Page 16 of The Highlander’s Kilted Affair

He watched as Evelyn put the child down gently. “Ye wait here a moment, darling,” she said kindly. She then moved directly toward the tree.

“What are ye doing?” Benedict barked. “It’s too dangerous, Evelyn. I dinnae want ye going up there. We’re lucky we got the boy down without injury.”

Turning away from the boy and, at the same time, pulling Benedict close, she whispered, “I have nae intention o’ leaving a tiny child crying when I can dae something about it.”

By both her expression and her tone of voice, Benedict knew Evelyn was determined. Clearly, she was not taking no for an answer, and Benedict found himself surprised at her tenacity. But how were they going to make this work? Looking about him, he noticed a few large logs; dead branches and tree trunks that had fallen over many years.

“All right. But we’re doing this me way.”

Leaving Evelyn with the boy, Benedict went and found as many logs as he could. Disappearing into the nearby trees, he grabbed them one by one, and then dropped the huge branches on the ground beside the tree. Each time they landed with a heavy thud. With enough gathered, he lay three logs together, side by side. He took the next three and lay them on top, this time going across. The final three, he lay on top of the others, going in the same direction as the first layer. When he had finished, he had made a platform of sorts.

“And how is that going tae help us exactly?” Evelyn said, frowning at his creation.

“The only way I’m letting ye dae this is if ye climb ontae me shoulders.”

Evelyn’s mouth fell open, and her face bloomed red. “Absolutely nae,” she declared. “Ye’ll be able tae see right up…” she trailed off, realizing the boy was listening.

“I told ye,” Benedict said, trying hard not to smirk. “We’re doing this me way. I’m nae having ye risk yer life. Ye climb ontae me shoulders, or the child doesnae get his kitten. That’s the deal.”

At hearing that, the little boy sobbed even louder. Benedict watched Evelyn as she struggled with the decision, but before she agreed, he knew what she was going to do. She had a huge heart. Her actions had made that clear. And as she had so succinctly said earlier, she wasn’t going to leave a child crying when she could do something about it.

“Fine,” she relented. “But ye keep yer eyes forward.”

Benedict chuckled. “I’ll dae me best.”

“Ye’ll keep yer eyes forward,” she barked, clearly already embarrassed at what might happen.

“O’ course I will, I’m a gentleman,” Benedict said. He was still smirking, which clearly did not fill her with confidence.

“A real gentleman would nae state he’s a gentleman. Ye cannae look,” she said, as she walked toward him.

Benedict had positioned himself near the tree trunk. It would give Evelyn something to grab hold of. “Aye, I ken. Ye’ve said already. Now, come here. I want ye tae walk up my thighs.”

“And then what?” Evelyn said.

“Then ye’ll have tae climb up on me shoulders. Use the tree trunk tae steady yersel’. After that, ye’ll have tae turn around.”

“I’ll fall.”

“Nae ye willnae. I willnae let ye. I’ll have a good hold of yer ankles. Ye’ll just need tae balance.”

“Och, is that all,” Evelyn replied with sarcasm.

Benedict grinned. “Come on. We can dae this.”

“And ye’ll nae look up me frock?”

“Och, fer the love o’ God, woman. Can we just get on with it?”

With a deep breath and an expression that conveyed she was not at all convinced that this was going to work, Evelyn slipped off her boots. Unlike Benedict’s, her hands were tiny and hardly went halfway around his wrists. His great big hands tightened all the way around her wrists, and then leaning back, he caused the tension needed for her to begin.

Carefully, Evelyn placed one foot just above his knee, and pushing herself off the ground, pulled against him and placed the other above his other knee.

“That’s it. I’ve got ye. Keep going,” Benedict instructed.

Letting go with one hand, she hitched her frock up on one side, so her knee could reach his shoulder. “Dinnae ye dare look,” she panted.

“I’m more concerned we’re both going tae end up flat on our faces. Will ye concentrate?”