Page 13 of Katie's Highlander (Highland Protector 3)
Rising from his chair, Dwyn smoothed out the wrinkles of his impeccably perfect pinstriped suit, stole a final sip of his coffee, and stepped away from the table. “Mistress Katie thinks Emrys t’be an addled old man that’s deserving of her goodwill and patience. She’s a fine woman with a heart overflowing with compassion. The goddesses wouldna send ye someone any less.”
So, there it was. Dwyn had just admitted it. Katie had been sent whether she knew it herself or not.
Ramsay bumped the door open with his backside and eased out through it. “Leave it be. Just leave it, aye?” Admittedly, he’d found Katie t’be…t’be…no words came to him sufficient enough t’describe the lass. She was…different…in a good way. ’Twas true, he wished she’d stay in Brady a while. He wouldna mind getting t’know her. But on his terms—not because of the meddling of Dwyn and the goddesses. “Leave it,” he repeated.
“ ’Tis already done, son.” Sarinda gave him a motherly look before returning to the stove. “Ye ken well enough that we each have a fate. A predestined path in this life.” She gave a slight shrug of one shoulder as she stirred the pot on the stove. “Granted, ye did trip up a bit wi’ that money-grubbin’ whore, Sylvia, but now ye’ve cleared that stone from yer path and ’tis time ye continued on as ye should.”
Ramsay stepped out onto the landing of the steps leading to the courtyard below, still holding the door ajar. He pointed at Dwyn. “Leave it I said. No more meddling.” He slammed the door shut behind him and bolted down the stairs.
Chapter 6
“Lore a’mighty.” He ground his teeth as he yanked open the Jeep door and threw himself in behind the wheel. “If that poor unsuspectin’ lass has the least bit a sense, she’ll run like hell and no’ look back.”
Grudgingly, he prayed she wouldna run, prayed she’d stay in Brady—at least for a little while. As he drove through the employee-only roadway of the park and exited through the rear gate, it bothered him no small amount that this woman whom he’d just met had managed to plant herself solidly in his thoughts.
“D’ye ne’er learn, Ramsay?” he growled to his scowling reflection in the rearview mirror.Apparently not,he silently observed as the tightness in his chest eased up a bit when he pulled into the parking lot of Abernathy’s auto repair shop and spotted Katie sitting on the wooden bench out front.
Even in her ball cap, T-shirt, and faded jeans with split knees, the woman was a rare beauty, more shining and brighter than the North Carolina sunshine. Long white-blond hair. Constant smile—even now when she should be sportin’ one hell of a whisky headache, the woman sat there smiling.
He thought back to last night, to their ride through the forest. The lass had a temperament that resembled a sparklin’ spring tumblin’ down a Highland mountain. Katie Jenson was a welcome sweet breeze into the stale darkness his world had been of late.
I have lost my feckin’ mind. She’s just passin’ through. She’ll be gone in but a few day’s time.But no matter how much he repeated the thought, deep down he felt like Katie had been sent here for a reason—and the conversation in the kitchen had confirmed his suspicions. They were meant t’meet…and who knows what else?
Goddesses have mercy on m’soul. I beg ye, stop yer damn meddlin’. Why could life no’ be simple? He got out of the truck and closed the door a bit harder than he’d intended.
“Mornin’, Ramsay!”
Katie’s cheerful voice frustrated him even more. The lass should feel like shit warmed over. Why the devil was she sittin’ out here in the blindin’ sun like a risen angel, blessin’ all who passed by with a kind word and a smile instead of coverin’ her eyes from the pain that should be poundin’ inside her skull?
Damn woman.Whenever he was around her, he felt a disturbing combination of confusion, anticipation, and something akin to ball-tinglin’ fear.Hell’s demons. I’ll ne’er survive this woman.
Katie waved him over and patted the bench beside her. “Mr. Abernathy sent his son to get my car. It’s such a gorgeous day I told him I’d wait out here until he got back. Come keep me company.”
Keep ye company. I wouldha kept ye company at breakfast and saved ye from my addled father if ye’d but waited.“Why did ye no’ wait for me? I told ye I’d bring ye here. There was no need for ye t’walk.”Damn that sounded sharp.“And d’ye no’ feel the least bit ill from all the drink ye had last night?” There he’d said it. The woman should no’ be this damned happy.
“Are youstillin a pissy mood or…?” Katie adjusted her ball cap and lowered her voice, glancing around as if to make sure no one could overhear. “Or is your attitude about last night? Um…how exactly did I end up wrapped up in your kilt on the couch?” She leaned forward, hands propped on her knees. “I know I drank too much last night—rarely happens but it did. Since I woke up fully clothed, I’m guessing your grouchiness is due to last night’s…” She paused, cleared her throat, and lowered her voice. “…um…last night’sfail? You know, too much alcohol can do that to a man sometimes.”
What the hell was the woman saying? Was she implyin’ he’d been unable to…? Ramsay pulled in a deep breath and whistled it out through clenched teeth. He’d ne’erfaileda woman in that way. Never.
“For yer information, I dinna make it a habit of takin’ advantage of unconscious women. I also didna wish ye t’become chilled in yer sleep. Ye’d had a long day and a great deal of whisky. I worried after ye. So I covered ye with m’kilt afore I left yer rooms.”Damnation—what the hell is it about this woman?
Katie slid her sunglasses down to the tip of her nose and peered at him over the rims. The woman didna believe him. He could see it in the sparklin’ blue of her eyes.
“Really?” Her tone also called him a liar. “So, you’re saying I owe you an apology?”
“Aye, most definitely,” he snapped then swallowed hard and did his damnedest to compose himself. Damn, she always undid him. “And I didna mean t’sound so…so short a moment ago. I was worried after ye since ye’d had so much t’drink. I feared ye’d feel unwell. And yer no’ from around here.” He squared his shoulders and did his best to appear concerned. “I didna wish ye t’get lost.” From the look on her face, the woman thought he sounded like a babblin’ idiot and currently, he whole-heartedly agreed with her.
“Get lost?” Katie snorted out a laugh like he’d lost his mind. “There’s one stoplight here. Brady, North Carolina, is basically a wide spot in the middle of the road.”
There’s no arguin’ that.“Aye, well, ye have me there.”I feckin’ give up.He sank down onto the bench beside her, leaned forward, and propped his elbows on his knees. “It is a lovely day—as ye said.” He squinted up at the cloudless blue sky and prayed for something intelligent to say. An unpleasant idea nudged him.Best get it over with.“I hear ye metAthair.”
“Athair?”Katie repeated the word carefully, scowling at first, then brightening with a quick nod. “Your father? Oh. Yes. I visited with him for quite a while before I headed here.”
“I’m verra sorry.” Ramsay felt like an ass. Apologizing for his own father. The man who’d sacrificed so much for faith, clan, and country. “He canna help himself. Ye ken that, aye?”
Katie squeezed his arm and leaned over to bump her shoulder against his. “It’s okay. My uncle was the same before he died. It’s not your father’s fault and in the end—he’s still your father and you love him. That’s all that matters.”
Ramsay swallowed hard and covered Katie’s hand with his. “I thank ye for understanding.”Such a fine woman. And yet…she’ll soon leave.An overwhelming dose ofhellnoand sheer MacDara stubbornness awakened at his core and strengthened like a well-tended blaze.She needs t’stay. At least for a bit longer.Ramsay cleared his throat and straightened on the bench. “Were ye at least able to enjoy a bit of breakfast or didAthairkeep ye too busy with his questions? He’s known t’do that at times.”
