Page 5 of The Highland Heir

Ella would have to make it clear to Kieran’swife that she posed no threat. It should be easy enough. Other thanthe gossips who thought they shared a bed, most of the castle andvillage discounted her as a romantic interest for the laird’sson.

It was almost insulting how most people neverquestioned their familiarity.

But now was not the time for her irritation.Kieran needed her.

“Let us go away from here,” she said. Hedidn’t need to ask where they would go. They both knew. It was theplace they always went when they needed to think through aproblem.

She remembered the times when one or both ofthem had been facing a punishment for something they’d done andthey’d gather up their strength before seeing it through.

This was similar.

He was rightfully worried about what wouldhappen to him and what his future held. It wasn’t the time for herto tell him how worried she was that she might lose her best friendwith the laird’s decree.

But that didn’t keep her from worrying.

Chapter Three

At Ellie’s suggestion, Kieran followed her tothe stony beach that welcomed the constant touch of the North Sea.The Sinclair lands were at the most northern tip of Scotland, andmany days as a lad, Kieran had looked out over the gray waves,imagining what it would have been like to see the Viking ships cometo ground before their warriors disembarked to claim or killeverything in their path.

It was that Viking heritage that Kieran sawwhen he looked into his father’s icy blue eyes and watched hiswhite-blond hair whipping in the wind.

Picking up another handful of smooth stones,he tossed one into the waves, losing sight of it. Throughout theirlives, he and Ellie must have thrown thousands of pebbles into thesurf while talking and planning.

Sometimes, like now, they were just silent.Both knowing the other would be ready to talk when it was time.

While Kieran was inside the castle, he feltas if he was bound by leather straps in an attempt to fit into thespace his father allowed. But out here with Ellie, he was free tobe himself. He could say anything, no matter how silly or selfish,and she would listen without judgment. He may not always like oragree with her response, but he knew it came from a place ofkinship he had with no other person.

When his hand was empty of rocks, he glanceddown at the scar across his palm. It was a reminder of one of manyof their foolish childhood ideas.

Ellie had told him their friendship wouldlast forever for making a blood pact. Not wanting to risk losingher, he’d eagerly agreed to let her cut him.

“Do ye ever think we could already bemarried?” He held up his hand.

She winced and looked down at her own palm,where a much smaller scar remained.

“The words were similar to the marriage bond,if I remember correctly,” he explained.

“I may have gotten the idea from watchingJames and Marnie exchanging their vows when they thought they werein private.”

She scrunched up her freckled nose. Her longbrown hair swished across her small shoulders as she shook her headand continued.

“But nay. It can’t be a real marriage unlessboth people consent to it. And I’m sure there must be some rulesabout our ages. We were only nine summers.”

“All I know is you cut me up good.” He heldup his hand to show her the scar, causing her to frown again.

“My da never had a reason to give me alashing before that day. When we showed up at the cottage with yourhand nearly severed from your body, I thought he was going toswoon.”

It was an exaggeration, but there had been aterrible amount of blood. Kieran had thought he might die.

“You didn’t make the same mistake on your ownhand.”

Kieran sniffed and picked up a few morestones.

“’Tis lucky for us both you didn’t lose theuse of your hand. I would have gotten more than the switch if I’dmaimed the laird’s heir.”

They’d both been warned many times that theycouldn’t afford to be careless. The fate of the Sinclair clan fellheavily on Kieran’s shoulders as the only living heir.

How many times had he made the mistake ofthinking his father cared about him? That he’d been worried hewould lose his only living son. But it was only for being the heirthat his father was concerned.