Five Years Ago
PAYTON STOOD IN the large kitchen of Gunnach Pharmaceuticals and turned on the water for tea. She had a busy day today, but Fiona Gunnach wanted to talk, and Payton always listened. And not just because she was a princess and the king’s sister. Fiona was often unwell and Kade insisted she come to the office at least twice a week for blood draws. They were desperate to find out what was wrong with her, and in the process, she and Payton had grown close, almost as close as sisters.
“Kade refuses to marry,” Fiona complained. “Angus and I can’t be bound until he chooses a wife.”
“Do you think this is the appropriate time and place to be talking about your brother’s love life?” Payton slid a cup of tea in front of Fiona then sat down at the table. “In fact, do you think it’s appropriate to be talking about your brother’s love life, period?” she whispered. “I think as king, he knows his own mind.”
Fiona scowled. “Maybe, but he doesn’t seem to know his own heart.”
“Fi,” Payton sighed. “He hasn’t found his mate.”
“So what?” Fiona complained. “I have.”
“I know, Fiona. I know that this is frustrating, but if Kade doesn’t wait for her, then how can he expect the rest of us to wait for ours? He leads by example.” She stirred sugar into her cup. “It’s one of the things that makes him a great king.”
“But it’s a stupid rule! It’s ridiculous that an ancient decree makes it impossible for me to be bound to Angus before my brother binds his mate.” Fiona ran her finger over the table. “Kade has the power to change that law, but he refuses.”
Payton smiled sympathetically. “I know, Fi. I’m sorry. Angus is anxious to bind you as well.”
“What about you? You have several admirers. Are you going to have a little fun before you meet your mate? Kinnon MacMillan for one would be a nice diversion.”
“Absolutely not.” Payton rolled her eyes. “Kinnon’s not quite right, Fi. He’s mean… and I think he might be doing drugs.”
“Okay, what about his brother, then?”
“Which one, Niall or Max?”
“Niall, duh.”
“Niall’s just a friend, who also thinks Kinnon’s on drugs, by the way.” Payton sipped her tea. “And I know for a fact Niall’s not my mate.”
“How do you know that?” Fiona asked.
Payton rolled her eyes. “He knows, and I trust that he’s telling me the truth.”
Since she wouldn’t definitively know who her mate was until she turned twenty-five, she had to rely on the word of the older men in her life.
Lately, Payton was beginning to feel as though Niall and Fiona were in on some private joke about Brodie where she was the punchline. “What’s your problem, Fi? You’ve been all devil’s advocate lately. Are you trying to tell me something without saying anything?”
“Like?” Fiona asked, a little too innocently.
“Nothing. Never mind,” Payton grumbled.
“Well, whoever your mate is, let’s hope he knows how to build a gazebo,” Fiona retorted.
Payton giggled. “Oh, you’re funny. That was years ago.”
Fiona raised an eyebrow. “Are you telling me you no longer want a romantic gazebo wedding?”
“I was playing make-believe. The Cauld Ane don’t do romantic gazebo weddings, Fi. We are bound and then we write our names in the book.” Payton shrugged. “Besides, I haven’t really given it much thought.”
“Oh, I can tell,” Fiona quipped.
“Ladies,” a deep, quiet voice came from the doorway.
Payton glanced up and her heart raced.
“Brodie!” Fiona squealed and made a run for him.
Payton rose to her feet, pressing on her stomach, willing herself to calm down, and took a deep breath in an attempt to bring her breathing under control. Brodie Gunnach had returned. He stood with his arms around his sister, a wide grin on his face, and then he looked at Payton. Her schoolgirl crush came back in droves, along with the hurt of his sudden disinterest and long absence.
He studied her. “Hello, Payton.”
She licked her lips and managed to remember a curtsy. “Your Highness. Welcome home.”
“Thank you.” Brodie set his sister aside. “I heard you and your father were working here now.”
Payton nodded, glanced at Fiona, and then focused back on Brodie. What did he ask again? Right. “Your brother assigned my father to business here… um… several years ago.”
“And Payton’s been here for about a year,” Fiona provided.
