Chapter 4
Mia gnawed at her thumbnail, trying to pay attention to the romantic comedy on her computer screen. How had he found her so quickly? She never had any doubt he would eventually. He hated to lose and needed control over everything he considered his. But she thought she might have had at least a month of peace.
The second-hand couch that came with the house had a broken spring that jabbed her in the left thigh but she was too focused on her anxiety and tearing up her cuticle to move. It was a subtle reminder that she’d failed, though. Yes, she got away, got Kevin safe. She found a cute house in a friendly village and even found a job. No, two jobs! And now it was all gone.
She sighed deeply. There was no choice but to ride it out and fight. She simply didn’t have the resources to move again. Unless she and Kevin set up his little pup tent in the woods. Thinking of the tent made her think of her babysitter/bodyguard. He was adamant about sleeping in the garden if she felt at all uncomfortable about him staying in the house. He’d looked straight at her with his soulful green eyes, they’d seared right through her, really, and said he would die again before making her fearful or uncomfortable.
Well, Conall whatever whatever Alexander did make her uncomfortable. But not fearful, surprisingly. Whether or not she believed he was a ghost was moot to her just then. Either he was a ghost, which was definitely frightening, or he was a severely mentally ill man. Both prospects should have made her send him on his way, perhaps with a sandwich as a thanks for not killing them. But for some reason, she wasn’t afraid of him at all.
And the uncomfortable feeling he gave her. Now, that was embarrassing to admit. It wasn’t the way one would feel when a stranger had free range of your home. It was more a fizzy feeling that started deep in her core and traveled every which way like bubbles in a shaken soda bottle. The sound of his deep voice and rolling Scottish accent curled her toes and sent a red hot heat to her cheeks.
She should have been used to Scottish accents by now, and indeed, they’d never affected her before. Maybe it was his old-fashioned way of speaking as well. Maybe she just needed to admit she was attracted to the odd man.
After finally freeing herself from the seven year horror show that was her marriage— and that to a man she’d been supremely attracted to at first— she didn’t think she’d ever feel the tingles again. Not so soon. Not from a big, kilt-wearing madman.
The kilt-wearing madman walked past the living room entrance, laden down with laundry. He peeked over the pile of bed linens in his arms and smiled at her. Argh, there were those tingles again. Instead of letting her face do what it wanted, which was to return the smile, she frowned.
“What’s that all about?”
“Not to fear,” he said. “We had a bit of a problem with a bucket of water, but Kevin says ye have a miraculous drying machine I can put these in.”
She sighed, not needing any further explanation. Her son always wanted his games to be as realistic as possible, and that often included messy props.
“Was it boiling oil this time?” she asked.
He grinned widely, his eyes crinkling delightedly at her guess. “Aye, it was indeed. It was to get me to confess to being a traitor which o’course I never would do since I wouldna betray my laird. I dinna think the lad meant to drop the bucket. He felt verra sorry for it.”
“Hmm. Let me show you where the laundry room is.”
“Nay, lass. Dinna get up. Enjoy your wee screen. Kevin told me where it is and how to use it. He’s mopping up the floor right now.”
“Are you certain?” she asked, her bum half off the couch.
“Indeed. Relax yourself. I’ll put some supper on after I sort this, if ye’re hungry.”
Her stomach growled loud enough for him to hear at the word supper and he nodded briskly as if the matter was settled.
“Er, thank you,” she called after him.
“Nay, lass. It’s I who should thank ye, for helping me succeed in my quest,” he called back.
She sank back into the lumpy cushions, slightly dismayed at his new, strange proclamation. He had a quest now?
“Whatever,” she said, scrolling through her movie options. “Free babysitter who does laundry and cooks. I’ll take it.”
“I’m verra good at shoulder rubs as weel,” he said, poking his head back in the doorway and making her jump. Ghosts must have excellent hearing. “If ye like, that is. Ye do look a bit as if your shoulders are wanting to climb into your ears.”
“Erm, maybe.”
