Chapter 2
“Drink with me,” Hamish said, handing her the flask.
“Oh, I don’t know. I’m kind of a lightweight,” Elle replied.
She wasn’t much of a drinker. An occasional glass of wine or two was about all she was ever capable of.
Stronger alcohol was definitely not her friend, but this was an odd circumstance she found herself in and she was on the verge of breaking down.
The whisky might help take the edge off.
“Okay.” She took a big swig and tried not to cough, but with no success.
“Small sips, lass.” Hamish patted her back. “The whisky will be here.”
“Sorry,” she sputtered.
She watched appreciatively as Hamish took a drink.
He was quite handsome. Green eyes, a square jaw and a perfect aquiline nose were definitely not hard to look at.
His hair was red - more of a strawberry blond she thought - and long.
Small braids on either side of his head held back the locks that would surely be falling in his face.
She liked that. Her eyes traveled from his face to his chest, which was bare now.
If she wasn’t stuck in the middle of nowhere she’d like to run her hands over his strong, muscular physique.
Her eyes wandered lower still to his belly which, as she suspected, was endowed with quite the six pack.
Hamish cleared his throat and an embarrassed Elle looked up. “Do ye like what yer seeing?” He chuckled.
So he was handsome and he knew it. She chose to ignore his comment. She couldn’t possibly admit that she’d more than liked it. “Do you have a wife or girlfriend?” Now why did she have to go and ask that question?
He laughed again, taking another drink from the flask before handing it to her.
She took another big swig. Her head was beginning to feel a little weird and her nose was numb.
That was her clue that she’d had enough to drink, but instead of handing the flask back, she took one more sip.
She desperately wanted to fall asleep. Hopefully she’d wake to find this had all been a bad dream.
“You didn’t answer my question,” she slurred.
“Nae. I dinnae have a wife.”
“Girlfriend?”
“I dinnae ken yer meaning. I know many lasses.”
“Are you in love with any of them?”
“Och, nae.”
“Why not?”
She watched him consider this question and examined her own need to know. If I’m dreaming I might as well enjoy myself.
“I’ve nae wish to be married. I enjoy the company of the lasses, but there be none I wish to spend the rest of me days with, ye ken?”
She nodded. Her stomach was roiling in protest of the whisky. Nausea overwhelmed her and she jumped to her feet, frantically searching for a place to hide her shame. “I think I’m going to be sick.”
Hamish stood and took her by the arm, guiding her to a spot where the others wouldn’t see her.
“Don’t look, please.” She hardly knew this guy and she wasn’t about to barf in front of him.
“As ye wish,” Hamish turned his back and leaned against a nearby tree.
She emptied the contents of her stomach. If there was one thing she hated, it was throwing up. She’d do anything to avoid it, but her body had decided enough was enough. She stood, stooped over, staring down at the ground.
“Feel better?” Hamish said from behind her.
She wiped her mouth on her sleeve and straightened. “Yes. Thank you.”
“Come, lass. Ye may be ready to sleep now.”
“I think you’re right.”
***
As the morning sun began to peek through the trees, Hamish watched Elle sleeping.
He felt sorry for her. She hadn’t asked to be transported through time.
It seemed it was an accident, but if that were true, why had the old man told him she was all his?
She stirred and he thought she might wake.
Her brow furrowed and her lips twitched as if she were going to speak, but she remained asleep.
He’d have to wake her soon. They’d be on their way to Breaghacraig as early as possible.
His men were already busy cleaning up the camp.
Hamish set aside some food for Elle. He hoped she’d eat something.
She was a slight little lass, she couldnae afford to go without a meal.
As the men got closer to ready, Hamish laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Elle,” he said, his voice as soft as he could make it.
“Mmm …” she said.
“’Tis time to be on our way.” He squeezed her shoulder.
She sprang up, her eyes wide with fright. He thought she might scream.
“Shhh … ’Tis me, Hamish.”
She glanced his way and seemed to remember where she was. “Oh … Hamish. Good morning.” She stretched and yawned. “I guess it wasn’t a dream.”
“I’m sorry to wake ye so early, but we must leave.”
“Alright.” She handed him his shirt, which he donned.
He tried to read her face. He hoped he wasn’t misinterpreting things, but she seemed to be drawn to him. Her eyes continuously wandered from his face to his chest and lower still. He felt a stirring between his legs and quickly stood and turned away from her.
