Page 55 of Laird Of Her Heart

Who knew if Jenny was still alive? If she ever had been?

Second of all, Dominic was at death’s door with an infection that could have been cured in days if she’d had the sense to bring him along.

Why hadn’t she thought to bring him back to Seattle with her?

Granted, he might not have survived the ride here, but still.

And finally, even if he did survive, she had to face him and confess to losing his beloved brother to some temporal beast that gobbled up anyone with the misfortune to wear a heart shaped pendant.

It was tragic.

Truly it was.

With a sigh she stood. She should go back to the castle. Sit with Dominic.

Even if Declan did make it to Seattle, he wouldn’t know where to go, or what to do to get the medicine his brother needed. And even if he succeeded, it could take a long time—days, maybe weeks—for him to complete the mission.

Dominic did not have that much time left.

She wanted to be with him while she could.

And it did occur to her that—whether he lived or died—she was stuck here now. The thought of being here without him was unendurable.

A sound behind her snared her attention. She whipped around. Her legs nearly collapsed when she saw Declan, standing there, with an enormous duffle bag over each arm. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a Seahawks jersey. His hair had been styled and his beard trimmed into an adorable scruff. He grinned. “I’m back.”

“But you just left,” she breathed.

He nodded and walked through the stone circle. “Well, that’s a temporal aberration for you. When traveling through time, time itself becomes irrelevant.”

She gaped at him. Those words…so familiar…

“Oh, Jenny says hello.”

“You saw her?”

A flush rose on his cheeks. “Aye. She helped me get the medicine we needed.”

She took one of the duffels from him and they headed for the horses. “What else did you bring back?”

“Lots of things. She thought you could use a care package.” He reached into his pocket and handed her an orange-wrapped candy bar.

God bless Jenny.

When they reached the horses, Declan stilled. He turned to her. His throat worked. “Maggie of Seattle. I owe you an apology,”

“You owe me nothing.”

“I do. I do. I was…what word did she use? A douche canoe.”

Maggie’s eyes widened. “Did Jenny call you a douche canoe?”

He grimaced. “More than once.”

Poor guy. “She’s a tough nut.”

“What does that mean?”

“She’s hard to get. You know a woman who’s difficult to win.”