Jake (The Highland Clan Book 4) (5 page)

Chapter Six

Jake and Loki parried in the lists until they were both drenched in sweat. After a few more swings, Jake finally stepped back. He wiped the sweat from his brow and grabbed his tunic. This was his favorite time of year to practice, when the air was nippy, getting ready for winter. He loved to hear the winds in the pines and feel the crisp air across his skin.

“Hellfire, Loki. You are impossible to beat with that sword. How often do you practice?”

Kenzie jumped up and down, shouting. “Yay, Papa. You beat another. My da practices every day. He is the best in the land.”

Loki wiped his plaid across his face, catching the sweat before it dripped into his eyes. “Kenzie, enough. He’s our cousin. Do not make him feel bad about his loss.” He smirked at Jake, then patted him on the shoulder. “You’re getting better, Jake. Mayhap you are a bit weakened by the lass you brought home.”

Jake grumbled as he tossed his sword onto the ground off to the side. Aline had only been at the keep for a few days. How in hell could a lass weaken him so quickly?

“What? You do not believe me?” Loki chuckled. “Ask Uncle Logan, he’ll tell you about how Aunt Gwyneth weakened him. He says the only way he could regain his strength was by marrying her.”

“Nay, ‘tis not my problem. I just require more training.” Jake paced in a circle, moving his shoulders to loosen them.

“I speak from experience. If you have a lass on your mind, you will not fight as well.”

Jake snorted. “You fought off how many swordsmen while my father and uncles stood by watching? Was that not over your wee wife? How could you not have been thinking about her when you knew she was being held inside? She did not weaken you that day.”

Loki laughed. “Aye, she did. ‘Struth is my sire’s guards were not much of a challenge.”

“Not according to Uncle Logan. He came back saying you were a keen enough fighter to beat my sire, but he also said you were driven by worry for your wife. So which is it, does a lass fuel your ability to fight or weaken you?”

Kenzie picked up his own small sword, swinging it around in a wide circle. “Jake, you should have seen my da. I was there. He was the best ever. They could do naught against him.”

Jake laughed at Kenzie’s antics, then whispered, “He does remind me of you when you were young.”

Loki grinned, moving over to tousle Kenzie’s hair. “Aye, I see myself in him. He shows the same excitement I did when I was adopted and welcomed into Clan Grant.”

“Your wife. Had she been beaten by her kidnapper?” Jake didn’t know if Loki would share this kind of information, especially with Kenzie nearby, but he had always wondered. Aline’s condition made him think even more about how poorly lasses were often treated. His sire didn’t tolerate it, and neither would the Ramsays, but what about others in the land?

“Nay, fortunately. I would have lost it completely. This lass…”

“Aline.”

“Even the warriors who return from battle do not bear such marks. A cruel man did that to her.” Loki stared at the ground, his arms crossed in front of him.

“A man with no guts, no honor. She named Hew Gordon. Said another runs the castle, but I am under the impression she lives with this Gordon. I’ll have to question her further.”

Loki took a swig of water from the skin Jake offered him before speaking. “Question her about what?” he finally asked. “The only thing I would want to know is how to find the bastard so I could see how much he likes a beating. Do you need to know the nature of their relationship, or is it better left alone?” His gaze caught Jake’s. “If you convince her to stay, I would think it better for you not to know any of her history. I would not want to know about any other men my wife had been with.”

“She’s not my wife,” Jake said, caught off guard. He thought of Aline quite frequently, but he barely knew her. Bella and Loki had almost been engaged at the time of her kidnapping. Nay, he was nowhere near ready for marriage and a wife. But he would see her safe. “She’ll not stay. She tells me she will return, and Da said that I should trust that she will. He said my mama would have gone back for Alice if Mac had not gotten her here.”

“Alice. She was a sweet woman. Your mama must miss her. Odd how she and Mac passed so close together.” Loki fell to the ground and leaned against a tree, Jake joining him.

Jake nodded. “My mother adored them both. I miss Mac in the stables.”

Loki stared at the sky. “And if Aline goes back, what will you do?” Loki asked.

