Page 21 of Highland Spy

“My mathair loves children and always wanted a large family since it was only her and her brathair, Aidan, growin’ up. They lost their parents early in life,” he explained.

“It must be nice to have a large family with lots of siblin’s. Sometimes, I wonder what it would be like to have my brathairs alive, or even a sister to talk to. It’s been just me and my da for so long, that I often get lonely.”

Caleb saw sadness in Bridget’s eyes and his heart went out to her. He was always around a lot of people so he couldn’t even understand being lonely.

“Aye, it is nice to have siblin’s. However, my brathairs are all married and spend a lot of time with their wives’ clans, so I dinna see them often. And since I like to stay in the Highlands and my sisters live at the castle, I dinna see them often either.”

“Really? How sad,” she said. “If I had siblin’s, I would want to spend every minute with them that I could.”

Slink ran in from outside with Jack right on its tail. The pine marten jumped into Caleb’s arms, hissing and showing its fangs at the wolf.

“Jack, ye leave Slink alone,” commanded Caleb, nestling the weasel-like animal in his arms, running a soothing hand over its head. “Hush, Slink, I willna let Jack hurt ye. Go away,” he said, shooing the wolf with his hand.

“Come here, Jack,” came Logan’s voice, and the wolf ran over and laid down atop the plaid that Logan and Rhoswen were using as a blanket.

“See? Ye’re safe now, so ye dinna need to worry,” Caleb talked to his pet. “I’ll protect ye from that big, bad wolf.”

“My wolf is big but it isna bad,” grumbled Logan, throwing one arm over his wolf and the other over his wife.

Caleb looked up to see Bridget staring at him.

“What?” he asked, continuing to pet Slink. The pine marten curled up on his lap contently.

“I think ye’ll make a guid faither someday, Caleb MacKeefe,” she said with a smile. “I’m surprised some lass hasna already snatched ye up, just so no one else could have ye.”

She got up and walked back to where her father slept. She laid down next to him and pulled the plaid up to her chin.

“Did ye hear that, Slink?” Caleb whispered to his pine marten. “She thinks I’ll make a guid faither. Do ye think so, too?”

Caleb laid down at the edge of the fire with Slink in his arms and a smile on his face. Mayhap he still had a chance with Bridget after all.

Chapter 7

“Caleb, get up!” Caleb rolled over the next morning, feeling the toe of Logan’s boot hitting him in the side. “Caleb, did ye hear me?” asked Logan in a low voice.

“I no’ only heard ye, but I felt yer damned toe kicking me in the ribs. Now stop it and let me be.” He reached out and pushed Logan’s foot away.

Opening his eyes, he saw Logan staring down at him, fully dressed. Rhoswen was bringing Bridget and her father their dry clothes. That’s when he heard Jack growling lowly from the mouth of the cave.

“God’s breath, Logan, is yer wolf growlin’ at Slink?” Caleb sat up abruptly, rubbing one eye, seeing Jack staring out the entrance at full alert. It was still foggy outside but the early morning sun sent streaks of light right through it.

“Slink is over here,” Bridget called out, causing Caleb to turn his head to see his pet was not harmed. “I guess he wanted to sleep by me last night.”

“I ken the feelin’,” said Caleb under his breath.

“Hurry and dress. We’ve got someone tryin’ to steal the horses,” said Logan, pulling his sword from his sheath and heading to the entrance.

“What? Really?” Caleb threw on his clothes and pushed his feet into his boots, feeling that they were still wet. “Who is it?” he asked, strapping on his weapon belt.

“I dinna ken but we’re about to find out. Come on, Jack, let’s go get them.” Jack ran out of the cave with Logan following right behind him.

“It’s the dead souls. They’ve come to get us,” said Brigham.

“Faither, quiet,” Bridget hushed him up. “If there’s trouble, we dinna want to give away our whereabouts.”

“Stay here. All of ye,” commanded Caleb, running for the door. “And watch over Slink until I return.”

Caleb ran outside, heading to where they’d left the horses last night. The fog still hung heavy and low over the land, but with the rising sun, it would dissipate quickly now.