Page 26 of His Secret Highland Bride

…

Shane had woken alone in his bed, and for a moment he had forgotten someone else was supposed to be lying next to him. As soon as he realized Lindsay wasn’t there, he sat up and saw she was not in the cottage at all.

His worry began to grow as he stepped out on the porch and looked about their small yard.

“Lindsay?” he shouted and headed for the river, thinking she might have gone to wash and gather water for their morning meal. But when she wasn’t at the river, fear took hold.

He recalled the day they’d met, the scrawny lads who’d meant to do her harm. As he rushed through the woods, with branches whipping at his face, he was reminded of what he’d found when he’d returned to camp that day. Maria’s body, the blood covering her gown, a smudge of it at her face.

“Lindsay!” he screamed again as he stopped and spun around, listening for her quiet voice and hearing nothing but the pounding of his heart. He’d thought the thing was dead, but it was surely alive once again.

Finally, he heard it. Barking. Treun would be with her.

“I’m here,” Lindsay called as he got closer to the rock where she liked to spend time thinking.

Upon seeing her, hale and hearty, his temper took hold. “What caused ye to go off on your own like that? You know well enough what can happen when you wander off alone. Are ye daft, woman?”

“I thought to do something for you, and once I decided, I couldn’t wait. I wanted to…help,” Lindsay said while using the back of her berry-stained hands to wipe away the tears.

He followed her gaze to the rock where he often found her sitting and saw there were words written.

Maria MacPherson. Beloved wife and friend.

Dear God.

“You said you had to bury her in France with no stone. I thought she should have a proper place so you might come to talk to her. This is the most peaceful place I’ve found.”

She’d given up her own favorite spot for him to mourn his lost love? He turned to ask why she would do such a thing, but she had scooped up Treun and was walking away, leaving him there to grieve.

He took a step closer and then another until he could reach out with a shaky hand to touch the letters Lindsay had carefully applied to the rock. He closed his eyes and imagined Maria standing behind him, waiting.

He took in a deep breath and began speaking.

…

Over the next week, Shane spent many mornings away at the rock Lindsay had painted for him. She was glad he was finding good use of it, and she thought it was helping, though she did often find herself wondering what he said to his wife.

She hated that she suffered even the smallest jealousy of the woman Shane had loved—still loved—but she couldn’t deny it.

She shook the thought away as she stepped out on the front porch and stared out at the rainy morning. Shane had already gathered water, so she went about breaking her fast. She heard a twig snap and smiled.

“Ye may come have a bite to eat,” she called to Doran, who had been set to guarding her while her husband was away. Doran stepped forward with a frown on his face.

“I thought I’d been quiet.”

“You were, but Tre gave ye away,” she said to ease the young warrior.

“It sure is boring having to watch ye when you don’t do anything of note and there’s no danger.”

“I’m pleased to be boring,” she said while handing over a bannock for her cousin.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly while staring at his bread in his hands.

“I don’t take offense,” she said, but he shook his head.

“Nay, not for calling you boring—for the way I treated you before. When you lived with us.”

“I imagine you were only doing what you’d seen your da do with your mother.” Bless her aunt’s soul for the harsh life she must have lived.