Highlander's Kiss (Clan Matheson #1)

“When I travel, I like to collect something on each trip to remind me of the moment. Memories stored and kept for a lifetime. The orchid you gave me is drying in my chamber and I’ll add it to my keepsake box once it has, right along with this leaf. Do you no’ store such keepsakes away?”


“In the future we take photographs to remind us of special moments.” He lugged his cell phone from his pocket and focused the camera lens at her. She looked glorious astride her mare, her violet skirts sweeping her horse’s sides and the lush green of the forest surrounding her. Her broad-brimmed hat, perched jauntily on the top of her head, dipped forward and backward as she moved with her horse’s gait. Golden locks rippled down her back and her beautiful blue gaze with those stunning sparks of gold rimming the edge, locked on him. “Smile for me, Julia, and I’ll capture the picture and show you.”

“A picture? As in what a painter would paint?” Frowning, she tilted her head to the side. “Of which you have no paints in hand or a canvas to capture such an image.”

“Did you see the picture of Tor and me on my oak dresser?”

“Oh, I did.” A glimmer of understanding flickered in her gaze. “Does that wee contraption take such an image?”

“It does. Want to see?”

“Aye, very much.” She grinned and he snapped the image, took a few more of her then turned around and snapped another of the cart as it bumped along the track behind them, its wooden planked base creaking with each roll of its wheels.

He took one of Tor too sitting astride his war horse then eased his mount closer to Julia’s and stretched out one arm to show her the picture of herself first.

“Oh my.” She snuck the cell phone from his hand and ogled it. “That is incredible. ’Tis as if I’m on a horse within this very tiny thing.” She touched the screen, sliding her thumb reverently over it, which made it flick to the next picture. Gasping, she continued to flick through the shots he’d taken, learning quickly how the mechanism worked. “Could you take a picture of the two of us with this?”

“Of course I can.” He’d treasure such a picture of the two of them.

“I would like such an image for my keepsake box, framed too, just like your picture of you and Tor.”

“I’ll make sure that happens, that we both have one.” He snuck his cell phone from her hand and with the two of them riding side by side, he held the camera out as far as he could and at just the right angle to catch them both within the same shot. Perfect. He stroked one finger over the delightful image. Julia’s exuberance shone through and his pleasure in the moment did as well. Grinning, he handed the device back to her. “Take a look.”

She did and a soft sigh escaped her. Cell phone clutched to her chest, she met his gaze, hers a touch watery and shining bright. “This image is one I shall always treasure. What else can this miraculous wee device do?”

“Not only does it take wonderful pictures, but the primary reason for it is so one can speak to another, anywhere within the country, or even around the other side of the world if needed.”

“Impossible.” Eyebrows soaring, her look incredulous, she gazed at his surrounding form, as if she was checking his aura.

He searched deep within her mind along their link, found she was. “Am I telling the truth?”

“You’ve yet to speak a mistruth.”

“I’ll never speak a mistruth to you. You can see my every thought, know exactly what I’m thinking. Do you think you can handle living in my time?”

“As long as you are there, I’m sure it’ll be one big, wonderful adventure.” Smiling, she handed his phone back to him. “You must look after that device. Dinnae lose it.”

“I shall.” He powered it off and pocketed it.

Soon, the forest gave way to the rolling moors, the craggy hills of the Highlands rising high on their right, and the inner channel of Loch Alsh just visible beyond the fields to their left.

Julia pointed ahead at the fork in the pathway. “We take the left trail here. The right leads toward the road heading across the Highlands to Invergarry.”

Veering left, they rode through the rolling fields of heather awash with wildflowers. His very soul settled at being on this land, his mate so close, and his brother at his back. Trotting on, their traveling party rode alongside a fast-moving river that weaved through the lush green pasture. White-water streamed over wide boulders and flowed toward the inner channel of the loch only a few miles distant. His bear pushed under his skin, his need to shift rolling through him. Splashing through that river then lazing about in the sunshine on the grassy bank to dry off would be heavenly. Another time. Indulging his bear wasn’t possible right now.

As they left the grassy trail behind, they picked up their pace and rode along the sandy shore of the loch toward their land border with the MacKenzie. The sun dropped lower along the horizon, its golden rays flaring across the jewel blues of the water.