MacAlister - Taming The Scotsman Part 38

"Shh, Viktor, you'd wake the dead," Cat said, but Ewan still couldn't see either one of them for the thick foliage that surrounded him.

"Catarina?" Ewan called.

The gypsies broke through the forest into the small clearing in front of him.

Catarina smiled triumphantly. "See. I told you he would head north. Only a fool would head back to the village knowing someone was after them. And Ewan is anything but a fool."

Ewan tossed the limb aside as Nora came out of her hiding spot.

Catarina rushed to Nora and gave her a hug while Viktor stood back, his face showing the relief Ewan felt.

"What are you two doing here?" Nora asked. "Not that we're not thrilled to see you. But how did you find us?"

"The finding was easy. The MacKaids left a large trail to follow," Catarina said. "We found them not long after the two of you had escaped them. They were plotting a way to retake you once they reached the village. Since we were coming from the village and hadn't seen you, I knew you had to be going north to avoid them.

"I then had Lysander and Bavel backtrack so that they could pretend to be you to lead the MacKaids away from your trail while Viktor and I continued to search for you."

"Pretend to be us?" Nora asked.

Catarina laughed. "We shall have to make it up to Bavel that he's wearing a gown and your brat."

Viktor agreed. "I'm sure the MacKaids won't get close enough to realize they're not you, and even if they do, Pagan is trailing behind them to catch any of them in case they do become smart and think to divide. Once they reach the village again, Lysander will bribe the villagers to verify that they were you and had pa.s.sed through. Knowing Lysander as I do, I'm sure he can accomplish this rather well."

Ewan held his tied hands out to Viktor, "May I borrow a dagger?"

Viktor pulled the dagger from his waist and sliced through the ropes.

Ewan winced as his wrists stung even more from their release. Still, it was good to be free again.

Nora gasped as she looked at his wrists. They were bloodied and chafed with large bruises all around.

"Oh, Ewan. First your side and now this. I honestly can't imagine how you can stand the pain of it."

She looked to Catarina. "Cat, have you anything we can put on his wrists? And I'll be needing a needle and thread to st.i.tch his side."

"Are you hurt?" Viktor asked.

"Graham stabbed him," Nora said before Ewan had a chance. "And it hasn't been properly tended."

Catarina motioned for them to follow her. "Come, I should have something in the wagon."

They walked through the woods until they reached the wagon that had been left behind once the woods became too dense for it to pa.s.s easily.

Ewan paused as he caught sight of the short, lean man sitting on the back of the wagon in the open doorway.

His blood ran cold.

It was Ryan.

He sat at the back with a snide smirk on his face as his legs dangled down.

Personally, Ewan would have rather seen Graham or one of his brothers waiting for them.

"Ryan!" Nora gasped, rus.h.i.+ng toward him.

She pulled Ryan into a fierce hug and squeezed him tight.

The sight of it cut through Ewan.

"I thought you were dead!" she said excitedly before she kissed him happily on the cheek. "Oh, thank the Lord for His mercy."

Ewan felt as though someone had dealt him a staggering blow. He hadn't wanted the man dead, but...

"Careful," Ryan snapped, pus.h.i.+ng her back. "They d.a.m.ned near did kill me, and I fear my stomach shall never be the same again."

Nora disregarded him and his surly warning. "I'm just so happyI didn't kill you."

"As am I," Ryan concurred. "Though to be honest, I feel as though I've died and been sent to h.e.l.l where the devil torments me with constant pain."

Catarina stepped past Ryan and fetched a pot of salve out of the wagon. She brought it over to Ewan.

Angry and hurt, he spread the salve over his bleeding and torn wrists, which throbbed and ached unmercifully.

Nora seemed to have forgotten all about him while she chatted with Ryan abouthis injuries.

And why shouldn't she?

Ryan was her betrothed.

Ryanwould be her husband.

By the way she was acting, it was what she wanted. Nothing like near death to make a woman realize where her affections truly lay...

