Free Highland Games by Laura Hunsaker Page B

off the horse, so she had to keep her
attention on Sonny. She did notice that throughout the conversation
all three men kept one hand on a weapon. Did they distrust so
easily?
    When they turned in unison to look at
her, she thought they might call her over, but they began talking
amongst themselves once more. What felt like ages passed before
Colm called her name, gesturing for her to join them.
Unfortunately, in all her skirts, she couldn’t kick her leg off and
balance her weight in just one stirrup. Before she could untangle
her foot from her skirt, she felt warm hands span her waist to help
her down.
    “ Thanks,” she said
breathlessly looking up into his eyes. He didn’t respond. Instead
he took her hand and pulled her along toward the other two
men.
    “ Piper, you’ve family
here.”
    “ My parents? They’re
here?” Piper craned her neck to peer inside.
    “ Nay, love, as I said,
your parents are dead.”
    The man stepped closer, and Colm
continued, “But you’ve a brother.”
    “ I have a brother?” Piper
parroted, her eyes never leaving the man.
    “ Your hair is fair.” The
man reached out and fingered a strand of her sun-bleached
hair.
    “ I spend a lot of time in
the sun.” Piper was dumbfounded. Not just at her new brother, but
at the inane conversation they were having. Maybe he was just as
shocked as she? It was the man from that day by the waterfall,
Donald Grant’s captain.
    “ You look like
Mother.”
    “ How is this possible?”
her voice broke, as she raised watery eyes to Colm. He had been her
one steady thing throughout all of this, so it seemed only natural
she’d ask him.
    The other man answered her, “Our
parents were killed by Donald Grant, but I had been sent to foster
with the clan MacRae. I didna even ken I had a sister until it was
too late. I received a letter from our mother, with the news of
your birth, but shortly after that letter arrived, the very same
afternoon, a man from our keep appeared, his horse near death, and
the messenger barely staying in the saddle. He brought another
missive, a bloodstained letter in which our mother wrote that I was
to tell no one of your existence. She had made a bargain with
Grissall to ensure your safety, but she wanted no mention of you
a’tall.”
    “ Why?”
    “ I think it was to protect
you. If no one kens of another child, no one looks for another
child. Donald’s men searched for me for years before the MacRae
chief came up with an idea to fool them. Grant thinks me dead, and
never imagined I’d come back a full-grown man, invading his keep
from the inside out. I’ve been making allies amongst the Grants.
They fear him, as he’s a cruel laird, and I’ve a goodly amount of
men who will support a new laird.” He paused, before stating, “They
would support me.”
    Tears streamed down her cheeks, the
rivulets gathering at her chin and dripping off, she asked him,
“What’s your name?”
    “ Ian Alexander Grant,
named for our father. You are called Piper?”
    “ Yes, I was named by my
adoptive parents, but it’s really odd that they had the same last
name as,” she choked, “our parents.”
    “ Our mother had named you
Aileas.”
    “ Alice?” Piper asked
softly. “This is so strange. I don’t know if I truly believed I was
from this time before now, but there really isn’t another
explanation, is there?” She took a deep breath, and wiped her
cheeks on her sleeve. “I don’t know if I can go by Alice, but I
don’t have a middle name.”
    “ You’re sayin’ it wrong.
‘Tis Aileas, with aye, ” her brother was telling her.
    “ Yeah, yeah, I pronounce
everything wrong, I get it. Tell me more of what happened. Why
didn’t our parents just send me to live with you?” Piper wondered.
An owl hooted in the distance, causing Caelen and Colm to look
around.
    “ I’ve never understood
that.” Ian sounded as perplexed as Piper felt.
    “ I wish they were around
to ask. Did you send Colm to bring me back