Free Caelen's Wife - the Complete Collection by Suzan Tisdale Page A

some one hundred yards away.
    At the opposite end were another half dozen women working with knives, throwing them at small targets set at various distances.
    Between the two, were Fiona and Bridgett, surrounded by a group of women as they practiced hand to hand combat with wooden knives. Passionate and competitive, it had taken only one incident, early on, to show them that training with real knives was mayhap a mistake. Both women bore scars from that day and it was a mistake neither woman desired to repeat.
    Both women were dressed for battle, with leather breastplates over mail, designed specifically for each woman, full helms, leather gauntlets, and knee boots.
    “Tell, me again,” Bridgett said as she lunged at Fiona with the wooden knife. Fiona blocked it with her knives crossed. “How did ye draw first blood?”
    Fiona knew Bridgett was trying to distract her into making a mistake, still, it irked her that her friend had been teasing her for days in regard to how she had won against Caelen McDunnah.
    “How did the kiss feel?” Bridgett taunted
    It felt as though all the world had stopped and we were the only two in it. “’Twas decent, as far as kisses go,” Fiona answered as she swiped at Bridgett, the wooden knife just barely landing across the stomach area of the leather armor.
    Bridgett laughed, “Me thinks ye lie.”
    Fiona was not about to admit the truth for she knew Bridgett would never allow her to forget. And she very much wanted to forget about that kiss.
----
    B rodie and William greeted Caelen and his men at the gates of the McPherson keep. As promised, Caelen had brought the five cattle Fiona had won earlier in the week.
    “Good day to ye, Caelen,” Brodie said after the gates were lifted and the brothers walked out to meet them. Brodie shot a wry smile up to Caelen. “I see ye made good on the wager.”
    Caelen chuckled as he slid down from his horse. “I worried that if I didna, yer sister would have me head on a pike.”
    Brodie and William agreed and responded in unison,“Yer probably right.”
    William gave a cursory inspection of the cattle, running his hands along the side of the largest heifer. “These are verra nice cattle, McDunnah. Our clan is grateful to ye.”
    “Yer sister warned me to bring only fine cattle, no’ any sickly ones,” Caelen told him with a smile.
    Introductions were made between Caelen’s men and the McCray brothers. While William gave instructions on where to take the five cattle, Brodie led Caelen through the heavy wooden gates and into the cobblestone courtyard.
    Young boys came to take the McDunnah horses to the stables. Caelen thanked them as he took in his surroundings.
    It had been decades since last he was at the McPherson keep. He could fit ten of these keeps inside his own, with room to spare. Small, but in good repair, the keep was made of large gray stones. Furs had been pulled away from most of the small windows to allow in the fresh, warm summer air. ’Twas only two stories in height and he reckoned that was all the small clan needed.
    Caelen wondered why Fiona had not come to greet him as was customary.
    As if he could read Caelen’s mind, Brodie said, “She be on the training fields.”
    Caelen felt his face grow warm with humiliation. Would this never end? Did everyone think him nothin’ more than a besotted fool?
    Brodie cast him a sidelong glance, smiled, and said, “I’ll take ye to her.”
----
    F ive McDunnah men fell in step behind Caelen while Brodie led the way around to the east side of the keep. As soon as they saw the women on the field, they came to a dead stop.
    “Jesu,” Obert McDunnah gasped.
    They were not accustomed to seeing women in trews or battle gear, let alone wielding swords and knives or bows and arrows. ’Twas a sight unlike any they’d ever seen. Caelen was the only one of the McDunnah men who was not standing with mouth agape, although he was just as shocked as his men.
    Realizing the men had all