“Yes, right. About a year,” Payton said distractedly.
“You cut your hair,” Brodie observed.
Payton nodded as she touched her hair, now just below her shoulders. She’d cut it years ago and almost forgot what it felt like to have hair down past her waist.
“Doesn’t she look great?” Fiona said. “She’s nearly done with school as well. Duncan can’t stop raving about her.”
“Speaking of Duncan,” Payton said. “I should get back to work. I have a busy day.”
She set her cup in the sink and virtually ran out of the room and back to her desk. She fell into her chair and forced air into her lungs. Brodie Gunnach was back.
Just when she thought she’d come to terms with his sudden departure, and then the just as sudden stop in his correspondence, he returned. She’d originally chalked her emotions up to teenage fantasies of the handsome prince heading off to slay the dragon, and then when she found out he’d written to her, hope had surfaced. But when the letters stopped suddenly, and no emails had followed, she’d forced her hope down again. She didn’t know what the heck she was going to do now.
Her phone rang, causing her to jump. She took another deep breath and answered it. “Payton McFadden.”
“Good morning, Payton. It’s Connall.”
She smiled. “Well, hello, Connall. How are you this fine morning?”
Payton still found it difficult not to refer to Connall as “Your Highness,” but he’d insisted she call him by his given name and refused to respond to any other address.
“I’m well. Is Duncan in?”
Payton grabbed a pen and her notebook. “He’s at a lunch meeting at the moment. Shall I have him ring you back?”
“No, that’s fine. I just wanted to let you both know that Brodie’s back.”
“Yes, I know,” she said, a blush heating her cheeks.
“You do?”
“Aye. Brodie’s here. In the office.”
“Is he now?” Connall said with a chuckle.
“Yes. Um, I’ll let Duncan know you rang.” Payton cleared her throat. “And give him the message.”
“That’d be great. We’re having a welcome home party for Brodie this weekend at the castle. Would you please let him know? You’re invited as well, of course.”
“Thank you.” She scribbled the information down. “I’ll let Duncan know.”
“Thank you. Will you come?” Connall pressed.
“Uh, no, I can’t. Thank you so much for the invitation, but I have a previous engagement,” she lied.
“Well, that’s too bad. It would have been lovely to see you.”
Payton smiled. Connall really was a nice man. “Thank you. Some other time.”
“If anything changes, please feel free to come. It’s an open invitation.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Good,” Connall said. “On second thought, please have Duncan call me when he has a few minutes.”
“Of course.”
“Thanks. I’ll talk to you later.”
The phone disconnected and Payton set the handle on the cradle. She dropped her face in her hands and groaned.
“That’s not a good noise.”
Payton squeaked and jumped up, her chair slamming against the wall. Brodie stood in front of her desk. She hadn’t even heard him approach. She took a precious second to study him. His hair was shorter and a tiny bit darker, and he’d lost weight, but he was still just as gorgeous as she remembered. “Your Highness. Sorry. I didn’t see you.”
He smiled. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“That’s okay,” Payton stammered. “Duncan’s not here right now.”
Brodie cocked his head. “I’m not here to see Duncan.”
“Oh. You’re not?”
“No, lass. I’m here to see you.”
“What? Why?” She silently berated her familiarity. “Sorry. I mean… what can I do for you?”
“You can go to lunch with me.”
No, she couldn’t go to lunch with him. She’d lose the tiniest shred of dignity and sanity she was grasping if she spent any time with him. He’d left her, indicating he was uninterested, then wrote to her, but didn’t write again, and no follow up emails either, further reinforcing his disinterest. She couldn’t open her heart again just to have him break it. Some may call the refusal to have a simple lunch with a man overdramatic, but nothing about Brodie Gunnach was simple for her.
Payton picked up her notepad and pretended to read it. “I should really check with Duncan. We have a busy day.”
“I’ve already checked with Duncan. You’re free.”
“What?” Payton tried not to scowl, but she was pretty sure she failed, considering Brodie’s amused expression.
How dare he interfere with her work! He had no right.
“I mean,” she continued, “I appreciate the offer, but even if Duncan was kind enough to give me the time, I have quite a bit to get finished today that he may be unaware of.”
