Ian's Rose: Book One of The Mackintoshes and McLarens (32 page)

Moments later, Ian was pulling rein on his horse, sliding down and running toward her. Alec Bowie followed suit and helped Rose. With great care, he helped her to her feet. He tried to steady her so she would not fall, but she was having none of it. She only wanted her husband.

As fast as her legs could carry her, she ran to Ian and flung herself into his arms, an explosion of relief filling her chest, her stomach, her very core.

There was no holding back tears for either Rose or Ian.

Collapsing to the ground, he pulled her into his lap and held her as tightly as he could. “I missed ye!” they exclaimed to each other between kisses and hugs.

“Do no’ ever leave me again,” Rose begged. “Never, ever again!”

“I will no’,” he promised her. “Even if it means we have to eat leeks fer the rest of our lives.”

Rose fell against his chest with her arms wrapped around his neck, holding on for dear life. “I thought I’d never see ye again.”

“Och! Ye did no’ think I would leave ye to rot with the Bowies, did ye?” he asked.

Rose wiped her tears onto her cloak. “Nay, I thought ye’d do somethin’ foolish and try to attack.”

So they sat for a long while, alone in the field, making promises that were probably impossible to keep. But they made them nonetheless. It took some time before Rose’s tears subsided and even longer before she could let go of her husband. Beyond all reason and measure, she loved this man with all that she was.

Ian felt the same toward her. The relief at having her back in his arms would have been impossible to describe to another living soul. For weeks he had worried, almost to the point of madness. What hell she must have endured at Rutger’s hands. Now, he decided, was not the time to ask those ugly questions. Nay, for now, he would rejoice in simply having her in his arms once again.

* * *

A
lec Bowie watched
the reunion between husband and wife. Other men might have been jealous of the undeniable love these two people shared, but not he. Nay, Alec did not understand such emotions as love. Love was a weakness, an emotion that lead to a man’s downfall. He knew this unequivocally because he’d witnessed his father suffer the torment of loving a woman.

Tired to his bones for a number of good reasons, he could no longer watch as Ian and Rose professed their undying love for one another. Quietly, he grabbed the reins to his horse and walked away to find his men.

* * *

I
an tenderly smoothed
his wife’s hair while he placed tender kisses on her cheeks, then lips. He’d realized days ago that he could not live on this earth without her. His worry over how harshly she was being treated, his worry over their babe, had consumed him. Now he felt ashamed for having doubted just how strong his wife truly was. Still, there was much to be done before he could rest easy again.

“Rose?” he whispered against the top of her head. “I must get ye away from here at once.”

“Ye’ll get no argument from me.” Her voice was low and scratchy from crying. “I want to go home.”

Without a fortified keep or anything stronger than a wood wall,
home
was not safe. He could not protect her there. “As do I, but ye will no’ be goin’ home just yet.”

Pulling away, she stared into his eyes. “Are we goin’ back to the Mackintosh castle?” she asked, her tone hopeful.

“Nay, lass, ye be goin’ to Rowan Graham’s keep. I have an escort waitin’ fer ye.”

Confusion set in first, but it was quickly replaced by anger. “I will
no’
be goin’ to Rowan Graham’s keep!” she all but shouted at him. “We be goin’
home.
Back to our keep.”

“I can no’ protect ye there. Rowan’s keep is well fortified —”

She cut him off by scrambling to her feet. “I do no’ care how well fortified it be. I have no’ seen ye in weeks. I am tired and I want to go home with ye.”

The last thing he wanted was to argue with her. Standing to his full height, he did his best to remain calm. “Rose, there be no time to argue it. The Bowie started this war and I aim to finish it.”

She looked as though he’d just slapped her. “War? Why must there be war? Why can we no’ just go home? I am here now, away from the Bowies. I be safe and with ye.”

Raking a hand through his hair, he mumbled a curse under his breath. “The Bowie
will
come after ye again. And again. And again until he bloody well gets what he wants. I will no’ risk yer safety or our babe’s. Ye be goin’ to Rowan Graham’s keep and ye be goin’
now.
”

Hurt, angry, and exhausted, she felt huge disappointment. The only thing that had kept her sane these past weeks was to think of being reunited with Ian. Of falling asleep in his arms and waking up in them. But now, he was sending her away to go fight some ridiculous war with a crazed man.

She could not bear it. “Nay, I will no’ go. I will stay here with ye.”

“I will no’ be here, do ye no’ understand?”

Swallowing back tears, deflated but not yet ready to give up her argument, she wrapped her arms around his waist. “Please, Ian, I beg ye no’ to go. I need ye. I can no’ bear the thought of losin’ ye.” ’Twas nothing but the truth of it.

“And I can no’ bear the thought of losin’ ye again, Rose. Or our babe. I need ye to go to Rowan’s.” He pressed another kiss to the top of her head.

From behind her, she heard an all too familiar voice speak her name. “Rose.”

Releasing her hold on her husband, she spun to see her brother-by-law. Stunned, she could only stare in confusion for a long moment.

“If ye do no’ go to Rowan’s, I fear me wife will kill me.”

