by Jennae Vale
All In Good Time
Book Six of The Thistle & Hive Series
Jennae Vale
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
A Note From Jennae
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Also by Jennae Vale
Copyright © 2017 by Jennae Vale
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
ISBN: 978-0-9986162-0-9
Created with Vellum
For my brother, Jim.
Chapter 1
The building stood mid-way down the block, its sign shining bright like a beacon of hope to this weary traveler. Sara Barrett had imagined this place and this moment for months, slowly gathering her courage and finally buying her ticket to Scotland. As much as she had looked forward to arriving at the inn, she now stood with her feet firmly fixed in place, unable to move. The doubts that she’d managed to ignore for so long came pouring forth, overwhelming her with worry. Was she doing the right thing? Should she have lied to her brother about her plans? Was she really ready for this?
The door to the inn opened and in the dim light that poured out onto the sidewalk she saw a muscular young man with soft blonde curls exit the doorway and face her. He hesitated briefly before walking her way. She didn’t move towards him, instead waiting to see if he was coming for her or if he’d pass right by. Sara thought her heart might beat right out of her chest as he stopped directly in front of her.
“You must be Sara. We’ve been expecting you.” His warm smile was kind and stirred a sense of hope within her. Still, she was sure her face gave away her astonishment.
Finding her voice, she managed to stammer out, “How did you know I was coming? No one knew. I didn’t even make a reservation.” This was all a bit unnerving.
The man chuckled softly as he reached out his hand. “I’m Dylan. Nice to meet you.”
“I’m Sara. Oh, you already knew that, huh?” She laughed nervously as she shook his hand, feeling embarrassed at her suddenly clumsy social skills.
“Let me help you with your bags and get you settled in your room.” She surrendered her bags to him and he began walking towards the inn door. “Follow me, Sara,” he called over his shoulder.
She hurried to catch up with Dylan, trailing him through the door and into the lobby of The Thistle & Hive Inn. Sara stopped to take it all in, awestruck by what she was seeing. It was exactly what she expected and so much more. Dark wood beams crisscrossed the ceiling and white plaster walls gave the room an old world feel. The coziness of the blazing fire added to the inn’s ambience as it crackled and popped in the hearth, giving off a welcoming warmth and the soft scent of pine. It’s soft golden glow spread across a beautiful Celtic knot rug that covered much of the wide-planked hardwood floors. At the far end of the room stood the registration desk. Sara headed straight for it.
“You can check in later.” Dylan stopped her before she reached it. “Edna and Maggie are busy now. I’ll show you to your room. Dinner will be served in about an hour, so you’ve got time to relax before coming back down.” Dylan led her up the stairs and stopped in front of the first door, which he unlocked before handing her the key and opening the door. “After you.” He held the door open and followed her inside to deposit her things before excusing himself and leaving her alone to wonder at the reality of her circumstance.
She’d been determined to meet Edna Campbell and ask for her assistance. Over and over again she’d returned to the spot she’d last seen him, the spot where she’d watched helplessly as he disappeared into the fog. She had no idea what she’d expected to happen, but her hope of seeing him again had been guiding her to this moment. Surely Edna would help her. She’d helped Helene and Dougall, why should Sara be any different? Still there was doubt. It had followed her all the way from San Francisco, California to Glendaloch, Scotland.
Sara glanced around the room, taking note of the furnishings and found that despite the fact that it was not the modern style she was used to, it had a warm, cozy feeling to it. She perched on the edge of the bed, taking a deep breath and willing herself to relax.
A whooshing sound by the fireplace caught her attention. She was shocked to see a fire burning in the hearth now. She shook her head in wonder. How did that happen? It wasn’t like that a minute ago, or am I just so preoccupied that I didn’t notice it?
Shaking off the uneasiness caused by the magical fire, Sara stood and lifted her suitcase onto the bed where she unpacked the beautiful medieval gown she’d purchased at this year’s Ren Faire. After all, if she was going to time travel, she’d better look the part. She hoped Logan would like it…that he’d like her. There were no guarantees, but she imagined if things didn’t work out Edna would bring her back. She didn’t believe it would come to that though because there’d definitely been a spark between them. She felt it from the first moment she’d seen him striding towards her in his kilt in the middle of San Francisco, looking like the Highlanders she lusted after in the romance novels she loved so much. They were her guilty pleasure. She thought men like that were purely fictional until she met Logan. Her heart thundered in her chest again and a shiver of delight ran through her as she imagined what it would be like to be his woman. To be held in his big, strong arms, to look up into his dark and stormy eyes and know he cared. The constant tug of war going on in her brain was currently being won by the I’m-doing-the-right-thing side.
She put away the rest of her things and then sat herself down on the floor in front of the fire. Taking out her smartphone she placed a call to her brother Zeke.
“Hello.” Zeke’s voice came through loud and clear.
