Page 67 of The Highland Heir

“I saw other men come by where I hid, andthen I heard fighting. None of the men came back. I waited, but Igrew hungry. I was found wandering on the Campbell lands. TheCampbell laird raised me with his children.” He nodded toward theother laird and Donal.

“I didn’t know to look for you. All thistime, I thought you were gone. But now I wonder if Anna didn’t planto kill you and blame it on an enemy clan so we would go to war. IfI died in battle, Kieran would have been laird, but since he was achild, it would have been Anna who would have had control over theclan. When her plans didn’t work, she killed herself rather thantell me of her plot. I remember she had two brothers. I didn’t knowwhat had happened to them. I never cared. Of course, I didn’t careabout much of anything after you were gone.”

“But you had Kieran,” Brody said with theinnocence of someone who had been accepted by strangers and assumedsuch a loving father would cleave to the child that hadremained.

Perhaps it was the wine, or maybe the weightof the day, but Kieran laughed. A bitter sound filled with pain.But before Kieran risked exploding in anger, he pushed away fromthe table and left the hall. Brody said his name, but Kieran keptwalking.

Unfamiliar with the Campbell lands, hemanaged to find his way to the loch. He laughed at the stony shore.So much like the beach at home. But unlike the churning waves ofthe sea, the lake was still and quiet.

Kieran scooped up a rock and tossed it in,wanting to disrupt the stillness, shatter that peace. He wished forthe roar of the ocean instead of the quiet of the leaves rustlingin the light breeze.

He wasn’t alone for long. At the sound offootsteps he turned, wishing with his whole heart he would turn andsee Ella’s understanding smile.

Instead, it was his brother.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Kieran watched as Brody came closer andpicked up a stone. Seeing the man’s movements reminded him of hisown. It was odd to see so much of himself in this stranger.

“This is one of my favorite places,” Brodysaid. “I come here when I need to think. I toss rocks into thewater, and it brings me peace.”

Kieran nodded.

“At home, there is a similar place. A beachworn rough by the ocean. My . . .” He paused and attempted tofind the correct word to describe Ella.

Friend.

Lover.

Other half of my soul.

“It’s the place where the woman I have lovedall my life and I talk about . . . well . . . everything.Small things that don’t seem worth the effort of talking about andthings so big there are no words.”

“It sounds wonderful. I haven’t known my Islabut a year, though I understand of what you speak. I often feellike she is the only person who really knows me. Many times, she’sbeen able to soothe my worries before I’ve even told her the extentof them.”

Kieran nodded. How many times had Ella pickedup with a conversation in the middle of his thoughts?

Brody frowned.

“I’m sorry that I seem to be takingeverything that was meant for you.”

“You’re the firstborn. The rightful heir.I’ve never seen father so happy.” Kieran shook his head. “Do youknow, all this time, he’s never told me that somber tale. No matterhow many times I’ve asked to know what happened to my mother, he’srefused to speak of her. All I knew was that the laird’s first sonwas killed and it was her fault. When I was younger, I didn’t knowwhy he hated me so much. But not knowing the reason didn’t keep itfrom hurting. Later, I realized he couldn’t love me because Iwasn’t the son he wanted.”

Kieran walked in a small circle before comingback to continue on.

“And now, I’m not sure if I should even callhim father. From what he said, we can’t be positive I’m hisson at all. I have no mark to prove who I am.” Kieran nodded towardthe man’s arm.

Brody pointed between them.

“We have similarities to our father. I do notdoubt you are my brother.”

Kieran let out a breath. At least he wasn’tcompletely alone in the world. It seemed strange that Brody hadbeen the one stolen away and left to wander in a strange land, yetKieran had felt like the one who didn’t belong all this time.

“I think maybe your life was not so easy,”Brody said, wincing.

Kieran shrugged. “It’s the only life I know.There were people who cared about me.” Teague and Ella.

“But not our father.” It wasn’t aquestion.