“Let go of me, Jerry. ’Tis unkind of ye to mislead me as ye do.”
He didn’t release his grip, and I did little to try and move away.
“Mislead ye, lass? How do ye think I’ve done that?”
I was so tired of crying. I didn’t want him to see how much I cared, but my voice was choked as I answered him.
“Each time ye touch me, I feel as if ye want me. Ye are jealous of men who desire me, but ye doona want me for yerself. I am worth more than that, Jerry. Ye take advantage of my own feelings for ye, but ye still wish to return to yer own time. Ye still wish to leave me.”
“No.” He reached up to brush the tears from my cheeks. “Ye are wrong. For some time now, I’ve cared nothing about returning to my own time. I know what I said when I left. I was a damned fool for saying what I did, but I dinna go after the druid for me. I went after him because I believe just as strongly as yer brother does that ye need help growing yer powers. I went there for ye, lass, but I’ll not be going anywhere without ye again.”
I wanted so desperately to believe him, but his own words had already contradicted him.
“Jerry, ye just said that I must have seen yer future in the spell. Ye know then that ye still leave here. If ye truly care for me as much as ye say ye do, ’twould not be the future I would have seen.”
He smiled and moved one hand through my hair so that he held the back of my neck.
“Ye also said there was a woman. I’ve no wife, lass. Mayhap the shadow ye saw was ye.”
I would never leave my own time. I loved my brother and nephew and friends too much.
“No. I canna ever leave here, Jerry. I doona want to.”
He nodded and pulled my head closer to his own.
“In my experience, ’tis best to never swear off anything. But lass, if ye stay here, so shall I. I can promise ye that. I mean to kiss ye now. ’Tis all I’ve dreamt of since I left. Please doona deny me.”
Just as Jerry’s lips neared mine, my father’s voice bellowed from the end of the stables.
“Jerry, are ye in there, lad? Alasdair told me ye’d returned. We’ve all missed ye.”
I exhaled, realizing that the shadows had prevented him from seeing us. Stepping into the light, I called to him.
“Aye, Father, he’s here. I came to welcome him back myself.”
Nearing Jerry, my father met him with a hug.
“Did she tell ye all of the good news, lad? So much has happened while ye were away. Mary and Kip were married. Elspeth and Eoin are expecting another child, and Morna has found herself betrothed.”
Jerry looked as if he’d been stabbed as he stepped out of my father’s embrace. His eyes were cold as he looked at me.
“No, she told me nothing.”
Father didn’t pick up on the sudden tension between us. Slapping Jerry’s back, he took my arm and began to lead me from the stables.
“Ach, well we are all glad ye’ve returned. I need ye and Kip to ready my and Henry’s horses. We leave at sunset on a hunting trip to celebrate his betrothal to Morna.”
Chapter 26
Everyone gathered to see Father and Henry off on their hunting trip. They planned to be away three days, and I found myself eager to see them gone. I needed distance from Henry to decide the best way to end things. I couldn’t marry him. Even if Jerry hadn’t returned, the moment with him above my spell room had sealed it. I couldn’t marry someone who caused me to seize up so completely when trying to reveal one of the most important parts of myself.
Jerry cast angry glances in my direction when Henry neared me as we all joined near the stables to say our goodbyes. I ignored them each and every time. I wouldn’t allow myself to feel guilty for anything that had transpired between Henry and me, and I couldn’t very well behave as if we were anything other than betrothed in front of everyone.
“I’ll miss ye, lass. When I return, we shall make plans to ride to my territory and for the wedding.”
I wouldn’t show him false enthusiasm, but I wouldn’t be unkind to him. He’d done nothing to deserve it. “Doona let my father intimidate ye. He likes to behave as if he is a better hunter than he is.”
He moved in to kiss me. Although I stiffened, I allowed the brief touch of his lips.
