Katherine woke up early and padded to the kitchen. She’d slept surprisingly well, with Tiger curled up on the pillow beside her, his soft rhythmic purr lulling her to sleep.

She opened the shutters and peered outside, pleased to see the sun was shining and all traces of the fluke snow storm were gone. A warm breeze caressed her cheek and gently lifted her hair. It looked like a perfect day to explore outdoors, she thought, and maybe even do a bit of gardening.

When she was a child, she loved spending the weekends with her grandmother, working in the garden, and going for long nature walks. Grand lived in a lovely country cottage in a small town on the outskirts of Boston. She grew her own vegetables on her two-acre lot, and took great pride in having the most beautiful roses in the county. While she had not excelled when it came to her culinary talents, Katherine did take after her grandmother when it came to growing plants.

During her initial exploration of at Glen Heather when she’d glanced out the window in the sitting room, she’d immediately noticed the gardens were overgrown and in need of some T.L.C. The one with the small stone cross — the grave of Catriona Grant — was where she’d start first. After reading the journal and upon learning she’d likely been named in honor of her ancestor, Katherine had developed a sentimental bond with her deceased relative.

After eating a quick breakfast of cold cereal, some sliced bananas, and brewing herself a cup of the same delicious coffee she’d had yesterday, Katherine was ready to get her day started. She selected a plain ankle-length leine and a wool skirt from the trunk in Agnes’s room. As soon as her week was up and she could leave the estate, she needed to find a phone and contact the airport about her luggage. If still missing, a trip to the department store was in order. While it was novel to dress the part of a Highland country maiden in her aunt’s clothes, she missed her jeans and cotton blouses, and the thought of washing her bra and lone pair of silk panties every night would get old, fast. Decent undergarments were something her aunt was sorely lacking. She hadn’t noticed any in the trunk.

As she got dressed and braided her hair, Tiger amused himself by stalking a dust bunny, then chased it across the plank floor and under the bed. If nothing more, her little feline friend was entertaining. “Let’s go, buddy, time to do some exploring. Maybe you can show me around the estate, since you’ve been here a lot longer than I have. She laughed when he cocked his head to one side and pricked his ears as if he knew exactly what she’d said, and scampered out of the chamber toward the kitchen.

Before leaving the croft she grabbed a straw sunhat from a hook by the door and a pair of gloves for gardening. While most of the things Agnes owned were vintage, she did have a few more modern possessions, things like the gardening apparel and her china teapot.

The first thing Katherine planned to do when she got outside was to pull a few weeds. Once she’d tired of that and needed a break, she set out to see if she could find the stream she’d read about in Catriona’s journal and fetch some water. A wooden bucket she’d noticed on the porch would come in handy.

Katherine expelled a soft sigh when she thought about how different her life would be without Ayden and some of the other people she’d met in 1304 and grown fond of. She loved having a brother and hoped Warren was well and found happiness with the lass from the neighboring village. He deserved to be happy and loved. Lily always made her smile and together they were a team to be reckoned with. But perhaps she missed Cora most of all. She was close to her own mother and loved her very much, but Cora was like the mother everyone dreamed of having and every woman hoped to be. She was sweet and kind, and loved unconditionally. While she hadn’t known them very long, and still hadn’t quit learned to fit into fourteenth century life, she was learning, and her new acquaintances had become like family.

After spending a good two hours digging in the garden and pulling weeds, Katherine decided to take a break. She sat on a large rock, removed her gloves, and dragged the back of her hand across her sweat-soaked brow. The weather had certainly changed for the better since her arrival. It had actually turned out to be quite balmy. She tilted her face toward the sun and closed her eyes, soaking up the rays and the warmth. But her solace ended abruptly when a dark cloud passed overhead, blocking the sun.

She opened her eyes and wrapped her arms around herself, the feeling she was being watched again causing her to shiver.

“Soon, Katherine. I warned you.”

The voice came out of nowhere and sounded like a mournful sigh. Katherine sprang to her feet, frantically scanned the area in all directions. But her search came up empty. Aside from Tiger, she was very much alone. She chastised herself for being a fool and as the cloud moved off, so did her ominous mood and sense of foreboding.

“Time to get back to work, buddy, she said to Tiger and reached for her gloves, but the cat snatched one before she could scoop them up and ran down the path toward the woods.

“Come back you little scamp!” she shouted and chased after him. But the cat kept running, the glove in his mouth, and Katherine in hot pursuit. She followed him along the path until he dropped the glove, darted into a thicket, and disappeared.

