Page 42 of A Promise Through Time

“You can?” Tina peered into the fire thinking she’d see Edna’s face, but all she saw were the flames.

“Yes. Now, I know yer having some doubts about our Donal.”

Tina felt a weight lift from her, “So, he is the one you wanted me to meet.”

“He is and he’s perfect for ye.”

“I don’t know about that.” Tina wished she felt as confident as Edna sounded.

“Ye don’t have to know, ye just have to feel. How do ye feel about him?”

Tina put her logic in her back pocket and thought about what Edna said. “I like him.”

“And?”

“And nothing.” Edna remained quiet and as the silence stretched, Tina had to admit to herself that wasn’t true. “Hemakes me feel butterflies, which I haven’t felt since my high school days. And that was a long time ago.”

When Edna spoke again, her voice was gentle and encouraging. “Give him a chance. Ye believed in me enough to let me send ye back there, now believe that I ken what I’m doing.”

Tina found herself wanting to believe in Edna. She thought back to her excitement about traveling to the past, about the looks of love she had seen between Hamish and Elle, Ashley and Cailin, and the others Edna had matched. She wanted that, she really did, so she needed to treat this like her other projects. She needed to see this through the tough times. “I’ll try. Ashley and Jenna keep trying to set me up with other men.”

“I know. They’re not for ye. Tell Ashley not to worry, I’ll find someone else for them,” Edna said. “Ye need someone who’d be willing to come back to yer own time with ye.”

“True.” That was an absolute fact because there was no way she was staying in this time.

“Donal is the one,” Edna’s reassuring voice was telling her exactly what she’d needed to hear.

Well that was one big question answered for her. It wasn’t her only hesitation, though. “I’m worried about his temper. It frightened me.”

“I’m not excusing his outburst, but ye need to remember that he didn’t hurt Marcas. The warriors fight and spar under friendly conditions all the time and that can look violent when ye aren’t used to it. He let his jealousy get the better of him last night and he feels ashamed fer it.”

“You know about that?” Tina couldn’t even begin to wrap her brain around how that was possible.

“I know more than ye think I do. Now, what he did was wrong, but he knows it and he won’t do it again. At least I hope he won’t.”

Tina threw her hands in the air, “That’s not terribly reassuring, Edna.”

“This is all new to him. He’s never been in love before.”

“He’s in love with me?” Tina was shocked to hear this. They’d only known each other a few days, but she’d managed to develop strong feelings for him pretty quickly. One thing she was sure of was that it wasn’t love. Not yet.

“I believe so. If not, it’s only a matter of time.”

“But, I thought he was using me. He told Jock and Marcas he just wanted me to raise his daughter.”

“Ye met him on a verra challenging day, ye must admit. He wasnae thinking straight. Yes, he may have seen ye as an answer to his childcare problem in that moment, but relationships can evolve. No one would react the way he did over losing a nanny. He was afraid of losing something much more important, someone he really cares about.”

She clutched her belly. The butterflies were back along with a strange sensation she hadn’t had about a guy in a long time. Hope.

“Now, promise me ye’ll give him a chance and tell Ashley I said that she needs to stop trying to do my job. She’s nae a matchmaker.”

“I’ll tell her before she sets up another date with Tam.”

“Good. Say hello to everyone for me.”

“I will.”

The charged atmosphere in the room changed and Tina knew she was alone again. Her doubts about Donal were still there, but she trusted Edna and she was willing to do as she had asked. She’d give him another chance. She was more determined than ever to find him now.