Highlander's Return: The Sinclair Brothers Trilogy, Bonus Novella (Book 2.5) by Emma Prince
Authors: Emma Prince
Ads: Link
Chapter 1
Scottish Highlands,
late July, 1307
“Farewell!”
Burke glanced one last time over his shoulder at his
cousin Garrick and the English healer lass Jossalyn. Though he would miss their
company, he also felt relieved to be out of their hair. It was obvious the two
were in love—and that they snuck off to explore that love whenever they thought
Burke wasn’t paying attention.
Of course, he knew what they were up to, and what
grew between them. He had experienced it himself. Although it was years ago, he
would never forget the feeling of true and deep love blossoming for the first
time.
You two had better be married the next
time I see you . Burke’s words to Garrick floated back
into his mind as he nudged Laoch, his bay stallion, into a trot. He hoped his
advice to his cousin sank in—Garrick could be stubborn and resistant to being
told what to do, but it was plain as day that he and Jossalyn were meant to be
together. She was the sister of Raef Warren, the Sinclair clan’s greatest
enemy, but that couldn’t stop their love.
As expected, Garrick had bristled slightly at
Burke’s words. You’re not her father, Burke…
Take the word of a man who regrets not
being able to follow his own advice, he had replied.
Aye, Burke knew more than Garrick about love—and
losing it.
Perhaps you can still find happiness… Garrick
had eyed him closely as he spoke, and his voice held a note of sympathy. Perhaps
Burke had said too much. He didn’t want his cousin’s pity. He had resigned
himself years ago to the fact that he would never again experience the kind of
perfect passion and deep connection he had felt with—
Meredith.
Meredith Sutherland .
Burke used her clan name like a knife, twisting it
into his chest to remind himself yet again why he could never be with her.
Even though nearly ten years had passed, the pain
was still sharp. He leaned into it so that he would remember not to get hurt
like that again. He had been young and foolish to fall in love with a
Sutherland. Everyone in the Highlands knew that the Sinclairs didn’t get along
with their neighbors to the southwest.
And “didn’t get along” was an understatement. Their clans’
centuries-old blood feud still ran hot. If anything, Burke and Meredith’s brief
but intense encounter ten years ago had only made the simmering conflict heat
to a near-boil again. Luckily, no blood had been drawn for decades, but that wouldn’t
have been the case if Burke and Meredith’s plan to get married had worked.
He supposed he should feel grateful that they hadn’t
succeeded, that she had been married off to some distant cousin and clansman,
and that they had never done what both of their youth-fired bodies had longed
for.
But he didn’t feel grateful. Instead, the thought of
Meredith Sutherland and their forced separation sat like a stone in his
stomach.
Burke suppressed a sigh, despite the fact that he
now rode alone through the forest a few hours west of Inverness. Even when he
was completely alone, he always forced himself to maintain his composure when
it came to thoughts of Meredith. If he let go of his vise-like grip on his
self-control, even for just a moment, he wasn’t sure if he would be able to
regain it again.
He had forced himself to move on from Meredith,
forced himself to forget the rich, dark waves of hair that smelled like roses,
the deep brown eyes that swallowed him whole, the lush firmness of her body,
the sweet smile made mischievous by the sprinkling of girlish freckles over her
nose…
Hell, who was he fooling? The mere memory of her
stirred him more that the actual presence of other women he had encountered
over the years. Nay, he would never forget her, no matter how hard he tried. But,
he reminded himself for the thousandth time, he would never get to be with her
again either. There was the true source of his pain: she haunted him still, but
she might as well be dead to him, for he would never again know true
Scottish Highlands,
late July, 1307
“Farewell!”
Burke glanced one last time over his shoulder at his
cousin Garrick and the English healer lass Jossalyn. Though he would miss their
company, he also felt relieved to be out of their hair. It was obvious the two
were in love—and that they snuck off to explore that love whenever they thought
Burke wasn’t paying attention.
Of course, he knew what they were up to, and what
grew between them. He had experienced it himself. Although it was years ago, he
would never forget the feeling of true and deep love blossoming for the first
time.
You two had better be married the next
time I see you . Burke’s words to Garrick floated back
into his mind as he nudged Laoch, his bay stallion, into a trot. He hoped his
advice to his cousin sank in—Garrick could be stubborn and resistant to being
told what to do, but it was plain as day that he and Jossalyn were meant to be
together. She was the sister of Raef Warren, the Sinclair clan’s greatest
enemy, but that couldn’t stop their love.
As expected, Garrick had bristled slightly at
Burke’s words. You’re not her father, Burke…
Take the word of a man who regrets not
being able to follow his own advice, he had replied.
Aye, Burke knew more than Garrick about love—and
losing it.
Perhaps you can still find happiness… Garrick
had eyed him closely as he spoke, and his voice held a note of sympathy. Perhaps
Burke had said too much. He didn’t want his cousin’s pity. He had resigned
himself years ago to the fact that he would never again experience the kind of
perfect passion and deep connection he had felt with—
Meredith.
Meredith Sutherland .
Burke used her clan name like a knife, twisting it
into his chest to remind himself yet again why he could never be with her.
Even though nearly ten years had passed, the pain
was still sharp. He leaned into it so that he would remember not to get hurt
like that again. He had been young and foolish to fall in love with a
Sutherland. Everyone in the Highlands knew that the Sinclairs didn’t get along
with their neighbors to the southwest.
And “didn’t get along” was an understatement. Their clans’
centuries-old blood feud still ran hot. If anything, Burke and Meredith’s brief
but intense encounter ten years ago had only made the simmering conflict heat
to a near-boil again. Luckily, no blood had been drawn for decades, but that wouldn’t
have been the case if Burke and Meredith’s plan to get married had worked.
He supposed he should feel grateful that they hadn’t
succeeded, that she had been married off to some distant cousin and clansman,
and that they had never done what both of their youth-fired bodies had longed
for.
But he didn’t feel grateful. Instead, the thought of
Meredith Sutherland and their forced separation sat like a stone in his
stomach.
Burke suppressed a sigh, despite the fact that he
now rode alone through the forest a few hours west of Inverness. Even when he
was completely alone, he always forced himself to maintain his composure when
it came to thoughts of Meredith. If he let go of his vise-like grip on his
self-control, even for just a moment, he wasn’t sure if he would be able to
regain it again.
He had forced himself to move on from Meredith,
forced himself to forget the rich, dark waves of hair that smelled like roses,
the deep brown eyes that swallowed him whole, the lush firmness of her body,
the sweet smile made mischievous by the sprinkling of girlish freckles over her
nose…
Hell, who was he fooling? The mere memory of her
stirred him more that the actual presence of other women he had encountered
over the years. Nay, he would never forget her, no matter how hard he tried. But,
he reminded himself for the thousandth time, he would never get to be with her
again either. There was the true source of his pain: she haunted him still, but
she might as well be dead to him, for he would never again know true
Similar Books