“No mystery meat for you tonight, Tiger,” she called, then laughed when he poked his nose out from beneath a branch. Winded from the brief jog, Katherine vowed to get in better shape. Sitting behind a desk for hours had taken its toll.

Bending over at the waist, she sucked in a slow deep breath before reaching for the glove, surprised when it was no longer on the path. Instead, she saw on a pair of tan suede hiking boots in its place.

“Where you looking for this?” a man asked.

Her heart skipped a beat and her head shot up when she recognized his deep smooth voice. “Ayden?”

She couldn’t believe her eyes. She wanted to throw herself into his arms and hold on to him for dear life. She wanted to smother him in kisses, but instead she stared at him in disbelief, wondering if she was seeing things, or if he was really here. She studied him from top to bottom, his broad chest, narrow waist, rock hard abs, muscular thighs, and long sculpted legs that went on forever. But instead of trews, he was packed into a pair of tight Levis, and in place of his leine and padded gambeson, he wore a denim shirt that lay open at the neck. His raven hair was secured away from his face in a leather thong and where a day’s worth of stubble usually darkened his jaw, his face was smooth and clean shaven.

“I’m Adam MacAndrews,” he said smiling and handed her the gardening glove. “I believe this is yours.”

“Thank … thank you, she stammered. What were the chances she would meet a guy that looked exactly like Ayden? Too much of a coincidence, she thought, but she wasn’t about to call the stranger a liar.

“Happy to be of service.” He held out his hand. “And what’s your name, bonnie lass?”

Katherine.” She continued to gaze up at him in disbelief, but didn’t take his hand. “I’m Katherine MacDonald. Do you live around here?” She thought back to the day on the road where she almost hit the knight on the road. Perhaps this was the same guy. And while he looked like her knight, it could just be a family resemblance. How much she resembled Catriona was proof it could happen.

“Nice to meet you Kate.” He tucked his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “I’m staying at the castle on the estate next to yours.”

He bore a striking resemblance to Ayden, sounded like Ayden, but she couldn’t quite wrap her head around the fact he looked more like a model for Calvin Klein or GQ magazine than he did her knight-in-shining-armor. She gave her head a shake. As much as she wanted him to be Ayden, he couldn’t be. Not unless he was over seven hundred years old.

She missed Ayden so much, she was certain her eyes were playing a cruel trick on her. And if she stood the two men side-by-side, they’d not look alike. She offered him a hesitant smile. “Are you kin to the MacAndrews clan who built the castle?”

“You could say I’m a distant relative.” He glanced past her at the cottage. “And have you lived here long?”

She shook her head. “Not long. My aunt died a couple of months ago and I inherited her estate. I’m from New York City.”

He looked puzzled.

“You know, in the good old USA? Across the pond? My ancestors were Grants, but I was born and raised in the States.”

He nodded as if he understood, though she wasn’t positive he did. But it really didn’t matter. They were just two people who happened to cross paths, and she likely wouldn’t see him again. Suddenly feeling uncomfortable talking to a stranger in the middle of the woods, Katherine wrapped her arms around her middle and took a step back. “I guess I should get back to work. I have a lot of gardening to do.” She held the glove in the air, for lack of a better thing to do. It was nice meeting you, Adam.” She turned to leave, but he placed his hand on her forearm. A strange jolt of energy shooting up her arm.

“Do you have to leave?” he asked. “The weather is glorious and seems a shame to be working. I was at the stream, enjoying a day of fishing and sunshine, and in Scotland, we take advantage of sunny days. Besides, the meadow is one of my favorite places.”  

“Mine too,” she said softly.

“Would you like to join me there? The fish are biting and if lucky, maybe I can catch a few, and—”

“Um … oh … I don’t think so.” She cut him off before he could finish. She wanted to say yes. But after what she’d been through with Ethan, then losing Ayden, her heart had already been through the emotional ringer, and then some.

“Do you na like fish?” he asked, grinning.

“I do, but I really should get back to work. Thanks for the invitation. Maybe another day.”

 Tiger came out of the bushes and darted toward Ayden. Rubbing around his legs, he purred loudly.

He squatted and scratched the cat behind his ears, then glanced up at Katherine. “I was about to ask what a lovely lass was doing out wandering an estate this large on her own, but I see you have a wee defender here. I bet he would like some fish.”

Tiger responded a loud meow, then scooted down the path toward the stream

“Traitor,” she called after him. “He seems to like you, Adam.”

