Heather's Highlander: Book Club: Heartsgate (Heartsgate Highlanders 1)

by Kirsten Osbourne

  Chapter Four

  After the wedding, there was a family meal with just Derek’s brothers and their families, and then the keep was opened up for the clan. Gavin went out on the balcony on the upper floor of the keep, and he made an announcement. “I have given my blessing for my youngest son, and your new laird, to take a sweet bride. Her name is Heather, and she is now the lady of our clan! I would appreciate help moving mine and my wife’s things to the cottage beside my parents’.”

  There were many cheers, and men began filing into the keep to carry the former laird’s things out.

  Through all the hustle and bustle of a feast day, Heather kept a close eye on Derek. She waited for him to be overwhelmed by the emotions of the people around them. Once she saw him glance across the room and wince, and she went to him, took his hand, and tugged him from the room. “I think it’s time for one of those newlywed kisses,” she said softly.

  Derek smiled. “Thank you. Did it show so much that I was getting overwhelmed?”

  “To me it did.” Heather was glad she was already able to read him.

  “Well, I appreciate the rescue. And of course, the kiss.” He leaned down and took her lips with his, this kiss more passionate and more needy than the one the previous evening. When he finally raised his head, she sighed happily.

  “Maybe marrying a stranger wasn’t such a terrible idea after all,” she said softly.

  “Maybe not,” he said. “I canna say I want to complain.”

  She smiled at that. “Are you ready to go back?”

  He nodded. “There was someone in that room who wasna happy with our marriage. I could feel their anger, but the room was too full to be able to know who it was.” Usually he could tell if it was a male or female he was sensing, but the anger was so overwhelming, he could sense nothing else.

  “You didn’t have a girl you were interested in, did you?”

  He shook his head. “Nay. It was too hard for me to be around the women of the clan. Tis much easier with you. I dinna know why.”

  “I don’t either, but I’m glad it’s easier with me.” She rested her forehead on his shoulder before leading the way back into the great hall where everyone was gathered.

  One of his brothers raised a glass to him. She wasn’t sure what was in the glass, but she didn’t let herself worry about that. “To Derek and his beautiful Heather. May you live in happiness and have many sons!”

  Everyone in the room cheered at the toast, and Heather leaned into Derek. It felt odd that people were toasting their sons when they had barely even kissed, but she could understand that this odd family would say that.

  Someone from the back of the room shouted, “Kiss her!”

  Derek complied, and they all shouted and cheered once again.

  It wasn’t long before Heather understood the drain on Derek’s emotions a gathering like this had. She was overwhelmed herself, meeting so many new people and trying to remember names and relations. It must be so much more so with him feeling what everyone in the room was feeling.

  Finally, late into the night, the doors to the keep were closed, and Heather walked up behind Derek, kneading his shoulders and neck.

  He groaned softly. “Your hands are magic, lass. That feels wonderful.”

  Heather laughed. “I just realized that I never told you how I supported myself in New York. I’m a massage therapist. This is what I did for a living.”

  “Oh, aye. And you can do it for your husband now. I canna believe how all of the emotions of the clan seem to be drifting out of me.”

  She worked on his shoulders a little more. “Let’s go upstairs,” she said softly. “If you undress and lie on the bed, I can do a better job.”

  “You want me naked on the bed, lass? I can make that happen easily. Though I’m not sure I’ll let you rub my aches away once I’m unclad.”

  She laughed. “That’s not exactly what I meant, but I suppose a massage can lead to other things.” Never had she been attracted to anyone she massaged, so it would be a strange experience for her, but it was one she was certain she’d enjoy. She liked the idea of his hands on her skin as well.

  As they went upstairs, she realized this man meant more to her already than she would have thought possible. She’d made the right decision to come here and marry him. She just knew she had.

  The next day was spent with Derek in the keep, with only the servants about. It was nice to have some time with just her husband, and Heather was thrilled to take it.

  They talked a great deal, and she felt like she was really getting to know the man she’d be spending the rest of her life with. After they’d eaten their last meal of the day, he took her for a walk, and showed her where his mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother all lived.

  “The Campbells are me grandmother’s people, and they are the next clan over. Me great-grandfather finally stepped down to let his oldest son run the clan, but he is still in good health, thanks to me father. I will take you to meet me grandparents one day this week. They will love you immediately. But for now, I want you to meet me great grand parents who are here on McClain land.”

  Heather frowned. “Were they at the wedding yesterday?” She couldn’t imagine why his grandparents wouldn’t have come.

  “Nay. They know the trouble I have with overwhelming emotions, so they stayed away. Grandmother sent me a note to bring ye to meet her this evening, so here we are.”

  “I would have done my hair nicely if I’d known.” She patted the sides of her hair, which she knew were messy. She hadn’t been able to figure out how to do her hair without a mirror yet, and Aileen hadn’t come that day.

  “Ye look beautiful. Dinna worry. Grandmother will love you.” He knocked twice on the door of a small cottage, and it was opened immediately.

  An elderly woman reached out and pulled Derek down for a hug. “It is good to see ye,” she said.