“Frederick!” she exclaimed as she flung her arms around his neck. “What are ye doin’ here?”

He chuckled as he returned her embrace. “We left weeks earlier than I planned. Ye can thank Aggie fer that when ye see her.”

“Where is she? How is she? How are the children?” she blurted out one question after another.

“Wheest, lass,” Frederick said with a smile. “She be verra well, as are our children. Aggie awaits ye at Rowan’s keep.”

Her head began to swim. “Aggie is at Rowan’s?” She would not allow herself to believe it just yet.

“Aye, she is. There be little time to explain it now, lass. We must get ye away from here. But I swear to ye, I’ll bring yer husband to ye as soon as we are done dealin’ with the Bowies.”

The Bowies. Oh, how she hated the sound of that name! Uncontainable anger hit her full on. Stepping away, she caught a better sight of all the men Frederick had brought with him. He could have brought ten thousand more and it would have done nothing to ease the ache in her heart.

No matter what promises her husband or his brother made to her, she knew there was a distinct possibility that neither of them would return. But they were hard-headed, stubborn men and there was nothing she could say or do to change their minds. They were determined to seek vengeance on Rutger Bowie.

* * *

“
Y
e look bloody awful
,” Gylys said as Alec approached his men. They were standing not far from the army of McLarens, Mackintoshes, and Grahams. Gylys held out a mug of ale for his friend.

“I feel bloody awful,” Alec told him, accepting the offered mug. He downed the cool ale, wiped his lips on the sleeve of his tunic, and handed the mug back. “When did the army arrive?” he asked, inclining his head toward the massive group of men.

“A few hours ago,” Gylys told him. “And they’re bloody well angry.”

Alec couldn’t say that he blamed them. His brother was foolish for kidnapping Rose Mackintosh. Now ‘twould be up to Alec to keep them from burning his keep to the ground.

“I will need a fresh horse,” he told his men. “I have to go back and get Leona.”

“Rest a bit first, then ye may take mine,” Kyth told him.

He hadn’t slept more than an hour here and there in the past several days. While very tempted to take his cousin’s advice, he had a promise to keep. “I fear there be no time fer restin’,” he said. “Who kens how long before Rutger discovers Rose is missin’.” He dreaded to think what would happen to the young woman he’d left behind in Rose’s place.

“We shall go with ye,” Kyth declared.

“While I appreciate yer offer, cousin, I fear we will all soon be wanted men. Once Rutger discovers we be missin’ along with Rose, he’ll put a price on each of our heads.”

His men, including young Davy, lined up before him. They cared not about Rutger or being considered traitors by their clan.

“We would follow ye anywhere, Alec.” Gylys spoke on behalf of the others. “We did no’ help ye get Rose out only to leave ye alone to accept whatever fate Rutger has in store for ye.”

“And I can no’ go to me grave knowin’ I took ye with me,” he told them. “Nay, ye need to leave this place until I can get me brother to see reason.”

Kyth scoffed openly. “If ye were able to get yer brother to see reason, none of us would be here this day. He would never have taken Rose Mackintosh.”

In his heart of hearts he knew ’twas the truth his cousin spoke. “I can no’ give up yet,” he replied. “There is still a chance I can stop this war. We could finally have peace, once and fer all, fer our clan.”

Peace. That was why these men had followed him. They were just as tired of thieving and warring as he was. Each of them, including Dougall, who was in great danger, wanted the same as he. Peace for their clan.

“Ye’ll nay have peace until Rutger Bowie is dead.” The words came from Ian Mackintosh.

Slowly, Alec turned to face him. “I ken ye want revenge fer him takin’ yer wife,” Alec said in a low, calm tone. “But would we rather no’ have peace without bloodshed?”

Rowan Graham and Frederick Mackintosh stood on either side of Ian. They looked just as angry and as determined as he. “I would rather ye and I had never met,” Ian said. “I would rather me wife was never taken. I would rather I was at home, buildin’ me own keep and happily awaitin’ the arrival of me first bairn. But yer brother has started this war. He does no’ want peace.”

A shiver of dread traced up and down Alec’s spine. He knew the McLaren spoke the truth. The last thing Rutger wanted was to give up the only way of life he’d ever known. And now that he was chief, the power he yielded was almost as important to him as gold. Still, Alec could not give up hope that he could get his brother to see the folly of his ways.

“Were it yer brother who had made such a terrible mistake—” Alec was cut off by Ian stepping forward.

“Ye think this a wee
mistake
?” he asked, seething with anger. “We be no’ speakin’ of a bairn who was caught stealin’ sweet cakes from the larder.”

Poor choice of words, he knew it. “I apologize, m’laird. Me point bein’ that were it one of yer brothers who had done somethin’ so foolish, would ye no’ be arguin’ fer at least the chance to set things right?”

Ian’s jaw twitched. “First of all, none of me brothers would be stupid enough to kidnap another man’s wife, let alone one with child.”

“Be that as it may, m’laird, I think ye’re fergettin’ one verra important thing,” Alec said.

“Pray tell, what is that I am fergettin’?” Ian ground out.