Elle stood and came up behind him. “Is everything okay?”
“Aye. Why wouldnae it be?”
“I don’t know.” She picked up the plaid that had covered them both and folded it before handing it to him.
“I saved ye some food. Are ye hungry?”
“I never eat breakfast. I’d love some coffee if you have it.”
“Coffee?”
“Okay. No coffee. Water?”
Donal appeared at Elle’s shoulder. Hamish wasn’t happy about the intrusion. He’d have to find a moment to tell him to stay away from her. Donal had a reputation with the lassies. Hell, he had one too, but he’d be damned if he let Donal try to romance Elle.
“I heard ye say ye needed water.” His eyes flicked quickly to Hamish and then focused back on the lass.
“Oh, thank you,” Elle smiled sweetly at Donal.
“Yer welcome, lass. If ye need anything, ye’ve only to ask.” He cast a somewhat cocky gaze at Hamish.
“Donal, see that the men are ready to leave,” Hamish barked.
“Are you mad at him for something?” she asked.
“Nae.”
His furrowed brow and narrow eyes told a different story.
Hamish escorted Elle to Aylwen and lifted her onto his back.
He mounted behind her, looking forward to the feel of her resting against his chest as his arms encircled her waist. They had about a half-day’s ride ahead of them and it was going to be the most pleasurable ride he’d had in ages.
He pulled her close and she didn’t resist, instead nestling in with her head beneath his chin.
A sweet aroma hit his nose. He’d smelled it during the night as she slept.
Her hair smelled of flowers in the springtime. “Ye smell of flowers, lass,” he said.
“Thanks,” was her reply. She ran her fingers through her hair and the scent hit him again. He closed his eyes, enjoying the feelings it aroused in him.
“Are ye feeling better this morning?” he asked.
“As good as anyone can feel who has absolutely no idea where they are or why they’re there,” she answered.
“I dinnae believe I’d feel any different if it were me.” Truthfully, he wanted nothing more than to experience time travel. He wondered if he’d feel as lost as Elle must feel.
***
Elle wasn’t feeling any less stressed out than she was yesterday, but there wasn’t anything she could do about it.
It was out of her hands. Noticing the beauty of the landscape they passed brought to mind all the traveling she’d done in the past few years.
She’d never been any place like this. Of course, she was usually being shuttled to one place or another in the back seat of a car and during those times it was unlikely she had even looked up from her phone to appreciate the cities she was passing through.
With her useless phone tucked in her backpack, she had no choice but to look and listen.
It was quiet, but not silent. The sounds of the horses clip-clopping along and the voices and laughter of the men as they spoke with each other were accompanied by sounds she would never hear in the city—birds singing, the wind whistling through the trees and crickets chirping.
The aroma of the heather they passed mixed with the scent of horses, leather and a lovely pine aroma, which she realized was coming from Hamish.
She took it all in and found she was beginning to relax into the chest of the man who held her protectively in his arms as they rode.
He piqued her curiosity. Elle decided she may as well use this time to learn a bit more about the handsome man who had his strong arms wrapped around her.
“Tell me about yourself, Hamish,” she said.
Hamish hesitated for a moment, clearing his throat before answering. “Me name is Hamish MacBeown.”
“I know that already.”
“I’m a captain of the MacKenzie Clan. These be me men. I live at Breaghacraig. There’s not much more to tell, lass.” His words were short and clipped.
“Sure there is,” she said, encouraging him to continue.
“I dinnae ken.”
“What kind of things do you like? What is your family like? Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
Donal rode up beside them, interrupting their conversation.
Elle had observed Hamish and Donal as they interacted with each other while packing up the camp.
There was a certain teasing quality they used when speaking to each other, along with some one-upsmanship that she recognized from her brothers’ behavior with each other.
It was obvious that while these two men were friends, they were also fiercely competitive.
Donal was a bit of a flirt and for some reason this bothered Hamish.
“What do ye want?” Hamish asked. Elle could hear the irritation in his voice.
“I’ve just come to see if Elle is comfortable riding with ye.
Aylwen has a rather rough gait, dinnae ye think?
” He winked at Elle, who couldn’t help but giggle.
“If ye’d like a rest from traveling with this one,” he nodded his head at Hamish, “I’ve room for ye on Wydden here.
His gait is so much smoother, ye’d hardly think ye were on a horse. ”