Page 75 of Desiring the Highland Laird
“Proper?”
“For us to travel together. Alone.”
He gave her an odd look as if he didn’t understand what she meant.
She hadn’t a clue what was proper in these times, but she suspected by the way he was looking at her that she needn’t worry.
“Aye,” he said slowly.
As they returned to their horses outside the churchyard, she merely nodded. But her hands were shaking when she took the reins and hoisted herself into the saddle. How would she survive two days on the road, alone, with Callum? It was going to be a long trip, indeed.
Chapter Twenty-Six
The keep wassilent that night. After the evening meal, the men scattered. Jamie skulked to his own bedchamber. Malcolm announced he was going to the armory to sharpen his sword. Callum stomped outside, banging the door to the great hall behind him and disappearing into the gloaming.
With nothing else to do, Evie offered to help Roslyn clean up in the kitchen.
“Och, that’s no necessary, lass. Go rest, for the day has been trying.”
It was the last thing she wanted to do, though she knew she should since she had a day of hard riding ahead of her. She meandered to her bedchamber, pausing in front of the enchanted tapestries. It was a relief to see they had not changed in the last twenty-four hours. The army was still marching toward Moira. Chloe’s face had not yet become clear, yet the lines of her visage were apparent.
Her hearth was cold. With a sigh, she placed logs onto the log holder, then sat back on her heels, brushing the dirt from her hands. She wasn’t ready to go to bed yet. She wasn’t ready to face the next day alone with Callum.
She got to her feet and reached for her cloak, pulling it tightly about her and heading for the door. She decided to head outside to the stables to see the little gray mare who had captured her heart.
Much to her surprise, Callum was in the stable tending to his black war horse. She paused in the doorway as she watched him brush the long neck of the steed with a careful and gentle hand. He spoke in low murmurs to the horse. The horse snorted in response.
He turned as he put down the brush and caught her standing there staring at him. Surprise followed by question flickered through his eyes. She immediately tore her gaze away, her face flushing hot as she moved deeper into the stable.
“I-I didn’t mean to intrude.” She immediately kicked herself for her stammer but he’d caught her off guard. “I came to see about Mist.”
When the mare heard her voice, she popped her head out of the stall.
“She appears to like ye,” Callum said, a smile in his voice.
Evie moved to stand in front of her to pet her long nose. She had never been so attached to an animal before. She knew it was because they were never allowed to have pets growing up. Evie had longed for a house cat or a dog.
She sensed Callum next to her. He held an apple in his hand. “Give her this and she’ll follow you everywhere.”
Evie took the apple from his palm, their eyes meeting, and her heart jumping in a wild thump. Her hand brushed his, sending a zing of excitement through her. She turned back to Mist and fed her the apple. The horse chomped down on it without wasting a moment, making Evie smile.
“She’s a beauty,” she said.
“Aye, she is,” he agreed. “And she’s yers from now on.”
She snapped her head up. “What? No. I couldn’t—”
“The mare belonged to my sister, God rest her.” He reached over to pat the animal’s neck. “She’d want someone to care for her as ye do.”
She started to object, to tell him that she refused to accept such a gift. Because she planned to return to the future. Which made her think of the stone in her pocket. She slipped her hand into the folds of her gown to make certain it was still there. She wrapped the stone in a handkerchief and tied the ends together to keep it secure. Satisfied the stone was still safe, she removed her hand and then went back to patting the horse’s nose.
“Thank you,” she said, her voice a rough whisper. Then she dropped her hand. “I should go. I don’t want to interrupt your time here.”
She turned but he caught her hand in his, pulling her to a stop. She looked at him over her shoulder.
“Yer no interrupting,” he said. “I’m glad yer here.”
Her heart lurched at those words. “Are you?”
