Sneaks (17 page)

“The day wore on and I hadna seen one of the wicked creatures at all, but I hadna noticed much else either. I was in my own mind, thinking of things I canna remember at this verra moment. But when I realized the sun was coming down and I hadna shot one arrow, I startled myself. I ken the country like the back of my own hand, but I had to get my bearings and figure just how far I’d gone.

“Once I ken my location, I wondered how I’d gone so far. I was a normal two days’ journey away, not the one day that I was sure I’d traveled. My mind was confused, but I didna have time to let it be confused. It was getting dark and I had to make a camp if I didna want to be unprepared. So, I went to work and built a fire and ate my dinner.

“The strange haze that had taken my day away from me wasna going to take away my night, I was determined. I would stay awake the whole night and then continue my hunt the next day. But the fates were again’ me and I fell fast asleep before I finished my broth. But it wasna to be for long. In what felt like a moment, I was up straight and awake with the panic of a bad dream, but I didna remember any nightmares.

“The fire was still burning low, and the darkness was thick all around. I blinked and tried to clear my eyes so I could understand what the noises I heard. Once I was aware, I realized that I was surrounded. Surrounded by ‘alf a dozen of those evil animals.”

“Wolves,” I said, not meaning to speak with such a sigh. Not actually meaning to speak out loud. “Sorry.”

“No need to be sorry, lass,” Corc said. “Aye, wolves. They circled me and there was no one of them that didna want the blood at my throat. They snarled and growled and barked and moved towards me, one step at a time, but all of them moving together.

“I was certain I’d seen the last of my days. How could I possibly get myself away from so many animals? I picked up my arrows and bow anyway and tried to load. But panic caused me to fumble and drop everything. I gathered my things again and picked what I thought was the most ferocious creature of them all and pulled back on the bow. Could I steady my nerves enough to make a direct hit? Even though none was more than a couple men’s heights from me, I didna think I could take a clean shot. But I tried anyway. And I missed. And then I missed some more. And I n’er miss.

“I thought I was gone for sure. But then it all changed. Suddenly and unbelievably, I have to tell ye all.” Corc stopped and looked at the floor as he shook his head.

“What is it, man?” Ian asked.

“Ye’ll not believe me. I dinna believe myself.”

“Give us a try,” Mac said.

“Weel, there was another wolf came upon us. She stayed in the background and started growling and fussing. I think she was the one with the mark, mind ye.” Corc pointed at his forehead.

“The one that had Mac?” I asked.

“Aye, I think, but I canna be sure.”

I looked at the laird as he took his mug to his mouth. He glanced at me and nodded but remained silent. I didn’t think that wolf could still be alive, but interjecting my doubt would have ruined the mood of the moment.

Corc continued, “She was big and mighty and not only scared me, but she scared the rest of them as weel. They stopped their forward movement, looked at me with regret in their mean eyes and then retreated. Literally turned tail and ran toward and then past the she-wolf who’d joined us.”

“I supposed there’s not anything wrong with that. Why wouldna we belive ye?” the laird asked.

Corc sat forward. “It was what happened next that is the magic part.”

“Tell us,” I piped up.

“As I watched her turn away toward the retreating pack now, mind, I watched with eyes that didna blink. I watched with my attention now awake and full. And as I watched, the animal . . . weel, she disappeared.”

“What do ye mean, disappeared?” Ian asked.

“Like that,” he snapped his fingers, “she disappeared. Poof – one second there and the next, gone.”

“It was dark, Corc,” the laird said.

“Aye, to be sure, but I ken what I saw . . . and then didna see.”

We were all silent for a moment. I was certain no one knew what to say. I certainly didn’t.

“I told ye that ye wouldna believe me.”

“It’s not that. Ye were tired, Corc and ye said it, ye werna yerself.” The laird shifted in his chair. 

 “There it is. Make of it what ye will. I can only tell the story as it happened. I canna make any of ye believe.” Corc wasn’t able to hide his hurt feelings at the general sense of disbelief.

Mac went to his side and man-patted him on his arm. “We werna there, friend. I’ll believe what ye say until I can prove it different.”

I believed Corc. I believed every word. I don’t know why, except for the fact that something even more strange had happened to me. I was not one to disbelieve anything at all. I, of course, kept my feelings quiet, but I did smile at Corc and hoped he saw my support.

The rest of the evening was more jokes and stories all around. But by the time I’d eaten three more pastries, I figured I was in for a deep and long night’s sleep. I was exhausted and sore from riding the horse and I wanted to fall into my bed.

And much to my surprise, Mac jumped up and offered to escort me to my room.

“Okay,” I said.  My room wasn’t far from where we were and I thought I could get there on my own, but I didn’t argue.

Mac crooked his arm. It took me a second to figure out what to do. I slid mine arm through his, and we left the party. It felt weird.

We made our way down the hallway, toward the kitchen. His legs were so much longer than mine that our timing was mostly off and embarrassing. Just when I’d become comfortable around him, this was awkward and uncomfortable. I was glad to reach the room.

“Here’s we are, lass.” Mac smiled easily. “I had a lovely day today. I hope ye did, too.”

He sounded so grown up. “Did your father tell you to say that?” I said.

The corner of Mac’s mouth quirked slightly. “No, it was Ian.”

I took my arm out from his and looked up as steadily as I could. “I had fun, too. Thanks.”

“Ye’re welcome,” he said as he bowed lightly. “I hope …”

“What?”

“I want to spend more time with ye,” he said, finally using words that seemed like something he would say.

“I want to spend more time with you, too.” While I was here, we were under the same roof. It would be unavoidable.

“Ye do?”

“Yes.”

“How about breakfast tomorrow, yer riding lesson and then we’ll see what trouble we can get into.”