He grinned again and disappeared once more. A moment later she heard the soothing hum of the dryer. She forcefully lowered her shoulders and stretched. Her entire back was stiff and she realized her thumb was bleeding from where she’d chewed the cuticle to shreds. A backrub sounded heavenly. Especially from someone who had such big, strong hands.
Stop it, she inwardly shrieked.
Those big, strong hands were not for her. No matter how much she might want them. Which she didn’t. She sighed and chose an American film with aliens and ships. Nothing that would make her think of the intriguing Highlander in the next room or her vengeful ex-husband who was most likely on his way to Castle on Hill that very moment.
And yet she couldn’t keep her eyes from wandering to the hall, hoping Conall would continue walking past so she could keep getting glimpses of him.
***
The lad grumbled about giving up his newest game but Conall’s stomach grumbled louder. He greatly enjoyed the long forgotten sensation and wanted another hearty meal. Sadly, the cupboards and fridge were poorly stocked and it looked like he was going to have to make do with eggs again.
“Here’s a tin of beans,” Kevin said, holding it triumphantly over his head. “And one of peaches. They’re quite nice, good and slippery.”
Conall looked at the can with the brightly colored picture of peaches on the front and frowned.
“Ye’re no’ selling it verra weel,” he said, but took the can anyway and added it to his pile of foodstuffs. “Look at this mountain of food. We’ll be stuffed to the gills indeed.”
Mia wandered into the kitchen with a sheepish look on her face. “You really shouldn’t be doing all this work,” she said. “Let me cook. I couldn’t concentrate on the film I was watching, anyway.”
“Nonsense,” Conall said, pointing to a chair. “Sit your wee self down. Let us men handle it.”
“Actually,” Kevin said slowly. “Not to be mutinous but Mum does know how to do the grilled cheese.”
“Mutinous, eh? So I’m finally the captain of something?” Conall laughed.
“Certainly, since I’m not allowed to use the stove. Don’t get comfortable though. I’m the captain again as soon as supper’s done.”
“Kevin! Be more respectful, please. Conall’s an adult, remember.”
The dear lad’s eyes widened. “Sorry. I did forget for a bit.”
Mia gave Conall a long once over that clearly told him she hadn’t forgotten. His body tingled with desire at the smoky gaze. He grinned at her and her cheeks blazed. So she had been having the same line of thoughts as himself, then. Interesting. Very interesting indeed.
She pulled out a large frying pan and directed Kevin to fetch the butter and cheese. It was a rather unpleasant looking cheese, an otherworldly orange hue and wrapped in crinkling plastic.
“It’s his favorite,” she said somewhat apologetically. “And it’s cheap.”
Money troubles as well as a miscreant husband? His heart went out even further to Mia. He hadn’t done a good day’s work in more than two hundred years but he had a strong back. Perhaps there was work for him at the castle.
He slumped at the well-meaning thought, realizing he didn’t have enough time on this earth to help her financially. Soni could come for him at any time, wrench him away to some unfathomable afterlife. As the delicious smell of bubbling beans and searing butter filled his nose, he couldn’t help but think sorrowfully about leaving the earth at last.
He’d been wandering, lost and nearly senseless for so long, he’d jumped at the chance to finally be free to rest at last. More than jumped at the golden opportunity to have a few words with the prince he’d given his life for. And all for naught, as Scotland and its people had been all but decimated after that disastrous war ended.
He’d been one of the few ghosts who ventured into the visitor center at the moor. If his heart had still been beating, what he learned there would have certainly broken it enough to make it stop.
Yet now he wanted more than just the day or two Soni had promised. With the first one nearly over, he felt a clutching, yearning wish to have more.
“Bah, selfish and stupid,” he muttered.
“Beg pardon?” Mia asked, sliding three browned sandwiches onto a plate.
“Nothing, just my feeble mind unable to contain my thoughts,” he said.
He poured the beans into a bowl and put the slippery peaches on a plate and carried them to the table.
