Love in the Mist (MacKay's) Read online

  She had altered each piece of the costume adding her own style and flare.... yeah she knew it was old… but damn it was a bit plain and uncomfortable. The petticoats had originally been white also, but she had dyed one a cobalt blue and the other a darker shade more of a midnight blue. She had bunched her sark in the front middle at knee level then attached a blue ribbon to match the petticoat underneath. She proceeded to do the same with the cobalt blue petticoat underneath her sark, attaching a dark blue ribbon to it. She then cut and hemmed both the sark and the petticoat under it so each layer was slightly shorter than next. The result was a layered look that was quit stunning. The corset had been white, but she dyed it a red to match the stripes on the arisaid, cutting the strings that tightened it. She had taken the vest that was made of a dark blue material that matched the shade of the darker petticoat and attached the altered corset to it. She then closed the vest with several wooden toggles she had found buried in another chest. Of course she had altered them too, but only slightly, she gave them an almost whitewashed look so they matched the outfit better.

  She was fairly sure that she had stolen clothing designs from several different eras, but honestly didn’t care… it wasn’t like there would be any historical fashion police at the party. She knew the arisaid had belonged to the clan MacKay and her great grandfather had paid for a replica clan badge to be designed in white gold as a gift for his wife. Her great grandmother had taught her to understand Gaelic, but because of her heavy Texan accent, it was almost impossible for her to speak it. Shoot she was lucky if anyone understood her English half the time her drawl was so strong.

  Great grandma Ari had also taught her how to wear the arisaid… it was basically worn like a cloak. She had a large leather belt that she wrapped around her waist to hold it in place. The belt had been altered too, but just slightly… she had taken a ribbon of both the shades of blue she had used for the petticoats and interwoven them over the leather so it matched the outfit. She then draped the top over her shoulders and attached the replica clan badge in front, a hand holding a dagger. Tasha had always assumed the material would be rough and scratchy, but somehow it had maintained a softer less abrasive feel to it. No skin irritation, thank god.

  She quickly looked at her watch… “Crap!” She was way more than fashionably late… now she would have to drive instead of walking. Trying to be as authentic as possible she removed her watch and laid it on the mantel before walking out the door. Jumping into her car she carefully drove the few blocks to the barn house the gathering was being held at. As she pulled in front one of the MacKay brothers themselves, dressed in their highland colors, opened her door. As she walked around the car and stepped into the light all three brothers… local ranchers… looked at her with raised eye brows. Oh boy, she had forgotten about the MacKay brothers, their family had lived here just as long as hers.

  In reality their families were related… distantly. Twin brothers… MacKay’s… had founded the town of Opal. These men had descended from the head of the family and eldest brother, while her great grandmother had been the great granddaughter of the younger brother. Their grandfather had been the rancher that bought the property next to the orphanage when my great grandmother had needed the money. He then donated it years later when the orphanage was opened for their use. Following in his footsteps the oldest brother Ian had just recently signed the lease papers making it official for several generations of use. Then completely out of character the middle brother Malcolm had encouraged some of the cowhands to donate their spare time to helping out.

  “Tash, you do realize you’re wearing the MacKay colors don’t you?” This from Cameron the youngest who always liked to shorten her already short nickname. He brought new meaning to the word annoying.

  Cameron was a year younger than her, but acted more like a child than an adult most days. The shortest of the three brothers at 5’10” he seemed a giant to her 5’2’ and he loved to use it to his advantage. He had always been the more perverted of the brothers, standing close to a girl until he was almost touching, then looking down into her blouse. She had caught on to his tricks years ago and he knew better than to get to close to her if he wanted to keep what was between his legs happy. With his sandy brown hair and laughing blue eyes he left most women in a melted heap on the ground, but not her. When he smiled and flashed those two dimples on his cheeks she would just roll her eyes. He had always seemed to think of her as a challenge, she just wanted him to go away.

