Page 36 of A Thistle Beyond Time
“And so he’s angry with ye now and he wants to hurt ye,” Cormac stated. “Dinnae fash, lass, I willnae allow him near ye ever again. He willnae hurt ye.”
Jenna was taken aback by his determined pronouncement, and where it would have riled her just a few short days ago, now she found comfort in his words and in his arms.
“Thank you, Cormac, but you aren’t going to be here to protect me for much longer. You have to leave in a few days.”
“Aye, I do. Ye can come with me.”
Jenna shook her head resolutely. “I can’t, Cormac. I have a life here and I’m not sure exactly where it is you want me to go with you.”
“To Breaghacraig. To Scotland. Ye’d love it there. I ken ye would.”
“Cormac, please, can we just enjoy what little time we have together and not talk about crazy things?” Jenna pleaded.
* * *
Cormac knew it would be foolish to push Jenna. He had made progress with her and he didn’t want to send that progress backwards at this point. She was obviously happy to be here with him now and he could only hope that with the few days he had left, he would be able to convince her to leave with him. It wouldnae be easy, but he had more confidence today than he had done when he first arrived.
They sat by the fire and he held her closely in his arms, aware of every breath she took and how her arm had snaked its way around his waist. He enjoyed the sensation of having her hold him like this. She was the one thing missing in his life. He wanted her, more than he’d ever wanted any other woman. She was perfect in his eyes. He even enjoyed her bossiness, and that sharp tongue she used so swiftly. She was a strong woman. A woman who had become stronger because of the unfortunate situation with her husband. Cormac was happy that she had been able to extricate herself from the marriage and from a man who was without honor. Back home, a man like Jonathan would find himself in grave danger of losing his life for the insult he had brought to Jenna. It would be Cormac’s duty to defend her honor and he would have no trouble doing just that. Here, however, he was told by Edna that disagreements were settled by other means and he should not resort to violence if he could possibly help it. It was turning out to be a difficult task where Jonathan was concerned, but Cormac would do his best.
Looking down at the lovely woman curled against his side, Cormac realized that she had fallen asleep. He had hoped to kiss those lovely lips again this night, but he could see she was exhausted. He picked her up in his arms and carried Jenna to her bedroom, where he laid her on her bed, kissing her forehead gently. He took one last look and then left her room, closing the door silently behind him.
Chapter 11
Cormac held onto Jenna’s arm tightly, seeming to fear she might be swept away by the great gust of wind created when the monstrous BART train pulled into the Rockridge Station. The platform was filled with people, all heading into San Francisco on this gorgeous Saturday morning.
“This is our train,” Jenna said to Cormac. He didn’t move, instead staring up and down the line of cars in apparent wonder. She grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the open door of the nearest train car. He hesitantly stepped aboard and Jenna found them seats right away. “Dylan can be so flaky sometimes,” she complained. “He sends me a text in the middle of the night to tell me he can’t make it to the Children’s Hospital Charitable Ball. Since I don’t want to go unescorted, he suggested I take you.” Jenna glanced at Cormac, who was tightly gripping the seat in front of him as the train left the station. She smiled, reached out and gently released his fingers from their tight grip on the seat back.
“Does everything here move this fast, lass?” he asked, looking uncertain.
“Pretty much,” Jenna sighed. “I’m sorry to ask you to be my date to the ball at the last minute like this. I hope you don’t mind accompanying me.” She turned so she could see his face and smiled reassuringly at him.
“Nae. I dinnae mind. I’d be verra pleased to escort ye.”
If she could keep him talking, she might be able to get that look of horror off his face – the one that appeared every time he heard the train squeal as it rounded a curve. Before long, they headed into the tube that took the trains under the San Francisco Bay. There was total darkness outside the windows, where moments before it had been bright and sunny.
“Where did the light go?” Cormac asked, looking more and more concerned with each passing moment.
“Don’t worry. It’s dark because we’re passing under the bay. We’ll be out soon enough.”
“We’re under the water!” he exclaimed, disbelief written all over his face.
“Yeah. It’s okay, Cormac. Thousands of people do this every day. It’s not a problem.” The hand she had been holding seemed cold and clammy to the touch. She would never have believed that a big, strong man like Cormac could be frightened by a train. It almost made his whole time travel story seem more realistic. She kept a running conversation going with him until they reached their stop at the Embarcadero Station. “This is our stop, Cormac.” She scooted over, pushing him to get up. As they left the train, she heard a very audible sigh of relief leave his lips. She couldn’t help giggling as he hurried her away from the train.
Leaving the station, they emerged into bright sunshine once again. There were tons of people wandering to and fro on the sidewalks. Many were tourists and many were Bay Area citizens in the city for the day, undoubtedly sightseeing, shopping, going to the theater, or here to indulge in an excellent meal at one of the many amazing restaurants the city had to offer.
“I thought we’d get your tux out of the way first, and then we can grab a slice of pizza somewhere before we head back to the house to get ready.”
“What is a tux, Jenna?” Cormac had such a serious expression on his face that it took Jenna by surprise. Maybe they went by a different name in Scotland? It didn’t really matter, they were quickly approaching the shop where they would be picking it up and he’d see for himself what it was.
“You’ll see, Cormac.”
They entered the shop to be immediately greeted by Antonio, the shop owner.
“Jenna! What a surprise to see you here, I was expecting Dylan.” Antonio pecked Jenna on both cheeks and did a double take when he caught sight of Cormac.
“Dylan isn’t able to go to the event tonight. Antonio, this is Cormac MacBayne, he’s going to be my date for the ball. I thought maybe we could have him fitted for a tux, off the rack. He’s a little bigger than Dylan, but perhaps you can find something suitable for him.”
“Of course, of course! No problem. You know a lot of our local sports stars come here for their clothes,” Antonio said proudly. “I’m sure I’ll have no trouble finding something. Cormac, please stand over here so I can take your measurements.”