He rose to his full height and smiled. “Animals usually warm up to me. But in this case, I think it was the idea of fish that won him over. How about it, Katherine, will you go with me to the stream?” he asked again. “It is truly lovely at this time of year.” He reached out and lightly stroked her cheek, then withdrew his hand and took a step back. “But its beauty could never compare with yours.”

The minute he touched her face, her heart did a quick flip, her belly fluttering as if filled by a bevy of butterflies. Just like Ayden, he had a way of turning her inside out, and remaining aloof and objective was nearly impossible. Her head told her to keep her distance, that like before, this was a passing thing and could end without a moment’s notice. But as always, her heart told her otherwise. Before she realized it, she nodded her head. “I’d like that.”

~ * ~

Thrilled to have Catriona so close, he wanted to sweep her into his arms, to tell her how much he loved her. Instead he tamped down the urge to disclose all and would honor the deal he’d made with MacBain and Murray instead. He’d do everything in his power to court Katherine, to win her trust, and her heart, which given her hesitance, could be a challenge, and he had less than a day to do it.

He really couldn’t blame her for being guarded. She’d been whisked away from a life in her own tine period and dropped in another. That alone would be enough to make anyone wary. When he looked at Katherine, he saw Catriona, but he knew MacBain and Murray were right. They were very different from each other. And so far what he’d gotten to see of Katherine, he liked very much.

“Shall we go?” He held out his hand, pleased when she accepted the offer, and together they strolled toward the stream in silence. He could think of no better place to stir passion’s fire than one where he and Catriona had spent so much time in their youth, where they’d kissed for the first time, and vowed their never-ending love for each other. If that didn’t work, he’d take her to the caverns. Perhaps visiting the place they’d married and made love for the first time would ignite the spark he sought. He didn’t know how much, if anything, she remembered about her trip to the past. MacBain told him it was different for everyone. When he was in his own time, he didn’t recall his trips to the future, but when in the future he could remember both. He was sure he saw a flicker of recognition in her eyes when they met, so hoped her memory of both the past and future were good.

As they left the path and entered the meadow, Katherine stopped and yanked her hand free. “I love this place.” Her eyes were wide as she turned full circle, taking in their surroundings. “I’ve visited it so often in my dreams, it feels like home.”

“In your dreams?” he asked.

She lowered her gaze, her cheeks suddenly flushed. “I know it sounds silly, but from the time I was a little girl, I’ve had dreams of a place like this, or one that looks exactly like it and a—” She paused and held up her hand, grinning. “Now this part is really going to sound odd. I dreamed of a place exactly like this and a knight who looked a lot like you.”

He wanted to jump for joy at her words, but he maintained his composure. “I dinna think it silly. When I was a lad, I too dreamed of meeting a lass who looked very much like you. Perhaps the fates have seen fit to bring us together.”

“Perhaps.” She nibbled on her bottom lip.

“Do you believe in fate, Katherine? That people can be destined to meet and belong together?” he asked.

“I didn’t used to believe in such thing, not until recently,” She said softly. “Sometimes it takes something or someone very special to make you believe in the impossible.” She wrapped her arms around her middle and stared at the stream.

“And you found that person?” He wasn’t sure he wanted to hear the answer. If she was thinking of him, he’d be thrilled. If her heart belonged to someone in her own time, he’d be devastated.

“I thought that I had.” She released a shuddered breath. “We loved coming here together. It was our secret place to meet.”

“Does he have name?” he asked.

She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. Our lives crossed briefly and what little time we had together was wonderful, unlike anything I’d ever known or could imagine. But it ended and there is nothing I can do to change it.” A tear rolled down her cheek and she scrubbed it away with her fist.

It gutted him to see her cry. He wanted to pull her into his arms and comfort her, but he was afraid if he was too forward too fast, he’d frighten her and ruin his chances of finding his forever happiness with her. “You obviously cared about him very much. If you had the chance would you go back to him?”

“In a heartbeat, but it’s not that simple.”

“Anything is possible if you put your mind to it.”

She chuckled. “I’m afraid there are a few things, that no matter how hard you try, it remains unattainable.”

“Do you have an example?”

“Going to the moon,” she said and laughed, and ambled over to the large oak tree at the edge of the meadow and sat on the grass.

He cupped a hand over his eyes and gazed up at the sun. “It will be soon time for the noonday meal.” He went to the stream and tugged on a line, pulling four fat trout from the water. “I caught these before I ran into you on the trail. They’ll make a fine lunch.”

“I’d hate for you to go to any trouble,” she replied quickly.