“Thank you mum, thank you, Conall,” Kevin said, digging into his meal as soon as it was in front of him.
“Wee savage, wait until your mother sits down at least,” he chided.
The lad stopped chewing and put his fork down, blinking impatiently at Mia. Conall couldn’t help it, he burst out into laughter at the small, comical face.
“You look like a hamster with your cheeks packed with seeds,” she said. She turned to Conall and smiled questioningly. “I don’t know why he listens to you so well.”
“I don’t know either,” Kevin admitted. “Were you a leader when you were alive?”
Mia’s mouth dropped open. “He’s alive now. Goodness.”
“But he was a ghost and he still has ghostly powers since you weren’t able to kill him.”
She rested her forehead in her palm and sighed deeply. “I give up. Tell him whatever you like.”
“I was in the cavalry,” he said without hesitation, glad she might finally believe him. “That’s horses, lad.” He chuckled when Kevin looked offended. Of course he would know what it was. “And I wasna a leader, just someone who believed in the cause.”
“What was your horse’s name?” Kevin asked, so caught up in the story his sandwich was forgotten.
Conall took a tentative bite of his own, crispy, greasy, grilled cheese and was pleasantly surprised.
“I can see why this is your favorite,” he said. “Verra savory.” At the lad’s impatient scowl, he continued his tale. “Dealanaich was my horse’s name, and a fine, spirited creature he was. I was sore to my bones to lose him, half-starved and run to his death in that horrible weather.”
“Why did you run him to death?” Mia asked, blushing when he turned to her.
He raised a brow. “Ye believe me now?”
“Well, no, I mean … Just tell your story now you’ve started it,” she said with a huff.
“I think she must believe you,” Kevin interjected. “I don’t think she’d ever in a million years let a strange man sleep over. But a ghost she might. Mum, seriously, just say you believe him.”
“I’ll not say any such thing. Stop being impertinent and let the man finish his story.”
Conall grinned as he looked back and forth between them. His own family dinners had been silent affairs, but of course that was a different time. His father was strict but never cruel. His mother worked hard from morning to night, keeping their small crofter’s hut clean, tilling their garden and caring for their chickens and goats. She’d been too exhausted at the end of each day to say much but she always gave him a kiss on the head each night and oversaw his prayers.
He’d been lucky that the laird of his clan had given him the chance to work with his horses. His affinity for the beasts would lead him to far better things than a crofter’s life. Or so he had thought. Perhaps he would have lived to be eighty had he stayed on the farm. But he’d never be able to be a part of this warm, lively family.
And who says ye’re a part of it? he wondered mournfully to himself. Ye must recall that Soni will be collecting ye soon.
Collecting him for far better things? He somehow doubted it. He tried to call up the satisfaction he would gain from crushing Prince Charlie with his fists and boots. But his anger wasn’t as fierce as it had been only hours before. The anticipation had also waned.
“Well, why did you run poor Dealanaich into the ground?” Kevin prodded, jerking him out of his reverie.
He smiled wistfully at the lad and shook his head. “Ah, ‘tis a sad tale that has a sadder ending. I’d much rather hear about your plans for that tree house ye were telling me about. I’ve never heard of anything so fanciful as a house in a tree.”
“But—”
“Kevin,” Mia said warningly. “Let it go if Conall doesn’t wish to speak of it anymore.”
She gave him a long look and he dipped his chin gratefully at her. If he only had hours left here, he didn’t want to waste them on the long ago past.
Kevin shrugged and immediately launched into great detail of what he wished for in a tree house. Mia laughed, saying their lone tree was far too small for multiple rooms and a tower.
“That’s where your fine imagination must come in,” he said, ruffling the lad’s hair. “What can a person do to get another of those delicious sandwiches?”
She jumped up, heading for the fridge. “Wash the pan,” she said with a smile.
“A better bargain I’ve never been offered.”
He wasn’t especially hungry anymore, he only wanted to fill the new, empty space he felt in his midsection at the thought he’d be leaving Mia and Kevin so soon.