Free Prescribed for Love by Mallory Moutinho Page B

nce, Ailsa went to find their guest . She did not have to search long, for she found her brother leading the girl back inside. “Catriona, there ye are ! I had become worried.”
    “Sorry I took so long, I was making this,” replied Cat as she held up one of the broken knitting needles. A lthough , it now looked even more maligned. Catriona must have seen her confusion because she continued, “It’s for crocheting.” This did not help to enlighten Ailsa. “It’s kind of like knitting— I’ll show you once we get insid e .”
    “I thought she was making a verra wee weapon,” said Alasdair with a wink.
    “ Of course this is a weapon,” replied Cat while rolling her eyes. “The next time a man attacks me, I’ll politely ask him to wait so I can make him a sweater with which to restrain him .”
    “Aye, well, let us just hope ye dinnae need to defend yerself from an attack again.” She was glad to see Catriona and her brother getting along amicably; Ailsa wanted to ensure Cat felt welcome. “ But, y e will just have to show me how to crochet tom orrow—tis nearly time for supper.”
    ***
    Seated between Alasdair and Ailsa, Cat riona stared at the food placed before her. There really had not been much variety in the food she had seen. Tonight, there was coa rse bread, and a stew of some sort , and fish . God , what I wouldn’t do for a pizza right now. Cat was immediately ashamed of the thought when she recalled the MacLean’s current struggles. This was just another reason to get back to the twenty-first century. She did not want to be a strain on their meager resources .
    Focusing her attention on Ailsa, she was glad to see the girl had not touched any bread; she did not want the girl to get sick again. This thought led Cat to think of her other patient. “Ailsa, do you think we could go visit Lainie’s mother again tomorrow? I would like to check in on her.”
    “Aye, that is a wonderful idea. Alasdair , may we borrow Branan again?”
    “Nay , I will go with ye tomorrow.”
    I wonder why he wants to go. Maybe this is the ‘later’ he was referring to. Unsure what to make of Alasdair’s decision, but glad to have plans to revisit her patient , Cat let her gaze wander to the other occupants in the room. She had always enjoyed people watching, so she was content to just sit and observe. She smiled when she spotted Branan and Lainie. The two were obviously in the throes of new love. They smiled at one another almost incessantly and seemed to be completely e ntranced by each other’s words. Truly, it was almost disgusting.
    Letting her eyes drift over the rest of the room, Cat was amazed by the sense of camaraderie and friendship that seemed to permeate the room. While the hall had dozens upon dozens of people in it, she had always imagined this was how a family dinner should feel. Dinners with Keith had been nice, but they had just never seemed whole with only two people. Poor Keith! I wish I could let him know I’m okay.
    Once again overcome with the need to return to her brother, Cat said, “I’m going to head to bed, it’s been a long day.” She needed to try asking the book to send her home again.
    “I will escort ye,” offered Alasdair .
    “No, there’s no need.” She did not need any distractions right now.
    Once Cat reached her room, she ran through almost the same routine with the book as the night before. But , she was still displaced by six hundred years. Maybe once Lainie’s mother gets better this stupid thing will work…
    ***
    Nothing! Absolutely nothing! It made no sense to Keith. How could Cat go missing with absolutely no hint as to her whereabouts? It was as if his sister had simply vanished!
    ***

Chapter 7
    Alasdair did not feel guilty taking the women to the village the next morning. While it was import ant to train his men, he knew it was just as important to ascertain how the clan outside of the keep was faring. Sadly, much of the dam age from the night of the Camer on