by Terry Spear
“They said I would have to stay at Farraige Castle until the film shoot is done.”
Grant cleared his throat.
Catherine glanced at him.
“If you’re going to repay your debt to us by working at Heather’s shop and not cause any trouble, you can return home. That is, if Robert and Patrick and any others who sided with them are banished from the pack and the territory,” Grant said.
“Aye.” Catherine repeated Grant’s words to her brother. “I won’t cause any further trouble, Paxton. I thought you were behind all this. All right. All right. Next time I’ll ask. Okay? Nay, I understand he just used me. You said that already. I get it, okay?” She let out her breath. “I don’t know who the wolves are who were taken prisoner. Aye, I will. The MacQuarries took a photo of me and sent it to you. What happened with that?” She paused, then said, “Robert must have intercepted it then.” She said to Grant, “My brother wants me to give the names of the wolves you’ve incarcerated. I need to see them, and I’ll know who they are. He said they won’t shift to tell you their names. And since sending their photos hadn’t worked, I’ll make a positive identification.
“If they’re strictly beta, they would have been influenced by Robert. He’s persuasive when he wants to be. It doesn’t mean they’ll cause any further trouble. Paxton will look further into the others who were involved in the fight against your men and how Robert is intercepting your messages. The men you’re holding might have also been three of the five McKinleys who fought with your men during the battle scene. Paxton said he would discuss with you what he will do about their punishment. For sure, he intends to banish the Kilpatrick brothers.”
“Aye, I agree to that,” Grant said.
“Will you release the other men?” Catherine asked.
“Once we know who they are, and Paxton gives me his word they’ll either be banished from the pack or punished,” Grant said.
“Aye. Did you hear that, Paxton?” Catherine asked Grant, “Can we go now to see the men? My brother wants to know who they are and resolve this now.”
“Aye. My brother Lachlan is returning there tonight, as well as Heather’s three brothers. They’ll take you, and you can stay at Argent Castle tonight. Your brother can pick you up in the morning.”
“What about working off my debt to you at Heather’s shop?”
“You can start tomorrow. You’ll be cleaning tables and such to begin with. Once we know you’re trustworthy, you can help in the kitchen or with the customers,” Heather said.
“For how long?” Grant asked Heather.
“A month?” Heather thought that was time enough since Catherine had been jailed already and she seemed to realize she’d been a pawn and lied to. If Robert hadn’t conned her, Heather figured Catherine would never have done it.
Catherine frowned. “Sure. You don’t think I should do it for longer?”
Heather smiled. “Listen, if you work out fine at the shop, I’ll hire you.”
Catherine’s smile couldn’t have grown any bigger, and Heather felt good about the way things were turning out with the woman. She just hoped Patrick and Robert didn’t stir up more trouble when they learned they were banished.
She wanted to go with Catherine to hear who the men were. But when she looked at Enrick, his expression said he was thinking he wanted her to be with him, after he did his security checks. He won out.
Chapter 21
The next day, Heather had to participate in a scene in the inner bailey and Enrick stood nearby watching her, wearing Guy’s double’s costume as usual, just in case he was needed for anything. He was helping to provide security for the women since he didn’t have another job to do right now. The scene was about a woman near term and getting ready to have the baby. They could have had a woman wearing a Moonbump, a fake pregnant belly, but the director had opted for an extra who was the real thing. He was especially delighted she had an identical twin sister who would substitute for her after the “delivery” of the newborn. And the twin’s four-week-old baby would be used as the newly delivered baby for that scene.
Missy, the star of the show, was now wearing the clothes of the period and had been since the scene where she had magically appeared from her time in New York City to the past on the beach below the castle.
This scene called for her to speak with the woman, Lisa MacNeill, who was close to giving birth, and kiss the four-week-old baby the other woman was holding swaddled in a tartan in her arms. No one would know that the same baby wasn’t used for both scenes. The point of the scene was to show how Missy now felt like she was part of the clan and was no longer desperate to return to her own time and place. She still spoke with a modern-day New York accent and the clansmen and women had a difficult time understanding her—for the movie. Missy, in the story, was a midwife back home, aiding natural-birth deliveries, and so this was something she felt she could do when the time was right. She felt she could actually make a difference in the mortality rate of infant births, besides the fact she was falling for the stubborn, behind-the-times Highland lord.
Enrick was amused. Had Missy truly lived back in these times, she wouldn’t have managed half as well, and she would still have been desperate to leave behind the medieval times and return to all her modern-day conveniences. As many times as he’d seen her on her phone between shoots, he was certain she wouldn’t give that up for a Highlander of old.
The pregnant MacNeill woman suddenly held her belly and groaned.
“It is time. Come, we must take her inside the keep to her chamber,” Missy said.
Heather and Lana helped the pregnant woman to stand and then headed inside the keep. Heather glanced back at Enrick, frowning. But she didn’t say anything, not wanting to mess up the shoot, he thought. Was Lisa MacNeill actually having her baby?
“I can help deliver her child,” Missy was saying for the camera. “That’s what I do…uh, did back home.”
