Hero of a Highland Wolf

“Yeah. Give me a week and I’ll be ready to see some sights.” Really, a couple of days would have been enough, but she hated to leave things so unsettled here, almost afraid if she left the castle, she would lose what little control she felt she’d gained.

She glanced back at the castle and swore she saw Grant and his brothers watching her through one of the windows. Then she noticed movement on top of the wall walk. Two men were observing her. Was it a case of curiosity? Or concern for her or that she might fall for the wolf and put them all out of business?

It was misty and damp out. She could barely see to the end of the herb garden and only glimpses of the gardens beyond through arbor-covered gateways.

She wished she could tell Grant that she had no intention of changing the management. His pack had been managing the estate for eons, and she expected it to stay the same for eons more. But she thought this might keep him on his toes. As for Archibald, she’d be as friendly as he was, but if he thought she wanted more, she’d let him know in a heartbeat that she wasn’t interested. Then again, maybe she would be. Only time would tell. But she wasn’t jumping into anything right away. She had a whole year to live here first.

She understood Grant’s concern that she’d come to make a lot of changes he couldn’t live with. A last-ditch effort would be to have her cousins come stay with her and be her backup if this didn’t work out. They were both ready to join her anytime.

“So tell me all about your life in America,” Archibald said.

She smiled at him, liking how he would ask, unlike Grant who only wished she’d return there. She started talking about her home in Maryland, about the Inner Harbor in Baltimore and trips to Annapolis. She loved the water.

“I love the water, too. My manor house has a nice-sized lake for a view.”

“I bet it’s lovely.” She loved the ruggedness of being on the ocean, though. The tumultuous sea, the ever-changing view, the force and power of it. She loved lakes, but they usually just—sat there.

“Did your friend ever arrive at the airport?” she asked.

“Uh, yeah. But his flight was delayed by four hours. You and I could have had something to eat.” He smiled.

He had such a charming smile compared to Grant’s scowls. “Oh, I couldn’t have. Grant and his people were eager to show off their fighting skills and celebrated my arrival with a grand feast right afterward. It was the experience of a lifetime.”

“Grant did?” Archibald said, frowning.

Yeah, but not in exactly the way she had made it sound—as if he’d done so to welcome her. But she didn’t want to let anyone outside the pack know that Grant was trying his darnedest to change her mind about staying here. She smiled. It was like a secret pact between them. Grant would act all growly and stubborn, and she’d smile back and have her own way.

“Oh, yes. They were delighted to have me here and couldn’t have done anything further to make me feel more welcome.” Could Archibald tell what a phony she was? She could understand Grant’s concerns and figured this was the only way he knew how to deal with his frustrations.

They continued to stroll through the herb garden, while Archibald remained quiet.

She didn’t know enough about the area to ask any questions, and walking in the damp cold without a coat was chilling her to the bone. She was certain she’d acclimate to the varying temperatures and weather conditions eventually, but she was having a difficult time enjoying this. She sighed.

Well, if he couldn’t come up with another topic, she might as well ask him about Grant. “I take it that you and Grant know each other fairly well?” She couldn’t imagine that Grant only saw Archibald as an alpha male wolf who was trespassing on his pack’s territory. It had to be something that went deeper.

Archibald smiled this time, but the look was not pleasant.

“Not what you would call friends?” Certainly not from Grant’s perspective.

Archibald shrugged. “I don’t really feel comfortable here, speaking with you. The gardens have ears.”

She raised her brows, then glanced around and noticed a gardener studying the roses. A teen who had been watching them from another garden turned red-faced and quickly looked away. Were Grant’s people spying on her and Archibald? She wasn’t sure whether to be annoyed or amused.

“I would love to take you to a village and offer you breakfast, and we could really visit,” Archibald said, sounding hopeful.

“I’d love to. Later,” she said, feeling she was too tired to be the best of company. Even now she wished to put on a cheery face, but she couldn’t conjure up the warmth to back her smile. She was still thinking about dealing with Grant and what would be next as she butted heads with the man.

Footsteps headed in their direction, and she turned to see who approached. They’d only been walking in the chilly fog for about ten minutes, which in itself seemed ridiculous. Then again, the Highlanders were probably used to the weather. If she was back home, she would have found something else to do with her time. She was getting damp and chilled, and she hoped whoever approached would get her out of this predicament in a way that wouldn’t hurt Archibald’s feelings.

Grant’s man, Darby, hurried to catch up to her and said with urgency, “My Lady, Laird MacQuarrie says the morning meal is ready, if you’d like to join us.”

Hearing her referred to this time with a title, she was taken aback. So politely now, instead of the way he had taken her to task in Grant’s chamber. She wasn’t used to being referred to as “lady.” In America, she didn’t use any title. She was just Colleen, as far as she was concerned. In Scotland, it was different. Maybe using her title would ensure that some of the wolves in Grant’s pack treated her with more respect. Though she didn’t think she’d ever get used to being referred to in that manner.

She hesitated to speak. The preparation of breakfast seemed to have occurred awfully fast. Why didn’t Grant say they were getting ready to eat as a reason she shouldn’t take a walk with Archibald? She suspected they’d thrown breakfast together in a hurry in an attempt to whisk her away from him.

Was Grant trying to make amends with her, then? She doubted it.

A light breakfast might settle her stomach, but she didn’t think inviting Archibald to eat with them would help. She could imagine the tension escalating in the dining hall. Darby’s interruption was just what she needed. She didn’t even mind knowing Grant was attempting to get her away from Archibald.