick walls of the lodge like a scythe through straw, with the crack! of a door slamming back against the wall underscoring it. The stomping sound of her booted feet going down the hall and stairs was followed by Darlene’s voice.