“No trouble at all. I’ll start a fire. I need to fetch some wood and will be right back,” he said, and brushed his knuckles across her cheek. He was pleased when she smiled and didn’t shy away. For him, it felt so natural to touch her and he hoped she felt the same.

After gathering some wood and bits of dry tinder, he quickly returned to her side and set what he collected afire. “I’ll have these cooked up in no time. Are you hungry?” he asked, and opened a canvas sack from which he produced some cheese and bannock, then untied a wineskin from his belt and handed it to her. “Or perhaps some of this. It will warm you from the inside out,” he chuckled.

She sipped from the wineskin, then took a piece of cheese and popped it in her mouth. “This is very good.”

He squatted beside her, afraid if he sat next to her, he’d pull her to his chest and ravage her mouth until she surrendered and agreed to make love with him. While he may no longer be in his time period, he remembered vividly what it had been like to bed her in the past. He knew if he were to unleash his passion, he would never be able to rein it back in. He promised himself he’d take it slow, court her properly, and earn her trust. But with her so close and smelling like heather and sunshine, it wasn’t going to be an easy task.

He stood and moved toward the stream, putting a bit of distance between them. “Have you ever noticed how when the sun hits it just right, the water sparkles like precious gems as it crashes over the rocks?” He then glanced skyward. “Or how the trees sway in tune with the breeze, almost as if they are dancing together?”

Smiling, she stood, then joined him. “You have quite a poetic way of seeing things. The heart of a bard, I believe Catriona called it in her journal.”

“Catriona?”

“Um … she’s a friend,” Katherine replied, and quickly glanced away.

He hooked his finger under her chin and lifted it until their eyes met. “Did you know Catriona means Katherine in Gaelic?”

She offered a hesitant nod and visibly swallowed hard, her gaze never leaving him. “Yes. I am aware of that,” she said on a strangled breath.

“A lovely name for a lovely lass,” he murmured softly, then dipped his head and brushed his lips across hers.

To his surprise, she slipped her hand in his and kissed his cheek. But rather than acting on impulse and desire he squeezed her hand and took a step back. “The world is full of many wonders and miracles, if you take the time to look and listen.” He gave her hand a gentle tug. “Come, there’s much for me to show you.”

They spent the entire afternoon together, laughing and exploring. She told him about her childhood, learning to ride a horse, her lessons in Gaelic, the time she spent at her grandmother’s farm and something called summer vacations at the lake. He had never heard of this vacation before, but anything the involved sleeping under the stars and cooking over an open fire sounded great.

He was equally fascinated when she told him about a place she referred to as University. A large building where scholars teach and anyone, even women, can study. And a job was a place where both men and women went to earn coins. And while he didn’t understand a lot of what she said, it really didn’t matter. She was sharing details of her life with him and they were together. Ayden could not remember being happier. He was in his favorite place, with the woman he loved at this side. He’d found his Catriona, but was falling in love with Katherine. And all was right with the world, so right, he forgot himself, drew her into a tight embrace, lowered his mouth to hers, and kissed her.

She stiffened at first and planted her hands on his chest as if she might try to push him away, but to his relief, instead of slapping him she clutched his shirt and returned his kiss with equal enthusiasm.

After a few moments entwined in each other’s arms, hands roaming in a heated frenzy, tongues exploring, she broke the kiss and eased out of his embrace.

“We need to slow down, Ayden.”

She called him Ayden and not Adam, which to him was an excellent sign and filled his heart with joy.

“I’m sorry if I led you on.” She lowered her gaze and twisted her hands in her lap. “And I don’t mean to send you mixed signals as to what I want or expect. I won’t even try to deny the insane attraction I feel right now. And after what we shared in the past, I find it hard to keep from ravaging you,” she said, grinning, a blush coloring her cheeks.

“You know?” he said, grinning.

“I was pretty sure when we met and you told me your name was Adam. But the first time you touched me and I felt that spark, I was sure. I cannot be near you and not feel alive and on fire. But that doesn’t mean I am ready to jump in the sack. We need to take our time. It hurt too much to lose you Ayden. And my heart cannot take another beating.”

He brushed his knuckles across her cheek. “I understand. Both your need to go slow and the strong urges you feel when we are together, because I feel them too, and they are getting stronger all the time.”

“What I don’t understand is why you felt you needed to pretend to be someone else. Did you think I didn’t love you enough or wouldn’t love you in this time?”

“It’s a long story and I promise to explain, but na now. I want to enjoy the rest of the afternoon and together. There is still so much for us to learn about each other.”