“I’ll follow. Unless she tells me something to change my mind. I cannot just let her walk back into the hands of a brute.”

“Hellfire, I’ll stand with you.” Loki said as he took another drink and sprayed a long stream of water off to the side after he rinsed his mouth.

“Papa, where’s the skin of water? I’ll show you how far I can spit.” Kenzie grabbed the vessel and ran off in the distance, spraying water in every direction possible.

Loki laughed, then said, “Now that he’s distracted, tell me your true plans.”

“You mean retribution?”

“Aye, you cannot let him get away with beating a lass like that.” He arched his brow at Jake.

Something settled in Jake’s gut, confirmation of what he believed. He hadn’t discussed it with his sire, but the bastard would pay for beating Aline. “He’ll pay. You can count on that.”

Loki’s gaze narrowed. “Do not be foolish and think you can do it alone. You must take us with you. Jamie and I will go. You know that.”

Kenzie came racing toward them, demonstrating he’d been listening to their conversation. “Aye. I want to come along. Where are we going?”

Jake chuckled at Kenzie. “Not sure yet, lad. We’ll take you wherever we go.”

That answer seemed to please him because he took another swig of water and spit a few more streams into the air.

They sat in silence for a moment, and Jake surprised himself by asking, “When did you know?”

“When did I know what?” Loki leaned down on his elbow, tossing blades of grass into the air while he watched Kenzie drop the skin and pick up his sword to parry with an imaginary enemy.

“That Bella was the one.” Jake fell back into the grass, his hands laced behind his head as he stared into the sky. It was the usual gray Scottish sky, but there were no thunderclouds in sight.

“Hellfire, I knew it when she came up to kiss me after Aunt Jennie married. She chose me.”

“But she makes you happy.” He knew the answer to his question by looking up at his cousin’s face. Every time anyone mentioned Bella or his wee son, Lucas, his face lit up.

Loki chewed on a blade of grass, amusement in his eyes. “Aye, she sure does. She’s a feisty one, but she does well with Kenzie and Lucas.”

“May I ask you something just between the two of us?”

Loki glanced at Jake before he nodded and said, “Sure. I’ll answer if I can.”

“Is being a laird difficult?” Jake had wanted to ask Loki this for a long time, but it wasn’t often they had the privacy they did now.

“Aye, ‘twas at first, when the land was new to me, but now ‘tis not. The kitchens in the keep were a mess, but we’ve fixed them up. The fields hadn’t been well-tilled in a long time, but now they’re producing oats, and the sheep and goats are reproducing. Da helped me choose my second. I did not expect both of Nicol’s sons to come with me, but thank the Lord they did. They’ve been irreplaceable. Finlay runs the castle, and Fergus runs the lists when I’m not there. Da and Nicol come to visit often.” Loki peered at Jake, waiting to see what he would say next.

Jake finally said, “Sometimes I think Da will make Jamie his heir.” He glanced at Loki to see if he could catch his cousin’s thoughts before he hid them, as Highlanders did so well. Unfortunately, Loki was quite good at it, because Jake did not see him react at all.

“Nay, that will never happen. You are the eldest, Jake. The lairdship will be yours, even if your elders decide who will be the next laird. Besides, I do not see Jamie as a laird, and I doubt your sire does either.”

Jake had no idea what he meant by that statement. “I do not follow. Why not? I think he would be better than I would.”

“Nay. Jamie does not know what he wants yet. You are a Grant lad, loyal and true like your da. Jamie? I picture Jamie more like Uncle Logan, wandering off to Edinburgh or Glasgow. I think he’s more interested in discovering the world. You strike me as the one who will be on Grant land forever.”

“Much like you? You hated to leave until you started to search for your sire.”

“Aye, ‘tis true. I only left in an attempt to prove myself to Bella’s sire. I’ve been alone on the streets before. Life is good here in the Highlands, and I love the mountains. My favorite time of year is when they are white-capped and the lochs have not yet frozen over. ‘Tis so serene to see from a distance. This is my home, and I’ll be forever grateful to have one. Kenzie had heard of me, of the street boy who was adopted by the Grants, but he thought your sire was the one who’d adopted me.”