“You’re a midwife?” one of the actresses who was supposed to be a lady-in-waiting asked Missy.
“Yes. We even deliver babies in a bathtub filled with warm water,” Missy said.
Heather and the other women looked at Missy like the devil had possessed her—for the role in the film.
“Never mind. As long as there are no complications, I can help. But everyone must sterilize—uh, wash their hands with soap and water before they touch the baby or the mother during the delivery. We need hot water and soap.”
One of the women took off to fetch the items.
“Cut!” the director called out.
The next scene was shot on the stairs and Enrick was nearby, thinking the pregnant woman was having more trouble getting up the stairs than she should. Unless it was all just acting on her part. He wanted to rush forth and carry her up the stairs. When Heather glanced back at him, her brow still furrowed, he worried the woman was really in labor. He hurried into the scene, like he wasn’t supposed to do, and Heather nodded at him, as if he had done the right thing. Whether or not the director was happy about it.
Enrick swept the woman up in his arms and carried her the rest of the way to the chamber where she was to give birth. Her brow was peppered with sweat, and she was panting through what he assumed were labor pains. It was her first child, so he knew it could take many hours, even days for the process. She probably wanted to shift into her wolf, and she could, once the “delivery” in the film took place and she swapped places with her twin sister, who was standing nearby, waiting to switch with her.
Cameras were in the room where he laid the woman down on the bed. He hesitated to leave. The pregnant woman squeezed his hand in grateful thanks.
“Uh, my lord, I can take care of this now,” Missy said to Enrick.
He inclined his head to her, then stalked out of the room. He immediately texted Grant: I think Lisa MacNeill is having real contractions.
Grant promptly texted back: I’ll send for the doctor.
The doctor was a wolf named Rupert Carraway. He wasn’t a member of any of the wolf packs, but he was there to aid any of them who were injured, sick, or giving birth.
Enrick texted him: I might be mistaken. Or it might take hours before she has the baby.
Grant responded with, Aye. We will have him see to her, just in case.
Enrick peeked into the room and saw Lisa’s face was flushed with pain. Hell. They needed to cut the action.
They were “prepping” her for delivery, and Heather was holding her hand when her irate mate showed up at the chamber door.
Enrick stopped him and shook his head. They would move her as soon as she said she was ready, unless the doctor arrived and said she was ready for the delivery.
At least that was what Enrick figured.
A wolf wandered into the room, part of the script. It was William, and Missy told him, “Shoo! Your master might be all right with you roaming the halls, but you can’t be in here. Go. Now.”
When he wouldn’t mind her, Heather motioned for him to leave and he turned around and left the room.
“Thank you,” Missy said. “I can’t understand how his lordship can have those wild beasts around him all the time.”
“They are like family…to him,” Heather said, and Enrick knew she was supposed to just listen, not comment.
He smiled.
“I suppose you are right,” Missy said. “Like owning a pet dog.”
No way were the wolves like the dogs. Sure, they were canines, but they mated for life.
Heather wisely didn’t say anything in response, but he knew she, and all the other lupus garous, felt the way he did.
“The baby’s coming,” Lisa said in Gaelic in a strained voice, and only Enrick and Heather knew for sure then that the baby was on its way.
The doctor arrived just in the nick of time.
The director, seeing the new man wearing a white shirt and black trousers heading for the room, quickly called, “Cut!”
The doctor cleared everyone out of the room, giving the camera crew the evil eye.
“We need to finish the shoot. We can have Lisa’s sister take over the part now, and you can move Lisa to the hospital,” the director said.
The doctor turned on him with a scowl. “She is giving birth now. Kindly leave the room.”
Heather and Lana stayed. Missy hurried out of the room. The camera crew packed up as quickly as they could.
Two more women, one of them Lisa’s twin sister, arrived to help Lisa remove her clothes so she could shift. Lisa’s mate joined them.
Shutting the door, Enrick guarded it so no one intruded who shouldn’t. Lachlan soon joined him, smiling. “Hell, who would have ever thought birthing a baby in the film would turn into a real delivery scene?”
“At least the Kilpatricks didn’t have any part in stopping the film this time.”
“Aye. I saw her mate downstairs before he came up here, and he’d looked like he was getting ready to kill anyone who stood in his way,” Lachlan said.
“Do you blame him?”
Lachlan shook his head and folded his arms. “Nay.”
Colleen soon joined them. “Since Julia’s her pack leader, I’ve called her to let her know the situation. She was on her way before this but got held up. How are things going?”
They heard a wolf pup give a little cry, then another. Then the wolf pup’s cries turned into baby cries.
“Two babies?” Enrick and the others chuckled. “Sounds to me like things are going well.”
Colleen knocked on the door and Heather answered it. She pulled her into the room and smiled at Enrick. “Twins. Two boys. They came earlier than expected, but they’re doing fine. The second one wasn’t expected either.” Then she closed the door.
“Just think, that could be you and Heather in the not-too-distant future.” Lachlan leaned against the wall.
Enrick hadn’t really given the baby business a whole lot of thought. He smiled, thinking Heather would make a great momma wolf.