“Is that a no?” Brodie asked, surprised.
“I’m sorry… yes,” Payton said as she took her seat again. “It’s a no.”
Brodie seemed to stand there for ages, but finally turned and walked away. Payton let go of the breath she was holding and focused on her computer screen. She managed to respond to three emails before her phone rang and she saw Duncan’s cell phone number come up on the screen She picked up the receiver. “Hi Duncan. Is your meeting over already?”
“Not quite. Did you really refuse to have lunch with Brodie Gunnach?”
Brodie tattled on her?
“Refuse is a bit of an overstatement. I was unable to join him for lunch, because I have work to do,” Payton stressed.
“Work that I excused you from.”
“Oh.” Payton forced back tears. “Um… am I in trouble because I didn’t go to lunch with Brodie Gunnach?”
She constantly felt as though her job could be terminated at any time. Irrational, perhaps, but her father had pulled strings to get her in and she didn’t want to mess up the opportunity.
“No. Not at all,” Duncan assured her. “I’m just surprised.”
“Well, I felt I needed to keep my priorities straight, and having lunch with the prince would take away from my job,” she said, sounding a little more irritated that she meant to.
“You’re absolutely right. I apologize. Did you manage to put together the salary matrix for London?”
She forced herself to relax. An “all business” Duncan, Payton could handle. “Aye. It’s in your inbox.”
“Excellent. Do I have any messages?” he asked.
“Connall called to invite you to a party this weekend at the castle for Brodie. He asked that you give him a ring back when you could.”
“Okay. I’ll do that.”
“And Rònan had a question about some of the accounting numbers.”
“Okay,” Duncan said. “I’ll also give him a ring. Actually, would you mind transferring me?”
“Not at all. Just a moment.”
“Thanks.”
Payton waited for Rònan Fraser to answer the phone then patched Duncan through and hung up. Before she could dwell further on her strange morning, she saw Brodie striding purposefully toward her again.
“Come with me,” he demanded.
“What? Why?”
“Because I’m your prince and I’m telling you to.”
She bit back a retort and rose to her feet. He led her into Duncan’s office and closed the door. Payton stood against the wall as Brodie paced. “Why won’t you go to lunch with me?”
She tried not to scowl. “I already explained—”
“No. You told me something untrue.” He leveled a pointed stare. “I know for a fact you have time.”
She fisted her hands at her side. The arrogant, egotistical, narcissistic dictator!
“Well?” he pressed.
“Oh, sorry, is this the part where I’m allowed to speak?” she snapped, and then immediately lowered her eyes. Her mother would kill her for speaking to royalty in such a manner. “I apologize, Your Highness.”
With her head still down, she heard him approach and saw the tips of his expensive leather boots. She found her chin lifted and calmed instantly at his touch.
His blue eyes sparkled as he smiled at her. “Speak freely, Payton.”
She stepped away from him and shook her head. “I don’t think that would be a wise idea, sir.”
“I believe I gave you leave to call me Brodie.”
“Sorry.”
“Payton.” He sighed. “I asked you to lunch because I wanted to discuss something of importance with you.”
“Is that a request or a demand?” she mumbled.
“I’m sorry?”
“Nothing,” she said quickly.
Brodie dragged his hands down his face. “I think we should get to know one another.”
“You do?” she asked, trying in vain to force down her excitement.
“Aye.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Why?”
He crossed his arms and studied her for several tense seconds. “Because you’re my mate.”
“What? I am?” she squeaked, and turned to flee.
Before she could escape, he grasped her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Payton calmed instantly, any nervousness speaking with her prince disappeared with his touch.
“I know we still have five years before your Ár mökun, but my heart has already turned to you and I would like for us to get to know one another as we wait.”
Thank you so much for reminding me I have five years until my mating year, she thought in irritation.
Payton frowned. “I don’t know.”
“Why not?”
“Because, quite frankly, you have a habit of scaring the pants off me. What kind of mate does that?”
She held her breath. His touch apparently made her quite bold.
He frowned.
“Never mind,” she said. “I need to get back to work.”
