Pushing him back against the blanket roll, she said, “What did I tell you? Stop moving, you stubborn man.”
Removing the dressing from his side, she was amazed at how good the wound looked. She wiped off the cream Lara had given her but decided not to replace it with more. “I’m going to let the wound dry out before redressing it.”
“Aye.”
He sat up and examined his injury. “Ye have saved me life, Abigail. I thank ye.”
“Don’t thank me yet.”
She picked up the bowl of broth and began to spoon feed him.
He took the bowl from her. “I can do that meself.”
Once he’d finished, she tried to give him more of the herbal tea.
“Nay. I don’t need that witches’ brew any longer.”
“I think you do. Drink it.”
“Nay.”
Abby couldn’t believe how childish he was acting. “If you don’t want to relapse, you’ll drink the darn tea.”
“But it is hideous.”
She smelt it and screwed up her nose. “Well, yeah, but it’s good for you. Now drink.”
He cocked his head and made a face. “Only for you, angel.”
She was going to tell him not to call her an angel again but decided now wasn’t the time for any more arguments.
As soon as he finished the tea, he fell into an exhausted but peaceful sleep. Abby was amazed at the rate of his recovery. He was incredibly strong.
She put on her cloak and collected the herbal shampoo-like stuff Mary and Lara had given her. Excited to finally bathe, she couldn’t wait to use the amazingly perfumed shampoo all over her entire body.
Sunlight lit up the grounds around the house. She tipped her head back and smiled. The sun warmed her face, but only slightly. She hoped it stayed out while she washed in the stream. She figured she had some time before Iain woke up again.
When she’d finished and made her way back to the house, she felt the cleanest she had since she left her family home. She hummed as she pulled on her clean underwear. Even her dirty skirt and vest couldn’t stifle her mood. She was clean, Iain was on the road to recovery, and they would soon be on their way to get her orb back.
She’d only just sat down again when Iain opened his eyes. “Hello.”
His voice was harsh from dryness, but Abby had never heard anything so beautiful. Although he was still weak, he insisted he was strong enough to go outside.
He swung his legs over the side of the bed and, pulling a blanket around his waist, he stood up.
He seemed so much taller under the low ceiling . . . and wider. His arm muscles flexed as he tightened his grip on the blanket. Abby’s eyes popped wide, but she caught herself and averted her face. Whisking his cream shirt off the floor where she had it drying, she kept her head turned as she jabbed it in his general direction.
“I don’t need that.”
“You do if you want me to stay here.”
“Och. Have you never seen a naked man before?”
“I’ve seen plenty.”None like you, though.She turned her back to him. “Just put the shirt on, will you?”
He took it from her hand. “You can look now.”
She turned. He stood tall. The shirt fell to his knees, and Abby couldn’t help her gaze sliding down to his feet and back up again. Were all Highlanders so big? If he was in her time, he would be cast as one of the Greek gods in those fantasy movies. Thor, maybe.
