A Highlander's Love by Aileen Adams

Author:Aileen Adams
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Highland
Published: 2020-02-28T16:00:00+00:00

12

Never in the world had there been a more welcome sight. Not for Tyra, who at first believed the appearance of her dearest friend to be a dream.

But a dream did not squeeze a person until nearly breaking their ribs. Nor did their tears soak into one’s hair and shift. Tyra allowed herself to cry with joy on Iona’s shoulder once her confusion cleared. They offered broken apologies, pledges of love and gladness at being together again.

“It was an accident, I assure you,” Tyra laughed after explaining in detail what had occurred.

“You believe it worthy of laughter?” Iona gasped. “He wounded you! You might have died!”

“I did not, thanks to him. I understand.” She laughed again when Iona sputtered in disbelief. “It makes little sense. But it was through no fault of his that I came to be lost—that is the truth, full and plain. You cannot blame him for that. I was too frightened of the dog and of who Dougal might be to call out and ask for mercy. My tongue was tied.”

Iona’s mouth twitched. “Did you truly throw a rock at his head?”

Again Tyra burst out laughing, and Iona joined her. “It matters not,” Iona decided, running a hand over Tyra’s head. “So long as you are here. Alive. I have been ever so frightened for you.”

“But you knew I was here,” Tyra reminded her. “Did you not? He told me he’d…”

Then, it was clear. “He never told you, did he?” she whispered, the joy she’d only just known upon Iona’s arrival forgotten in an instant.

“He did not,” Iona muttered, her teeth clenched. This was not unusual, her ability to go from happiness to fury in the time it took to blink. “Today was the first I’d heard of your being alive, much less on the land neighboring my own. What did he think he was doing, hiding you here?”

Tyra could scarcely force herself to think clearly, in spite of the pain and anger of knowing he’d lied. To her face, plainly and openly, he’d assured her of his having spoken to Iona, just as he’d promised. How could he?

“He was afraid for himself,” she decided after some time, and it felt true in her heart. “Afraid because he believed I would turn him over to Colin. That is the only explanation.”

“I shall kill him myself.” Iona moved to rise from the bed, where she’d been sitting beside Tyra, as if she meant it.

Which Tyra had no doubt was the case, which was why she held her friend back. “You shall do no such thing,” she whispered, glancing at the closed door. Was he listening? While she would not imagine him beyond doing just that, it seemed more likely that he had gone elsewhere to avoid Iona’s wrath.

Many was the man who would have done the same. Iona had never been one to shrink back from putting a man in his place.

Now, she barked her laughter. “You cannot mean it. How could you protect him now, after what he’s done to you?”

“He has not done all that much,” Tyra insisted.

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