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

by Kirsten Osbourne

  The ride was a short one to the next clan’s lands, and when they arrived, he dismounted and helped her down. “Me grandparents are verra old. Older than most. Me father keeps them alive with his healing. I have a feeling I will lose me parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents all at the same time when me father dies. He willna be able to keep the others alive anymore.” He looked sad at the idea of losing them all, and Heather understood completely. It would be hard to lose so many people she loved all at once.

  “That will be a sad day,” she said softly.

  “It will.” He handed the horse off to the stablemaster, and the two of them headed into the keep. He walked right in, calling out, “Grandmother! Grandfather! I have brought me wife to meet you.”

  An old woman shuffled into the hall to look at them. “We are in the parlor, Derek. Bring her in.” She went back into the room where she’d come from, and Derek followed her, pulling Heather along with him.

  “Grandmother, grandfather, this is me bride, Heather.”

  His grandmother looked her up and down and finally nodded. “She seems like a good fit for you.”

  Derek smiled at that. “Aye, she is.” He walked to an empty chair and sat in it, and Heather took the chair beside him. “You’re moving slowly, Grandmother. Would you like me to send Father to help you?”

  His grandmother shook her head, but his grandfather was nodding his. “She is a stubborn old woman, Derek, but she needs someone to take care of her, and in this case, that means your father healing her. Tis her knees and hips again.”

  “Aye. I will tell him when we arrive back on McClain land.” Derek knew to listen to his grandfather where his grandmother’s ailments were in question.

  “Thank ye,” his grandfather replied. “Tell us about this beautiful lass ye have taken for your bride.”

  Heather squirmed a little, not sure what to say. Instead, she let Derek answer.

  “She comes from near the same place me mother does. A time verra far in the future. She was sent back by the same woman whom they call Dr. Lachele.”

  Grandfather frowned. “And your mother has spoken to her? She believes her?” He obviously thought it was farfetched, but he was willing to trust Beth.

  Derek nodded emphatically. “Aye. She knows too much about the future to be from anywhere else.” He paused for a moment. “I can feel your concern, Grandmother, but I know tis all right. I promise you this.”

  His grandmother nodded. “Aye. I suppose I should stop worrying.”

  “Twould make me feel better,” Derek said with a smile. “But I love that ye worry about me.”

  They spent the day and into the afternoon, having a noon meal with the older couple. Heather didn’t ask what was being served, because she had a feeling it would be best if she didn’t know. Haggis in particular scared her. As long as she didn’t know what it was, then she could be content eating it. That was her theory anyway.

  As they left, Heather embraced the older woman. “Thank you for accepting me so quickly.” She couldn’t have been happier with the welcome she’d received from his family.

  “Aye. You make our Derek happy. That is easy enough to see.” His grandmother smiled at her, the wrinkles in her cheeks deeply denting her face.

  “I try.”

  “If you put making him happy first every morning, ye will have a good marriage.”

  “I’ll try.” Heather hadn’t thought of getting marriage advice from his great-grandmother, but when it was offered, she would gladly accept it.

  Once they were safely back on McClain land, Derek and Heather walked to the cottage where his parents had taken up residence. When they arrived, they were invited in to eat with the older couple. “I feel like everyone wants to feed me,” Heather said. She wasn’t as nervous about food that Beth fed her, as they’d talked about what it was like to eat such foreign foods.

  When a plate of tacos was set in front of her, Heather laughed. “How did you get tacos?” She’d heard stories about his mother having his great-grandfather grow foods, but she wanted to hear it from his mother.

  “You brought potatoes, and I begged for lettuce, tomato, and corn seeds so I could make my own tacos. I know it’s weird, but I missed them something fierce.” Beth shrugged. “You know all those taco memes that were always on social media? Yeah, those were meant for me and only me.”

  “So, you celebrate Taco Tuesday in medieval Scotland? Is that even lawful?”

  “No one has ever presented me with a book of time travel laws,” Beth responded. “I just do what feels right to me.” She picked up her taco and crunched into it. The shell was a little misshapen compared to the ones Heather was used to, but she didn’t mind. A taco shell was a taco shell. She’d even be happy with tostadas.

  “I can see that.” Heather didn’t argue and bit into her taco. “Delicious. When I get my potatoes planted, I’ll share.”

  “Don’t forget me other great-grandfather would love to grow them for ye,” Derek said. “Which brings me to the purpose of our visit…”

  Beth frowned. “What happened?” She looked at her husband, obviously expecting he would need to hurry off and heal someone.

  “Tis just that Grandmother Campbell is starting to have problems moving again. Grandfather says her knees and hips are paining her, and she needs to be healed.”

  Gavin looked at Derek. “But there’s no illness, and it’s not life threatening. Just normal aging aches and pains?”

  “Aye,” Derek said. “No hurry.”

  “I will be there on the morrow, just making sure I shouldna go tonight.”

  “Nay,” Derek said. “Grandmother Campbell would skin me alive if I let you think it was an emergency.” He understood his grandmother well.

  Beth laughed. “She would. She definitely would. That woman hates when she needs to be healed anyway, and for someone to think her pains were an emergency…I can just picture how angry she’d be.”