They heard noise in the room that sounded suspiciously like a secret panel being opened into the next chamber. “Hey, stay here and guard the door. I’m checking out the spare chamber down the hallway.”
“Aye.”
Enrick stalked down the hall and opened the door to the other chamber and Heather squeaked, her hand to her chest. He smiled. “Sorry. Are you moving Lisa in here?”
“Aye. We’re going to clean up the room she’d been in and the director can begin again with Lisa’s twin this time.”
“Do you need my help?”
“Just to guard the door. Thanks, Enrick.” She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and then closed the door.
A few minutes later, a woman came out with bloody sheets. She was smiling though. “Beautiful twins.”
He smiled back. “I’m glad.”
The doctor finally came out of the room and shook his head. “This takes the cake for a delivery. In the middle of the shooting of a film, no less.”
“As long as everyone’s all right,” Enrick said.
“Aye. The mother is trying to nurse her babies. Don’t let anyone into the room.”
“Aye, Doc.” Enrick took that to mean the mother was in her wolf form, easier to deal with newborn wolf puppies suckling on her teats.
“Congratulations are in order for you mating Heather. That could be you and your mate in a few months.” The doctor smiled, slapped him on the shoulder, and headed out.
At least when Heather had their baby or babies, they wouldn’t have this circus to deal with.
It seemed like it took forever, women coming in and out of one of the rooms or the other. Heather and Lisa’s sister remained in the room with Lisa.
And then Heather finally came out of the guest room and said to Enrick, “We’re ready to begin the shoot again in the other room. Lisa and her twins are asleep. Lana, Missy, Lisa’s sister, and I will get set up to begin again, since the mother has delivered her baby—as far as the film is concerned. The other two ladies and Lisa’s mate are staying with her while the shooting is going on.”
“All right.”
Colleen came out of the room just then. “Julia just arrived at the castle. I’m going to greet her downstairs. We’re all set otherwise.”
“Aye, I’ll let the director know.” Enrick called the director who was taking a break downstairs, while the film crew sat in the hall waiting to set up in the room again, per the director’s orders. “We’re ready to go.”
“How is Lisa?” the director asked.
Enrick was glad he didn’t think only of making his film.
“She had two little boys.”
“Twins. I’ll be. That will be good luck then. I’ll be right up. Can the cameramen set up again?”
“Aye.”
“Thanks!” The director must have called the lead cameraman because he was suddenly on his phone and said, “Yes, sir.”
Then he was off his phone and directing everyone to return to the room. Enrick opened the door for them and was surprised how everything looked as normal as before. Only this time, Lisa’s twin was climbing into bed.
Missy took hold of the sleeping four-week-old baby and cradled her in her arms, her eyes filling with tears at the miracle of birth. And then she returned the baby to her “mother’s” arms and glanced at Guy, who had come in to see that the woman was all right, along with the woman’s film “husband,” who went over to the bed and smiled to see he had a healthy boy. Even though the baby was really a little girl.
“Cut!” the director said.
What had been a simple scene had turned out to be a lot more complicated than anyone had predicted. Enrick was glad when they broke for lunch and he and Heather, his brothers, Colleen, and Julia cou
ld eat in the great hall together.
* * *
“Thank you, Enrick, for rescuing Lisa in the middle of the scene,” Heather said, and gave him a big hug and kiss. She wanted to take her hunky hero to bed, but she wasn’t sure what he had to do next for the movie shoot.
Enrick kissed her back and squeezed the breath out of her in a way that said he loved her with all his heart. “I was sure you were trying to tell me Lisa was really in labor without messing up the scene. When she was struggling up the stairs, I figured either she was having contractions or she was one hell of an actress. I wasn’t waiting to find out.”
“I’m so glad you didn’t. I could just see her having the babies on the stairs before we even got her to the room. Thanks for calling the doctor. Missy might be a midwife in her story, but she looked a little green when she finally realized the baby was really coming. She probably would have expired on the spot if she’d known Lisa was having two.”
Enrick chuckled. “I probably looked that way too.”
“No way. You would have handled it like a brave Highlander.” She took his hand and they walked down the stairs together. “I’m really glad everything went well for Lisa and the babies, and the director said he wasn’t reshooting the scene with you carrying her to the chamber. They had to get Guy in a hurry to come in and check on Lisa’s twin afterward to fit with the new scene.”
Enrick laughed. “That wasn’t part of the script, I take it.”
“No. He wasn’t supposed to go near the chamber. But when you so gallantly carried the woman up the stairs, he had to finish the scene with an appearance.”
Grant, Lachlan, and Colleen were smiling at Enrick and Heather as they joined them at the table to have one of Colleen’s favorite Scottish deep-fried mushroom pizzas, with a fresh, thick parbaked base and toppings already applied, then fried until crisp.
“I can’t believe I missed all the excitement,” Julia said, taking a slice of pizza. “But I was glad to see Lisa and her babies are doing great.”
“I thought her mate was going to punch me out when he wanted to get in to see her.” Enrick took a bite of his pizza.
