Page 62 of Trapped with the Vicious Highlander
“Because ye have yer own horse. And Susie doesnae like ye anyway.”
“We have settled our differences.”
“I am certain ye havenae,” Brodrick scoffed, then turned to Ava. “The last time she tried to ride the mare, she broke so many bones she had to spend a week in Irene’s surgery.”
“That was a long time ago,” Flora argued, crossing her arms over her chest.
Brodrick ignored her. Instead, he reached for Ava’s hand.
Ava placed her gloved hand in his, and he lifted her onto the horse. She slipped her feet into the stirrups and straddled the horse. Soon, her grip tightened on the reins, and Brodrick’s eyes swept over her and the horse one more time.
“It suits ye,” he whispered.
Ava laughed. She believed so too, but she said nothing about it. She used to love riding as well, before she was jilted at the altar and inherited the estate from her grandmother. Something about being on a horse after such a long time ignited the fire she had once thought dead.
A wide smile spread across her face as she watched Brodrick lift Margaret onto a smaller brown horse.
“Ye dinnae need help,” he muttered to Flora before she could even ask.
Ava laughed again. She watched him move to his horse, a dark stallion that seemed to recognize him. It lowered its head and allowed Brodrick to climb up without using the saddle.
“You must have a great relationship with your horse.”
“Oh, well. Ye ken what they say. Everything ye need to ken about a man is in how he treats his horse.”
Ava narrowed her eyes at him. “Who says that?”
“Now’s nae the time, Ava.”
As Ava opened her mouth to retort, a man walked into the stables. He was dressed just like Brodrick had been that day in her kitchen—in a shirt, a kilt, and a swordbelt.
Ava frowned at the sight of him. She had seen him once or twice with Brodrick, but she had never bothered to learn his name.
“Darach,” Brodrick greeted, jumping off the horse. “Is everything quite all right?”
“I am afraid nae, M’Laird,” the man—Darach—responded. “I bring… news.”
As Brodrick stepped closer to him, Ava exchanged a confused look with Flora.
CHAPTER19
“M’Laird,”Darach said again, then turned to Ava, who was still sitting on the white mare, and bowed his head.
Ava gave him a brief nod in return.
Darach then turned to Flora, an odd look on his face.
“Lady Flora.”
“Darach,” Flora responded, her usual tone completely absent.
Brodrick narrowed his eyes at them. The exchange was brief, yet there was something tense about it. Something he couldn’t exactly put his finger on. Something he didn’t have the time to think about, judging from the rather grave look on Darach’s face.
Brodrick stepped closer to him, his brow furrowed. “What is it?” he asked, the concern in his voice rather palpable.
Whatever news his man-at-arms had, he knew it was the kind that couldn’t wait for a second longer.
“The men… They dinnae agree with yer strategy.”
