Page 13 of Hold Fast

She would go to the MacDonalds. She would tend Connor and do what she could for him. And in lieu of payment, she would ask Ewan to escort her to the Stewarts when the job was done.

Resolved to that plan, she gathered up her bundle of provisions, she said, “Come along, Greer, my traitorous sprite.”

Greer bounded to her, all long legs and enthusiasm, and shoved her head under Una’s hand, nuzzling affectionately. Ewan rose to his feet, and for a moment, he seemed frozen, his eyes unfocused, as if lookingthroughher. But then he shook himself.

“Do you ride?”

“What?”

“Horses. Do you ken how to ride a horse?”

“Cannae I just walk?” she asked, sweat prickling instantly.

But Ewan had already turned, whistling loudly. The huge horse lumbered up to him obediently.

“You call your horse like a dog?”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” he said, holding the reins in a loose grip. “Why should a horse nae come when he’s called? ’Tis verra useful.”

“I suppose,” she said, feeling her palms sweating now, her heart pounding.

“So do you ride?”

“I prefer to walk. Shall we?”

She took off, walking in the direction from which he’d come, her pace brisk. She heard the heavy hoofbeats behind her as he followed, catching her easily.

“Are you afraid of the horse?”

“I am fine. ’Tis only that I would rather walk.”

“Riding will get us there much faster. You ken better than anyone that time is of the essence with wounds like this.”

“I can walk quickly.”

“Look,” he said, the frustration in his voice evident. “We dinnae have time for this. Is it that you are afraid of the horse?”

She stopped walking, wheeling around to glare at him and coming nose-to-nose with the animal in question, who snorted.

Una shrieked and jumped back, catching her heel on an exposed root and flailing wildly as she fell backwards, anticipating the way the hard ground would send radiating pain up from her tailbone when she landed. But she never did.

Instead, she found herself pulled up against a very hard, very warm chest as Ewan reached and caught her arm, dragging her out of the fall. For the space of a breath, she froze, staring into eyes that she could now see were a mossy green. The wind blew suddenly, and she squinted as a stray lock of hair whipped against her eye. Ewan brushed at the lock with a careful hand, and that touch brought her back to herself.

She flinched and shoved him. He released her, his brow furrowed in obvious concern, and took a step away from her. That step made it possible to breathe again. He was still so close, though. Too close.

“I dinnae ken your name,” he said.

“Una,” she croaked.

“Una,” he repeated, his voice taking on the same timbre he’d used when soothing Greer. He said her name with care, like it was a precious, fragile thing. She shoved that thought away as quickly as it had come. She was not precious, nor was she fragile, and she could not afford to allow him such notions.

She turned and kept walking, not surprised when his long strides brought him easily to her side once more.

“This is ridiculous, Una,” he said, obviously losing patience. “We can reach my home twice as fast on the horse as if we walk.”

She shook her head. She knew it was ridiculous. Of all things, to be more afraid of a horse than a man—though she had plenty of reasons to be afraid of those, too. She also knew that he was right. The horsewouldbe much faster. But she couldn’t bring herself to even consider it. The thought of such a big animal. What if… Una quickened her pace.

“Una,” he growled. “We dinnae have time! Dinnae be stubborn.”