  “You boys seem to forget that I descend from the MacKay’s myself on my great grandmother’s side of the family. The Arisaid and badge belonged to her, gifts from her husband in honor a heritage she was always proud of.” There that should put them in their place a bit, and stop that possessive look that had come into Malcolm’s stormy eyes.

  Unlike Cameron, Malcolm was less of a playboy. He still liked women, a lot, but he was more selective and very discrete. He had darker hair, almost black, with streaks of red in it that warned of his volatile temper. His eyes were gray with flecks of blue in their depths. Standing at 6’ he enjoyed intimidating others, but when he smiled and his single dimple peeked out at you, a person could forget for just a moment what an ass he was. She was no exception, that single dimple always seemed to surprise her and turned her brain to mush, at least until he opened his mouth again. He had wanted Tasha as his own since they were children, but she had no interest in someone who would bully others if they even smiled in her direction. He had always been a possessive child and that had not changed much as he grew into an adult. He was a few years older than her, but never seemed to grow out of the obsession he had towards her.

  The mischievous look that crossed Cameron’s face warned Tasha he was about to say something completely obnoxious. “Oh sweetheart we haven’t forgotten a thing about you. The real question is… Do you want a little more MacKay in you?”

  “Key word being little I assume?” She hadn’t meant to say it, but the comment had just slipped out of her lips without a thought. God, she knew it was stupid to respond. He would just see it as a sign of interest.

  While Malcolm tried, all be it unsuccessfully, to swallow his laughter over Cameron’s statement and my not so subtle insult, his older brother Ian looked pissed. She really hoped that dimple didn’t peek out at her, she needed all her wits about her around these men. “Watch your damn mouth!” He proceeded to smack Cameron in the back of the head as he held his arm out to me. “I’m really sorry for both of my brother’s less than stellar behavior… they can’t seem to help it. Maybe it stems from the fact they were both born in a barn… literally.”

  She took Ian’s arm allowing him to escort her into the barn. “You’re not to blame for their bad manners. No worries… I mostly try to ignore the two of them.”

  Of the three brothers he was the sweetest, she had always had a secret crush on him, but never allowed herself the luxury of following through with it. At 6’2” he was the tallest of the brothers, with jet black hair and golden eyes that seemed to draw you in. If you looked long enough a person could see the green flecks that danced in their depths. He was the more serious of the brothers, always doing the right and responsible thing. Tasha always believed he had a noble heart, but he always seemed to be walking around with the weight of the world on his shoulders. She could see how having the responsibility of the family ranch at a young age could do that to him, but at the same time it saddened her.

  Being five years older than them he had always been the one to watch over the other kids. While some boys would consider it an annoyance he took it as a challenge and enjoyed every minute of it. She could remember his laughter and natural playfulness. He had one dimple just like Malcolm, but when he was younger it was always there on his face because he was always smiling. Ian never had any hidden surprises to knock you on your butt, he laid it all out in the open for the world to see.

  It had always made Tasha want to be close to him. As a child she never left his side, constantly clin
ging to him and he never seemed to mind. Then one day when he was a senior in high school his dad died in an accident. It seemed to change him over night. There were no more easy smiles or constant laughter. He took to his responsibilities like the man he was born to be, but at the same time it had taken all the joy out of him.

  He softly ran his fingers along her hand as she held his arm. A thrill went through her, his touch was exciting, but yet comforting at the same time. “I’m still sorry… you deserve to be treated better than that. How about I make it up to you by being your escort for the night?”

  She couldn’t stop the smile that lit her face at his request. She knew what an honor he had just given her. Ian never escorted women to any function. He was very careful about not giving the reporters ammo against his family. Just as he was aware she never allowed anyone to escort her for the same reasons. “I would be honored kind sir.” She couldn’t resist the very proper curtsy.