“When have I scared you, love?” he asked.
His endearment sent a shiver up her spine. She pulled away from him. “It doesn’t matter.”
“It does to me.”
Payton forced a smile. “Look, Your High… I mean, Brodie. I’ve had all of two conversations with you, neither of which lasted as long as the one we’re having now. You’re a bit of a bull in a china shop and that worries me.” She bit her lip. “I’ve heard rumors of your temper and I’d rather not incite it.”
“Excuse me?” His eyes darkened. “What kind of rumors?”
Payton swallowed, forcing down her nervousness. “Well, you’re kind of… um… you’re scowling at me right now.”
His face softened. “And you’re frightened?”
“Well, no. Not really,” she admitted.
“Then tell me what’s been said.”
“No.”
“Bloody hell!” He walked out the door, leaving Payton alone and stunned in her boss’s office. She let out a frustrated growl and returned to her desk.
So much for him being her mate. Mates were supposed to want the best for each other. Angus couldn’t do enough for Fiona. She was always his priority. But Brodie? Well, Payton certainly didn’t feel like his priority at the moment, and she sure as heck hadn’t felt like a priority over the past five years.
When did her life go from uncomplicated to trying to swim through quicksand?
Oh, right. Several times since she’d first set eyes on His Royal Highness, Brodie Gunnach.
Just as she settled back in, he came storming back toward her. “Come with…” He paused and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. Would you mind if we continued this conversation? In private, please?”
“I really do have work to do, Brodie.”
He crossed his arms and nodded toward Duncan’s office.
Payton stood with a sigh. “Fine.”
She closed the door behind them and waited.
Brodie ran his hands through his hair and leaned against Duncan’s desk. “I’m sorry if I’ve ever frightened you, Payton. I know that I’m not always the best with words, but you must know that I would never hurt you.”
She studied him. Physically, she was safe, but emotionally? That was a whole different story. She chose to placate him, rather than get into an in-depth diatribe about how he made her feel on the inside. “I know you’d never hurt me, Brodie.”
He looked a bit like a lost little boy as he asked, “Are there really rumors that I’m a tyrant?”
“I never said tyrant.” She couldn’t stop a slight smile. “Just that you have a temper.”
“I’ve been gone for five years. I can’t imagine what you would have heard.”
Payton bit her lip.
“Payton?” he pressed.
She raised her hands in surrender. “Full disclosure?”
“Please.”
“Fine. But the information doesn’t leave this room.”
He nodded.
“You threatened my brother the night we returned to the clan.” She swallowed. “At the welcome home ball.”
“I did no such thing!” Brodie pushed away from the desk.
“Oh, really?” Payton challenged.
“Really. I simply explained to him that, in the future, he needed to be more protective of his sisters. It was unacceptable that he left you alone with me. He didn’t know if I was honorable or not, and he should have insisted you return to your parents with him.”
“He was thirteen! You are… well, you’re much older. And you’re a prince.”
“So?”
Payton raised an eyebrow. “So, we’ve been raised to respect royalty.”
“Not at the expense of your safety,” he snapped.
“Well, at the very least, you didn’t have to come down on him for arguing with me.”
Brodie raised an eyebrow. “I simply let him know that the tone with which he was speaking to you would not be tolerated.”
“My point exactly! He was a kid.”
“And you are my mate! He would have to learn eventually, and then was as good a time as any.”
“How was he… or I, for that matter… supposed to know you and I are mates?” she challenged. “You said nothing then and have said nothing for five years.”
“I couldn’t,” he grumbled.
“Or wouldn’t,” she argued. “You’ve had several opportunities to do so.”
“I was in an impossible situation.”
“Brodie,” Payton admonished as she threw her hands in the air. “I don’t think this conversation’s getting us anywhere.”
“Perhaps not,” he agreed.
“I should get back.” She forced a smile. “I really do have work to do.”
“What about lunch?”
“Perhaps we can do lunch next time you’re in town,” she said. “You just got home. Wouldn’t you like to settle in? Maybe spend some time with your family?”
“I’d like to spend time with my mate.”
