Marti Talbotts Highlander Series 1 - Anna Rachel u Charlet

easily. He pried her away and got off his horse. Then he lifted her and plopped her down on the bare back of her own horse. “You will never do that again.”
    She shrugged, lifted one leg to the other side, settled herself and took hold of the horse’s mane. “As you wish.”
    He was back on his horse and headed off again before he realized she had just won the first battle. She wanted to ride her own horse and now she was. He ran his fingers through his blond hair and closed his green eyes.
    Ten minutes later when he looked back, she had both her hands on her head holding it. He stopped, moved her horse up next to him, leaned over and opened his arm. She didn’t hesitate to wrap both of hers around his neck and let him lift her into his lap. She lowered her arms and again folded her hands.
    He lifted her chin so he could see her face and noticed a tear roll down her cheek. “Does the pain cause your tears?”
    “I have never been injured before. My mother would know how to ease it; she helped my father when his face was hurt.”
    “What did she do?”
    “She put a cold cloth on it.”
    “Then we will do the same. We are not far from a loch and we will stop there for the night.”
    “May I touch you now?”
    His heart was beginning to melt and it was a new experience. He felt protective, caring and worried all at the same time. And for the first time in hi s life, he doubted his own self- control. He was supposed to protect her, not fall in love with her. Kevin was right, she had the power of a thousand Highlander warriors all wrapped up in one little tear. He cupped his hand around her head and gently put it against his chest.

    Blair and Charlet got to the loch a little sooner than he expected. He halted the horses, lifted her down and then paid more attention to the horses than to her. He let them drink and then set them f ree to graze on the tall grass.
    She hadn’t said a word in hours, but she wasn’t crying or holding her head anymore. He noticed when she walked into the trees and wondered if she would try to run. But, it would get cold soon and whether she liked it or not, she needed his extra p laids and the warmth of a fire.
    The trees were even further apart than at noon and she was not pleased. She kept right on walking and expected him to come get her but he didn’t. She wondered if he bothered to bring any food. Then she heard something in the forest. She thought it was Blair and looked back, but he was still in the clearing building a fire. She couldn’t see or hear anything more, but just in case, she turned around and went back.
    He heard her and when she came back and stood behind him, he didn’t bother to turn around. “Go to the loch and wash.”
    She clicked her tongue in disgust and spoke in Gaelic, “You sound just like a husband.” She planned to go wash anyway, but she had a thing or two to tell him on the way -- in English. “You are a stubborn, mule-headed, horse’s rear end and the biggest lame brained man I have ever seen.”
    He had to walk quickly into the forest so she wouldn’t see him laugh.

    At the MacGreagor hold, the sun was almost down. Connor put Kenna on a horse and handed her a bundle filled with Charlet’s belongings. “Keep your head down. Let them think you are too unhappy to look at anyone.” She n odded and he mounted his horse.
    He noticed a few people were starting to come down the path and knew he needed to hurry. He urged his horse to gallop and as soon as they were across the drawbridge, the guards began to raise it. Once they were out of view, he turned their horses into the forest and took the long way aro und until they were behind the K eep and not too far away from the hidden door in the wall.
    “We will rest here. It must be very dark before you go back in.” He suddenly thought of something. “Do you know how to swim?”
    “Of course I do.”
    “Good. Kevin will be waiting on the other side of the moat to take you back inside,” Connor said.
    “What will you do?”
    “I will go back around and enter over the bridge. The guards will lower it, lads will come out to see what is happening and they will realize Charlet did not come back with me.”
    “Will they ask where she has gone?”
    “They might, but Kevin knows how to silence them without answering. Try not to worry, all will be well.”
    “I only worry about one thing; someone might take me thinking I am Charlet.”
    “We will not let that happen.”

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