  Heather was surprised at how spry and healthy the couple looked, despite their obviously advanced ages. “I’m Heather,” she said softly.

  “And I am Katerina. My husband is Braden.”

  Her husband stood beside her, a smile on his face. “The seventh son has finally married. Welcome to our family, Heather.” He leaned down and hugged her. “I hope ye are ready for the sons.”

  Heather frowned. “I’m not certain I am, but I know they’re coming.” She studied the older man for a moment. “Derek tells me you can make any plant grow.”

  “Aye, of course, I can. Tis me gift.”

  “I have seeds that haven’t yet been discovered by this part of the world that I would like to grow.”

  He smiled. “Ye are much like Derek’s mother. She asked for the same thing.”

  “You don’t mind?” she asked.

  “Nay. I like to show off me powers. I still help the crops of our clan grow when no one is looking.”

  “Oh, good. I’ll bring them by sometime soon.”

  “I would like that. I keep a little garden in the back, where I grow the things Beth needs for her tacos. I can do the same for your favorite things.”

  “Thank you so much.”

  “No need for thanks. You are me granddaughter.”

  Heather felt warmth wash through her at the words. She barely knew these people, and as far as they knew, she’d fallen from the sky, but they opened up their arms and embraced her with no questions asked. They were truly a loving family.

  She’d never known her own grandparents, and she would be happy to call Derek’s hers. “I’ll be the best granddaughter I know how to be,” she said softly.

  “Ye must sit down and have some sweets,” Katerina said. “I prepared something special for your visit.”

  Heather was unsure what to expect, but what she bit into tasted somewhat like shortbread, and she smiled and nodded her thanks. “This is delicious. Thank you.”

  “Ye must visit often. I canna wait to get to know Derek’s bride.” Katerina tilted her head to one side. “You speak much as his mother do
es.”

  “We come from the same place,” Heather replied, unsure how much Katerina knew about Beth’s origins.

  “Ah. Now I understand. Were you sent by Dr. Lachele?”

  Heather smiled. “I actually was. She’s an interesting woman.”

  “Beth says she has hair the color of heather.”

  “Yes, she does! It’s strange even in our time.”

  “Well, I would like to meet this woman, because she sent me two granddaughters.”

  Heather couldn’t help but smile at that. “I would love to introduce you.”

  After their visit, Derek took her back to the keep. “I thought it would be best if I didn’t warn ye about meeting me great grandparents before we went. I knew ye would be nervous.”

  “And I would have been. Thank you for thinking of my feelings.” She was surprised he was already so careful around her. He was a good man.

  He smiled as he led her up the stairs. “I hope ye have enjoyed our first full day of marriage. The morrow is Monday, and I must get back to training with the men.”

  “Are you in charge of training them?” she asked.

  “Nay. My uncle has had that task for many years, as me father dinna have the amount of time needed to train them properly. Now I pray that he will continue the task, because I am not sure I can deal with the anger involved in training.”

  “I can understand that. Will your uncle be willing?”

  “I do not know. If I had known I would be marrying so soon, I would have talked to him about it already.” Derek shrugged. “If he doesna want to continue with the training, me brother Logan will be willing. He is a good man, and he is the best fighter I know. Other than me uncle, of course.”

  “Of course. I hope your uncle will continue, because it sounds like that’s what would be best for you.”

  “What would be best for me is to have you rub me shoulders again,” he said, grinning at her. “Do ye mind?”

  “Not at all.” She was amused by how he seemed to switch between an old Scottish accent and modern speech. She knew it had to be his mother’s influence, but she liked it. A lot.

  “Thank ye.” He stripped and lay down on his stomach on the bed as if being naked in front of her was nothing. She tried not to think about it as she worked on his shoulders and neck, which both held a great deal of tension. It had to be exhausting to feel not only your own emotions but everyone else’s as well.

  As she worked on him, she wished there was someone there she could trade massages with. Perhaps she would need to teach Aileen to give a good massage.

  Heather barely saw Derek the following day, and she was happy when Beth came over with all of her sisters-in-law. They all sat in the great hall and Heather read to the others from one of her Highlander romances.

  At so many points, the women would stop her so they could laugh over something in the book. The way a man talked to his wife. The things the people in the book ate.

  Heather hadn’t realized so much was off in the books until the women pointed out each thing to her. She had always known they were fiction, but knowing they were as fictionalized as they were was strange.

  While she read, the other women sewed. They made her dresses and nightgowns. She felt like she should be doing some of the sewing, though she wasn’t nearly as skilled without a machine as she was with one.

  “I really feel like I should be working with you,” she said as they took a break to have lunch.

  Beth shook her head. “Not at all. We’re all a great deal more entertained by the book than we would be doing something else. We need a reader.”

  “I could probably have my iPad read it aloud,” she offered.

  “I think we all prefer it when you read,” Beth said with a smile.

  Gillian came in then, sitting at the table to eat with them. “I couldna get away until now. I was attending Sarah’s birthing.”

  “The baby is well?” Beth asked.

  Gillian smiled and nodded. “For a short while I was wishing Gavin was there to help, but it all came out fine in the end.”