“When we were in the past, it all seemed different somehow. There, it was like I was a different person, a stranger to myself, if that makes any sense. Things were less complicated than they are here.” She released a heavy sigh and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “There it was like being reborn, a new life in a new place. Here, I have a past, but it’s a recent past, Ayden, and not a very successful one when it comes to my relationships with men. Because of that, I am wary of getting involved with anyone. There are things about me, about my life you don’t know.”

He hooked his finger beneath her chin and gently lift it until their gazes met. He could see the change in her expression and the way she carried herself. He detected it in the tone of her voice and the way she suddenly found it hard to look him in the eye. He could actually feel the tension building as she spoke. He only wished he knew what troubled her so and a way to ease her mind — aside from taking her in his arms and making love to her.

“There is no need to explain, mo ghraidh, but if you want to talk, I’ll listen.”

“I came to Scotland to visit the home of my ancestors, but also to get away from someone. I was engaged, to a very wealthy man who turned out to be a violent brute. He actually reminded me a lot of Ewan MacConnery, in an ironic sort of way.”

“He hurt you?” Anger ripped through his gut and he fisted his hands at his side. The thought of anyone threatening or hurting her was something he could not bear to think about.

“Yes he hurt me, but only one time. That’s because the first time he beat me, I vowed would be the last,” she said. “Things are different here than in your time. Men do not have the right to hit their wives, their children, or anyone as far as that goes. Women are not property, they have a say, a vote, and many live happy, fruitful lives and never marry.”

“I see nothing wrong with that. And while it may be considered acceptable in my time, I would never strike a woman or bairn,” he swept the pad of his thumb across her lips. “I would never hit you for any reason.”

She grabbed his hand and kissed his palm. “I know you wouldn’t. But having been through it once makes it harder to believe, to trust. I didn’t think Ethan would strike me either. Until one night when he had too much to drink and lost his temper with me and his best friend. He accused us of having an affair and it wasn’t true. But he was too drunk to care.”

“I’ll kill the blackguard if ever he touches you again,” he vowed. He only wished for one minute alone with the bastard and he would never strike another woman again.

“Ethan Cochrane turned out to be a very jealous man. We had a horrible argument and he hit me several times before coming at me with a fireplace poker. I was sure he was going to kill me, but his partner, the man he shares his business with, happened by and intervened. George got between us and quickly turned the tables—Ethan now exchanging blows with a man who was equal in size.” Tears ran down her checks, but when he move to console her, she held up her hand and shook her head.

“How long ago did this happen?”

She sniffled and scrubbed her fist across her damp cheeks. “Three days in present time. Two months in yours,” she said. “After the fight, George suggested I put some distance between me and Ethan, giving him some much-needed time to cool off. I’d recently inherited Glen Heather from my great aunt so it was the perfect place to hide out.

“Unfortunately, getting away from the memories is not that easy. I’ve had some pretty messed up dreams about him, including one where I killed him when he attacked me.” She wrapped her arms protectively around herself, a shudder racking her body. “He said he’d track me down if I ever left him, and if he finds me, there is no telling what he might do. If he sees us together. He’ll kill you. So you can see, I am in no shape to get involved with anyone, not until I can learn to trust and get my life back. Things are such a mess, and—”

When he tried to pull her into his embrace, she stiffened and backed away. “I’ll protect you, Katherine. Better yet, come back with me to 1304. It’s where you belong, Catriona.

She shook her head and backed away. “No. I can’t let you get involved. You don’t know what a tenacious bastard Ethan can be. I won’t let you risk your life for me.” She was trembling, her eyes darting in all directions. “I am not sure he hasn’t already found me. I’ve had a feeling someone was watching me, and when I was in the garden, I heard a voice. He’ll come for me, I know he will,” she said, her voice quaking. When a loud noise startled her, she turned and darted down the path toward her cottage.

He caught up with her and took her in his arms. “What he did is inexcusable. To hit a woman is a crime that should be punishable by death. I’m just glad you got away.” He hugged her tightly and stroked her back until she stopped sobbing and he felt her relax in his arms. “I will escort you to your cottage, then I’d suggest you take a nap. You need to rest.”

When the door closed, Ayden’s heart sank. He needed to convince Catriona of his love and that she could trust and rely on him, now and forever. But this was not the right moment, nor would it be as easy as he’d hoped. She needed some time to think, but hopefully not too long. His time here would be over soon. He thought again about the question the druids asked him about loving Katherine, and not just the memory of Catriona. He could now answer without a doubt. Yes.