Chapter Twenty Two
Alec and Joanie struck camp early every morning and rode until the last light faded. With a canopy of stars and bare interwoven branches overhead, they would fall asleep in each other’s arms, their souls clutching the promise glimpsed in the other’s eyes.
On the seventh morning, Joanie sat near the fire while Alec readied their horse.
A fae wind cut through the wood, stirring the faded, shriveled leaves at her feet.
They twisted around her before the wind carried them off through the woods.
The frosty breeze had left her heart cold.
Her eyes darted around her, her chest suddenly feeling tight.
Sinking beneath a wave of apprehension, she buried her head within the protective strength of her shoulders.
Shallow breaths filtered in and out of her mouth, barely feeding her lungs — and then she paused.
The wind had died down. Soft morning light slanted through the tall trees. She gazed up at the clear blue sky. The rich cerulean hue carried the promise of Spring. Forcing herself to take a slow, deep breath, she eased her shoulders back in place. Still, she had to work to let her guard down.
She closed her eyes and breathed even deeper, life giving breaths.
Stretching her neck to the left, then the right, she allowed her legs to uncurl from her chest and spread out in front of her.
Then she leaned back on her hands and lifted her face to the sky.
After several minutes, Alec appeared in her line of vision.
He looked down at her with warmth in his deep-set eyes, a gentle smile curving his lips.
“Ye’re humming,” he said.
Her eyes widened for a moment, and then she smiled. “I was, wasn’t I?”
He squatted down next to her and pressed his hand to her heart. She closed her eyes and savored his heat and the surge of wellbeing that coursed through her.
“In time, yer body will know this is as it should be.”
His words made her heart swell. “Promise?” she whispered, lost in the affection she found in his gaze.
When he smiled, it changed his whole face. His eyes shone. It was as if everything that she felt when she touched him — the rhythmic pulse of power deep within him — had suddenly broken free, and it made him shine. And for a moment, he was light. A shining light setting her dark world aflame.
He held out his hand. “I’ve good tidings.”
She allowed him to pull her to her feet.
“We will be in Scotland before the sun sets.”
In another time, with someone different at her side, she might have been terrified by the prospect of heading farther north into wild, unfamiliar lands.
But not now. Not with Alec. Hope surged through her.
Her beloved grandmother had hailed from Scotland.
The music that had kept her soul strong first traveled from the lips of those who had made their homes among the heather, the melodies reaching her ears on the currents of Highland winds.
She had always dreamed of seeing those rugged, distant mountains and rolling moors with her own eyes, and now, on this very day she would be in Scotland.
“Come,” she said, grabbing Alec’s hand and pulling him toward Rosie.
His deep, quiet laughter followed her. “To think only days ago, I had to convince ye to give Rosie a chance.”
She stopped and turned to face him. “Who would have believed that one life could be so altered in such a short time?”
He gently pulled her against him and cupped her cheeks.
“Two lives,” he said, softly correcting her.
Then he bent his head low and brushed his lips against hers, a whispered caress that made her ache for more.
Then he deepened his kiss, his full lips claiming hers.
She threw her arms around his neck and returned his kiss with all her passion, all her strength.
Still not breaking their connection, he scooped her into his arms, cradling her as he crossed to the mare. Only when he lifted her onto Rosie’s back did their lips part. She knew the heat she saw in his gaze, mirrored her own desire. He slid into the saddle behind her.
“Mayhap we stay here one more day,” she breathed, her hand stroking his strong thigh. His arms came around her, and he kissed her again with feverish passion. Her heart pounded. A sweet ache ignited like wildfire deep within her. She never knew that some pain could feel so good.
Alec tore his lips from hers. “I want nothing more than to lay ye down within that alcove of birch trees and love every inch of ye, body and soul.” But then the familiar darkness deepened the color of his eyes, and the beautiful lines of his face hardened.
“But not here. Not on this land. We ride for Scotland.”
Several hours later, just as the sun dipped below the horizon and the world was painted a vibrant pink, their mount cleared the edge of a thick wood. Before her, rolling moors stretched out like a faded, frosty sea.
“Alba gu bràth,” he whispered in her ear. “Scotland forever.”
“Scotland forever,” she repeated, tears filling her eyes when she realized she had truly made it.
For so long, her heart had traveled north to this place to escape the pain of the moment, and she had dreamed that one day, she could leave it all behind.
At long last, the nightmare had ended, and her dreams were finally coming true.