  He lifted her hand to his lips as he bowed gallantly over it. “The pleasure is all mine my dear.” He responded with a playful wink and that very elusive smile that was so charming before placing her hand back on his arm and escorting her into the crowd. A blush crept across her cheeks as she noticed his dimple winking at her for the first time in years.

  Chapter 5

  The evening was turning out to be even more of a success than Tasha had ever hoped for. Ian MacKay had set up a silent auction, which had been a complete surprise to her. The proceeds of which had put them way over the top of what they had needed. The way the community had banded together for the children brought tears to her eyes. Tasha knew in her heart that if anything happened to her the town would finally step up to the plate and do the right thing by these children. Some may not realize it yet, but those orphans were the heart of this town and had been for over a decade.

  Ian had been a charming companion, but at some point duty had called them both in separate directions causing them to eventually leave each others company and mingle with their guests alone. Within the last hour she had slowly drifted toward the open barn doors. The heavy mist had begun to roll in giving the fields the added spookiness the evening deserved. As she stood watching the night shroud itself in mystery something drew her attention to the edge of the woods. A sound or maybe it was a movement at the edge of the trees she didn’t know which, but before she realized it Tasha had walked nearly to the edge of the fields, only feet from the woods. A familiar looking man stood in the shadows watching her.

  Tasha knew she should be afraid, but oddly she wasn’t. Instead something compelled her to step closer to this mysterious man. “Ian?” Tasha asked confused, but even as she asked the question she knew this wasn’t Ian. Though he looked similar in many ways he was several inches taller than Ian and his build was burlier, with broader shoulders, his hair slightly longer.

  To her surprise a man she had only ever seen in her dreams stepped out of the shadows. “Och lass, I have been waiting sae long for ye tae come tae me once more.”

  How could she ever have mistaken this man for Ian? He had a much more rugged face, like life had been harder on him than the privilege Ian had come from. Though he sported the MacKay colors of old, he wore a bonnet on his head in deep blue with the clan badge sewn to it, as well as another made of gold pinned to his plaid. Both of which proclaimed him clan chieftain. The shock of seeing her dream man in reality had left her slightly dazed.

  They were only inches apart now, and she was looking into the greenest eyes she had ever seen. They reminded her of the forest in late spring when the leaves had fully bloomed. His fingers caressed down her cheek. “Nay lass, I am Tavish, Tavish MacKay clan chieftain.” He began to grumble under his breath in a language she didn’t recognize at first. “Ye would think ma dream woman would ken who I was. Ye ken me by scent the other day in the forest. Sandalwood, leather and forest…. those were yer words.” Putting his hands on her hips he pulled her closer to his body.

  Then it hit her like a ton of bricks. Gaelic, he was speaking Gaelic. “How… you… you can’t be real.” Her hesitant words did nothing to stop her from meeting his lips half way when he bent to kiss her. Her world exploded in a dizzying array of colors as their lips met and they began to explore each other’s depths.

  Pulling slightly away he began a slow path along her cheek before whispering in her ear. “Every night ye have come tae me in ma dreams, but this is the first time we have actually been allowed tae touch and speak tae each other. Ye feel sae soft and warm…. sae real. How can this be?”

  “Not true… it was you that day in the forest touching me… I know it was.”

  No matter how crazy it sounded this man was real, but not real. How could this be? Tasha began to rack her brain for answers and as the fog of sensual desire began to lift it hit her. She remembered reading recently about the many pagan holidays associated with mystical events. The autumn equinox was sometime in September if she remembered right.”Tonight is officially the first day of fall…. that has to be it.”

  Tavish began to shake his head. “What do ye mean fall? I doona understand yer use of the word.”

  “Oh, of course not… it’s, umm… you would recognize the name autumn equinox better probably.”

  “Are ye a ghostie then lass?” He asked curiously the look of doubt that crossed his face making it obvious he didn’t really believe she was.

  She pulled back slightly to shake her head. “No I think you are though…. but you feel… so real.” The last words were whispered as she leaned in to kiss a long his naked chest.

