Free MacLean's Passion: A Highland Pride Novel by Sharon Cullen

words ringing in her head.
    Evan. Her brother. The man who had raised her after their parents died. The man who’d taught her to fight and curse and who’d bandaged her when she fell. She’d been so mad at him when she left to fight at Culloden, but seeing him now reminded her of just how much she loved him.
    Maggie ran to him and jumped into his arms, just like she’d done hundreds of times when she was but a wee thing. He wrapped those strong, familiar arms around her, staggering back a few steps under her weight, and crushed her to him. Before she knew what she was about, tears were streaming down her cheeks and she was both laughing and crying, and she could have sworn he was crying, too.
    “My God, Maggie. Where the hell have ye been these last weeks? We’ve been worried sick.” Evan pulled away to look her up and down. She wiped her eyes and shook her head, too overcome to speak.
    Gilroy marched up and pulled Evan aside, and Maggie remembered MacLean. She spun around to find him watching her, his hands tied behind his back and a scowl twisting his lips. His eyes were cool and she couldn’t help but think of how hot they’d been right before he’d kissed her.
    She’d kissed Colin MacLean. And she’d
liked
it.
    Her first kiss ever, and she was powerfully glad that it had been him.
    The longer Gilroy talked, the more Evan frowned, until his look was thunderous and it appeared he wanted to pull MacLean’s limbs from him.
    “Evan,” Maggie said, taking a step toward her brother but with a backward glance at MacLean, who was standing tall and proud despite the bruises and cuts and his hands being tied.
    “No’ now, lass.” Evan whispered something to Gilroy, who motioned to Fitzroy, who nodded and marched MacLean toward the prison cells attached to the gatehouse. MacLean was limping, and Maggie knew that he was still weak from the fever.
    “Evan, ye have to let MacLean go. He’s—”
    “We’ll speak about it in a moment,” Evan said as he walked away.
    Maggie ran around him and stopped in front of him, bringing Evan to halt. “Ye have to listen to me, Evan. MacLean—”
    Evan’s look went cold, his expression hardened, and his eyes flashed a warning that she couldn’t ignore.
    Maggie took a step back and looked around. People in the courtyard were watching, and she realized her mistake. She’d questioned the chief’s decision in front of everyone. As much as she wanted to argue with him, now was not the time or place.
    “I’ll meet with ye in the solar,” Evan said a little more softly but with steel in his voice. “Do no’ think to no’ be there.”
    He marched away, leaving Maggie in the middle of the courtyard, frustrated and helpless. She glared at Gilroy. “What did ye tell him?” she demanded.
    “Just the honest truth, lass.” And Gilroy walked away, following Evan.
    Maggie entered the castle and walked through the great hall. They were between meals, so there weren’t many servants about, just a few girls carrying linens up to the bedchambers and one sweeping by the hearth. Maggie felt their stares. She kept her eyes on her shoes and put one foot in front of the other. Slinking into her home after being chastised by Evan and fearing for MacLean’s life after the fury she’d witnessed in Evan was not how she’d wanted to return home. What the hell had Gilroy said?
    She entered the solar before her brother, collapsed into a chair, and scooted down until her butt was almost falling off and her legs were spread wide. She stared at her trousers, caked with all kinds of disgusting things she didn’t want to think about, while her eyes filled with useless tears. Evan was furious with her and MacLean was sitting in the dungeon and she had no idea how to fix any of it.
    She heard a noise behind her and quickly swiped her wet eyes with the back of her dirty hand before twisting around. Then she returned to her slumped position. “Oh, it’s ye.”
    For many years Maggie had led a good