Chapter 8
EIGHT
Cormac rose bright and early, as he always did back at Breaghacraig.
He made use of the shower and marveled at the fact that hot water was shooting out of the wall.
The bathroom steamed up and he thought this had to be the greatest creation of all time.
He made use of the various soaps and when he was done, he felt refreshed and ready to conquer the day and, if he was lucky, Jenna.
He found himself, once again, only wearing a towel.
He didn’t know what Jenna had done with his plaid and he didn’t have anything else to wear, so he left the room to see if Dylan was up yet.
Mayhap he will have something for me to wear.
The smells of breakfast cooking hit his nose and his stomach began to grumble, reminding him that he hadn’t eaten verra much last night and he was now ravenous.
He followed his nose to the kitchen and peeking in he saw Jenna, with her back to him, working at the stove.
She was singing, and the sound of her sweet voice melted his heart.
He walked up behind her and peeked over her shoulder to see what she was making.
“Oh!” Jenna exclaimed. She appeared frightened by his sudden appearance.
“I’m sorry, lass. I didna mean to scare ye.”
She was clutching her chest. “The least you could do is make some noise when you come up behind me like that.” She was gasping for breath.
“Are ye well this morning, Jenna?”
“I was fine until you scared me half to death,” she smiled, letting him know she wouldn’t hold it against him. “I thought I’d make you some breakfast this morning. Are you hungry?”
“Aye. Verra hungry. Ye can cook?”
“Of course. I don’t eat out all the time, you know. I like to cook and I think I’m pretty good at it.”
“I’ll be the judge of that, lass.” Cormac teased her with a wink.
“Sit. I’ll get you a plate.” Jenna reached into the cupboard and got plates, cups and then opened the silverware drawer to get utensils.
Cormac sat at the counter and watched her every move, appreciating the look of her, hair still wet from the shower, wearing a short robe and barefoot. She caught him looking at her and smiled shyly.
“Cormac, it seems I’m forever apologizing to you.
I got a text message from Tank this morning.
He told me Amy was to blame for the incident in the pool.
I’m sorry I didn’t believe you and I’m embarrassed by my behavior.
It’s just that I’ve been lied to a lot lately and I immediately think the worst. It’s not fair to you.
You’re obviously not Jonathan, but he’s colored everything in my world and made it a little darker.
I guess I’m just not seeing through that darkness very well. ”
Dylan had been right about Jenna. He knew her so well and Cormac knew her very little. He would have to start taking Dylan’s advice where she was concerned.
Jenna laid the food on the counter and handed him a serving spoon. “Here you go. Help yourself to the food. And if you don’t mind me asking, why are you still wearing a towel?” She arched an eyebrow and nodded in the direction of the towel.
Cormac helped himself and savored a piece of bacon, closing his eyes as he did so. “I dinna have me kilt and Dylan is not awake yet. I thought to ask him for something to wear.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I should have realized that you didn’t have anything to replace the kilt. It was soaking wet last night. It’s wool, so I didn’t want to put it in the dryer and have it shrink on you. It’ll take some time to dry. I put it out back in the sun.”
“Dryer?” Cormac was repeatedly puzzled by these unfamiliar words and things.
“Sooner or later you and Dylan are going to have to stop pulling my leg,” she laughed and continued eating. “I think Dylan has some clean clothes in the laundry room. After we eat I’ll get them for you.”
“Thank ye. The food, ‘tis verra good, Jenna.”
“I’m glad you like it. Tell me more about yourself, Cormac.”
“What would ye like to know, lass?”
“The usual. Where you’re from, your family, why you’re really here.”
“Hmmm … I’ve shared some with ye already and I can tell ye more, but I dinna think ye’ll believe me.”
“You won’t know for sure unless you give it a try.”
“Fine, then.” He took a deep breath and began.
“I be from Breaghacraig in the Scottish highlands. I live there on Clan MacKenzie land with me family, me brother, Cailin and his wife, and me sister, Irene. Irene is married to the Laird of Breaghacraig. His name is Robert MacKenzie. ‘Tis a beautiful place. I’d love to show it to ye, Jenna,” he said hopefully.
Jenna was listening carefully. “Did you say your brother’s name is Cailin?”
“Aye, I did. Why do ye ask?” Cormac hoped he hadn’t said too much.
