Page 1 of A Scot's Devotion
Chapter One
North Salem, New Hampshire
Present Day
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“I’M COMING,” SHE CALLEDout, racing into the fog. “Where are you?”
“I am here, lass,” he replied. “Can ye not see me then?”
Having lost sight of the standing stone, she slowed. Her heart raced. How many times had she dreamt about this over the years? A hundred times? A thousand? She’d long lost count.
“I hear you as if you’re standing beside me,” she called out, spinning, searching for the faceless man.
“Ifeelyou like you’re right beside me,” she whispered, stopping. She blinked several times, trying to make sense of the odd sensation. She had never felt this before. Inhaling deeply, she swore she smelled a spicy, masculine scent. “You’re here somehow, aren’t you? I just can’t see you...”
“Iamhere,” someone replied, his voice changed now. Feminine. “Wake up already, Chloe. Something’s...off.”
She blinked and opened her eyes, not to fog but to Madison staring down at her.
“What’s going on?” She sat up, totally discombobulated until she remembered she was visiting Julie’s colonial in New Hampshire. Morning sunlight streamed through the window and snow caked the outer edges of the glass. “Is everything okay?”
“No.” Madison shook her head, perplexed. She stared at her ring. “I don’t think it is.”
She looked from Madison’s ring to her own, recalling the night before almost as if it were a hazy dream.
Despite the storm, Julie's handsome Scottish ‘boyfriend’ Tiernan, had shown up out of the blue and given them these gorgeous platinum Claddagh rings. Interestingly enough, they had colorless gems nestled in the center of their crowned hearts.
While he had called the rings a holiday gift, they were so much more, weren’t they?
This wasallso much more.
“Oh my God,” she whispered, unable to tear her gaze from her ring.
“What is it?” Madison’s smoky blue eyes narrowed from behind her glasses. “I was right, wasn’t I? There reallyissomething off, isn’t there? Something beyond Tiernan showing up mid-storm with no vehicle and giving us these rings.” She eyed hers with distrust. “Something that doesn’t seem so endearing in the light of day.”
She agreed. It didn’t. Not really.
“I barely remember going to bed,” she murmured, still contemplating the ring. “It all seems so...foggy.”
Much like last night's dream.
Better yet,dreams.
There had been a few. She just couldn't quite recall them.
“See if you can take yours off.” Madison tugged at hers and shook her head. “Because mine’s not budging.” A frown settled on her face. “I even tried soap and water.”
“No, it’s not going anywhere,” she replied softly, not bothering with hers because she knew it was where it belonged, however disconcerting. “I don’t think it’s meant to.”
“Meant to?” Madison’s brows flew up then pinched together. “What do you mean?”
“Don’t you sense it?” She went to the window and looked outside, wishing she could see the Stonehenge from here, but it was too far away. “These rings...this place...”
As it had when she first arrived yesterday, her gaze drifted to the old oak tree out front. Something about it drew her. Or was it the other way around? Because not for the first time, she almost sworeitwas drawn toher. Which made no sense. Yet its branch tapping on the window pane in the wind seemed on purpose. Like it knew she was there and wanted to get her attention.
Yeah right. Pure crazy. But heck if the feeling didn't persist.
