Ruby sat stiff-backed, staring at the horizon as they began to pick up speed. Evan sat opposite, hand on the tiller and found himself watching her. It was clear that there was much more to this lass than met the eye. In his line of work everyone kept secrets, everyone hid who they really were. And yet he could not help wondering.
Who was Ruby Douglas?
RUBY SAT STIFFLY ONthe bench, the spray of saltwater flecking her cheeks as the little sailboat cut through the waves. She kept her eyes on the horizon, her hands twisted together in her lap, nails digging into her palms. How had it all gone so wrong so quickly?
When she’d first stepped through the arch, she’d half expected to arrive in some dreamlike glen—a place out of time where everything was simpler, softer, easier. She’d imaginedCharlie waiting for her, arms open, ready to fold her into safety. She’d imagined an end to all the hurt, all the betrayal, all the cracks in her life that she hadn’t known how to mend.
Instead she’d landed on a wind-lashed island with thieves and thugs for company, miles from where she was supposed to be.
Oh hell. How was she going to survive this? How was she going to get to Edinburgh without landing herself in further hot water?
She bit her lip, tasting the iron tang of blood. She’d already begun making mistakes. For starters, she should not have let Evan see her use her pen. It was just a cheap plastic one that cost next to nothing in the twenty-first century, but it stood out a mile in this time and had already made him suspicious.
And she was suddenly certain that she didnotwant him to know the truth about her origins. Who knew how he would react to the news that she was a time-traveler? Probably use it to his advantage if the little she’d learned of him was any indication. Best to keep her mouth shut. Survive. Reach Charlie.
Her chest ached with a familiar disappointment. What was wrong with her? Why did she keep making terrible choices? She had done that with Daniel. She had known, deep down, that he wasn’t what he pretended to be. That the unexplained absences, the secrets on his phone, the endless excuses, were warning signs she chose not to heed. But she had ignored all that, papered over it with fantasies of the perfect wedding, the house with the garden, the happily-ever-after. She hadn’t been in love withhim. Not really. She’d been in love with the story she’d told herself.
Now, she’d done the same again—clinging to the idea that she’d find Charlie and her cousin would fix everything, that this leap into the unknown was her salvation. She’d wanted the fairy tale, the wonderful adventure that would fix the holes in her life.
But this was no fairy tale. And now her survival hinged on trusting Evan Campbell, a man who had already proven that he couldnotbe trusted.
Evan shifted on the bench opposite her, one hand steady on the tiller. He looked maddeningly at ease, hair ruffled by the wind, a faint grin tugging at his lips as if this—stealing boats, running from angry men, dragging strangers across the sea—was all just a game to him.
But hehadbeen there when it mattered. She thought back to the way that man had grabbed her on the quay—his hand like a clamp around her arm, his breath sour with drink. She’d been terrified.
And then Evan had been there.
There had been fire in his eyes when he’d stood between her and the sailor and he’d seemed something other than a thief, a rogue who lived by trickery and stealing. He’d been dangerous in a different way—unyielding, protective, ready to fight for her. What was that all about?
Ruby glanced at him. His posture was loose, easy, one hand steady on the tiller, the other resting on the gunwale as though this voyage were nothing but a pleasant afternoon outing. The sea breeze teased strands of his hair across his forehead. He caught them back with a shake of his head, lips quirking as though at some private joke.
Whowashe, really?
What kind of man carried himself with that careless confidence, yet had that spark of steel in him when it mattered? How had he ended up in this life of shadows and stolen boats, haggling with cutthroats and thumbing his nose at the rules?
Ruby hugged her knees a little closer, trying not to let the questions take root. She didn’twantto wonder about Evan Campbell. She didn’t want to care. He was infuriating, arrogant, and more trouble than he was worth.
The hours stretched long on the water. At first Ruby sat stiffly, but finally she couldn’t stand the silence any longer.
“So,” she said, raising her voice over the flap of the sail. “Will anyone come after us?”
Evan flicked her a look. “Afterme, ye mean?”
“Yes. After you. You’ve stolentwoboats now. You’ve upset people on the islandandthe mainland. You’re clearly a popular guy.”
He waved a hand. “Dinna fash, lass. Upsetting people comes with the trade.”
His tone was light, but Ruby caught it—that flicker in his eyes, the shadow that crossed his face before he smoothed it away. Trouble was following him, she was certain of it. Trouble that she had now, unwillingly, hitched herself to.
“When will we reach Edinburgh?” she pressed.
Evan barked a laugh. “Day after tomorrow maybe. We’ll need to put in at a settlement for the night.”
“What? I thought we’d be theretoday!”
His eyebrow rose. “Edinburgh’s no short jaunt, lass. Did ye think I’d wave my hand and the boat would sprout wings?”
Ruby bristled. To be honest, she didn’t know what she’d expected, she’d justassumed. Yet she was beginning to realize that nothing about this trip was turning out how she’d thought it would.