  Gavin nodded. “Twould not be a pretty sight. Your grandfather is doing well?”

  Derek shrugged. “Same as ever, I think. His knee is paining him again.”

  “I almost feel like we should just move to Campbell land so I can keep a better eye on them. They’re getting too old to have to wait for their aches and pains to be healed.”

  “Nay,” Derek said. “If you did that, I would have no idea what I was doing as laird. I already have no idea, but not having you close would make things much worse.”

  “You’d have your grandfather and great-grandfather to call on. Why do you need me?”

  “Because you’re me father. No one knows me better than you do,” Derek said with a smile, crunching into his taco. “Did you make these, Mother?”

  Beth laughed. “Nay. You know I have them made at the keep. They just bring them over now.” She laughed, and Heather knew from the tone of it, she was not a woman who cooked often or willingly.

  “I was hoping ye’d say that,” Derek said. “Me mother is not fond of cooking.”

  “I can understand that,” Heather said. “It’s not my favorite thing either. Though I’ll soon make my Irish nachos for everyone to try.”

  “I’m intrigued,” Beth said. “What do you put on them?”

  “They’re basically homemade potato chips with queso and bacon on top.”

  “And I’ll be coming for supper the night you show the kitchen staff how to make those, right?” Beth hinted.

  Heather laughed. “It never occurred to me I could teach others to make them and not have to do it myself.” She found she was very enamored of the idea of having people whom she could tell what to cook, and they would just do it for her.

  “Work smarter not harder!”

  “That’s my motto too!” Heather said with a smile. “I like you, Beth.”

  “I hope so, because I’m the only one you could possibly discuss movies with at the moment.”

  The men were mostly quiet through the meal as the two women compared favorite books and movies. Both
had grown up in New York City, so they talked about different Broadway plays they’d seen. When they both said “Wicked!” at the same time, the men seemed utterly baffled, but the women continued on as if they weren’t there.

  “How did you manage being the only person from the twenty-first century here?” Heather finally asked. “Being able to talk about modern life makes it so much easier.”

  Beth nodded. “It would have been easier for me too, but I’m happy you’re here now. It makes me feel a little less crazy. If it wasn’t for weekly taco night, I’m not sure I would even believe I’d ever lived in another century.”

  “Do you find yourself losing your identity?” Heather asked.

  Beth shrugged. “If I thought my identity was wrapped up in who I was in the twenty-first century, then I’ve definitely lost myself. But I have found a new identity here. I don’t need to be a CPA to be happy. Instead, I have found the love of my life and have had seven children with him. I don’t feel lost. I feel found.”

  Heather nodded. “You were a CPA? I was a massage therapist.”

  “No way! I have this kink in my neck…” Beth rubbed the side of her neck where it hurt her.

  Heather laughed. “One your husband couldn’t heal for you?”

  “One that needs the expert touch of a massage therapist. We need to have someone build you a massage table.”

  “That’s an idea. I don’t really need to earn money, but I could do it for people I like.”

  Beth nodded emphatically. “Like me. You like me best, right?”

  Derek shook his head, adding to the conversation for the first time in a long while. “She likes me best.”

  Heather laughed, resting her head on his shoulder. “He has a point, Beth.”

  “I guess he does.” Beth smiled at the two of them. “I’ll talk to someone about building a massage table. I suppose a dinner table would work in the meantime.”

  “It could.” Heather made a face as she thought about it. “We could use a dinner table, put a couple of layers of blankets on it, and then use that as a massage table.”

  Beth nodded emphatically. “We’re brilliant!”

  “Yes, we are.”

  Derek looked at his father. “Any idea what they’re talking about?”

  Gavin shook his head. “Nay. And I think that’s for the best.”

  On their walk back to the keep that night, Derek asked about the massage table. “You know how I rub your shoulders at night? That’s what I did for a living in New York. I went to school for it, and I’m gifted in what I do. There was a special table I would have people lie down on so I could massage them easier.”

  “This special table will make your massages better?” He seemed intrigued at the idea.

  She nodded. “It will make it so I can do a better job when I do a massage. I don’t see myself doing a lot of them, but it sounds like your mother misses massages.”

  “I will see to it that a craftsman begins work on this special table on the morrow!” Derek was excited at the idea of her massages being better than they had been, because he’d been very impressed so far.

  “I guess I’m back in business then.” Heather wasn’t sure if she was excited by the prospect or not, but all the work she’d put into learning to give a good, professional massage wouldn’t be wasted. Perhaps she could even teach someone to massage her. That felt like the best idea of all.

  “You would massage better now if you did it on the dining table?” he asked.

  “It would be an all right solution for the short term. The actual massage table would be best as a long-term solution.”

  “Then we will make sure you have one.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “When I am around people, I feel a great deal of tension in me shoulders and neck. Today, I felt the pain of my grandmother, and it lingers.”

  “So, you need a massage this evening?” Heather asked, having no problem seeing where he was going.

  “I think I do.” Derek put his arm around her. “I think you are the woman I needed to have sent to me.”