“Truly?” Jake leaned up on his elbow to stare at his cousin.

“Aye, ‘tis what they said in Ayr. Imagine how different it would have been if you’d been my brother instead of my cousin.”

“Nay, you were meant to be with Aunt Celestina and Uncle Brodie. I could not see it any other way.”

Loki lay back to stare at the sky, and Jake did the same.

“Me neither. I could not be happier with the way things have turned out. Now we just need to help you settle matters with your wife-to-be.” Loki turned to wink at Jake, who sat up as quickly as if a snake had bitten him.

“What? Nay, no wife-to-be. We just met.”

“We’ll see about that. You’re just like the rest of our clan. Once smitten, it never leaves you. You’re smitten.”

Kenzie set his sword down and came over to their side. “When are we going home, Papa?”

“I think ‘tis time. I miss my sweet Bella.”

Kenzie said, “And I miss my wee brother.”

“We’ll go as soon as I’m sure Jake does not need us, though we are not far away.”

Jake rubbed knuckles across his chin. “I’m not ready to go yet. I need more information.”

“You need more time with Aline.” Loki stood up and patted Jake’s shoulder. “‘Tis exactly what you need now. Try and tell me again you are not smitten.”

Jake jumped up and strode away, waving his hand at Loki. He was not smitten.

Was he?

***

Aline was just finishing the midday meal that Caralyn had brought her, a bowl of beef soup. She hadn’t felt like eating, but she’d forced it down despite her sore jaw and cut lips. She had to admit the warmth felt nice in her belly, almost as nice as the warmth from Jake’s hand.

A knock sounded at the door, and when she bade the visitor to enter, she was surprised to see a young lass just a little older than she was.

“Greetings, my name is Ashlyn.”

Aline stared at her, unsure of why she was there, but her mother had taught her to be polite. “Greetings. Please come in.”

“I thought I’d come and chat with you.” Ashlyn folded her hands in front of her, apparently waiting for her approval.

“You are part of this clan?” Aline stared at her soup. Other than one lass at Hew’s, she’d never had a true friend before. The relationship she had with Effie at Hew’s was limited because they had to whisper the rare times they had the chance to talk. Her childhood home had been secluded, and most of her time had been spent busy cooking and cleaning to help her mother.

“Aye. Though I have not always been here. I grew up in Ayrshire. ‘Twas not the best of lives. ‘Tis the reason I came to see you.”

“I do not understand.” She kept her eyes on the bowl in front of her.

Ashlyn pulled a stool forward. “May I sit?”

Aline nodded, glancing up at the lass with long brown hair and brown eyes. Surprised again to see another person with kind eyes, her interest in Clan Grant grew a little bit more.

Ashlyn continued once she settled on a stool. “My mother was often mistreated. We were brought here by one of the Grants, a lad who married my mother. I wanted to tell you that this is a wonderful and kind place to live. If you are looking for a home where you will not be ill-treated, this is the place. My sister and I are much happier here than we ever were in Ayrshire, as is my mother.”

“I must go back to Castle Dubh.” She didn’t lift her gaze, knowing that the next thing her visitor would tell her was that she shouldn’t go back. No one understood. No one could understand what the threats from Hew Gordon meant. He’d threatened her in so many ways, promised retaliation for misbehavior that terrified her so that she could not speak of it to anyone.

Anyone. She could not risk it. Someday she’d find a way to get the help she needed, but not yet. Perhaps this was the first step, coming to Clan Grant, waking her up to what could be if she left Hew. But it would take careful planning, and she was not ready yet.

“If you wish to return, I’ll help you if you need it.”

Aline’s gaze shot up to meet Ashlyn’s. “Why would you do that? Everyone else has told me not to go back. They do not understand how things are.”

Ashlyn got up and strode over to the window, pulling the fur back. “But I do understand. I remember everything that happened to my mother, my sister, and me. My sister says she’ll never leave Clan Grant, and I believe she’ll stay here forever.”