Page 66 of A Healer for the Ruthless Highlander
“Almost,” Hunter said, looking first at his brother and then at Leana. “There’s one little thing that will make me even happier… I think I’ll only be really happy if we have an archery competition before Leana leaves.”
“What?” Leana burst out laughing. “But I already told ye I’m very bad at archery!”
“I ken, but ye’ll have me braither’s help. Please!” the boy begged. “This is me last request to ye. Ye cannae leave without seein’ how good I am with a bow and arrow, now that I’m well.”
“Alright.” Leana rolled her eyes. “But I’ll only do it for ye,” she warned.
The truth was that she was hoping to spend more time with Kenneth before she had to leave.
Laughing, Hunter jumped up and down as Kenneth approached Leana. She tried not to show it, and she couldn’t ignore the way her whole body lit up at his mere presence.
She preferred not to give their audience something else to gossip about, so she quickly moved on, avoiding his gaze, while Brenda and Valerie discussed the judges for the contest.
Soon, they were all in the gardens, where Jonas had set up a shooting range for the warriors to practice and train. And it was there that Hunter led them with a wide smile on his face.
Valerie and Brenda seemed very happy as well. It was obvious that the boy’s good mood, in addition to his recovery, had put everyone in a good mood. Only Leana was restless because she knew beforehand that she would embarrass herself.
Her expression showed the displeasure she felt at the situation, but that suddenly changed when Kenneth approached at a leisurely pace and stopped beside her.
Much taller and certainly unperturbed, he drew her attention like a moth to a flame. She watched him, even as she tried to pretend otherwise, taking in his figure and the way the light played across his silhouette. Her eyes traced the outline of his broad shoulders, before flicking to his hair, tossed by the wind.
And though she wanted to deny herself such desires, there, in front of him, she knew that the heat that ignited within her was more than mere passion. She knew it for she craved not only the touch of his lips but also the reassuring strength of his arms.
Kenneth stood behind her, taking her hands gently and lifting them to the bow. “Concentrate on the target,” he instructed, showing her how to stand and how hard to pull the string.
The motions seemed very complicated to Leana. In the past, Joanna had tried to teach her in a very similar way, but now it was even worse. Because Joanna was not the terribly attractive man who made her nervous at the mere touch of his hands. And of course, that added to the difficulty.
Kenneth probably knew this, because otherwise, Leana would not be able to explain why he was smiling in such a confident, slightly smug way. And maybe everyone else was aware of her yearning, because Valerie and Brenda were muttering in the distance, giggling from time to time and looking at her mischievously.
Well, I’ve become the laughingstock of the castle!
Her cheeks were hot, but she avoided mentioning it and simply did what Kenneth asked. Of course, it would have been easier to concentrate if he hadn’t been so close to her. So close, in fact, that she could smell the sea on his skin.
And his scent, added to so many other things, distracted her. So when she loosed the arrow, it barely flew and fell embarrassingly in the middle of the field.
Valerie and Hunter couldn’t stop laughing.
“I said it very clearly—me skill is healin’, nae archery,” Leana huffed, pretending to be distracted by pushing her hair away from her face so as not to show how embarrassed she was by her pitiful shot.
Hunter, fortunately, did much better. He had no trouble hitting the bullseye, and, although he missed the center of the target, the fact was enough for him to win the competition—something both Brenda and Valerie agreed on.
“Well then, I guess we can get this over with,” Leana sighed, dusting off her hands.
Hunter burst out laughing. “Maybe, but ye could use a good lesson!”
“Why daenae ye get Kenneth to teach ye how to use the bow better,” Brenda suggested with a mischievous smile. “I’m sure he wouldnae mind givin’ ye a few lessons.”
“That is true,” Valerie piped up, nodding her head. “Every lady should ken how to defend herself. Especially one who travels as much as ye do.”
Leana didn’t know if she was happy about the suggestion.
Spending time alone with Kenneth was definitely something she was no longer sure about. How could it be a good idea if it would be so hard to say goodbye afterward?
More than that, she understood at that moment that she had no choice.
“We’ll go with the champion to find some sweets in the kitchen, as a prize,” Brenda added.
Hunter began to jump up and down with glee.
