Page 22 of The Iron Highlander
“Ye were hunting all the way out here? On yer own?” Reuben asked, getting down from his horse he looked around and then back at Kate who was fuming at him.
“Aye, and it was none of yer business. What are ye doing out here? I almost had ye killed.”
“Surely that would have made ye very happy, wouldnae?” Reuben replied, narrowing his eyes at her. “Was that yer horse ye left all the way back there?”
“Aye, was Hudson’s,” Kate replied, raising an eyebrow at him. Had he come all this way knowing she was out there? There was no way Hudson would not have told him that she was going to be taking his horse and weapons out. In fact she had expected him to, so when she came back, he would be waiting. Apparently, the man had failed to pass the message along. “What are ye doing here? Following me?”
“Following ye?” Reuben scoffed as though he revolted the very idea of something of the sort. “I wouldnae be following ye if the secret to Merlin’s grave was in yer pouch.”
“So why are ye here?” Kate replied, putting her arrows back in the quiver.
“The Lady McDonald told me that ye had requested my assistance out here, and ye needed help with something, and so I came to yer aid.”
“I didnae ask for yer help,” Kate replied instinctively. She had not asked the woman for help, and yet she had sent her son. What was the Lady playing at? More importantly, why did Reuben come? Was it an order? Kate knew that Reuben would rather not do anything to help her, but when his mother made a demand, Reuben would follow, and that was the only reason she saw him coming to help her.
“What happened to ye? Get stuck on a branch?” Reuben asked with a mock of a laugh.
“If ye keep that look on yer face, I’ll get a branch stuck on yer face. I daenae need yer help, and even if I needed help, ye would be the last person I would ask for,” Kate added angrily. She turned and began marching towards where she had last seen the boar. She knew the creature would be gone, but at least if she followed it for a while, maybe Reuben would leave her alone.
“Aye, because no one else would want to offer ye any help!” Reuben yelled from his horse. When he saw that she was walking away, he got off the beast and followed her, speaking as he moved behind her. “Yer so unbearable and always so vexing.”
“And ye think ye’re any better?” Kate replied, beating a bush with the bow as she followed the hoof prints on the floor.
“At least I havenae said anything about ye that is nae true!”
Kate stopped walking and bit her lip. He was still upset about the fact that she had accused him of killing her parents. He was right to be upset, but to use that against her was just low. She balled her hands into a fist and turned around to face him. Reuben paused and stared right back, his eyes furiously locked on her.
“I apologized to ye for that,” Kate began.
“Aye, ye did. But ye know how that made me feel?” Reuben began, walking towards her as he spoke. “Not only did ye accuse me in front of my friends and my maither, ye did so in front of yer sisters. Ye paint me out to be this bad person because of lies which have been filled into yer head since ye were a wee little lassie, and because of that, ye hate me now, don’t ye?”
“I never said I hated ye-”
“But I see it in yer eyes, ye want to hurt me, ye don’t believe I’m even telling ye the truth. Deep down, ye still think I killed yer parents, and that makes ye a bumbling bampot for believing that load of shite.”
Kate cocked her head to the side as she tried to make sense of what he had just said to her. She blinked a few times before staring right at the Laird. “What did ye call me?”
“Ye heard me, Katherine,” Reuben replied, emphasizing the name to make sure that Kate knew that he was trying to agitate her.
She walked right up to his face, almost as though she was going to hit him. Kate waited for him to flinch, but the Laird held his ground, staring right at her. He was not going to back down, and neither was she. Kate had considered hitting him, but she realized it would be ill of her, regardless of what he had just said to her.
“Kate,” Reuben began, taking in a deep breath.
She realized that his heartbeat had quickened, and she could hear him from where she stood. They were so close together that she could see into his eyes. He stared at her, a look that went from anger to want, and then to desire. His eyes searched her own, and she found that she could not pull away from his gaze. Reuben reached up slowly, and Kate grabbed his arm, stopping him, but she let go as he continued to move, rubbing his thumb across her cheek.
He moved it to her soft lips and Kate felt the warmth of his hand. Reuben’s eyes fluttered for moment as he pushed against her lips. Kate began to pull away, but he held her face, pulling her closer to him, his eyes moving from her own to her lips and back as he pondered on the next move.
“Kate, I can…I will take care of you, if you let me,” said Reuben, letting out a huffed breath.
Holding his hand, Kate could feel his pulse which seemed to have doubled, and his heartbeat was even louder than before. Kate realized her breathing was louder too. She felt her palms become sweaty, and her head felt light in his hands.
She realized just how strong he was, and the fact that he could have her if he wanted dawned on her. But he was a gentleman, asking for what she wanted. He felt something for her, and as much as she denied it, she felt something for him too. Kate wanted to be swept up by his powerful arms, and she wanted him to make love to her. She refused to admit it to herself, but her body betrayed her.
She tried to get her legs to move, but they wouldn’t. She felt frustrated. He was the man who she had been brought up to dislike. The man who was responsible for the death of her parents, yet she found herself inexplicably drawn to him. Out there in the woods, she wanted him. Despite every cell in her brain telling her not to, her heart and body wanted him. Kate shut her eyes and waited. If he made a move, she would not fight.
Reuben leaned in for a kiss, and just before their lips could connect, something flew right between their faces, with the soft brush at the end of the projectile tickling his nose. The Laird realized that someone had fired an arrow at them and had barely missed both their heads. In a single move, he spun Kate around and pushed her away from him, believing himself to be the main target of the shooter.
He dropped to the ground and touched his nose, seeing that he was fine, but there were other problems. Kate did not understand what had happened, and she was still staring at him confused, trying to make sense of it all. Reuben looked behind to see the arrow hanging off a tree behind them, and turned back to Kate.
