Page 38

There!

She did not appear to be in any danger—of course she could swim, she’d never indicated otherwise. He’d simply panicked, something Tristan had never done before. But when he caught sight of Hannah’s expression, a look of complete terror, he was glad he’d jumped in.

“Come here,” he said, pulling her toward him.

He treaded water with Hannah beside him. For a moment he just held her, and then he guided her to the rocky bank, his feet slipping as he scrambled out of the water.

“Hannah?”

She stared straight ahead, shoulders slumped. He sat next to her and waited for her to speak. Oddly, he had not expected her to emerge from the falls. And in that moment when he’d thought she had somehow gone back to her own time . . .

Tristan shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts.

“We have to find them,” she finally said. “We have to find my sisters.”

Hannah’s bright eyes and easy smile were gone, her inner fire snuffed out.

“We will find them,” he said, though he had no idea if such a thing were possible. Were her sisters here or back in Hannah’s time?

“What if we don’t?”

Hannah stood, nearly falling and steadying only when Tristan reached his arm out for her.

“They aren’t here. It didn’t work. If jumping from the falls doesn’t take me back . . .”

Tristan did the only thing he could think of to calm her down.

He kissed her.

Maybe it was an excuse . . . maybe he simply needed to reassure himself that she hadn’t left. Either way, he savored the soft touch of their lips, and when it was no longer enough, he deepened the kiss. Holding her face in his hands, the sound of the falls behind them, Tristan tried to tell her that she would not be abandoned. He didn’t know if they would find her sisters or if Hannah would ever be able to go back to her time, but he would be there with her to find out.

When she pulled back and relaxed against him, he wrapped her up in his arms, marveling at how perfectly she fit against his chest. Part of him wanted to stay like this for longer—maybe forever—but he was soaking wet, cold, and not in the least bit comfortable about being on Sutherland land. Tristan allowed himself to hold her for just a moment longer. Finally, reluctantly, he let go.

“We need to change,” he said, taking her hand.

“And then?”

“And then we go home.”

Hannah pulled her hand away. “Home? I have no home, Tristan. My home is . . .” She pointed to the falls. “There. Somewhere on the other side. I can’t go back to Saxford with you. I need to find my sisters.”

The woman he’d met was back.

Good.

“Will you wander through the woods, looking for them? What is your plan, Hannah?”

“Plan? My plan was to find . . . something here that would help me understand. But the only thing here is a goddamn waterfall and—”

“You cannot stay here.”

Eyes narrowed, she stared at him as if he were the enemy.

“Come back to Saxford. I will send men back north to question the locals. They will search from here to Edinburgh—”

“I will go with them.”

“No, you will not. Have you not been listening, Hannah? What will it take for you to understand how dangerous it is here? Even during times of peace.”

“But your men won’t know my sisters by sight. And what will I do at Saxford? Twiddle my thumbs until they return?”

Tristan didn’t know what twiddling was, and if he said what he was thinking, he risked making Hannah even angrier. But he couldn’t help himself, so he smiled anyway.

“I may have an idea about that . . .”