Chapter 14 #2
“I dinnae care. I can best him in a fight.” Dougall was a big man. There was no need to puff himself up to prove it, but he did anyway.
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that. Not everyone keeps a sword by their front door in this time, but Zeke does because he runs a medieval martial arts studio here in the city. He’s won all sorts of competitions and he’s got the medals and trophies to prove it.”
“I am nae impressed. I have fought in many a battle and have never once even suffered a minor injury.” Dougall was proud of his expertise on the battlefield.
“Look, Zeke’s my brother. You’re not going to kill him,” Sara protested.
“Mayhap I could injure him then.”
“No. None of that is going to happen. You’re going to win Helene back by showing her that you appreciate her, love her and will never ever do anything to put her in danger again.”
“I do appreciate her and love her and I’ve told her I’m sorry. ’Twill never happen again.”
“I think Helene likes it here. She is experiencing things she’s never seen before.”
Dougall suddenly understood that there were things in this world that he couldn’t fight. Helene was becoming a new woman and as such she may not want him anymore.
“Hey, don’t be sad. That’s not a bad thing. It just means that you need to grow and change too.” Sara placed a hand on his arm. A gesture Dougall appreciated as he was feeling quite hopeless.
“But how?” he implored. “I am not from this time. I cannot offer Helene any of the things she sees in San Francisco.” His mission was beginning to seem like a fool’s quest.
“You don’t have to. You just have to remind her that you love her.”
“She knows I love her. She’s me woman.” Dougall thought that much had to be clear to her.
“You keep saying she’s your woman. You don’t own her. Just because you love each other doesn’t give you the right to decide for the both of you.” Sara placed her hands on her hips and shook her head. “I’m not explaining this very well.”
Dougall smiled warmly at this unusual woman. “You explain yerself verra well.”
“That’s a relief. I wasn’t sure I was making any sense.” Sara returned his smile.
“Ye remind me of Ashley and Jenna back at Breaghacraig. Ye have the same way about ye.”
“Helene told me about them. They’re both from this time, right?” she asked.
“Aye. They are.” Dougall knew them both to be strong, independent women who often put their husbands’ authority to the test. Helene had never been like that.
She accepted that because he was the man, he was the one in charge and never questioned him.
He made all the decisions for both of them, but he had a sneaking suspicion that Helene would not settle for that role any longer.
He wondered if he could be like Cailin and Cormac.
Could he have a strong woman for his wife, or did he prefer the old Helene?
“Mayhap ye can help me. It seems ye ken the ways a lass likes to be treated. I would do whatever I must to have Helene back in me life.” Dougall examined the room from ceiling to floor.
Some things were familiar to him, yet very different than in his time, but several items caught his eye and he couldn’t resist the urge to pick them up and examine them.
“That’s the remote control,” Sara said, retrieving the item from his hands. “It’s for the TV. I’ll show you what that is later, but to answer your question, yeah, I can help,” she conceded.
Logan hadn’t said a word, instead staring like a starry-eyed young lad at Sara. Dougall whacked him on the shoulder. “Logan, what do ye think of all this?”
“Of all what?” He appeared dumbfounded.
“As I suspected. Ye were somewhere else and from the look on yer face, I know where.”
Logan appeared suitably embarrassed to have this brought to light. “I’m verra sorry.”
“No need for apologies,” Sara said. “Do you guys want to go do something? I can show you around and we can get some lunch if you want.”
Dougall and Logan exchanged glances.
“I’d enjoy seeing San Francisco.” Logan looked to Dougall. “We’ve been given a chance to see something that few people in our time will ever see. I think we should do it.”
Dougall was beginning to feel as though he was not only losing sweet, biddable Helene, but Logan seemed to forget that he was Dougall’s second in command.
He wasn’t sure how he felt about this place and this time.
As much as he didn’t wish to admit it, he agreed that Logan was likely right. “Aye. Lead the way, Sara.”
Sara spent the rest of the day showing Logan and Dougall around San Francisco.
She took them to all of the popular tourist attractions.
They saw the Golden Gate Bridge and Pier 39.
Had a lunch of clam chowder in a sour dough bowl, walked through Chinatown and finished with a climb to the top of Twin Peaks where they were able to look out over the city.
