Page 66 of Highlander’s Claim

He dropped to his knees in front of her, a gorgeous giant with wind playing in the strands of his long, silvery hair. His eyes were dark and gleaming under his thick eyebrows. “I ken I have nae right, but I am asking ye. Dinna go. Be my wife. I love ye, and I give ye the word of a Highlander, I would rather die than betray ye like yer husband did. Ye’re a healer. I never thought my soul could be healed, but ye healed me. Be my wife and be with me for the rest of our lives.”

Her vision blurred, and her eyes burned with tears. A chasm tore at her, a split between her greatest hope and greatest fear. “I want to believe you.”

He shifted closer to her. The wind brought the scent of the sea and freedom and hope…and him. “Do ye love me, lass? Please tell me, do ye love me like I love ye?”

She nodded, unable to say anything.

“Then give me one more day. Let me show ye how our lives would be. And tell me at the end of this if ye think yer life back in yer time is worth the loneliness ye will feel without me.”

Maybe she was insane. After so many days and so many obstacles, she was finally right here, at the rock. And yet, she was not ready to leave him. The thought of separating from him was like cutting her own flesh.

And what was one more day compared to the rest of her life without him? Like a junkie, she needed one more fix of him, one more dose of Aulay.

Then she’d live the rest of her life remembering how good it was.

“Okay,” she said. “One more day.”

* * *

The rest of the day was glorious, Jenny thought. They drank from Aulay’s water flask and ate the bannocks he’d packed for the journey. He made a fire in the hidden cave from driftwood and the dry wood of the ship.

They talked and cuddled and kissed… There was so much making out, it was as though they were both teenagers.

In the evening, he carried her up to a pretty spot that faced west. They sat at the edge of the cliff, watched the ocean, and talked more. They talked about everything. About their families, friends, and relationships. She found out there was not much difference between the relationships in the fourteenth and twenty-first centuries. If anything, it seemed this life was simpler.

Aulay asked her more about her clinic, and after she told him in detail what she did, he said she could have the same clinic here. He could build her the same pediatric practice.

“Mayhap ye could even teach healers and physicians from all over Scotland. Do ye realize what a positive impact ye could make here, lass?”

She smiled as she watched the sea. The wind was gentle, and it was warm now, the sea almost smooth. The sun was low, and its orange-yellow-red reflection blazed through the water. The ground under her hands was cool and the moss prickled her skin a little through the fabric of her dress. She loved the scent here, the sea and moss, and earth. The waves rustled softly down below.

“You’re right. That would be amazing. I’d stir history a little bit, I suppose… Not sure if I should do so much to change the course of events globally… But I could definitely do some good.”

“Aye.” He rubbed her shoulder. “Ye could.”

“How easily can you get some rare things from the Mediterranean and the Middle East?”

“For ye, anything, lass. What do ye need?”

“Well, opium poppy… I’d use it to make laudanum, which would be the best anesthetic available in this time. Also, bulb garlic from the Mediterranean, ginger, and other herbs and medicinal plants.”

“Aye, lass, of course. Anything ye want.”

Jenny smiled. She could see herself planting and cultivating them.

Anything she wanted… She knew he was for real. She saw it in his eyes, heard it in his voice, felt it. He felt like a part of her now, the formerly lost part.

“What about never being able to have children with me?”

“I’ve been living with the idea of accepting that I will have nae heir for a long time. I’d rather have a life with ye. I may never have a blood heir, but I also like knowing that ye wouldna die of childbirth. Colum will be heir. If the clan accepts him and forgives him.”

“That’s good.” She smiled.

She liked that, too. Only, could she really give up the possibility of having her own baby, something she’d have dreamed of her whole life? The thought of not having a baby of her own was no longer so painful when she imagined the life she could have with him.

“Ye’re everything to me,” he said. “My happiness. My love. My soul. Ye’re the love of my life and my destiny.”

Jenny’s eyes burned with tears. She felt the same way about him.