“Hey, it’s me. Thought I’d give you a call and let you know I arrived safely.” Sara’s hands suddenly felt clammy. She felt so guilty about lying to Zeke.
“How was your flight?” he asked.
“Long, but uneventful.”
“Uneventful is good. Are you excited about the cruise?” Sara had lied to Zeke. She told him she was taking a river cruise through Europe. Something she’d always wanted to do.
“I can hardly wait.” She tried to push down the guilt and infuse her voice with enthusiasm.
“I’m happy you’re doing this. You needed to get away.”
“You’re right. I really did.” Zeke knew how she felt about letting Logan get away. He’d suffered a similar heartache when Helene returned home with Dougall. “I don’t know if I’ll have cell phone coverage on the boat,” she lied. This was getting harder and harder to do. Zeke was all the family she had left. He’d be devastated if he thought something had happened to her.
“That’s okay. I guess if you need to get in touch with me, you can do it when you’re on land.”
“Right. I’ll do that.” Her voice cracked a bit. There would be no cell coverage where she was going.
“Hey, are you okay? You sound funny.” He could a
lways read her. It’s why she’d never been able to get away with anything growing up. She had to pull herself together.
“I’m fine. Just tired from the flight and excited about my trip.” Both of those things were true. She couldn’t wait to travel back in time to find Logan. “How’s everything with you?”
“Good. Working hard to get my students ready for the next competition.” Zeke ran a medieval martial arts studio in San Francisco.
“Well, don’t work too hard. You need a social life too, you know.”
Zeke was quiet. “I’m not ready for that yet, Sara. You know that.”
“I know. I just want you to be happy. It makes me sad to think you’ve given up on love because of what happened with Helene.”
“I haven’t given up on love. It’s more a case of not having time for it right now.”
“When will you have time for it?”
“I don’t know, but that’s not for you to worry about. You concentrate on having a good time and I look forward to picking you up at the airport when you come back. I love you, Sara.”
A huge lump formed in Sara’s throat. “I love you, too, Zeke. I better go.” She needed to hang up before she burst into tears.
“Okay. Have fun and I’ll see you soon.” Zeke hung up and Sara set her phone down. She hated lying to him, but she knew he would never have approved of what she was doing.
Staring into the flames she let her imagination run wild with thoughts of Logan riding to her rescue atop a big bay stallion. It didn’t matter what he was rescuing her from. He’d leap from his horse, take her in his arms and hold her close, whispering his love and devotion into her ear. So real was her fantasy, she could feel his warm breath on her cheek as he spoke. She basked in the warmth of that feeling, certain things would work out exactly as she had planned.
A knock on the door startled her out of her reverie.
Gathering herself, she stood and walked to the door just as another knock sounded. “Coming,” she called as she reached the door. Upon opening it she was surprised to see a beautiful young woman with flaming red hair and emerald green eyes standing there.
“Hi. I’m Maggie. I wanted to make sure everything was to yer liking and to tell ye that dinner is being served.” Maggie was gazing at her with a question in her eyes. “Are ye well? Ye look a bit flushed.”
Sara ran her hands over her cheeks. They were quite warm to the touch and she imagined quite red. “Oh, I’m fine. I was just sitting in front of the fire.”
“Is it warm enough fer ye? We like to get a fire going in the rooms as soon as the guests arrive, but if yer at all chilled, please let us know.”
“It’s perfect, really. I was probably just sitting a little too close.” She didn’t mention the fact that the fire seemed to start all on its own after she’d entered the room.
Maggie’s warm smile and easy manner had Sara feeling like they were old friends, even though they’d never met before this very moment. “Would ye care to join Dylan and me fer dinner?”
“I would, very much. Give me a minute to freshen up and I’ll be right down.”
“Of course.”
Maggie turned and left. Sara ran into the bathroom where she doused her fiery cheeks with cold water and prepared herself to meet Edna Campbell.
Tentatively stepping through the doors of the dining room, Sara’s gaze flitted around the room, taking in the tables and diners seated around them. A soft murmur of voices, candlelight and the smell of something delicious sent a surge of warmth to Sara’s heart.
“Sara, please join us,” Maggie called from a table near the fire.
Sara waved and made her way across the room. “This is exactly as I imagined it,” she said as she took a seat opposite Maggie.
“Dylan’s getting our food. He’ll be right back.” She poured some red wine into a glass and set it in front of Sara.
“Is Edna going to join us?” If Sara’s plan was going to work, it all depended on Edna. She had no idea what Edna looked like, but she was sure she’d know her on sight.
“I’m afraid not,” Maggie said.
“Oh, no! I was hoping to speak with her.” Sara worried that perhaps Edna was out of town. Her brow furrowed. “Is she here?”
