Page 12 of Katie's Highlander (Highland Protector 3)
For all their sakes, Ramsay changed the subject. “Esme—once ye’ve tended to Mistress Lydia, would ye please check on our guest from the east wing? She might need one ofMáthair’sherbal teas as well. Tell her I’ll bring her a plate if she’s up to havin’ some breakfast before I take her into town t’see about the repairs to her car, aye?”Best get the explainin’ about last night over with. Beasties are best faced head on.
Esme frowned at him across the breakfast tray she held in front of her. “You mean Katie?”
Something about the way everyone in the kitchen turned and studied him shot a jolt of wariness through Ramsay. He had the distinct feeling that he’d blundered and walked straight into a trap. “Aye. Mistress Katie Jenson. ’Twas too late last night to have her car towed so I assured her we’d have it seen about today.”
Esme shrugged and headed toward the door leading to Mistress Lydia’s quarters. “She’s long gone. Came down early. Got here even before Da and stayed long enough to have some coffee with all of us.” She paused, glanced back at Ramsay, and rewarded him with a wink. “Pretty cute, if you ask me. You might have a chance at her if you don’t go all pouty wounded hero on her like you do around us. I bet she’d cure what ails you in a heartbeat.” Esme gracefully balanced the tray on her hip and rested her hand on the latch as she gave Ramsay a displeased up and down look and motioned at him with a scowling frown. “And why are you wearing jeans? You not working at the park today? Who’ll demo the horses and the dogs?”
Ramsay drew in a deep rib-cracking breath and slowly blew it out. He didna have time for idle chatter and he’d also learned long ago that the best way to deal with his irritating little sister was to ignore the parts of her conversation that were meant t’piss him off. He’d defend her ‘til his death and even beyond the grave into the deepest levels of hell if need be, but lore ha’ mercy, the wee lass could be a royal pain in the arse on most days.
“What do ye mean Mistress Katie’s ‘gone’?” he asked in a carefully controlled tone, steering the conversation back to the most important part.
Esme shrugged. “Gone. Left. Probably in town by now. You know it’s not that far of a walk and it’s been over an hour since she left.”
“And none of ye thought to stop her? To ask her t’wait?”
Esme’s face lit up with an evil grin that made Ramsay want to turn her across his knee and warm her arse for her. Her tone shifted to the wicked teasing level that only a young woman hell bent on giggin’ a male could muster. “Well, now why in the world would we want to stall her, big brother? What…or better yet,whowould she be waiting for?” She arched a brow and innocently widened her eyes. “Hmm? Well?”
“Esme…that’s enough. Cease yer nettlin’ of yer brother.” Sarinda shooed the girl away. “On wi’ ye now. Take Mistress Lydia her tea and make certain she drinks it to the last drop. I’ve laced it good and strong with some herbs that’ll help her sleep most of the day, so she’ll get some much-needed rest that she’s too stubborn t’take for herself.”
Esme’s expression clearly showed she wasn’t ready to stop pestering her brother, but she obediently pushed her way into the beloved housekeeper’s rooms. Before the door had fully closed behind her, she stuck her head back out and winked at Ramsay. “You do realize that all you have to do is go to Abernathy’s, right? That’s where she’ll be.”
Ramsay sucked in another deep intake of air through gritted teeth then nodded at his conniving little sister. “Do asMáthairbid ye, aye?”
Esme rolled her eyes and disappeared into the room.
“The keys are in the Jeep,” Ross supplied as he reached across the table and speared another biscuit with his fork, split the steaming medallion open, and shoved several pieces of bacon between the flaky layers. “And it’s parked in the courtyard. All gassed up and ready.”
Ramsay gave Ross a curt nod, plunked his coffee cup onto the counter, and headed toward the outer steps leading to the private courtyard. He threw open the door—
“Son!”
No matter how old he got t’be, Máthair’scall would always halt him in his tracks. With one foot out the door and every fiber of his being straining to be on his way, he turned and faced her.
“Aye?”
Sarinda motioned him back into the room with a nod and a gentle but commanding wave of one hand. “There’s something ye should know afore ye seek out Mistress Jenson.”
Her tone hit him like a wall of ice water, shocking all his senses to battle-ready alertness. Slowly, he allowed the door to bump closed against his back then widened his stance to brace himself for whatever she was about to say. “And what would that be,Máthair?”
Her face grim, Sarinda shot a quick look over at Ross and Dwyn still sitting at the table. Both men gave her a slight nod as though agreeing that whatever she was about to say had to be said. She faced Ramsay, studied him for a long moment, then methodically smoothed her hands down her apron. “Mistress Katie met yer father this mornin’. They visited quite the while as she enjoyed her coffee.”
A hard knot tightened in the center of Ramsay’s chest then burned a trail down to his gut and settled like a chunk of molten iron. Katie had metAthair.This couldna bode well.
Athairhadna lived an easy life as high chief to all the druid clans and lead protector of the Heartstone. And the leap forward through the centuries had nearly killed him. Of all the MacDaras, the goddesses had ne’er siftedAthairthrough time more than the once to North Carolina when they discovered ‘twould be his end to send him traveling through time again. If a trip through time was needed, the MacDara sons were always sent in his stead. Emrys MacDara’s mind had taken all it could stand.
“And how was he this mornin’?” Ramsay asked, all the while dreading the answer. He loved and respected his father but High Chieftain Emrys Danann MacDara was dangerously unpredictable of late. The proverbial loose cannon—especially here in the twenty-first century.
Sarinda’s grim look softened into a sad smile. “More lucid than usual.”
“And he met Katie?”
Sarinda’s smile strengthened and her eyes glistened with unshed tears. She faintly nodded as she picked up a crumpled dish towel from the counter and refolded it with quick jerking movements. “Aye. He not only met her—but took a great liking to the lass and she to him, I think.” She turned to Dwyn. “They had quite the long conversation, did they not?”
Sliding his magazine to the table, Dwyn gave Ramsay a look that sent a trickle of cold sweat down between his shoulder blades. “Ye found quite the lass in the woods last night, m’lad. She didna bat an eye nor act as if anything was amiss when Emrys told her he was proud t’finally meet her because the goddesses had shown her to him in every vision he’s had since the new moon.” Dwyn paused a long heart-stopping moment then gave Ramsay a curt nod like a warrior chief passing out orders. “He told her the goddesses had promised him she’d come to ye soon so the two of ye could be joined and set to the seedin’ of yer first son. They talked at great length about Danu, Scota, and Bride.”
“Sons a bitches,” Ramsay hissed under his breath as he scrubbed a hand across his face, wishing like hell he’d made his way down to the kitchen well before Katie. He looked to his mother. “They talked at length? Why did no one steerAthairto a safer subject?”What a feckin’ mess.Now he had even more to explain to Katie—ifhe ever saw her again.
Sarinda moved forward and rested a hand on Ramsay’s shoulder. “She handled it well, son. Treated him with great respect and kindness. I’ve no’ seen him as peaceful and sane in weeks as he was this mornin’.”
