Page 35 of Desiring the Highland Laird
But she didn’t question his method. She went along with it, assuming he was taking her back to the field where he had foundher to give her the stone. Perhaps that was the best place to use the stone’s power to send her back to the future.
He was quiet as he galloped across the field, the cold wind whipping through her. She pulled up the hood of her cloak and ducked her head to keep her face out of the wind, pressing it against his back for warmth.
When she did, he grunted.
She took that as a signal he was okay with her huddling close to him. If he wasn’t, too bad. She was freezing.
She didn’t even have the forethought to take in her surroundings until they were riding for a good bit. Finally, she lifted her head and saw the rugged mountains of the Highlands and realized they were not going to the field where he’d found her.
“Where are we going?” she demanded. It took a good bit of strength to keep her teeth from chattering in the wind.
“I told ye. I’m returning ye to your clan.”
Fear punched through her, hot and wild. “My clan? What do you mean, my clan?”
“The Sinclairs. That’s where ye belong.”
Confusion etched through her. Did he not believe she was from the future? If he was taking her to the Sinclairs, then he must think she was some intruder instead of who she said she was.
“I don’t understand.”
“Ye said ye wanted to return to yer sister. I’m taking ye back there.”
“Where?” Her heart pounded a wild beat as she realized he was taking her some place she most certainly did not want to go.
“To the laird of Sinclair. Their keep is not far.”
Oh, God. Hewastaking her some place she didn’t want to go. Panic bubbled through her as she clutched him.
“Callum, I don’t belong to them,” she said, trying to keep the hysteria out of her voice. “My sister won’t be there.”
“’Tis the place for ye,” he said, a stubbornness to his tone that made her want to punch him.
She would have if she wasn’t sitting on a horse behind him. “Callum, please don’t do this. It’s a mistake.”
When he said nothing as he continued to ride on, hot tears sprang to her eyes. “You don’t believe I’m from the future, do you?”
He tugged on the reins, pulling the horse to a halt. He turned in the saddle to look at her over his shoulder. “My da believes ye are.”
A lump formed in her throat, making it difficult to respond. “Butyoudon’t.”
He turned away, facing forward again. “I cannae believe it, no.”
How the hell was she going to convince him if he didn’t believe it? She had to stop this madness and get him to listen.
“Everything I told you was the truth.” When she spoke, her voice wobbled with emotion. “Why would I lie?”
Again, he was silent.
Stubborn man!
“My name is Evangeline Sinclair. I was born in Dallas, Texas. My sister, Chloe, is my twin. My other sister, Brianna, is ten years older than us. Our parents were killed in an accident when we were fifteen. Acaraccident. Do you know what a car is, Callum?”
When he didn’t reply, she continued, desperate to make him understand.
“A car is a thing people ride inside with four wheels. Like a carriage except it’s powered by an engine instead of horses. My parents were celebrating their wedding anniversary when they were killed by a drunk driver on the wrong side of the road.”
When he heard this, he pulled the horse to a halt once again. “I dinnae ken what ye mean, lass, but I’m verra sorry for the loss of yer mam and da.”
