No, he could not ask Abigail to have any part of that. So despair flooded through him at the same time he marveled that such a woman could love him. It was a precious gift, and he was determined to make the most of it, no matter how fleeting it might prove to be.
He was used to going without sleep and so he contented himself with holding her tightly, trying to memorize everything about her: her smell, the darker strands in her honey blonde hair, the freckles that peppered the bridge of her nose, the length of her eyelashes, the shape of her lips.
The day wore on, the sun moving across the sky outside, but nothing intruded on their refuge. He heard the dogs moving around and Bo scratched at the door to be let in but they didn’t raise the alarm. His thoughts churned as he lay there awake, trying to decide what to do next, how to get them out of this situation, how to save Abigail and keep his promise.
In the end, there was only one possible course of action. It would tear the heart out of him but there was no choice.
When the sun was starting to set, the strip of light beneath the door growing dimmer, he shook Abigail awake.
“Time to be going, love,” he said gently.
She sat up, blinking owlishly. “You should have woken me.”
“Ye needed the sleep.”
“So did you.”
He shrugged and began packing away their gear. Abigail joined him and in only moments everything was stowed.
“Are you going to tell me where we’re heading?” she asked him.
He glanced up at her from where he crouched tying the pack. “Where ye wanted to go all along, love. To yer friend, Layla, and to my brother, Cinead.”
Chapter 19
It was another long, long walk. The night was dark, with only stars to light their way but Abi knew that if Laird Campbell was indeed hunting them, then it was far safer to travel at night. And besides, she barely felt the miles in her legs and her feet seemed to fly over the ground.
The terror of the last couple of days had been left behind them in the bothy.
She was going to see Layla! Her friend was alive and well, and she would see her again in only a few short hours. And what’s more—Reid was coming with her! She’d soon be with the two most important people in the world.
Everything was finally starting to work out. When they reached Dun Calas and Layla, everything would fall into place. Reid would sort out his differences with his brother, they would end this strife between the Muir and Campbell clans, and everything would be well.
So she didn’t complain as they marched ever onwards, crossing the dark, undulating landscape of the Highlands. They ate as they walked and talked about inconsequential things. Reid told her about his childhood at Dun Calas in a wistful voice, about all the scrapes he used to get into as a boy, where all the best hideouts were and the best way to sneak into the kitchen to steal tarts and pastries from the cook. He didn’t mention his brother and Abi didn’t ask, not wanting to prod his sore spot.
For her part, she told him all about Layla, how they’d met at school, become fast friends through their shared love of music and remained friends ever since, even when their careers took them in vastly different directions. After that Reid asked her about the twenty-first century and Abi answered him eagerly, glad to be able to talk about it after so long keeping it all a secret. She was surprised how much a toll it had taken on her to keep things from him and now that she could speak freely, it felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
