Page 28 of Tempting the Highland Devil
How does she understand me so perfectly?
His throat tightened as a heavy lump formed there. “I cannae have her. She deserves better than a man like me.” Arran confessed his deepest worries to Elspeth like she was his own mother. “She doesnae deserve a man who abandons his people. A man who dinnae even protect his own maither. I dinnae deserve her.”
“She doesnae,” Elspeth agreed. “But in the end, we all are nay deservin’ of love. Feelin’s like this always find a way of comin’ back to haunt ye nay matter how hard ye try to fight them, Arran. Perhaps it is time to forget about all ye dinnae deserve and focus on what ye want?”
Elspeth left him with those words, and he thought about them the rest of the day while he focused on training Duncan’s men in the moors.
* * *
They competed in tossing the caber the next day. Arran ran with the caber towards the opposite end then tossed with all his might to attain a far reach.
Laird O’Neil’s toss surpassed Arran’s, and he did not hide his cocky smile as he bowed to the crowd cheering for him.
He knew Laird O’Neil had never been married, and over the years, there had been rumors of his affairs with women of lower rank and bastard babies.
Why is he here? Except he has ulterior motives?
Even the thought of Yvaine speaking to him left Arran with blind rage. He had to protect her from men like Laird O’Neil.
Arran’s attention drifted to the laird tossing the caber now, and he saw that he surpassed Laird O’Neil. The laird was older than all of the others in the contest.
Laird Macmicking.Arran knew the man all too well. His father had fought wars against Macmicking many times, and Macmicking had won every time even though Arran’s father was relentless.
Why is he in the competition?That only proved that Yvaine did not know what she was doing—if she could let a man twice their age compete for her hand!
His smile showed off the darkened parts of his teeth, and he did not bother hiding the outstanding grey hairs on his chin. He seemed agile enough yes, but Arran could not comprehend why he would need a wife now when his wife passed early during childbirth, and he stayed unmarried all his youth.
Duncan announced Laird Macmicking as the winner of the caber, and everyone cheered.
“Seems like we will see who the best man is soon,” Laird Macmicking said to Arran once he drew close. He extended a hand. “We havenae officially met, Laird MacGregor, but everyone speaks of yer bravery as ye entered the games unannounced. I very much intend to beat ye, but I suggest that we stay friends regardless—for the sake of our clans.”
Laird Macmicking’s smile stayed on as he awaited Arran’s handshake. Arran stared hard at the man’s face, his chin hardening.
“I dinnae serve as Laird MacGregor,” Arran said, ignoring the man’s hand. “And I am nay like my faither. If ye cross me, I will crush ye without regrets.”
Laird Macmicking’s light chuckle roused Arran’s irritation some more. “The Laird MacGregor I knew crushed everythin’ in his path regardless of if they were enemies or friends. That makes ye everythin’ like yer faither,” he taunted. “I admired the man, but he dinnae ken when to give up and fight another day. I certainly hope that ye are wiser…Laird MacGregor.”
Laird Macmicking used the title again, a mocking smile tugging at the corners of his lips like he knew it would upset Arran.
Arran walked away from him and tossed his gloves to the ground. He hated being compared to his father more than anything else. Turning out like the man was Arran’s greatest fear, and it seemed as if Laird Macmicking knew that.
15
Yvaine did not see Arran at the next sword practice or at afternoon tea with all the lairds competing for her hand. She stayed distracted the entire time she sat there.
Most of the lairds competing were with some of their families. Yvaine was constantly on edge because she knew in a few days she would be married to one of them, and she did not know whom.
The pressure made her heart ache and her stomach queasy all the time. Each of the lairds clamored to gain her attention, but the only one she seemed to be able to speak with was Laird Loughty.
“Do ye want to get away from here?” Laird Loughty asked as he came to sit beside her. Yvaine relaxed when he smiled at her. Knowing that he was the only one not intent on winning her hand was comforting.
It did not seem so at first because he played the games with effort, but that was because he also had to convince his mother that he was indeed invested in trying to find a wife.
“I understand what it must feel like to have them all want yer attention. Imagine how I feel whenever my maither insists on a celidih, so I might meet the love of my life.”
Yvaine burst into a light laugh and covered her mouth with one hand. “Do ye think she is convinced that ye are interested in weddin’ me?”
“I have nay heard her complain since the games started. She believes I am smitten by ye.”
