Roderick's Purpose - Ellie St. Clair Page 0,28
new place was not what had been missing in his life. He thought he had discovered a sense of purpose when he had found a job of his own, but it was not for him — that was Callum’s life.
Now, being home, well, he didn’t want to admit his failings to his family, but he also knew he couldn’t go back to the new land.
He opened the door of their car and stopped short when he saw the vacant expression on Gwen’s face. She was staring, not at Doc, not out the window, but at the wall across from her, her back straight, her green eyes reminding him of the hills of his land.
“Gwen?” he asked, slowly easing into the cramped car. He could hardly wait to be done with these tiny travel spaces that were far too small for his size. He was made for fields and mountains, not these tight quarters.
He sat down next to her, easing his elbows down upon his knees as he looked into her eyes. “Are you all right, lass?”
“I thought I knew him,” she said, nothing moving but her lips as Doc slept across from them. “He was never a particularly good man, that I realized, but at least I thought I knew who he was. He’s my only family and yet… it seems he has hidden so much from me.”
Roderick was silent for a moment, unsure of how to respond, worried that if he said too much, she would close herself off from him.
“Apparently, he has a family,” she continued. “A wife… and a son. When we get to Tomatin, we are to find them, then reunite them.” She looked up at him finally. “Will you help me?”
“Of course,” he said, though why he would be so ready to do this for her, when all he wanted, he continued to tell himself, was to be rid of the pair of them, he wasn’t sure. “It won’t be long now.”
Her shoulders were slumped, the proud warrior he was used to — and appreciated, he had to admit to himself — seemingly vanished, leaving in her place a defeated woman. And he didn’t like it.
“Cheer up, lass,” he said, chucking her under the chin. “Where’s your spirit? Tell me you’ve not let the man take it away from you? You’ll have me thinking you’re a woman after all.”
Her head shot up at his words, her eyes blazing as she got to her feet and looked down at him. “Emotions do not take away any bit of strength from a woman — or a man,” she said, the fire returned to her words, and he tried to suppress his grin of satisfaction that his tactic had worked. “They can only make someone stronger.”
“A fine sentiment,” he said, coming to his feet himself and smiling at her, thankful that the spirit had returned. Her eyes widened as she realized he had purposefully provoked her.
“Why you… you…”
“Aye?” he said, raising an eyebrow with laughter in his voice.
“Ugh!” she groaned, her fists clenched, and he knew had she the space she would have stormed out away from him. She didn’t have a chance to move, however, as the train suddenly began to slow, and the momentum flung her against him. He let out an “oomph” as they hit the bench behind him, and she looked up at him, pausing just long enough for him to appreciate the soft curves of her body before she pushed herself away from him and checked on Doc. He was still sleeping, and she roused him gently as the train pulled into the station.
“We’re here,” she said and began to pull together the few meager belongings they had collected. Roderick said nothing but simply led them off the train.
Chapter 11
“We did it,” Gwen said, staring incredulously at the town around them, realizing that she had never truly believed that the three of them would make it this far. She looked at Doc, and despite the confusion of emotions she currently felt for the man she had considered a father, she was grateful for the peace that had filled his face. The weather-beaten tanned skin had eased somewhat, and the hardness of his eyes had been replaced by — was that tenderness? She had a hard time resolving his expression with the man she had known half her life, but clearly, Doc had a past that he hadn’t wanted to share.
“Well, Doc,” she turned to him, “where to?”
“Not far,” he said, pointing down the