Page 59 of A Healer for the Ruthless Highlander
Leana watched him, feeling her heart clench. She noticed the same pain in Kenneth’s gaze, like a gust of wind that stirred his anger.
Brenda, whose face was etched with the deepest sadness, leaned forward to kiss her son on the forehead, trying to comfort him. “Daenae say that, me darlin’,” she pleaded.
Kenneth took a step in his brother’s direction. “Where did ye hear that?” he asked.
Leana guessed from his tone that he was very careful about what he said in front of Hunter, especially concerning their late father.
The boy, looking crestfallen, admitted in a whisper, “I heard ye talk about it long ago…”
Kenneth almost flinched as the realization that his brother had been spying on him sank in. That he himself had somehow planted the seed of pain in Hunter’s heart.
A weight pressed against her chest, heavy and unrelenting, as if the very air had thickened around her. Her fingers trembled slightly at her sides, curling into fists before she forced them to relax.
She swallowed hard, but the tight knot in her throat refused to ease. Her thoughts swirled, tangled with emotions she couldn’t name, and when she exhaled, it was slow, uneven—like she was trying to steady herself against a storm that had already begun to consume here. It was difficult to see Kenneth like this, confronting the ghosts of his worst fears, watching as the weight of a cruel truth settled over his younger brother.
Hunter had known for a long time—too long—that the man who should have loved him had instead wished him dead. Yet, despite his quiet strength, Kenneth could see the strain in his brother’s rigid posture, the way his fingers curled slightly as if bracing against an unseen blow.
His jaw was set, his breathing measured, but the pain flickered unmistakably in his eyes—an old wound, reopened and raw. Kenneth had spent years shielding him from this reality, desperate to keep him from the bitterness of such knowledge. But now, as Hunter stood there, carrying the burden of that truth with silent resilience, Kenneth could do nothing but witness the quiet devastation carving into the younger man’s features.
He crouched down beside Hunter and placed his hands on his shoulders again. “I would never let anyone hurt ye. Nae even our late faither,” he assured.
“I ken,” Hunter replied.
“Besides, darlin’, ye daenae have to think about it,” Brenda added. “We all love ye so much. We’d do anythin’ for ye. Ye ken that.”
“I… I ken that too, Ma,” Hunter sighed as Leana moved a little closer to them.
“That’s why ye daenae have to run away anymore, Hunter. Because everyone at the castle wants to take care of ye. We’re goin’ to help ye get better, and soon ye’ll be able to forget about this painful illness.” said Leana, trying to instill encouragement in the little boy.
“Maybe… But me da isnae welcome here. People hate him ‘cause he’s different.”
“What, tell me, why do ye think that?” Kenneth asked.
“He told me so. Me da told me we have to keep our meetings a secret because people would try to send us away if they kenned he was the one who raised us…”
“Sweetheart, that willnae happen,” Brenda assured immediately, hugging him, and Kenneth nodded in agreement. “In this castle, we will never reject anyone who has helped ye. Especially when they have taken such good care of ye.” She gave him a loving smile and kissed his forehead.
“Really?” Hunter asked.
Brenda nodded once. “Of course, dear. And the next time Mr. Graham comes to port, we’ll invite him to dinner. From now on, he shall be our guest when he visits this land,” she announced, which seemed to fill him with great joy.
“That would be wonderful!” he exclaimed.
“But nay lies from here on,” Kenneth warned, drawing his attention. “And nay escapades. When ye go to the harbor, ye will be accompanied by one of me men.”
Hunter’s eyes lit up.
“Ye will also have to do it for at least two hours a day,” Leana added immediately. “And next time, I will go with ye. I will teach the men to recognize the Sea Holly so that they can extract it properly. With it, I will prepare a medicine that will relieve yer symptoms. That, along with the sea breeze, should help ye leave this terrible illness in the past.”
Brenda looked at her with eyes full of hope. “Really, is that possible?” she asked.
Leana nodded. “Aye. I firmly believe that Hunter’s illness can be cured with a good dose of sea breeze and caramel-flavored medicine.”
She winked at Hunter, who gave her a lovely smile.
“I guess that means ye’ve won the healer contest.” Hunter giggled.
Leana gave him a bitter smile. “I guess so,” she murmured.