  “Because I can give massages?” she asked.

  “Well, there’s that, but you are willing to help others with your skills. That helps a great deal as well.” He shook his head. “I would think you were a great wife if you didn’t know how to give a massage at all.”

  “I sure hope so. Tomorrow I want your grandfather to grow some potatoes for me. I want to make Irish nachos one day this week. They’re my favorite.” She would just have to figure out how to make them without all the modern gadgets she normally used.

  “I do not know what a potato is, but I’ll help how I can.”

  “There’s cheese around? Or should I make my own?” She’d bought a book on cheese making for her iPad just to be certain.

  “There is cheese.” Derek shrugged. “I remember when I was a boy, my mother would constantly work on making a cheese she preferred for her tacos.”

  “Oh, that’s right. There was cheese on the tacos. That cheese would be perfect for what I want to do.” And not having to make her own cheese would make her task much easier.

  “Then you will be able to make your Irish nachos. Mother has often talked of potatoes, and I look forward to trying them.”

  “You’re going to love them. I promise!” Back in the keep, she immediately headed up the stairs, yawning behind her hand. It had been a long day for both of them.

  “I believe I will love anything that ye have a part in making,” he said, smiling at her.

  “You’re going to be a good husband, aren’t you?”

  “I will try me very best.” He followed her up the stairs. “Ye haven’t forgotten me massage, have you?”

  Heather rolled her eyes. She’d created a monster.

  Early the following day, while Derek was off training with the men, Heather headed to his great-grandfather to have him grow the potatoes for their supper. She’d thought it would be months or even a year before she could have her Irish nachos again, and it had made her crave them more than ever.

  When she arrived at the little cottage, she was welcomed warmly by the sweet couple. “You have something for me to grow?” Braden asked, rubbing his hands together.

  “I do! I brought potatoes that were already sprouting a little, because I wasn’t sure what month I would arrive here.”

  He nodded, looking at the four potatoes she held out for him, each one with the eyes sprouting. “If we cut them into four pieces each, I think they’ll grow faster,” he said after touching one of them. “These look like interesting plants.”

  “You’re going to love them,” Heather said with a smile. “They’re one of the best things to come from the New World.”

  “Let’s take them outside after we cut them up.” The old man looked downright excited to grow something new, and Heather didn’t blame him. How monotonous their meals seemed in this period. If she could spice them up a little, she would. She was used to the variety that living in New York offered, and there was definitely something missing here.

  Katerina trailed along as they cut them and then dug several small holes, dropping a piece of potato into each one. As soon as Heather was done, he looked behind him, and then put his hand on the ground in the middle of them all.

  As soon as he’d lifted his hand, Heather dug up the sprouted pieces of potato to find the largest potatoes she’d ever seen. She’d had some huge potatoes in restaurants, but the best Idaho farmer would be jumping for joy when he saw those.

  She gathered them all up, leaving four to sprout so they could grow more. When they didn’t all fit, Grandmother found a couple of baskets to carry them in. “How many people do we feed at the keep on a normal night?” Heather asked, wondering if there were enough potatoes that everyone could have some.

  “Not more than ten most nights. And many won’t try the new dish until others have said it’s good.” Katerina smiled. “They were the same when we came here from England, not wanting to try new things.”

  Heath
er nodded. “All right.” She looked at Braden for a moment. “Thank you so much for doing this for me. You’ll take care of the other potatoes and make sure they sprout and don’t die?”

  “I’m not sure a plant can die when it is in me home,” Braden said, a smile on his lips.

  “Then I’ll trust you with it. Thank you again.” Heather carried her two baskets, which were overfilled with potatoes back to the keep and straight to the kitchen. She’d seen it, but she hadn’t had time to spend much time with the women who worked there.

  “I would like something special to be made for our supper tonight,” Heather said softly. She wasn’t certain if the women would do as she bade them or if they would resent her. It was time to find out.

  A woman turned from the stove. She smiled. “We would be happy to make whatever you’d like.”

  “I’m going to show you how to make it, because it’s not something that’s made in this area often. Do you have the cheese Beth used for her tacos?”

  “Aye. Of course, we do. We canna run out of Beth’s cheese. Will we need cheese?”

  “We will.”

  For the next hour Heather showed the kitchen staff how to peel potatoes and slice them thin to make chips from them. She could taste the nachos, and it was hard to make herself go slowly enough that the meal could be replicated by the staff without her the next time she wanted it.

  By lunchtime, there was a small plate of nachos for her to try to see if there were any tweaks needed before the meal could be used for the entire group who would eat there.

  Beth walked into the keep just as Heather sat down with her plate of Irish nachos, and she immediately took one from Heather’s plate. “You said you’d invite me!”

  “We’re having them for supper. I’m just trying them to make sure we don’t need to make any tweaks before everyone tries them. I want to have a nacho Wednesday.”

  Beth laughed. “We’re going to mess up history if we’re not careful.”

  Heather frowned. “Do you really think so?”

  “Not really. Not if we only keep them in a small group where not everyone has them. No one will ever know.” Beth shrugged. “That’s my theory anyway.”