  “Nay lass…” He denied vehemently. “I assure ye I am verra real.” He swore before lifting her face to his once more. His lips touched hers in an all consuming kiss that turned her insides to molten fire. A sweep of his tongue, the gentle tug of his teeth on her lips, she yielded to the passion which consumed them both.

  As they stopped to take a breath Tavish continued the conversation as if he was unaffected by all that was happening. “The equinox explains tae night, but nae the past few months and all the dreams. Something else is at work here… something mystical most definitely, but nae just the mystery of this night.”

  A sudden horrible thought jumped into her mind without a thought she blurted it out. “If you’re like a great-great-great grandfather or something don’t tell me…. cause that would really creep me out.”

  He half laughed half growled before pulling her closer and whispering against her lips. “Lass… ye talk sae strange I barely understand most of what ye are saying… but the sound of yer voice… och lass I could listen tae ye speak all night. It warms ma blood and soothes ma soul like nothing else has in years.” Well that answered her question of whether or not he was moved by her touch as she had been by his. Then he was pulling her tighter into his arms and kissing her once more. An all consuming kiss of possession that ignited the blood.

  God what she wouldn’t give to be possessed by this man for all times. This must be a dream, but it seems so real… he felt so real. She groaned loudly as she forced herself to pull away from his embrace. Something wasn’t right and she needed answers. “How can you be real? Where did you come from?”

  “That is a strange question lass.” He looked at her with confusion clouding his eyes. “We are in Scotland... how do ye nae ken where ye are?”

  She shook her head in the negative. “No… we are at my neighbors home… you didn’t even get the continent right. This is America… not Scotland.”

  “What trick is this? I have read the reports on Amerigo Vespucci’s findings and have heard the rumors that they would call those new lands America after him, but the people that inhabit those lands doona speak any form of English. I ken of their darker skin and their savage nature… ye doona fit either description lass. What ye say is impossible. These woods behind me are on ma land in Scotland… just on the other side of these dense trees is the great MacKay stronghold.”

  A look of confusion and anxiety crossed her face. He was either a psycho or
he was telling the truth… but how could that be? Well she thought he was a ghost at first… why did it bother her more that he was from a different place? Looking at him more closely another thought filtered into her mind… if he was from a different place…. She had been having dreams of this man for months, but everything around him had appeared as something out of a historical novel. Was it possible he might be from a different time as well? Before she could lose her nerve she blurted out her question. “What year is it?”

  “Why it is 1501 lass… did ye hit yer head?” The look of concern that crossed his handsome face as he began to inspect her head for some unknown injury was endearing and at the same time she had a strong desire to laugh.

  She swallowed the lump in her throat. Could what he was saying be true? How could it be? It wasn’t possible for a man from Scotland in the year 1501 to be transported to this time. Yet here he was standing in before her. How could she deny that now? Despite all her misgivings oddly she believed him. Another thought crossed her mind… if what he was saying was true… and she was finally beginning to believe it was… then he really was a ghost of sorts. She was making out with a man that was half a century old… the idea may sound gross, but the act felt oh so good.

  She might as well get the news over with and let him deal with the shock of it all as she was. “What you’re saying about the people of America may be true in 1501, but in this time… my time we have a vast variety of cultures.”

  “What do ye mean yer time lass? What year do ye think it is ma bonnie lass?” Placing his fingers under her chin he forced her to look into eyes of emerald green.

  “I don’t think… I know… and don’t call me that. It’s the year 2012… I have no idea how this is possible… but I believe our times have somehow intersected. I don’t know if you have traveled forward in time or if I’ve traveled back… maybe it’s a little of both. The mist is thick we can both barely make out the area around us….” She shrugged her shoulders at this point giving in to the idea that one or both of them had traveled in time. Hell it really was possible they were in a type of limbo… not in either time. “Behind you is your world… behind me is mine.” She shrugged her shoulders again as if that incredible statement should explain it all.