Page 9 of Highland Flame

Chapter Three

“All right, let’s head on out,” called out Cam to the others, holding out his hand to assist Yvaine up to the front bench seat of the wagon.

“I dinna need yer help, thank ye,” she told the man, not wanting him to touch her. She’d heard of his amorous ways, and now there was a bastard child of his here to prove it. She couldn’t trust him. She wasn’t sure she could ever trust any men besides her brothers, after what she’d been through.

“Then if ye dinna want my assistance, I’ll help the child instead.” Cam reached out for Avianca, but the little girl cowered from him, clinging to Yvaine instead.

“It’s all right, sweetheart,” she told the girl in a gentle voice. “Go to yer faither.”

“He’s no’ my da,” said the little girl. “I dinna have a da.”

“Look, I dinna want to believe it any more than ye do,” Cam told the child. “We can figure this all out later but, right now, we need to get on the road. So, up ye go.” He lifted up the little girl who was kicking and screaming. Then he plopped her down on the bench seat of the wagon.

“Ye need to learn how to treat children!” Yvaine scolded the Highlander, lifting her foot to climb into the cart.

“Ye need to learn how to hurry.” Before she knew it, his hands closed around her waist and he lifted her up to the bench of the wagon, putting her next to the little girl. Partly, Yvaine wanted to reprimand him for touching her. Then again, something deep down inside her almost enjoyed the way his hands felt on her waist. The warmth of his fingers closing around her almost seemed protective instead of abusive, the way Dun’s hands always felt on her.

Yvaine quickly shook the thought away. What was the matter with her? She didn’t need thoughts like this filling up her already confused mind. Especially, not when it pertained to a Highlander. She reached out and pulled Avianca up against her, slipping her arm around the girl’s shoulders.

“Just stay close to me and all will be all right,” she consoled the girl in a soft voice.

Cam hoisted himself up and sat on the bench. His daughter was between them. Reaching down, he took the reins.

“Ye have a full load in this wagon. I hope it willna slow us down,” he complained.

“Of course, it’s a loaded wagon. After all, it is almost everythin’ I own,” she retorted.

He looked back over his shoulder at all her belongings, covered with a tarp.

“Are ye sure ye need it all? If we get attacked by the English, it’ll be hard to get away from them quickly pullin’ this heavy load. If it comes to savin’ our necks or yer guids, I swear I’m goin’ to leave it all behind.”

“Attacked? Are we goin’ to get killed?” cried Avianca, gripping tighter to Yvaine. “I’m scared. I dinna want to die like my mathair.”

“Nay, of course no’. Everythin’ will be fine,” said Yvaine, running her hand over the girl’s head to smooth her hair. Cam directed the horse forward. The Highlander named Gavin was in front of them, leading the way. North was on one side of the wagon, and Nash followed behind them. They were all dressed to the hilt with weapons. So was Cam. “Ye just lay yer head against me and close yer eyes and go to sleep,” Yvaine told Avianca. “Before ye ken it, we’ll be at our new home in the priory and locked safely inside its holy walls.”

“Trapped is more like it,” mumbled Cam, urging the horse to go faster, jerking the wagon and almost causing Yvaine to fall off.

“Haud yer wheesht!” she warned him. “What is the matter with ye? Ye are scarin’ yer daughter. Plus, ye are drivin’ the cart much too recklessly with a child on board.”

Cam glanced over at her with a scowl on his face. “Do ye want to drive the cart, lass?” he asked with an edge to his voice. “Just say the word, and it’s all yers.”

“Nay. Of course, no’.”

“Then mayhap ye are the one who should haud yer wheesht instead.”

This irked her to no end that he spoke to her in this manner. The last thing she wanted was for the Highlander to think he was right. Or to order her around. She’d had enough abuse from her late husband, and wouldn’t allow this to happen again in her life. It was time for her to start standing up to men, and there was no better time to do it.

“Actually, I’ve changed my mind,” she told him. “I do want to drive the wagon.”

“Ye do?” He seemed confused. Then he shrugged his shoulders. “All right, then.”

“However, ye’ll need to hold yer daughter.”

He started handing the reins to her, but stopped in midmotion and shook his head. “Nay. I’ll drive.” He looked the other way.

“Humph. I didna think so.” This just proved her point that he was just as afraid of the little girl as Avianca was of him. The man was terrible with children. He would never make a good father. Besides, she could see he didn’t even want the girl. It was sad, in her opinion. Family meant everything to her, but not to him. All he seemed to care about was himself.

“What did that mean?” he asked.