She caught Braden’s gaze. Tension sizzled between them as they stared at one another for a long minute, motionless.
“Here now!” Seamus shouted as he came around the side of the house and broke their unspoken exchange. “What are you girls doing out here? I told you, you were to stay inside while the lads be working.”
“But Da …” Tara stepped away from Braden. “We just thought?—”
“I know what you be thinking, and you’d best be getting back inside. You might be grown, but you’re still me daughters and I’ve a good strap for your backsides if you don’t listen to me.”
Tara poked her bottom lip out, then reluctantly did as her father ordered.
Seamus cast a malevolent glare at them until he saw the wood pile. “That should carry me through the winter!” he said gleefully. “Now, if you’ll see about that fence, I’ll see about your food.”
Braden didn’t move until Seamus left them.
At least he had the good grace to look ashamed as he approached her. “Maggie?—”
“Don’t,” she said, cutting him off. He didn’t have to explain it to her. She knew.
Bock, bock. She heard the cruel, taunting laughs of the boys from her clan as they mocked her. Women who looked like her didn’t turn the heads of men who looked like Braden.
At least, nowhere other than in her dreams.
“There’s work to do.” She stepped around him.
He sighed, then led the way to the broken fence.
Sin frowned at her as she walked past him.
“What?” she asked.
Sin started to speak, then locked his jaw and followed after Braden.
Maggie felt like throwing her hands up in defeat. Sin’s look had been accusatory. Though why he would accuse her of anything, she couldn’t imagine. She hadn’t done anything wrong.
Braden was the one who needed to be chastised. His behavior was deplorable.
Oh, bother anyway. They would soon reach the MacDouglas and then she wouldn’t have to worry over it anymore. Then, she could go back home, and Braden would be free to make lustful eyes at all the pretty lasses who caught his fancy.
Besides, she didn’t need a man. She’d never in her life needed one. All they did was gulp down food without so much as a thank you, belch and sniff.
Why, she’d be better off with a pet pig. It would smell better, too.
And yet, deep in her heart, she didn’t believe her words. For it was there, she knew the truth. And not even the harshness of her thoughts could protect her from caring. Because she did care. She wanted Braden for herself and the thought that he could just dismiss her and claim another woman, cut her to her soul.
Saddened, Maggie joined the men at the fence and they worked in silence.
Once the post had been mended, Seamus brought their food.
They barely made it into the stable with their platters before the storm broke. Sin shut the door as thunder clapped, and hard raindrops pattered against the wood.
Maggie paused and looked around the dim interior as Braden lit two lanterns.
Inside, the stable’s worn wood was faded to a light tan, but the structure appeared sound. Two cows mooed from their stalls to her right, as an old nag chomped at its hay on her left. There were four nicer horses huddled in a large stall to the back of the stable.
Braden led them to the center of the building where bales of hay could provide makeshift tables and chairs. He sat on the one closest to the door while Sin sat to his left. Maggie took the smallest bale, farthest from the door, and set her platter on it.
As they ate quietly, the rain pelted the roof and more thunder rumbled.
“‘Tis a good thing we stopped here,” Sin said after a few minutes.
