Page 66 of Desiring the Highland Laird
He pocketed the stone once more. “Aye, then. Let’s get back to the keep.”
He took her by her elbow and led her to their waiting mounts. He even waited and helped her into her saddle. When he was settled in his saddle, they headed back to the castle.
And Evie was certain she had made the right decision, even if that meant she was still divided by centuries from her sister.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Something had shiftedbetween them. Evie wasn’t certain what that was. Perhaps because she didn’t take the stone from him again when he offered it to her to try to return home. Perhaps it was some other predestined reason.
She never believed in fate or destiny or any of that mumbo-jumbo. She believed what you saw was what you got. She believed love took time to develop and it had to stem from an inherent liking for one another. Friends first. Lovers second.
But what if that was wrong?
She snuck a glance at Callum who rode tall and sure in the saddle, the reins gripped lightly in his hands. Handsome, yes, but was that why she was drawn to him?
No, she didn’t think so. She thought it was something more. Something deeper. And for the first time in her life, shecouldbelieve in love at first sight and destiny.
They arrived at the keep, trotting through the gate. In the yard, the stable hand came to take their horses and care for them. Callum paused as though contemplating something. He reached for her hand, taking it in his and tugging her closer. She was confused a moment until he reached into his sporran and brought out the stone.
He placed it in her hand, closing her fingers around it.
“Ye best keep this on ye, lass.”
Her brows drew together. “You’re giving me the stone?”
“For safekeeping,” he said, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
This was certainly a turn of events. “But, why?”
“If there is a clan war,” he said, “I dinnae want to chance losing it.”
He released her hand and walked toward the keep, leaving her standing there in stunned silence. She was shocked that he trusted her to keep the stone safe. How did he know she wasn’t going to try to use it to return home?
She hurried to catch up to him. “I don’t understand. You trust me with this?”
“Aye,” was all he said as he entered the keep.
“But…why?”
He stopped and turned to her, gripping her by the shoulders. “I told ye why. If something happens to me, ye need to have it.”
Icy fear trickled over her. “Do you think something is going to happen to you?”
His expression softened as if he realized he had scared her. He brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. It sent tendrils of excitement through her.
“Nay, lass.”
Then he walked away. He left her standing there in the great hall with the stone in her hand and a million questions running through her mind. She was flabbergasted that he trusted her with the stone. Glancing down, she opened her fingers to look at it. It was not glowing or humming as it nestled against her palm. She lifted her other hand up to see the imprint of the lines still there. As if it were a permanent sunburn.
“Lassie? Are ye all right?” Malcolm’s voice echoed through the great hall.
He stood near her, question on his face as he peered at her. His gaze flickered down to her hand and back up again.
“I…I’m not sure.”
He walked closer, pausing next to her. He saw she held the stone. “Callum gave ye the keystone?”
“Yes,” she said, the word an icy whisper between her lips. “He…he lost it during the battle with the MacDonalds. We rode out this morning to find it. It was glowing when we found it.”
