“I guess we daenae really have a choice, do we?” she called back, using her hand as a shield against the wind. Debris was flying everywhere as gusts of wind shook the trees around them.
“I’m afraid nae,” Callum said, ushering her in first before firmly shutting the door behind him.
“I will check to see if there are any supplies in here,” Eleanor lowered her voice slightly as she entered the slightly more comfortable cabin.
“Aye,” he replied. “Good luck with that, lass. I’m goin’ to find safety for the horses. “I think I saw a shelter nearby that will do.”
They exchanged looks for a moment before Callum rushed back outside.
The horses were patiently waiting for him outside the door just as fat drops of rain began to pelt the earth.
He pulled on the reins to get the horses to heed his command. They neighed restlessly, but he managed to get them to a sheltered spot behind the cabin that would ensure they were warm.
Looking up at the sky, he noticed the storm clouds gathering for a full-scale invasion. For a brief moment, he imagined what the night was going to hold for him. What was it going to be like, spending a night with Eleanor? They had been alone before, but never to sleep, and never overnight.
A burst of thunder shook him back to reality, and he rushed back into the cabin. Once inside, he was surprised to find that Eleanor had started a fire.
She paused over the hearth and looked up at him. “I was looking for anything we could use to keep us warm, but it seems like there is nohitn’ more than the fire, I am afraid,” Eleanor said, rummaging through the cupboards.
“Thank ye for ligthin’ the fire,” he failed to keep the surprise from his voice.
Her head quickly snapped in his direction as she glared at him. “Me father didnae raise a damsel in distress,” she replied. “Besides, I thought I would do somethin’ useful while ye enjoyed some fresh air.”
“Oh yes,” Callum rolled his eyes. “Nothing like a breath of fresh storm air while I am making sure our horses are safe… Ye should try it sometime,” his words dripped with sarcasm even to his ears.
Her smile tilted slightly to the side, a habit he had noticed whenever he was teasing her. “I wouldnae want to make ye feel completely useless now, would I?” She smiled and turned her attention back to the fire. Eleanor was nothing like all the women of the highlands. She was equally beautiful and feisty. This fact intrigued him more than he cared to admit.
Something strange tugged at his chest when it seemed as if she were looking straight through him. “I think we should stop bickerin’ and make ourselves comfortable for the night.
Eleanor simply nodded and turned her back on him as she went about her business, stoking the fire.
The cabin was warm after the fire had been lit, and Callum was grateful that they had stopped for the night. He sat looking through the window, watching the storm beat the Scottish Highlands that spread out before them on the horizon with relentless fury.
Eleanor sat opposite him, her eyes fixed on an empty gaze as the thunder lit up the reflection of her face on the glass.
Callum wondered what was behind her eyes. What had turned her into this irresistibly boisterous lass that he was trying with all his might to resist?
“This reminds me of home,” she broke the silence. “Whenever a storm hit, father would boil some water for tea, and Andrew would gather some wood to make a fire. Then we would just sit and tell each other stories, as we drank our tea and ate some bannocks.”
“What I wouldnae do for some tea and bannocks right now,” Callum said dreamily, wondering what stories she would like to hear him tell.
“What does this storm remind ye of?” She asked. “Other than yer immense hunger and thirst right now?”
He eased one of his legs up, pulling it toward his chest as the other hung over the crate he had shifted toward the window as a seat. “Nothin’ in particular,” he laughed.
Is she trying to get to ken me now?
Callum was bewildered by her question but couldn’t resist being flattered by it.
“Ye have already told me ye are famished. Tell me about yer childhood? What would yeng Laird Callum do during a stormy night?” She smiled.
“Me father wasn’t really around much,” he cleared his throat. “So, I cannae say he provided much guidance, but I do recall me mother tellin’ me that all would be well as we sat in front of the fire.” Callum started remembering some of his fondest memories with his mother. “Sometimes she would tuck me into bed and pray with me until we fell asleep. Father would only come and see us when our presence was required for clan business.”
“Sounds like ye had an interesting relationship with yer father?” Eleanor’s voice was soft as she tucked a single strand of damp hair behind her head.
“Nae quite as interesting as the relationship I have with ye,” Callum teased, smiling cheekily. It was too dark for him to tell, but he was quite certain he made her blush. “Me father was anythin’ but interestin’…”
“Oh,” She said almost defeatedly. He noticed her shift uncomfortably in her seat. “I didnae mean to bring up old wounds. I kent that he was dead, and how he died, but I didnae ken that ye were nae close.”