On their way back to her apartment, Sara stopped in the grocery store to buy some snacks to munch on that night and found herself laughing as she watched both men, eyes wide and mouths agape as they strolled up and down the aisles examining everything in sight.
She hadn’t had this much fun in a very long time, perhaps years.
Dougall, and especially Logan, were easy to be with.
They were total gentlemen at all times and their wide-eyed wonder had her looking at her home town in a very different light.
Seeing San Francisco through their eyes made her realize just how much she took this beautiful place for granted.
They climbed the stairs to Sara’s apartment, arms loaded with grocery bags and exhausted from their day of exploration. Sara unlocked the door and showed them where to put the bags.
“Sara, that was the best day I believe I’ve ever had,” Logan said. “Thank ye. I’ll nae ferget it.”
“Aye. He’s right,” Dougall added.
“You’re welcome. I enjoyed it too.” Sara began putting the groceries away and with Logan’s help everything was in its place in no time.
Dougall made himself comfortable on the sofa and Logan took the recliner, which once he discovered it moved, kept it going back and forth.
“Logan, I know that’s fascinating to you, but if you don’t stop it’s going to break.” Sara smiled indulgently at him.
“Sorry. Do ye have any whisky, Sara?”
“No. That’s not my drink of choice. Would you care for some tequila?” she replied.
“Tekilla? What would that be?” Logan adorably mispronounced it.
“It’s alcohol. I don’t think you would have had it in your time. It’s not whisky, but it should have the same effect.”
“I’ll try it,” Logan said.
“Dougall?” Sara asked.
“Aye.”
Sara left the room, giving Dougall a moment to tease Logan. “Ye like the lass, dinnae ye?”
“She’s an odd one. I’ve never met a lass like her,” Logan said.
“Ah, so that’s why ye’ve been staring at her,” Dougall prodded.
“She’s nae hard on the eyes.” Logan winked at his friend.
“I see. Well, have a care. She’s nae from our time. Ye’ll be leaving soon and ye dinnae wish to leave a trail of broken hearts behind.”
“A trail? I’ve met just the one lass,” Logan pointed out.
“Ye ken me meaning, Logan.”
Sara returned with a bottle and three very small glasses. She also had what appeared to be salt and cut up limes. She poured some of the liquid into each of the small glasses.
“Okay. This is what you do.” Sara used her tongue to wet her hand just below her thumb, placed some salt there and licked it.
At the sight of Sara’s tongue, Dougall thought Logan’s eyes may fall right out of his head, which elicited a deep chuckle.
Next Sara threw back the drink and then quickly sucked on a piece of lime.
She made a face that told Dougall she didn’t care for the taste. “Now you try.”
“Like this?” Logan asked as he placed some salt on his hand.
“Yes. Now lick it.”
He did as instructed and Dougall followed suit.
“Now down the tequila and then suck on a piece of lime.”
The fiery liquid made its way down Dougall’s throat.” He bit into the lime. “I see. The salt is to help disguise the taste of the…” he pointed at the bottle, “and the lime is to cleanse yer mouth after ye drink.”
“Right. If I had any good tequila, you wouldn’t need to do that. This stuff is just something cheap that was left here the last time I had a party. I don’t usually keep alcohol in the house other than wine.”
Dougall was learning all sorts of things about Sara. He eyed Logan and could see that he was as well.
“So you live here alone?” Dougall asked.
“I do.”
“Why?” Logan wondered.
“I don’t know. I’ve had roommates before and it’s been nothing but trouble. It’s just easier living alone.” She filled their glasses again.
“Do ye nae wish to get married and have a family?” Logan asked.
“Someday. I have to meet the right man first. That’s not always possible here in the city. The men are always looking for the newer, younger versions who move in. Then they get tired of them and move on again. It’s not the best place to find a husband.”
“But ye want one?” Logan asked. They’d all had more than a few drinks of tequila by now, and Logan was becoming braver where Sara was concerned.
“I guess so. The men I’ve met so far haven’t done much to make me think about it. I mean, if they’re all like the ones I’ve dated, then probably not.”
Dougall drifted off into his own thoughts.
Things hadn’t gone exactly the way he planned.
Yes, he’d seen Helene, but he’d failed to get her to leave with him.
Now here he was in this strange time and place doing his best to understand what he could do to make Helene love him again.
This tequila would help him forget about it all, at least for now.