The Highlander's Time

wondering what she'd done wrong.
    She'd done nothing wrong except share hot sex with a man who continuously tore down the walls she'd built up around her heart. It just wasn't fair.
    Her ire grew in direct proportion to the number of hours Iaen stayed away. A silver lining in her anger was she finally got to the bottom of the Kevin and Charlzie debacle. After a heated discussion with her friend, she finally told Charlzie the truth. These men don't give a shit about birth control. They want babies .
    The expression on Charlzie's face was priceless. For the life of her, she couldn't get it through her thick skull that heirs and spares were important in the medieval times. Under orders to go home and explain to Kevin that the shot only lasted for a little while, Jenny turned to taking control of her life.
    She had the Keep buzzing before Iaen returned. The spare bedroom was refurnished. The holiday menu was planned to the last detail and all the linens were counted. With Elspeth by her side, Jenny chose the crockery that would be used for the high table, and got her seating chart formulated in her mind. Lila remained a wild card, but Father Thomas informed her Lila was spending some quality time with God and he didn't know when she'd return to the castle.
    Jenny didn't know what he meant or care by that point.
    All she wanted was to get at the object of her ire.
    She'd just handed Mary over to Patricia when he walked in. “Where the hell have you been?” The shout slipped out of her mouth so fast, she didn't have time to realize Iaen wasn't alone.
    Sending him a good glare to let him know she wasn't letting him off the hook, Jenny strode forward and offered the stranger her hand. “Hello.”
    “Aye, she's a spitfire for certain,” the stranger said.
    Jenny gritted her teeth and forced a smile to her lips.
    “From Ireland, you say?”
    “Aye,” Iaen said.
    Jenny didn't have a clue what they were talking about. “And you are?”
    “Laird Wulfson,” Iaen informed her. “He wishes to pay his respect to you, milady. Yesterday, a member of his clan shot at you.”
    “At me?” What the fuck?
    “I assure you, milady, the man has been punished.”
    “Thanks, that's good to know,” Jenny muttered. She held up a finger. I’ll never make sense of these people . The thought echoed in her head. “Why did he shoot at me?”
    “He listened to women's gossip.”
    That was an explanation? Taking the high road, Jenny tilted her gaze to Iaen, before centering it on Laird Wulfson. “No harm done to me.”
    “Laird Wulfson will join us at table,” Iaen said, a warning hanging in his simple sentence.
    “Welcome,” she responded, following Iaen's lead. “I'll go get you a snack.” She didn't wait to be excused. Instead, she hurried away. What the hell was going on? Rushing into the kitchen, Jenny motioned for Elspeth to join her. “Laird Wulfson is here.”
    “Aye, milady.”
    “I don't know what to do.”
    “Milady, let's fix a trencher of bread and cheese.”
    “Did you know Iaen—I mean, milord—was going to meet him?”
    “Nay. Milord is trying to keep the peace with his cousin. 'Tis a heavy task for him. The Wulfson is forever searching for greener pastures. With our shared border, 'twould make sense that he attacked Kincaid land. Milord worries for you, milady. Sending an arrow at you is an insult.”
    She'd learned enough about the Highland mentality to know an insult was a quick path to war. He'd sent her home for her own safety . The thought came out of nowhere and hit her like a ten-ton anvil. “And to think, I was mad at him.” How could I have been so stupid?
    “There, there, milady.”
    “Wait.” Jenny held out her hand. “What did Laird Wulfson mean by 'listening to women's gossip'?”
    Elspeth had the good graces to blush. “Lila.”
    “You mean, the guy who shot at me thought I was Lila?” Warmth of a masculine persuasion encroached on Jenny. “Uh-oh.”
    “Aye, wife . Would you care to accompany me to our chamber where you may speak your mind?”
    “Sorry, I was trying to understand.” Jenny turned and hugged him tight.
    “There is only one thing you need to ken. I will protect that which I care for.”
    “You care about me?”
    “Milady, I do not wish to repeat myself.”
    “I care about you, too.”
    “That, Jenny, is the right answer.”

    ***

    The Border, Spring 1112

    Laughter shouted across the meadow disturbing a nest of quail.
    “I'll never catch our supper if you