  “Good!” Beth smiled. “After losing her last two, I’m sure she’s thrilled to be holding her bairn in her arms.”

  “She is. Where is Gavin today?”

  “Off to help the McPhersons. The laird’s son is ill.”

  “Ah. I hadna heard that yet.” Gillian shook her head. “I still hate it when he goes to help that clan.”

  Beth nodded. “He’ll be exhausted by the time he gets home.”

  Gillian shook her head. “At least they no longer steal me grandchildren to get his help.”

  Heather stared at the two women who had been speaking in shock. “They kidnapped a child to get Gavin to heal someone?”

  “The day of my wedding, actually,” Beth said, shaking her head. “I don’t know why they thought that was acceptable, but Gavin healed their laird.”

  “I don’t know if I could have helped after that,” Heather said.

  “Not many could,” Gillian said. “Me boy has a much kinder heart than most people.”

  Heather couldn’t stop thinking about someone kidnapping one of her children to get Gavin to help them for the rest of the day. She read a couple more chapters of the book aloud, but her mind was still spinning.

  When Derek came in at the end of a very exhausting day from the look on his face, she asked him about it. “Did you know one of your cousins was kidnapped to get your father to heal a laird?”

  Derek nodded. “Aye. Someone tried to take me once when I was a lad, but me mother told them that if they so much as took me one foot off of McClain land, she’d see to it that Father never healed anyone in their clan again. I was left alone after that.”

  “That’s awful!” Heather said, shaking her head. “How do we know that won’t happen to our children?” The very idea sent chills of fear through her. And she knew it would only be worse once she’d held her child in her arms.

  “I guess we canna know that. Tis one of the dangers of being a healer. Or the son of one in this case. It has been communicated to all of the clans that Father will heal anyone for the asking, and there is no need to resort to taking the children of our clan. It’s been a very long time since anything like that happened.” He covered his mouth with his hand as he yawned.

  “What did you do today?” she asked.

  He shrugged. “I worked with the other men for a while, and then I spent some time in the woods calming down after there was a fight between two of the men during training.” It was so overwhelming when emotions were high as they tended to be on the training field.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “What did ye do?” he asked.

  “Your mother and sisters-in-law came over, and they all sewed for me while I read. Your grandmother joined us right after lunch.”

  “Did everyone like the book ye chose to read?” he asked.

  She laughed. “They spent most of the day telling me that the authors of my time have no idea what it was like to live in the Highlands. And they’re right. We have been able to find small clues that tell us how things could have been, but most are guesses. The authors do their best, and they tell very entertaining stories, but they’re not always accurate. How could they be?”

  He nodded. “I see what you mean. It is nice to know that we Highlanders are thought of as sexy in your time. It makes me want to flex my muscles for the ladies of your book club.”

  Heather shook her head. “They wouldn’t know what to think.” She laughed trying to picture the looks on her friends’ faces.

  “What about you? Would you like it if I flexed my muscles for you?” He reached for her hand and tugged her onto his lap.

  She laughed, snuggling close to him. “I guess I’d probably like that a lot. Wanna see?”

  He chuckled. “Mayhap.”

  “Tell me more about our clan,” she said. “Are we a wealthy clan?”

  He laughed. “The clans of the Highlands are rarely wealthy, lass. We get by, but m
y family’s powers help a great deal. Some have tried to pay Father for his healing, but he willna accept. Me great-grandfather accepted payment for his help with other clans’ fields.”

  “Oh, when do I need to meet your other great-grandparents?” she asked.

  “On the morrow. I was thinking we could ride over in the morning, if ye would like.”

  “I would like.” She bit her lip. “I haven’t ridden since I was a little girl at camp though. I’m not sure if I could stay on a horse.”

  “Then ye can ride with me. I like that idea, actually.” He waggled his eyebrows at her, and she laughed. It was strange how comfortable she already felt with this man.

  “I do too!” Heather sighed. “I hope they like me.”

  “Why wouldn’t they?” he asked. “They are good people, who have lived long and healthy lives, thanks to me father. They will like you.”

  “I hope so.”

  “Dinna worry too much about it. The only person in this clan who really needs to like ye is the one ye are using as a chair.”

  She laughed. “Does that mean you want me to move?” She didn’t bother to remind him that he’d pulled her there, because she was sure it would do no good.

  He shook his head. “Nay. I like ye just where ye are, lass.”

  She sighed, resting her head against his shoulder. “I think I like it a bit too much,” she said softly.

  She was already falling for this man. Dr. Lachele had definitely picked the right man and more than that, the right clan for her to join. She’d never imagined it could be such an easy transition.

  Of course, she’d only been there a couple of days, but surely things would stay the same as they were.

  Chapter Five

  Shortly after they’d broken their fast the following morning, Derek helped Heather to the back of his horse. “Hold on tight, lassie. I dinna want to lose you between here and me grandparents’ house.”

  Heather didn’t have to be told twice. Number one, she had no desire to be bucked from the back of a horse. And number two—and the most important of the two—she enjoyed holding onto him. It made her happier than anything else could.