She sighed, knowing she had to go after him. She shoved off the pew and followed him out into the yard, pulling the cloak tightly around her. He was charging across the green, heading for the stables. She hurried to catch up to him.
“Malcolm, wait.”
He spun to face her, his agitation clear. He had a look of expectancy as he peered at her, fire flashing in his eyes. Chloe stopped short, leaving several feet between them. She pulled her cloak tighter around her frame as the wind pounded her. She floundered for a moment for something to say. The last thing she wanted to do was make him angry. He had saved her from Bruce, after all.
“You didn’t finish giving me the tour.”
His shoulders relaxed and all the fight went out of him. “Do ye wish to resume then?”
She nodded. “I do.”
“What would ye like to see next?”
He moved closer to her. She marveled at the heat radiating off his body. Her gaze flickered to the stables where there was a lot of activity. Perhaps if she petted a few horses, it would get her past her innate fear of the large creatures.
“How about the stable?”
He grinned and held his hand out to her. How could she resist? She slipped her hand in his, a zing of elation sweeping through her. She liked her hand in his.
“Do ye like horses, then?” he asked.
The obvious answer to that wasnobut she didn’t want to tell him that. She tried to sound neutral when she answered.
“Truthfully, I’ve never been around them. They scare me a little.”
That made him stop walking and turn to face her, surprise evident on his face. “Why?”
“Because they’re so big.”
He chuckled. “They are gentle animals. They wouldna harm ye.”
They resumed walking hand in hand to the stable. Inside, there were several stalls. As they entered, one gray-faced horse popped its head out as if curious to see who arrived.
“That’s Mist,” he said, nodding to the horse. “Yer sister’s horse.”
“She has a horse named Mist?”
More surprising things about her sister she didn’t know. It seemed rather fanciful for Evie.
They hadn’t spent much time together, so it wasn’t like Evie had had a chance to catch her up on everything that had happened since her arrival. By her calendar, Evie was missing for a few days. But it appeared to Chloe she had been here, in the past, for weeks. How odd that was.
“Aye.”
He tugged her toward the horse, who snorted in greeting. He patted her nose affectionately.
“She’s a sweet thing.” He said it with a smile in his voice. The horse nuzzled his hand, as if looking for treats, which made him chuckle. “She likes apples.”
“Does she?”
He released her hand and moved deeper into the stable, disappearing into one of the stalls. He returned with two red apples and handed her one.
“Go on,” he said, nudging her toward the horse.
“I don’t know.” She hesitated, peering at the apple as if it were a foreign object she didn’t want to take.
“Och, she willna hurt ye. See?”
He held the apple in the palm of his hand and stretched it toward the mare. She took it from his hand and chomped on it as if it was the best treat she’d had all day. He extended the second apple to Chloe.
