Page 36 of Valentine's Day Treasure

“Ach.”

He got up quickly, and crossed the room. He hurried back to her with a pot in his hands, putting it in front of her just in time. She retched and held her stomach, once, twice, and then it was over. She held the pot out weakly and Graeme took it. He gave her two hand towels, then put a third over the wet spot.

“I’ll get ye something to drink,” he said. He left the cottage naked, taking the puke pot with him. The sight of his tall, strong form made Heather smile a little. She sank back down on her pillow and watched him pass in front of the windows in the moonlight.

She wiped her mouth and felt better, so she got up to get dressed, and once she had her clothes on, she immediately checked on the anklets. They were still as she had left them. She put them back in her pocket as Graeme came in the door with a pitcher of water. He poured some in a mug for her.

She took it and drank some. Cold! Clean! The water tasted like nothing she could find in Illinois, but still she only sipped. She didn’t feel like throwing up again if she could help it.

“I had another dream,” she said. “I’m supposed to put the anklets away for a year and tell no one.”

Graeme looked at her closely, took the pitcher from her hands and put it on the table, then held both her hands.

“Who told ye such?”

“A dragon as big as the moon.”

Emotions played across Graeme’s face—confusion at first, then understanding, then acceptance, and then… joy? He dropped his head and covered his eyes with his hands, then looked up again, smiling the sweetest smile she’d ever seen. He reached up to stroke her cheek, a look of awe on his face, then he took both her hands in his.

“Yer being trained to guard gold as anydragenwould be. I didnae foresee it.”

He hugged her tightly and Heather hugged him back, thinking about what he’d said, her earlier feeling of accomplishment flooding back.

“But…” she said into his chest, as he still hugged her close, “why can’t I tell anyone? I don’t like that part.”

“Aye, it doesnae seem right at times. Ye can ask to forget information ye arenae allowed to share.”

She thought about that for a few moments while they embraced in the quiet cottage.

“What was your dream about?” she asked into his shirt.

“Dream? I didnae dream.”

“I heard you talking in your sleep. You said, ‘Aye,deae.’”

He was quiet for a minute, then he shook his head. She looked up to find his expression disturbed.

“I dinnae remember,” he said gruffly.

Heather kissed him on the cheek, then stepped away. “I gotta pee,” she said, and headed outside.

She crossed the small clearing in the moonlight and went into the ‘forest, all the while thinking of what Graeme had said.

When she returned to the cottage, Graeme had the lantern on the table, and some packages of food out next to a bucket with a label that read ‘ready-to-eat meals’. He motioned to Heather to help herself.

“I had these brought up when they built the loo,” he said. “Just in case.”

Heather picked out some crackers and munched on them. Graeme finished a packet of beef macaroni, then started on some shredded beef in barbecue sauce.

“Not bad,” he said, then he pulled an envelope out of his pocket and dropped it on the table.

“Happy Valentine’s Day,” he said warmly.

Heather looked at the envelope, looked at Graeme, then without warning, burst into tears.

“I didn’t bring your gift,” she wailed miserably. She knew she was overreacting, but she couldn’t help it. Emotions were swirling inside her and she felt inconsolable at that moment, while being fully aware that pregnancy hormones were the devil.

“Leannan,” Graeme said, opening his arms. She went to him and he smoothed her hair and kissed her on the top of her head, hugging her until she was calm and quiet.

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