That reminded her of the conversation she’d had with Thea and Vi at Hogmanay. Which seemed like centuries ago. She suppressed a giggle. Actually, it had beencenturies…future ones. She shook her head to clear it. Maybe she’d had a bit too much whisky in the cider.
“You can smell snow?”
He shrugged. “In a way. It’s the freshness in the air, like after a spring rain. Besides, with the wind dying, the clouds are thickening. “We’d best get started for home.”
The reminder that he wanted to get home before a storm broke sobered her. “Of course. I’m ready.” That came out wrong. “To go home, I mean.”
He gave her that strange look again, although he stayed silent. By the time they’d gone a few miles, slowly this time since the horse was pulling a load, she began to feel sleepy and wished she hadn’t added alcohol to her cider. The thought of snuggling against Niall again was becoming more and more enticing She struggled to keep her eyes open and sit upright. The sway of the wagon was making it hard to stay awake. Then she felt the sting of something on her cheek and her eyes sprang open. Another sting struck and then another. She looked up as tiny ice pellets rained down.
“Sleet?”
“Aye.” His voice sounded grim. “Ye had best cover up with that blanket, lass.”
The pellets were coming faster and heavier, feeling like sharp jabs with a needle. Charlotte shook out the blanket and covered both their heads with it and threw caution to the winds as she wound her arm around Niall’s waist again and burrowed into his shoulder. She felt his arm go around her and she felt safe…and sleepy once more, now that she was cocooned in his embrace. They still had miles to go before they’d even reach Inverness. Maybe a nap wouldn’t be such a bad thing…
She felt a sudden lunge and heard Niall curse as the world suddenly turned sideways. She was falling…floating…and then came a hard thud.
When she opened her eyes, she saw swirling whiteness and a dark object looming over her.
****
Niall took one look at the broken axle as he leapt from the bench, his main attention focused on Charlotte, who had been thrown to the ground when the wagon tipped. He prayed—even though he’d just cursed a second ago, God forgive him—that she wasn’t badly hurt or even dead. It had been a sickening thud. As he started to kneel beside her, she opened her eyes. He breathed another prayer of thanks.
“Lie still until I can check to make sure nae bones are broken.”
She blinked at him and he wasn’t sure if she understood. He ran his fingers gently over her shoulders and arms, then moved aside her cloak so he could trace the outline of her ribs. Her eyes widened and she inhaled sharply.
“Does it hurt when I touch ye?”
She blinked again. He was beginning to worry that she’d had a concussion when she giggled. “It tickles.”
If she could laugh, nothing was probably broken. Still. He wanted to make sure. He spanned the side of her hips and the outside of her thighs when she made a completely different noise, something between a moan and a squeal as she squirmed beneath his hands. He suddenly became very aware of where he was touching. His manhood hardened instantly, even as he dropped his hands. He fought to concentrate on something other than rapidly rising lust.
“Can ye wiggle your toes?”
“I think so…ouch!” The last came out as she’d swiveled her right foot.
“Doona move it more,” he said, “if it’s sprained or broken, your boot will act as support until I can get ye inside somewhere.”
Charlotte raised herself to a sitting position and looked around. “Where would ‘inside’ be? What happened anyway? I fell asleep.”
“The sleet froze the mud and one of the wheels got caught in a rut.” Niall pointed to the wagon. “The axle broke and ye flew out when the wagon started to turn over.”
She looked at the wagon leaning sideways on the road and then at Niall. “How far are we from home?”
He shook his head. “We are only halfway to Inverness.”
She studied him. “What are we going to do?”
Niall didn’t answer immediately. He looked up and down the road—or as much of it as he could see, since it had started snowing again. It was unlikely that anyone would be happening by in this weather. “I’ll un-harness the horse and put ye on its back. Then we’ll walk until I find a crofter. I think I remember seeing something nae too far back.”
“They’ll put us up?”
“Och, aye. ’Tis the Highland way nae to refuse a traveler in bad weather.” He stood. “I’ll be right back.”
Thankfully, his memory had served him correctly. It wasn’t more than a mile before he sighted the building they’d passed before. Unfortunately, no one answered when he knocked. Trying the door, it opened easily. He peered around, then turned back to Charlotte.
“’Tis empty. Probably a sheepherder’s cottage. He won’t be back until spring.”