“She is, but she’s quite busy at the moment. A small problem has unexpectedly come up and she’s trying to resolve it. I’m sure ye’ll see her tomorrow.” Maggie was so matter of fact about her absence, like it was no big deal. But Sara’s stomach clenched uncomfortably.
Was she the small problem?
Dylan came through the kitchen doors balancing three plates of food which he expertly set in front of them. “This looks and smells delicious,” Sara observed.
“Thank you. I hope you like Shepherd’s pie.” Dylan took his seat next to Maggie, placing a basket of warm bread on the table. “Fresh from the oven,” he said.
“Are you the chef?” Sara asked.
“I am.” A proud smile lit his face.
“Wow! And I just realized you’re American. I was so preoccupied when we first met that it didn’t register.” Sara was embarrassed by the fact she hadn’t noticed.
“Right again!” Dylan chuckled and Sara joined him.
“Where from?” she asked, diving into the delicious dinner Dylan had prepared.
“San Francisco.”
“Me, too!” Sara was surprised to find a fellow Bay Area resident here at The Thistle & Hive Inn. “Small world. What brought you to Glendaloch?”
“Maggie.” Dylan turned towards Maggie with the sweetest look on his face.
“Well, that’s not totally true,” Maggie teased, meeting his gaze. “Originally he came with his cousin.”
“True, but one look at you and I was hooked.” He leaned in, taking Maggie’s chin in his hand and gently kissed her lips.
“I’m going to guess that you’re married.” Sara felt as if she were intruding on their intimate moment.
“We are. How could ye tell?” Maggie asked with a laugh.
She wanted to say it was the way they looked lovingly into each other’s eyes, but she didn’t know them that well, so instead said, “The matching wedding bands were a dead giveaway. Do you miss it? I mean, San Francisco.”
“Can’t say that I do. I’ve got everything I need or want and more right here.” He tipped his head towards Maggie.
“Just out of curiosity, if you had to live in the past to be with each other, would you?”
“In a heartbeat,” Maggie said.
“Without a doubt,” Dylan agreed. “Wherever. Whenever.”
“I wonder what it’s like there?”
“Verra much like it is here, but without the modern conveniences we’re all so used to.” Maggie took some bread from the basket and buttered it as she spoke.
“Do you suppose you’d have to worry about getting sick?” This was one of the things that concerned Sara. Medical treatment in the past left a lot to be desired and she knew people died of things that nowadays were very treatable.
“That would be a valid concern,” Dylan responded.
“What about cleanliness? I’ve read lots of things about people not bathing. Is that true?” Sara would just die if she couldn’t bathe and wash her hair.
“I’m sure people in the past wanted to be clean. Of course, I think in any time period you’ll find people who could use a good scrubbing,” Maggie giggled.
Sara was finding she had many questions in need of answering. She smiled nervously at Maggie and Dylan before sipping the delicious red wine they’d poured her.
When they’d finished eating, Dylan went to the kitchen and brought back dessert and coffee for the three of them. “Chocolate mousse?”
“Mmm… my favorite,” Sara said.
“Sara, do you know my cousin, Jenna Sinclair?” Dylan asked.
“No. I don’t think I do.” Sara paused and her eyes got big when she turned to look at Dylan. “Wait, is that the Jenna who owns the house my brother Zeke lives in?”
“I wondered about that. Do they live somewhere else?”
“They’ve actually got homes in several places. San Francisco was their first and then they became very successful in the tech industry, which allowed them to become more philanthropic. So they move around a lot, overseeing all of their many charities.”
“What about Jenna, where is she now?” She hadn’t heard much about Jenna from Zeke. She didn’t think he’d actually ever met her, either. His former boss, Nick Mackall, had the house before him.
“She’s with her husband, Cormac MacKenzie. She lives with him in sixteenth century Scotland.” Dylan eyed her over the rim of his coffee cup.
“Oh! So, she’s a time traveler!” Sara exclaimed, glancing around the room to make sure she hadn’t drawn anyone’s attention and then lowering her voice to a whisper. “That’s kind of why I’m here,” Sara stated with a bit of hesitation in her voice. She wasn’t sure she should be telling them this, at least not until after she’d spoken with Edna.
“We know,” Maggie said. “My Auntie Edna is aware of why ye’ve come to visit with us.”
Sara became very self-conscious, her face turning a bright red.
“Don’t be embarrassed. She’s used to people seeking her help. Whether she can give it or not is another question all together.”
Sara’s worst fears came crashing through her head. Edna wasn’t going to help her. She’d come all this way for nothing. She’d never see Logan again. She fought back the tears that came to her eyes and grabbing her napkin wiped them away. “I think the smoke from the fire is making me teary,” she said.
“We can move to another table if ye like,” Maggie suggested.
“No. It’s okay. I’ll get used to it. Besides, it’s nice and warm here.” Sara focused on her food, taking a huge spoonful of chocolate mousse and forcing herself to eat. “Mmmm… This is delicious.”
