A Time & Place for Every Laird by Angeline Fortin (ebook reader TXT) 📕

Danny nodded with a shrug, one eye still onthe frozen screen of his video game. “And what are you going todo?”

“I’m moving on to Option C.”

“Option C?”

“I doubt you’ll like it,” Claire predicted,wringing her hands indecisively. It certainly wasn’t what shewanted to do, but one infuriating Special Agent Phil Jameson hadremoved her own personal desires from the equation. “Let’s just saythat if you don’t hear from me by Friday, send all that stuff wefound to every major news agency in the country.”

“Claire …” She had his full attention now.Those blue eyes, so like hers, were wide with astonishment. “Shit,you’re going to do exactly what I told you not to, aren’t you?”

There was no use denying it. “Yes, Iam.”

Danny cursed colorfully. “Does Hugh knowwhat idiocy you’re up to?”

“No, he doesn’t.” Reason and personalfreedoms aside, sometimes a person had to accept that there weresome things that just had to be done for their own good. “He’dnever leave without me, Danny, and I can’t convince him otherwise.He proved that tonight, and if he won’t leave me, I need to leavehim.”

“Without even saying good-bye?” he askedwith uncharacteristic sentimentality. “After what I’ve seen betweenyou …”

“Don’t let him come after me, no matterwhat, okay?” Claire cut off any reminder of the undeniable bondbetween her and Hugh, and handed her brother her burner cell phone.“And give this to him to take with him. He can call you when he’sback in Scotland if he needs any help or advice on getting his lifestarted there.” Scotland. It was so far away. Would he ask Dannyabout her from time to time? Would he miss her? Would he know howmuch she missed him? Claire banished the heartbreaking thoughtsaway, wishing the emotional squeeze of her chest could be shakenoff as easily. “Your number is already in there.”

“If he leaves me alive after finding outyou’re gone, that is.”

A chuckle escaped her but ended in a waterysob. Claire’s eyes burned with tears as hot as the fiery ache inher heart.

“Claire …” Danny reached out hesitantly,wanting to comfort but unsure how to proceed.

Claire might have flung herself in his armsand sobbed pitifully on his shoulder but was afraid that giving into the sorrow would only weaken her resolve in doing what she knewshe had to do. Instead she prayed for strength. “Be a friend tohim, Danny. He’ll need one.”

“And what am I supposed to tell him thatwill spare my life?”

Swallowing back the lump tightening herthroat, she replied, “Tell him much can be excused if it’s done forthe right reasons. His own words used against him. How can he argueagainst that?”

Grabbing up her small suitcase, Claireblindly fled the loft as the tears she had been fighting began tofall, casting a blur over her vision, ignoring her brother’sprotests as she went. She would rather face Jameson a thousandtimes than ever again experience the pain of leaving behind the manshe loved. Claire raced desperately down the hall. Knowing thateven the time it would take to wait for the elevator to arrivemight be all that was necessary for her to surrender to herpleading heart, she took the stairs, with each step denying herselfwhat she wanted most.

Go back, her heart cried. Don’t leave him.I can’t, her footfall answered.I won’t. Being a warriorScot, a Highlander, a duke, and not to mention a gentleman withmore chivalry in his little finger than most men in her timepossessed in their entire bodies, Hugh would insist on his ownsacrifice before hers. He would want to slay the figurative dragonand save her, his damsel in distress. He would never appreciatethat sometimes the damsel could be the one to save the knight inshining armor, and no doubt he would be angry with her for what shewas about to do.

He would never admit that he had far more tolose than she did and how that was completely unacceptable to her …because he didn’t know how much she loved him.

And now there would never be another chanceto tell him.

There would never be another chance to holdhis hand, to curl up at his side in front of a roaring fire, totease him about his sweet tooth, or to watch in awe as he assembleda jigsaw puzzle as if he had an instruction manual. She would neversee him again and she hated passionately the reason for it.

Twice love had been taken from her by theactions of her own government. The first time had nearly destroyedher. The second had the potential to do the same.

It was enough to make Claire considerbecoming a Canadian.

Claire was shifting the Tahoe into park inthe hold of the ferry at the Seattle terminus when she realizedthat she couldn’t recall how she had even gotten there. Hers wasone of the few vehicles traveling from Seattle to Bainbridge Islandin the early morning rush, when most were on their way into thecity, and there were no NSA agents aboard searching cars orpassengers. Obviously Jameson had never dreamed that she would cometo him.

Wearily, Claire climbed the iron stairs tothe passenger cabin and dropped into a rear-facing seat, watchingas the grind of the engines propelled the vessel away from thecity. Through the rain-spattered glass, she could picture Hughstanding at the rail, glorying in the chilly nip of the wind whileother travelers were bundled in their fleece, his skin warmed bythe meager sun, his dark hair tossed and ruffled this way and thatas he watched Seattle shrink in the distance.

She would stand sheltered in the circle ofhis embrace, warmed to her toes.

Claire stared up at the buildings that hadawed him so, their faces dark with the rising sun at their backsand cast in gloom, much like her shadowed soul. Lost in thought,she let the trip slip by in silence until the blast of a hornannounced their impending arrival. Struggling to her feet, Claireglanced one last time at their wake. “Good-bye, Hugh,” shewhispered into the air. “I wish I could kiss you good-bye one lasttime. I wish I could see your amazement the next time you trysomething new. I wish I could be there to love you forever.”

Returning to the Tahoe, she disembarked,noting