Nora paused in her fussing over Ryan. She looked back to see Ewan with Catarina.

There was a pinched look to Ewan's features. A pain in his eyes that hadn't been there before.

She left Ryan to check on him. "Are you all right?"

"Fine."

She looked down at his raw wrists that were now covered in white salve. "Do they hurt overmuch?"

He shook his head, then handed the cream back to Cat.

Nora reached for Catarina's sewing basket. "Here, you go lie down and I'll-"

"I think it best that we get moving," Ewan said, interrupting her, his tone deep and clipped. "Viktor, hand me your sword. I'll take the seat on the wagon since I know this area best."

Viktor nodded and unstrapped his sword from his hips, then handed it over.

"Ewan," Nora said, her voice thick with warning. "You are wounded."

His tone was curt and cold. "I'll live."

Whatever was wrong with him?

She glanced back to where Ryan was glaring at Ewan.

Surely Ewan didn't think...

Nay. Ewan had to have more sense than that. He couldn't be jealous over Ryan the Toad. Surely he realized the only reason she'd gone to Ryan was that she was relieved he hadn't died because of her.

Nora started for the front of the wagon.

"You need to be in the back, Nora," Ewan said sharply. "We'll move quicker that way."

"How so?"

"Just get in the back." His gruff tone offended her. She hadn't seen him like this since the first day they'd been together.

Where was her gentle bear?

Her feelings hurt, she did as he said.

Fine. If he wanted to go off and sulk, so be it. They'd have to stop soon and eat. By then he should be more level-headed and she would check and clean his wound then.

If he wanted to be a baby until then, so be it.

Viktor went to ride with Ewan while she, Catarina and Ryan rode in the back.

As soon as they were settled inside, Ewan clicked at the team of horses and got them into motion.

"How did you find Ryan?" Nora asked Catarina as they took comfortable positions on the wagon's floor.

"He came out of the tavern wounded and was babbling for someone to help him get to you."

Nora could imagine what a spectacle Ryan must have been. The man hated to make a scene more than anything and yet he had made one for her. It was probably the kindest thing Ryan had ever done for anyone. She might not like him, but that went a long way in a.s.suaging some of the nastier things he had done to her over the years.

"Thank you, Ryan."

He inclined his head to her. "I'm just sorry I wasn't more adept at protecting you to begin with. Believe me."

"But at least you tried."

Ryan was silent while Nora talked to Catarina about what they should do to avoid the MacKaids and every other topic.

Ryan lay back in the wagon, moaning every time he took a breath about how much pain he was in and how neither of them understood the grueling misery that was his stomach.

Nora didn't comment. Instead, her thoughts were on the man who was driving the wagon. The one whose side was unst.i.tched and whose wrists were still raw.

The man who said nothing at all about his pain.

Inside or out.

They rode for hours without stopping to break their fast. It was almost midday before Ewan finally reined the horses.

He helped Nora down, then left Catarina for Viktor.

Nora tried to speak to him, but Ewan refused.

Without a word or backward glance, he returned to the horses to care for them.

Angry at his behavior, Nora went to him. "Why are you being so cold toward me?"

"I'm not being cold toward you."

"Nay? Then why do I get a s.h.i.+ver every time you meet my gaze? Or should I saywhen you meet my gaze, which all of a sudden isn't often."

He glanced past her shoulder to where Ryan watched them with an arched, curious brow. "Ryan is wounded. You need to see to him."

Understanding floored her. "You're jealous?"

"I'm not jealous, Nora. Believe me."

"Then what are you?"

"I'm angry."

Ewan clenched his teeth, unable to believe he'd allowed that to escape.

"What have you to be angry over?"

Fate. Destiny.

Everything that kept him from being able to claim her for his own.

Everything that made Ryan more appealing to her than he was.

"Just leave me alone."

She reached to touch him.

Ewan wanted that touch so badly that for a moment, he couldn't move.

He waited for it. Desperate. Needful.

But he had no right to that, either.