“I know enough to say that she would much rather have you for husband than Ryan.”
He tightened his grip on the brush, refusing to let her see how much her words bothered him. “And I would say that you are not Nora and know nothing of her mind or mine.”
“I know what I see,” she said softly. She reached out and stopped his hand from brushing the horse. “You two belong together.”
Ewan stared at her hand on his. Her skin was pale, like Nora’s. Her nails every bit as well manicured.
But that hand didn’t make him tremble.
It didn’t cause his body to burn, his manhood to stiffen.
Only Nora did that.
And she was the one woman he couldn’t have.
Alone he could fight for her. Was willing to fight for her. But if Ryan refused to let her go, it would be like Robby MacDouglas all over again.
Another feud...
“She belongs to Ryan,” he said insistently, shrugging her hand away, “you heard what he said. He wanted her so much that he dared my wrath to hire you to keep her away from me.”
Ewan paused as he thought about that. “Wait...how did he know to hire you? How could he have found out about Nora’s plans and then having learned of them, why did Ryan go to you and not her father to stop her from fleeing?”
Catarina looked suddenly nervous.
She stepped back, her brow fretful.
A bad feeling came over Ewan. Just what was going on here? “Cat? What are you not telling me?”
She visibly cringed. “Promise you won’t get angry?”
“Nay,” he said sternly. “I never make a promise I can’t keep and by the looks of you, lass, I be thinking I’m going to be good and angry at this explanation.”
She took another step back.
Ewan grabbed her wrist to keep her from fleeing. “You’d best be telling me, Cat.”
She squirmed uncomfortably under his scrutiny and when she finally spoke, it came out in a flurry. “Her father wanted Nora to marry a MacAllister. He’s been trying to arrange a marriage for a while now between your families and since Braden and Sin are both recently married, he got a bit worried that some woman would grab your interest and he would lose out on uniting your two families.”
Ewan scowled at her words. It didn’t make sense that Nora’s father would want him for a son-in-law. “Why would he wish to marry her to a younger son?”
Catarina cleared her throat. “Because the MacAllister clan will ever come first to Lochlan. Alex wanted a younger son who could take over his clan’s leadership and yet be able to pull MacAllister strength if needs be.”
Ewan went cold at the name.
“Alex?” he repeated in disbelief.
There was only one Alex who had ever broached the subject of marriage with one of his brothers.
“Are you saying Alexander Canmore is her father?”
Catarina nodded.
Ewan cursed. Loudly. “Her father is the cousin to the king of Scotland?”
Catarina offered a fake smile. “Surprise.”
Ewan felt sick to his stomach as the full weight of what he’d done with Nora came crashing down on him.
