Chapter 1
Abeautiful woman alone in the woods was the last thing he’d expected to find on his morning walk. The fact that he knew the woman, and she was hundreds of years away from where he’d last left her, was almost unbelievable. Almost, but not completely. Because as crazy as it seemed, he knew better than to doubt the possibility that Maggie MacKinnon stood before him looking as beautiful as he remembered.
“Hello, Dylan.” Her voice sounded sweet to his ears. A coy smile danced across her lips.
“Is it really you?” He had to be sure he wasn’t hallucinating. Maggie had become an obsession for him. He hadn’t been able to get her out of his thoughts, not since he’d last seen her, five hundred years in the future. The day he left, he had kissed her soft, warm lips and vowed to himself that he’d be back for her. He’d regretted leaving her, every moment since. The fact that he’d only known Maggie for a few short days didn’t matter. He’d known from the first moment he laid eyes on her, that this was the woman who he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Itwould come as a shock to anyone who knew Dylan, and it was an even greater shock to himself, to discover he wanted to leave his perpetually uncommitted status behind—especially since he’d never truly been in love before. And now here he was, ready to give it all up for a woman he’d met only briefly at The Thistle & Hive Inn in Glendaloch.
“Of course ’tis me, you silly man. There arenae two of me,” she teased. Her sweet Scottish accent danced in his ears.
The last person he’d expected to see on his daily walk was Maggie, and the impact of her sudden appearance found Dylan staring at her with a dumbfounded expression.
“Well, are ye going to greet me properly, or are ye going to stand there all starry-eyed?” she asked.
“I’m sorry. I’m just so surprised to see you.” Dylan closed the distance between them and leaned in to kiss her cheek. She smelled of honeysuckle and roses, and her silky red hair caressed his face softly as he lingered there for just a moment, his hand resting gently on her arm. He took her hand and smiling brightly, tried to clear his head of the cobwebs making it hard to think. “Did you walk here on your own?” he asked, looking around to see if anyone had accompanied her. He couldn’t believe her aunt and uncle would allow her to travel here alone.
“No, of course not. I mean, I came on my own, but I certainly didnae walk here.” She made a funny face and rolled her eyes at him.
“Oh, I see. Witchcraft?” he asked. Shewasa witch, so it only made sense.
“You could say that.” Maggie seemed quite pleased with herself, a satisfied smile on her face.
“Well it doesn’t matter, because I’m excited to see you.” Dylan wasn’t certain he should let her know just how happy he really was. Would that scare her away? He didn’t know her particularlywell and he wasn’t very good at this kind of thing. He was more of a ‘love ’em and leave ’em kind of guy. Maggie was the first woman he’d met who piqued his curiosity enough that he had actually cared about seeing her again. A redheaded beauty with sparkling green eyes, she was dressed in a simple green gown and wore a brown velvet cape and hood. She truly was a sight for sore eyes. “We should get you back to the castle,” he said, his eyes never leaving hers. “Chester,” he called to his dog. The big black Rottweiler came charging through the trees, tongue lolling from the side of his mouth, and stopped right in front of Dylan. “Look who I found, boy,” Dylan announced.
“Hello, Chester,” Maggie said.
The dog turned and approached Maggie cautiously. He appeared confused, which Dylan found surprising. Chester generally displayed one of two reactions to people—he knocked them over in excitement, or he growled with his hackles raised. There really wasn’t any middle ground. At least there hadn’t been, not until this very moment. Chester sniffed Maggie’s outstretched hand and whimpered slightly, backing away.
“That’s strange,” Dylan observed. “I’ve never seen him do that before.”
“Mayhap he doesnae recognize me,” Maggie offered.
“Yeah, that’s probably it. You’re out of context.” The last time Chester had seen Maggie was back in twenty-first century Glendaloch, where Dylan and his cousin Jenna had arrived to speak with Edna about sending them both back to the sixteenth century so that Jenna could be reunited with Cormac, the love of her life. Upon arriving at the inn, they met Maggie, and Dylan was smitten right from the start. Much to his surprise, Chester was practically hiding behind Dylan now. “Come on, Chester. It’s just Maggie. Nothing to be afraid of.” Dylan had to admit, he was concerned by the dog’s reaction.
“Maybe it’s the magick,” Maggie offered. “Perhaps he can smell it.”
“Oh, yeah. I didn’t think of that. Of course, that must be it.” Dylan was still smiling brightly. “Shall we?” Maggie took his arm and he led her along the path, back through the woods. It wasn’t a long walk, but they had been sheltered by the trees and once they were out in the open, the castle became visible, looming large over the valley. They passed the small crofts that dotted the landscape leading to the gates and Dylan and Chester exchanged greetings with those who were outside, tending their plots.
“This is lovely,” Maggie observed. “Have ye been enjoying yer stay here, Dylan?”
Dylan stopped and surveyed the castle and the area around them. “I have. I wasn’t sure what to expect at first, but everyone has been so welcoming and I feel right at home here.”
“I suppose you’ve been learning to be a fine warrior,” Maggie stated, blatantly admiring his muscular physique. She ran a hand up his arm, settling her fingers on a flexed bicep.
“Learning… yes, but I’m a long way from being a fine warrior.”
“I doubt that. A big, braw man like yerself is sure to be good at everything he does.” He didn’t remember Maggie being such a flirt, but then again, he was certain there were plenty of things he didn’t know about her.
“Thanks,” Dylan said. He was feeling awkward with Maggie, which surprised him and had him off-kilter. When he had spent time with her in Glendaloch, it had been anything but awkward. On the contrary, their relationship had been easy and natural. They’d enjoyed an instant connection and gotten along like kindred spirits. That was one of the reasons she’d been on his mind so much. They had talked for hours and even in their silent moments, he had felt a deep bond with her. Where was that feeling? Had he been wrong about her? Maybe it wasn’t ashe remembered it at all. Maybe he was romanticizing the whole thing. Dylan was disappointed and mentally shook himself. Of course it was going to be odd to meet up with Maggie again.You haven’t seen her in weeks.Give it time,he told himself.
They walked through the gates and into the hustle and bustle of the inner courtyard. Out of the corner of his eye, Dylan watched carefully for Maggie’s reaction, but she showed no response. She didn’t seem in the least bit fazed by the medieval surroundings. She certainly wasn’t behaving like someone who’d just found themselves in a different century. Instead, she looked very comfortable.Odd,he thought. “Maggie, have you been here before?” he asked.
Before she could respond, Cormac’s voice boomed from the stables. “Dylan, there ye be! I’ve been searching for ye everywhere.”
“I was out walking with Chester and I came across an old friend.” Dylan gestured towards Maggie.
“Good day to ye, lass,” Cormac said. “Where have ye come to us from?”
“This is Maggie. She’s Edna’s niece,” Dylan said, by way of introduction.
