The Ghost by Greyson, Maeve (best motivational books to read .txt) 📕

“I can take care of myself.”

“Of that, I have no doubt.” He strolled over to the hut, examining its construction with a critical eye. “If Keigan decides to be my son and returns with me to Tor Ruadh, I would have ye know that ye are welcome to come with us.”

“My, my are ye not a self-assured bastard.” How dare he think he could sweep in here with his warhorses and manly ways to win the favor of her nephew with no problem. Keigan might be entranced for a little while, but the boy loved her and enjoyed their life here in the woods. Keigan understood they were safe here. The fewer the people, the less chance of betrayal and pain. “Ye truly think ye can win him away from me so easily?”

“It is not my intent to ‘win him away.’” One hand still resting on the side of the structure, he turned and frowned at her. “If he fosters an attachment to me, that willna change his love for ye. Ye’re nay just an Auntie. Ye’re the only mother he has ever known. He needs ye in his life more than ye will ever know.” His scowl deepened. “I would never attempt to take that from him.”

The man had all the right words. Said the things he thought she needed to hear. No wonder her trusting sister had so easily fallen under his spell. “Our home is too small for any other than us.” She motioned toward the pile of sticks and branches she and Keigan had gathered during their walks. “Ye’re welcome to sleep here in the clearing. If the night gets brisk, ye can build a fire with that wood.”

“Thank ye. That is most generous.”

It wasn’t, but she didn’t care. There was room enough inside, and she felt sure he could tell that. He might be a callous womanizer, but she had decided he was far from stupid. The rising wind held the smell of rain to it. Magnus and Evander would soon be soaked, but that was their problem, not hers.

A horse’s loud snort announced the return of the lads. Magnus directed the boys to the left of the dwelling. “Tie them off over there. I dinna see any grasses or plants that’ll cause them harm should they eat them, and those trees should give them safe enough shelter from the weather.”

“Ye know about plants?” Keigan asked. He looked at Brenna with pride. “My auntie knows everything about plants and how to make folk better with them.”

“Does she now?” Magnus looked suitably impressed, irritating Brenna even more. “Perhaps yer auntie would be kind enough to teach me what she knows,” he added.

“It would take a long time,” the boy warned. “She knows everything.”

“Keigan—”

Thunder interrupted, rumbling long and low. The wind stirred the trees, growing stronger with every gust.

“Fixin’ to storm,” Keigan announced. He waved Evander and Magnus toward the door of the hut. “Best get inside. We got some fish left over from breakfast if’n ye’re hungry. Auntie made some honey water, too. We found a hive and didna get stung a single time ’cause Auntie blew smoke on them. It made them all sleepy.”

Unfortunately, Keigan had inherited a most exhausting trait from his mother. The boy was never at a loss for words with anyone.

“We’ll be fine out here,” Magnus said with a pointed look in Brenna’s direction. Evander opened his mouth as if to speak, then snapped it shut and cast a disgruntled look up at the sky. Without a word, he shrugged a fold of his kilt up over his head and peered out from it.

“But ye’ll get soaked as waterweed,” Keigan argued, holding open the door. “Tell’m, Auntie.”

As if to make the boy’s case, it thundered again, and large droplets of rain plopped across the ground, warning of the deluge to come.

“Ye can come inside until the rain stops, aye?” Brenna pointed at the door, refusing to look Magnus in the eyes. He would surely think her easy to manipulate if this kept up. But she knew in her heart if she behaved like a quarrelsome banshee in front of Keigan, she would lose him to the man for certain. This was a dangerous game that had to be played with care. “I am certain ’tis just a passing storm.”

“I’m sure it is,” Magnus said. “We shall be back outside in no time.”

She could tell the fool was doing his best not to smile. He had better not, or she’d slip enough agrimony into his honey water to make him piss himself to death. Good for staunching wounds and making them clot, the herb also worked well at flushing a body’s waters.

While the confines of the small dwelling were tight, at least they were dry as the sky held true to its promise and released a driving rain. She covered the lone window with a shutter she had made from a broken tabletop and lit the precious lantern one of the townsmen had given her after she had set his son’s broken arm.

“Did the two of ye build this?” Evander asked, looking upward where they had lashed the branches together as the bones for the structure, creating a cone that coaxed the smoke from the center fire upward.

“Aye, we did. Auntie even climbed a tree and dangled down by her knees to tie the rope around the beams before we layered the mud and thatch on the roof,” Keigan said with pride. He slapped his knee and laughed. “Ye shouldha seen her wearing them trews!”

Both Evander and Magnus turned and looked at her as though she had just sprouted horns.

“Keigan, I thought ye were going to share the fish and bread?” Brenna stirred the fire and hung a small pot across the edge of the coals. She had to get the child side-tracked before he divulged any more indelicate secrets.

“Evander,” Magnus pointed at the door. “Run fetch the food from Mistress Wicklow before it’s ruined.”