“That name sounds familiar to me. That’s all. I don’t know why though.” Jenna looked perplexed. “Oh, well, go on with your story. It’ll come to me.”
“Well, there’s nae much to tell.”
“Why are you here? You didn’t answer that part of the question.”
“Ye willnae like me answer, Jenna and I dinna wish to make ye angry with me again.”
“I’m trying to be open minded this morning. I won’t get angry, I promise.”
She looked to be telling the truth, so Cormac said, “I’m here to find ye, Jenna. I told ye that the first time I saw ye. Ye see, I wanted a wife and Edna said she could help me, but that I’d have to travel to San Francisco to find you.”
“So, this Edna said I was the one you were looking for?”
“Aye.”
“And she knew my name?”
“Aye.”
“So, if I’m to believe you, I have to believe that a woman named Edna, whom I’ve never met, knows me by name and she somehow sent you here in the fog to find me.”
“That be true. Dinna forget that Edna is a witch.”
“That’s right and you’re also from the sixteenth century, correct?”
“Aye. I know it seems daft, but do ye nae believe in magic?”
“Not really. I need proof. I have to see it with my own eyes.”
Cormac took another forkful of pancakes. “I’ve never eaten anything like this before. I like it verra much indeed.”
Jenna smiled at him like he was a daft fool.
How was he going to make her believe him?
He’d need to ask Edna. Dylan believed him.
He didn’t even have to work verra hard to convince him.
Dylan believed in magic. That was the difference.
How sad that Jenna’s world was so black and white.
He had his work cut out for him, but he was starting to believe she could be worth it.
“I know ye believe that Dylan is playing a trick on ye, but try to think differently of it. What if it were true? Do ye not see that I am different from the people of San Francisco?”
“Wow! That’s a loaded question. You’re not from around here, obviously, but if you spent any time in San Francisco, you might know enough not to use the people here as your guide stone to what’s normal.
” She giggled at her own words and then sipped her coffee.
“I’ll go along with the Scotland part of your story, but the rest of it is just too weird.
However, I am willing to go along with it, just to see how far you two will take this. ”
Just then the flat box that Jenna always kept with her, buzzed on the counter. She picked it up and laughed. She poked at it with her fingers and then put it down.
“Jenna, what is that?” Cormac asked pointing at her cell phone.
“Testing me already I see. Okay. It’s a cell phone. Dylan just texted me from his bedroom to see if I made enough breakfast for him and his overnight guest. They’ll be down shortly.”
“Everyone has these cell phones? Are they important?”
“I guess you could say that. Most people walk around with them in their hands all the time, or at the very least in a purse or pocket.”
“What do they do?”
“Seriously? They keep us in touch with each other. Don’t you have cell phones or land lines where you come from?”
“Nae. We visit with each other or write letters and send messengers with them. It can take days or weeks to reach its destination.”
“Wow. Sounds like a lot of work if you ask me.”
“Are ye using sarcasm? I believe Dylan said it was your weapon of choice.”
At that, Jenna burst out laughing and couldn’t seem to stop.
Tears formed in her eyes and Cormac wasn’t sure how to respond.
He hadn’t seen her enjoying herself this much since he’d met her.
She came to a hiccoughing stop and Cormac reached out to brush a happy tear from her cheek and then continued caressing it with the back of his hand.
“Ye are a beauty, Jenna, and even more so when yer happy.” He hoped he hadn’t said the wrong thing, because she stopped smiling, stood abruptly and began removing their dishes from the table. She rinsed them off in the sink and put them in what Dylan had called the dishwasher.
“Dylan says we’re going to head to the beach today. Let’s go find you a pair of board shorts to wear and then I’m going to pack some lunch to take along.”
Cormac stood and followed Jenna into the next room. It was lined with shelves and there were stacks of neatly folded clothing everywhere.
“One of these days Dylan is going to put his clothes away, but I guess we should be happy he hasn’t yet, because now we can find you something to wear.
” Jenna went through the stacks and pulled out an armful of clothing which she handed to Cormac.
“Hopefully they’ll fit, because even though you’re looking pretty good in that towel, we don’t want to have the women around here fainting at the sight of you. ”
He stood there staring at the pile in his arms, when it occurred to him that Jenna had just said she liked the way he looked and a satisfied grin lit his face.
“Is something wrong?” Jenna asked.
“Nae. Will I wear them all?” he asked with a puzzled expression.