Free Tess and the Highlander by May McGoldrick

her?
    One minute, Tess was startled by the intensity she
could see in Colin’s face. The next minute—as she watched him walk
away—more than anything in the world she wanted his powerful arms
around her again. She realized she actually wanted the
fluttering in her stomach back.
    All of the questions about living alone—questions
that she’d allowed herself to ignore—were now rearing up defiantly
before her. Even the sense of security that she’d created in her
own mind had been shattered, swept away in two short days. And all
she could feel now was a jagged and dangerous edge.
    Colin Macpherson had upended her life, and now he
had the nerve to walk out into the storm.
    Tess went inside and changed into dry clothing. In a
few minutes, she came out and looked at Makyn, who hadn’t moved.
There was no sign of Colin. Going in again, she spent some time in
the loft area beneath the roof. Restless, she went down and sat by
the fire, carding wool. But she could not sit for long and went out
again. And then back in. And then out yet again. Still no sign of
Colin.
    She considered going after him—but then decided
against it. As the daylight faded into dusk, the wind continued to
blow, but without the sense of purpose it had earlier. Even the
frothy sea seemed to be extending farther and farther to the
horizon.
    The thought of Colin going away without telling
her…or saying goodbye…started as a cold white point in her head and
grew steadily until it was a torment for her. There were no boats,
however, left on the island. Not long after Garth died, his small
currach had been battered to splinters during a winter storm when
the waves had crashed it against the rocks. It hadn’t mattered to
Tess at the time, and she was glad of it now. But that didn’t mean
other boats from the mainland were not already out on the sea. At
any time, one could see Colin on the shoreline and carry him back
with them. But if this was to be their fate—never to see each other
again—then she was as helpless about it as she was about everything
else in her life.
    It was well after dark when she finally heard him
coming up the steps. Checking the thick braid she’d made of her
hair, she hurriedly tucked an unruly tendril behind her ear. She
glanced down at her tattered dress and wished she had something
better to change into. The excitement surging through Tess was
unmatched by anything she remembered experiencing ever before.
    Colin was wet through, and he looked extremely tired
when he stalked into the firelit chamber.
    To keep herself from going to him, she crouched
before the hearth, lifted a cauldron onto the iron arm that
extended out from the wall, and swung the pot over the fire.
    “I thought perhaps you’d decided to take a chance on
the sea,” she said. “’Tis only a few leagues to the mainland. Not a
bad swim, I shouldn’t think.”
    Tess smiled over her shoulder at him and tried to
pretend that nothing was amiss. He walked toward his bedding, and
Tess ignored the crunch of the seashells beneath his boots.
    “I cannot say I didn’t consider it.”
     
    His admission stung a little, but she swallowed the
knot of disappointment and turned her attention on the steaming
broth. “It must be the food that is keeping you here, then.”
    “Nay! ‘Tis these bloody shells. I’m growing quite
fond of the things.”
    Tess glanced over her shoulder, but her retort
caught in her throat. With his back to her, Colin was pulling his
wet shirt over his head. He turned abruptly and caught her looking
at him.
    “I…” Tess knew her face was betraying the heat that
had suddenly come over her. She looked quickly away and gestured to
the ladder. “There is…I mean, Garth had a good shirt if you want a
dry one.”
    “This blanket will do.” His voice was low and
hoarse, but she couldn’t trust herself to look at him again.
    “I made some broth. And there is more smoked fish.
There is also some dried bread. It doesn’t taste too bad