Just Wait For Me (Highland Gardens Book 3) by Dawn Marie Hamilton

he propelled
through time and space, landing with a thump on his butt in the sprawling outer
chamber in the caves of the Gray Women. Weak with exhaustion and fear, he
crawled into a dark corner and succumbed to an uneasy sleep, dreams tortured by
Stephen and his woman’s perilous journey.

CHAPTER SEVEN
     
    Jillian followed Stephen through the dim maze of tunnels.
Torchlight flickered on the walls, flames caught in a fickle draft. As they
entered the internal chamber used as a kitchen, the savory aroma of stew
replaced the sooty smell of the passageway.
    Her stomach grumbled.
    Stephen grinned. “Sit. We will get you fed.”
    “You sit. I’ll get the food.”
    “You dinnae need to serve me. I might be injured, but am
capable of filling a blasted bowl with stew.”
    “Shut up and take a load off your bum leg.” She pressed a
palm against his chest and gave a gentle shove. He dropped onto one of four
bulky chairs at a rough-hewn table. “It will heal faster.” And we can leave
these eerie caves sooner.
    “Feisty lass.”
    Jillian suppressed a smile and searched the nooks and
crannies. Aromatic herbs—some she recognized—hung from racks. Wooden bowls,
platters, and spoons sat on one of several shelves. A wrought iron ladle and
meat fork dangled from a hook next to the source of the tantalizing aroma—a
heavy black caldron hanging over a banked fire. Smoke channeled up and out of
the chamber through a fissure in the ceiling.
    Grabbing a rag from a worktable to protect her hands, she
ladled two steaming bowls and placed them on the table.
    Stephen grasped her fingers. “I dinnae mean to be surly.
’Tis just—”
    “It’s okay. I’m used to the grumbles of men.”
    “You are?” He frowned.
    She raised an eyebrow. “I have an older brother.”
    He nodded. The pout disappeared and curiosity lit his gaze.
“Are you wed?”
    She snorted. She couldn’t help it. Her? Married? “No.”
    “Betrothed?”
    “No.” She shook her head adamantly. Please don’t ask if I
have a lover . It would be too embarrassing to say no again.
    He pointed to a large niche in the jagged stone wall. “The
jugs of ale are there.”
    She turned her back to him and chuckled softly at his adept
change of topic. Smart man. The jugs were submerged to their shoulders in a
well of ice-cold running water, and secured by rope. She lifted one out, found
two cups, and returned to the table.
    A Hollywood-worthy smile greeted her. “I procured some
bread.”
    Might he be interested in her? Jillian’s pulse double-beat
before returning to normal.
    Stephen dug into the food. Her stomach knotted and her
appetite disappeared at the thought of making love with Stephen. She broke off
a piece of bread and soaked up some stew. She swallowed one bite, then another,
needing to keep up her energy.
    They ate in silence. Although the intense quiet would feel
awkward with anyone else, it seemed right with Stephen. Yeah. She’d like very
much to make love with him before returning home. It would be a special memory
to keep her warm through many a lonely night.
    Jillian poured another round of ale. The sweet herb drink
helped smooth the rough edges of her psyche. Perhaps she was even getting a tad
tipsy.
    Stephen took a long swallow and pushed the cup away. “Dinnae
want to drink so much as to lose my head.”
    “You’d look funny without a head.”
    He grinned, displaying a badly chipped front tooth.
    “How did you get so banged up?”
    “Ach, well, I guess we have time for the telling of the
tale. Not long ago, relations between Scotland and England reached an
insurmountable pinnacle. War eminent.” He sighed heavily. “My fealty is to my
cousins, the chiefs of Clan MacLachlan, and theirs to our king. Patrick’s twin,
Archibald—our current chief—wife heavy with child, was loath to leave her
bedside. He sent me in his stead to lead our lads when King James IV sent
runners to summon us to war.”
    Jillian swallowed uneasily not wanting to hear