Page 53 of Katie's Highlander (Highland Protector 3)
Strong hands squeezed her shoulders and Katie welcomed the shielding warmth of Ramsay’s body against her. It wasn’t winter yet but from the icy cut of the wind—winter wasn’t far away. She snuggled closer and patted Ramsay’s chest. “I’m fine—never been too crazy about boats, that’s all.”
“Ye said ye’d traveled here before, aye?” Ramsay lowered them both to the bench then curled Katie tighter against his side, wrapping them both in the generous folds of his kilt. “Did ye no’ travel by boat when last ye visited this place?”
“An enclosed ferry.” Katie squinted against the wind. “And they had coffee.”Coffee. What I wouldn’t give for a cup of honest-to-goodness coffee right now.
Ramsay gave her a sad smile as he scanned the horizon. “Aye, well…mayhap, we’ll find the answer soon t’gettin’ ye back to yer precious coffee, dear one.”
Ramsay’s tone made her heart hurt. He didn’t want to go back to the future. Every gesture, every nuance of what he said, screamed out loud and clear that he didn’t wish to go. Katie swallowed hard. He was doing this for her. If not for her, he’d be more than content to live out the rest of his days in tenth-century Scotland. But he’d promised to get her back and a MacDara never went back on a promise—especially not a promise he’d made to someone he loved.
Katie touched his face, rubbing her fingers against the springy stubble of his neatly trimmed beard. The stubble that had tickled in oh-so-many delicious ways as they’d made love last night—out under the open stars on a blanket next to the fire. An overwhelming sense of guilt assuaged her. How could she be so selfish?
“We don’t have to go back.” The words burst free of their own volition—exploding from her lips as though they’d been fighting for quite some time to be said. “We can just stay here…at MacTavish Keep.” She’d make do and after a while, more than likely wouldn’t even think twice about all the twenty-first century goodies she’d given up. As long as she had Ramsay—that’s all that mattered.
Ramsay pulled his gaze from the horizon and stared down at her long and hard. Unblinking. Unsmiling. It was almost as though he were in a trance, drilling his way to the bottom of her soul.
“I mean it, Ramsay. Tell them to turn the boat around.”
Finally, still studying her, eyes narrowed and brow puckered with the slightest scowl, Ramsay slowly shook his head. “Nay, woman. I’ll no’ risk losin’ ye to the dangers of this time.”
“Cut a deal with the goddesses. Tell them we want to stay here unless one of us needs twenty-first-century medical attention or something.” That made sense. Why hadn’t she thought of that before? It would be like being on a lifetime dig and if anything happened, the goddesses could evac them out to the twenty-first century.
Ramsay snorted out a sad laugh. “It doesna quite work that way. If ye’ve no’ noticed, the goddesses plan what they plan and do what they will and neither mine nor any other protector’s druthers are taken into consideration. If their wishes happen to align with ours, we consider it a rare gift that’s as dangerous as a double-edged sword. A gift from the goddesses begets a debt that could come due at any time.”
Katie cupped his face between her hands. “I want you happy.” His sadness made her ache, knotted inside her like a tightening fist trying to strangle her soul.
Ramsay slid his hand to the back of her neck and pulled her hard into a kiss. His lips were cold, but his mouth was hot and tasted of the briny air. She knotted her fingers in his damp kilt and pulled him closer. She needed to feel. Indelibly imprint this moment on all her senses. The scent of the man she’d come to love more than life mixed with the primordial fragrance of the sea. The scratch of his beard, his hungering tongue, the strength of his grip as he held her tight.
Mind spinning, Katie wished Ramsay could take her right here in the boat, their bodies crashing together like the waves against the hull. The only thing that held her back was the owner of the boat and his son. She wasn’t interested in putting on a show for the locals.
Ramsay lifted his head and stared into her eyes for a long heart-pounding moment. “You are my happiness,” he said in low rasping whisper. “You alone. D’ye ken what I’m sayin’? Nothing else matters but you.”
Words escaping her, Katie nodded. She’d figure this out. Make it up to him.I swear I’ll make it right.
“Steady yerselves!”
No sooner had the boatman’s call sounded than the hull gracefully ground into the muddy embankment with a crunching thud. Ramsay slowly rose, scanning their surroundings as he held out a hand.
“M’lady?”
Navigating the frustrating yardage of her skirts, Katie finally managed to disembark without showing her ass—literally. She adjusted theairisaidhabout her shoulders as she moved away from the boat and looked at the land around her.
“Amazing,” she said under her breath. “What Papa wouldn’t have given to see this.”
The village of Skara Brae was deserted but hadn’t been that way long. The eight houses were intact and still in quite habitable shape considering that the last time Katie had been here, the shelters had been little more than excavated ruins—roped off squares of stone blocks piled together and holding tight to their secrets. But this place—this place was still alive and sharing all the wonders it had recently known as a lively fishing village.
“It’s deserted. Do you think Creada’s druid finally died?” she asked Ramsay as he walked beside her. “She said he was older than dirt when she was a child. We may be too late.”
Ramsay stopped, gripping his spear in his right hand as he shielded his eyes with his left and scanned the area. His scrutiny stopped midway and he pointed his spear at a higher elevation some distance from the village. “There.”
“Where?” Katie followed Ramsay’s line of sight but didn’t see anything but a pile of rocks covered with mounds of lounging seals stretched out to catch the last of the day’s sunshine.
“Watch for the smoke. ‘Twill rise again in a bit. He’s allowed his peat fire t’burn low since the day is warm.” Ramsay nodded as he held out his hand. “Come. ’Tis time t’meet the old one and see if he can help us.”
Katie fisted her hands against her stomach like a child refusing to obey. This was wrong. She felt it clear down to her toes. She couldn’t do this to Ramsay. Wouldn’t he eventually resent her? Grow to hate her for taking away something he really loved?
“No.”
Ramsay’s jaw tightened—the way it always did when something wasn’t going his way. Well, fine. He’d get over it. In fact, someday, he’d probably thank her.
