Page 2 of Her Scot of Bygones
I went to tell her she was wrong, but bit my tongue, not only because it was pointless to argue with Willow but because it was safer to be wrong. Safer to believe it was just my gift going wonky due to the recent changes in my life. Safer to remember my tree only appeared to warn me about something. That meant, as it always did, to buckle down and remain steadfast. Consistent. Grounded because that was my safety zone where I could focus, be wise, and protect my sisters.
“I was asking you about the tree because I was worried about Aspen,” I lied, re-adjusting my apron and tossing my most recent batch of burned muffins in the trash to try again. Hopefully, I wouldn’t keep losing time and burning them. “As you can imagine, she’s on my mind.”
“No doubt.” Willow tied back her thick, sun-streaked, light brown hair, then rummaged around in the cabinet, pulled outa bottle of whisky, and poured herself a small glass. “I’m sure she’ll pop up eventually and prove Adlin wrong.”
I tried not to roll my eyes at her never-ending denial despite the letters she received from Storm over the years, too. Even a letter that urged her to move here with me, Aspen, and Elowyn, or Ellie as we called her. Something she wasn’t thrilled to do because she hated settling down. She preferred being on the go, so her career as a private pilot suited her.
“Want one?” Willow asked as my gaze drifted back to the muted autumn golds of the hazel tree’s leaves and its moss-coated silvery-grey trunk. While it always appeared ancient, gnarly, and straight out of a fairytale, its seasons varied. Sometimes it possessed autumn leaves ripe with clusters of hazelnuts, and other times it was green and leafy with hanging catkins.
“Never mind,” Willow muttered, sliding a glass of whisky my way. “You’re having one because you look like you need it.”
“You know I try not to drink because—”
“Yeah, yeah, I know.” Willow wrapped my hand around the glass. “Things become too unpredictable.” She shook her head. “You’re not your mother, Hazel, nor do you need to stay steady for her anymore.” She rested a comforting hand on my shoulder. “You can loosen up a little. She would understand.”
“Right,” I murmured, quoting what Willow had been saying for years. “Yesterday is gone, and today is already yesterday’s tomorrow, so let go and loosen up. Our past is behind us.”
I agreed with Willow to an extent because I had often said something along those lines to my mother when I was younger, and she struggled with addiction. Our pastwasbehind us. Bygones. Time to focus on the future. And I had, thanks to my mother’s support and consistency in my life, once the challenging years were behind us.
Willow gestured at my drink. “So live a little because you’ve earned it.”
Had I? Truly? I wasn’t sure sometimes, but right now, in the presence of the sister who excelled at pretending we were normal, I wanted to feel that way, too. At least for a few minutes. So I didn’t sip it like I usually would.
I drank the whole thing down.
“Nice!”Willow refilled our cups. “About time.”
It was, wasn’t it? It beat staring at that tree and forgetting to set the oven’s timer over and over. It beat worrying about where I might end up if I stepped anywhere near my hazel. After all, when Aspen saw her tree, she ended up being whisked back in time against her will. To my mind, that was a good enough reason to heed my tree’s warning and steer clear.
“Come on.” Willow grabbed the bottle and our glasses and headed into the living room, tossing over her shoulder, “I guarantee the refrigerator’s already full of mine and Ellie’s favorites, so let’s sit down and catch up. It’s been forever, and I’ve missed you.”
She was right. Itwasfull of her and Ellie’s favorites, because I loved to make them happy by cooking for them. It was what I enjoyed doing best, because it lent consistency. A means to find pleasure and contentment, which is why I started my own business so I could share it with more people than just my family.
As the evening wore on, and Willow and I chatted, I once again lost track of time. I didn’t burn muffins or anything, but I let go of my concerns and didn’t focus on anyone else’s needs, which, for a change, was kind of nice.
In fact, we talked for so long, I hardly realized I’d finally let my inhibitions go and simply enjoyed not worrying about anything when I should be worrying about everything. While my sisters would say that was good, I learned the hard way later thatnight it wasn’t when I stirred awake on the couch and saw the last thing I expected.
Something, or better yet,someone, who would rip away my safety net and thrust me headfirst into chaos.
CHAPTER TWO
–Lucas–
WITHIN HOURS OF spending time with Aspen, Broderick’s fated mate, who was from the twenty-first century but had time-traveled over six hundred years into the past to my homeland in the Scottish Highlands, I knew she was related to someone I cared about.
More so, I knew one of her sisters was my fated mate.
Therefore, it was no surprise when Broderick’s Viking sword magically found its way to me after Broderick and Aspen came together. He hadn’t handed it over because that wasn’t how it worked. The blade had been gifted to Broderick to help the MacLeods face everything that lay ahead.
In this case,everythingmeant our rival clan, the Sutherlands.
Moreover, their intentions when it came to the women destined for my brethren. One of whom would be given to a Sutherland to fulfill an ancient pact between our clans.
Considering the Viking sword had mystically made its way to me, it could be assumed I would need its guidance in the days ahead. It would help me protect the next woman who traveled back in time, whether I was destined for her or not. So rather than wait, I volunteered to travel to the twenty-first century to protect Aspen’s sisters, knowing I would be offering my loyalty and protection to one above all others.
And I would know her when I saw her.
From there, I fully intended to get her as far away from the Sutherlands as possible, despite assuring Broderick, mychieftain, that I would escort her back to MacLeod Castle if that’s where her tree led her. As it were, it seemed Aspen and her sisters were named after trees that guided them as they dealt with the ancient pact we’d all been thrust into. As far as I was concerned, it made no sense to take her where I knew the Sutherlands would be looking, despite how well-fortified Macleod Castle was. Instead, I wanted to hide her away because, to my way of thinking, she wasnot and never would bepart of this cursed pact.