Her stomach fluttered. Could she trust that he was telling her the truth? She didn’t really have a reason not to believe him, but she’d spent the better part of the last five years arguing with herself, forcing her hope for a life with Brodie far down in her soul. She wasn’t sure she wanted to let it bubble back up to the surface.
Payton sighed. “Right now just isn’t good for me, Brodie.”
He crossed his arms and stared at her. Finally he relaxed and nodded. “I understand.”
“Thank you,” she said, and walked back to her desk.
Brodie followed, smiling at her before heading back the way he came. Payton sat for several tense minutes, expecting him to find another reason to storm her desk, but when all she heard was the ticking of the clock on the wall, she logged back into her computer and focused on the items she needed to finish before the end of the day.
As she pressed send on an email to Duncan, her phone rang. “Payton McFadden.”
“Why aren’t you coming to the castle this weekend?” Brodie demanded.
Payton had to stop herself from banging her head on her desk in frustration. “Because I have other plans.”
“The only reason I agreed to this bloody party is because I thought you’d be there.”
Payton couldn’t stop an exaggerated giggle. “Brodie! Are you serious?”
“No. Not really.” She heard him sigh. “I just thought I’d see if manipulation worked on you. How am I doing?”
“It doesn’t work, but I do hope you have a lovely time,” she said.
“Will you please come?”
Payton shook her head. “I can’t.”
“Do you really have other plans, or are you simply trying to avoid me?” he asked.
She dropped her forehead into her palm. “Does it matter?”
“I would very much like you to come and spend the weekend at the castle, Payton. You’re the only one I care to spend time with, so if there’s any way you can adjust your schedule, I’d truly appreciate it,” Brodie said.
“I’ll see what I can do. No promises,” she said.
“Thank you, love. That’s all I ask.”
“I’ll talk to you later, Brodie.”
“’Bye, Payton.”
Payton hung up, forcing herself not to think about the way her name rolled off his tongue, and sank further into her chair. She’d experienced more drama in the last few minutes than she’d ever believed possible.
Her phone rang again. This time she checked the caller ID before answering. “Well, hello, Niall.”
“Hello yourself. What are you doing this weekend?”
“Why?” she asked, knowing this conversation probably wasn’t going to go well for her.
“Because Max and I have been invited to the castle. Brodie’s home.”
Payton rolled her eyes and forced herself not to groan out loud. “I did hear about that.”
“I figured. I think we should combine forces and go together,” Niall suggested.
“I kind of want to hang out at home this weekend, to be honest.”
“What? Since when? You hate being at home.”
She suddenly regretted confiding in Niall as much as she did. “This weekend’s just not good for me,” she said. “Okay?”
“Nope. Not okay. What’s really going on, Pay?”
“I just don’t want to be stuck at a party where I know next to nobody.”
“But you’ll know me,” he argued. “And you’ll know Fiona. Or are you nervous because Brodie will be there?”
“Why would I be nervous?” she asked.
“Because I know you.”
“Silly me for letting you get to know me,” she grumbled.
Niall chuckled. “I’m not taking ‘no’ for an answer. You’re coming with me. I don’t want to be stuck by myself with Max and whatever woman he’s shagging that day. If you come, I’ll have an excuse to stay at the castle instead of with him.”
Max lived in Inverness, close to the castle… and Brodie.
“Nye,” she sighed.
“Come on, Pay. It’ll be fun. Be my partner in crime.”
“We’re committing a crime now?” she retorted.
“Will you come if I promise to find one to commit?”
She forced herself not to laugh. “Niall, you are a bampot.”
“I know I am, but come anyway. Please?”
This time, she did groan out loud. “Okay, fine.”
“I’ll pick you up on Friday after work. We’ll go straight from there.”
“It’s a five-hour drive. Let’s go Saturday morning.”
“The king’s providing a plane.”
“Of course he is.” Payton saw Brodie all over this plan. “Convenient.”
“I know,” Niall agreed. “Okay, see you Friday.”
“’Bye.” Payton hung up and, realizing she wasn’t going to get any more work done, pulled up solitaire and tried not to think about Brodie Gunnach and his persuasive ways.