Once Upon A Highland Legend Read Online Free PDF

all his days. In truth, there was not a female in his clan who would stand for him daring to carry her away like a sack of meal, but she’d vexed him with her strange words and her ridiculous accusations.
    He glared down at her.
    Her skirt had flown up, revealing tiny red breeches that were so wee they didn’t actually cover her buttocks. In fact, they disappeared like a string into the crack of her arse and he wondered if the lass were far too poor to afford more cloth. Her pristine white tunic was full of grass stains, and her hair was tangled in her useless cloak, covering her face. Her boots, oddly made, had seen better years.
    He lifted up the crystal that rolled to his feet, and before she could regain her senses, he lifted her up as well.
    “I’ve nay wish to harm ye, lass, but ye’ll be answerin’ to my kin.” She groaned in protest as he tossed her over his shoulder once more. But he warned her, “Dinna think to do that again. I’ve been told my head is as hard as the stones in these hills and I’ll warrant all ye’ll manage to do is sour my mood.”
     
    It took Annie a befuddled instant to regain her bearings.
    “ Me sour your mood?” she asked. “You’re the one who stole my bag, defaced public property, and then lifted me up like some Neanderthal!”
    “I’ve told ye, I ha’na seen your bloody dry sack, woman! And I dinna understand a word ye say. What tongue is that ye speak?”
    “Me?” she shrieked. “You! I don’t understand anything you’re saying! Don’t you know English when you hear it?”
    “English!”
    Without warning, he hurled her down once more. Thank God the hillside was soft and spongy, breaking Annie’s fall, not her bones. Also quite fortunately, she missed a crop of rocks. That would have hurt.
    “Bloody English!” he exclaimed. “I should ha’ known. That explains your idiocy, wench! What are ye doing aboot these parts?”
    The impact knocked the breath from Annie’s lungs. She groaned, rolling to her back. At the instant, she didn’t care that her legs were turned up to the sky and her skirt was flapping in the wind. The sky had turned so quickly it—it was true, if you didn’t like the weather in Scotland, just wait five minutes.
    “First of all,” she began, once her breath returned and she could talk again. “I’m American. Not English.” His murderous glare turned abruptly to one of confusion. When it didn’t appear he was going to pounce on her again, she sat and tried to explain. “My dad was Scottish. Mother American. Both dead now. Why am I telling you this? I don’t even know you!”
    His look softened a bit at her revelation, but his stance remained threatening.
    The wind whipped around them, snapping his crude blanket like a weathered flag. Annie groaned. She had the strangest feeling suddenly…as though she were not quite anchored in reality. She examined him closer…maybe for the first time. His long black hair was braided at the sides, probably to keep the hair out of his face. It certainly wasn’t a fashion statement. His eyes were the color of steel, but they appeared nearly as confused as Annie felt.
    As absurd as it seemed, after tossing her down twice, she had the sense he wouldn’t do her any real harm.
    She took another glance around, noticing the subtle differences in the landscape. The cairn in the distance was newly built, not eroded. The grass was no longer quite as green as it had appeared when she’d sat down to eat her sandwich. The bluebells were gone.
    Same place.
    Not the same time.
    How could this be?
    She turned back to her barbarian friend. Although she knew it must be impossible, he seemed to be the real deal. And no, he wasn’t crazy. Nothing about that look in his eyes was crazed. In fact, it was the single most knowing gaze she had ever met in all her life. He was assessing her quietly, listening, standing with arms akimbo, eyes narrowed, waiting for her to continue.
    Oh, God…there was no way…no way…no