I suddenly understood that this was courting – or dating if we were talking about my grandmother’s time. I liked it.

Breakfast and the rest of the day and all of the meals worked perfectly. However I said, “How about breakfast and maybe riding lessons?”

“Ye need to learn how to ride.”

“I suppose.”

“Weel, then I’ll see ye tomorrow,” he said before he turned and practically sprinted away.

I watched him leave and wished he hadn’t. Why had he gone so quickly? I thought we could have talked a few more minutes. Had I said something wrong?

I sighed, went into my room and sat on the edge of the bed, hoping to gather my thoughts and bearings. It had been a very crazy day.

Then without a knock or any warning, my door burst open. Mac hesitated in the in the entry for an instant, seeming to notice that maybe he shouldn’t have done what he did, but he didn’t dwell on it for long.

“Mac?” I said, standing from the bed.

He walked the few steps to me and wrapped one arm around my waist and put his other hand on my cheek.

“Lass, I have no idea what I’m doing, but if I dinna kiss ye, I might have had to punch something.”

“Oh. Well. I don’t . . . “ 

His lips touched mine very gently and I could no longer speak or breathe and I just didn’t care. If he really didn’t know what he was doing, he figured it out quickly enough. He was so much taller than me that I was up on my sneaker-clad toes as he held me close, but we seemed to fit together perfectly, certainly our lips did. His kiss, that began hesitantly, relaxed into something more sure and strong. Emotion swept through me and threatened to make me pass out if I didn’t temper it slightly, but I didn’t want to temper it at all. It was such a full sense of right, of belonging together that I didn’t want it to ever end.

Unfortunately, eventually, we both needed oxygen.

Mac pulled his lips from mine and set my feet back on the ground very slowly.

“I dinna understand it, lass, but I’ve been wantin’ to do that since I saw ye asleep by the boulder. I hope I didna hurt ye.”

“You didn’t hurt me at all.” I touched my lips. “I had no idea.”

“Aye?”

“Aye,” I said, sounding like a pirate.

Mac laughed and let go of me a little more. “I’ve never …”

“Never what?”

“No, it’s nothing,” he said as he took another step backwards, but kept his eyes locked with mine.

“Tell me.”

“Maybe tomorrow. I’d better leave ye to yer rest.”

“Really?” I said, disappointed. 

He smiled one more time before he turned to leave. But he stopped at the door.

“Promise me,” he said, “that you wilna leave.”

“I won’t leave on purpose, Mac. Not without explaining everything to you. I promise.” I crossed my heart. A picture of my mother sparked in my mind, but I pushed it to the back.

He hesitated. “Are ye scared?”

I was scared of everything, but I didn’t want him to know. I shook my head.

“Good. We have many things we must do, ye and I.”

I nodded again.

“Sleep well, Kally.”

“Good-night.” I said as he closed the door.

*****

Of course, I didn’t sleep well. That kiss. I knew what kissing was, I just had no idea what it would do to me. That had been my first one and if they only got better, I was looking forward to more.

I tossed and turned and sat up abruptly about a million times as my imagination heard him come back into my room for more kissing. He didn’t come back, though.

Finally, just as I sensed the sun was going to rise, I got out of bed and got ready, spending extra time on my hair. I even contemplated wearing the hair ribbon, but I came to my senses and left it tied to the bed.

I wanted to go down to the kitchen and see if someone needed help with something. I needed something to do, other than think about Mac.

But a noise outside my window distracted me. The back courtyard was outside and slightly behind my small window. I tried to look through it, but couldn’t see much until the person making the noise walked into my narrow line of vision.

It was Ian and from the looks of it he was alone and pacing the length of the courtyard. Seeing him gave me something to do—I’d go talk to him. Maisie wasn’t anywhere around so maybe we could really talk.  

I hurried through the castle and out to the courtyard. The sun was peeking up over the horizon just enough to make the air seem slightly gray and yellow at once.

“Kally,” Ian said, a surprised look on his face. “What are ye doing up?”

“I was awake. I saw you from my window and thought I’d come out and say hi. Am I interrupting anything?”

“No, actually, ye’re a refreshing distraction.”

“Oh? What’s wrong.”

“It’s nothing,” he waved it away. “Come. Sit and let’s talk. It’s been … Weel, for me it’s been a long time, really, though ye havena aged. I’m sure ye’ve heard that from everyone, though, and are tired of it.”

My turn to wave it away.

 “How have yer last sixteen years been?” Ian asked with a big wink.

What did he know, or what did he think he knew?

“Ian, it was only one year for me,” I said slowly. Bit by bit I was telling my story without meaning to, and perhaps that was best. Sips were easier to swallow than gulps.

His eyes twinkled and he smiled. “Ah, I wondered. Could ye explain further?”

“Not yet, but I think I will be able to. Soon.”

“I can accept that. But it is good ye aren’t older, Kally.”

“Why?”

“I think it makes my brother’s actions more acceptable. If ye were really thirty-two, his sixteen-year-old eyes for ye would be strange. What’s odd, though, is that before, ye were two years older than me and now I’m much older than ye.” He wasn’t sad about our age difference, though. “It sets funny in me.”

“I know. I have a hard time thinking of you as anything but fourteen.” I ignored his comment about Mac’s eyes being for me, but my stupid heart started to beat faster.

Ian laughed. “Oh, I hope I’m much more grown-up.”

“Well, yes, but …to me you’re still sort of fourteen. Can you understand that at all?”

“I suppose it’s good to be forever young to someone.” He looked at me, inspected me. “I loved ye, ye ken,” he said as though it was no big deal.

My mouth fell open. I didn’t know how to respond. I hoped Maisie didn’t choose that moment to walk out into the courtyard.