the tray on her lap and sat on the bed beside her feet. She looked so small, so delicate in the large wooden bed. It was too big a bed to sleep alone in. He pushed the wayward thought aside, stupid thoughts such as those had no value in his life.
“Nay, lass. A few bruises and one cut across my shoulder, but nothing to worry about. I’ve had far worse. I’m more concerned for you. I know what I did in front of ye was probably not the best thing to see…and well…”
“It’s okay, Ben. Even though it was nothing I’d ever seen before, I’m glad you did it. He would have raped me had you not come. I’m glad he’s dead. At least the vile, human scum cannot do it to anyone else.”
“Eat,” he said, gesturing to her untouched meal. “I hope today has not frightened ye so much that you wish to return home.”
“Not at all.” Kenzie started to eat, and Ben was pleased to see some color come back into her cheeks.
“There is something else, something that Braxton thought may be the reason why the men attacked us in the first place. Now, hear me out before ye reply, and just know that we’re here to support and protect ye. We’ll not let anything happen to ye while you’re here.”
“I know you will.” She threw him a smile and took another spoonful of stew. “What did you want to ask?”
“We wondered if mayhap you had come back to our time to get away from someone who may be threatening harm against ye person. Is that so, lass? Did ye come back because someone was aware of your time-traveling abilities and wished the gift themselves or to use it to their advantage?”
Kenzie sat back against the headboard, and the action made Ben aware of her bedclothes. The sheerness of the tunic she wore. He shifted on the bed, conscious of how intimate the setting was.
“There is no one after me, and other than my mother, my friend Ann, and my cousin, the current Laird Macleod, no one knows of the gift I have and what I can do. I think you should look to yourself and who has a score to settle. They did state there was a price on your head. You need to find out why.”
All true, but still, Ben needed to be sure before finding out who his enemy was. “On ye travels to Gwen and Braxton’s home, ye encountered no one who would now wish ye harm?” A frown line blemished her brow before she shook her head.
“I have the ability to choose where I land if you gather my meaning. I arrived on the beach and saw no one. It is not me those men were after.”
He nodded. “Well, ’twould seem our attackers today were parasites who wished nothing but to do me harm at somebody’s direction. You being with me placed ye in danger and I apologize for that, lass.”
“Braxton’s men didn’t know who they were?”
“Nay, no one recognized them, but we have sent word to the McDonnel clan to see if any men are missing. They were wearing their tartans.” He gestured to her food once more. “Ye must eat, lass. You’ve had a shock to the system and food will help ye rest easier tonight.”
Kenzie settled into her food, and Ben was content to sit and watch over her as she did so. Surprisingly, the silence was pleasant, not at all similar to when he and Aline had been alone. Then, Ben had always tried to be busy, to show purpose or explain what was happening with the estate. But with Kenzie, there was no pressure to fill the silence with meaningless words. He was quite content to just sit and watch her, enjoy her presence and nothing more.
She pushed the bowl away and laid down her spoon. “Thank you for bringing my dinner up to me. I feel better for eating it.”
“I knew ye would.” Ben picked up the tray and placed it on the table beside the bed. “I’ll leave ye now to get some rest.”
“Ben,” she said, climbing out of bed and coming to stand before him.
He looked down, meeting her gaze. “Yes.”
She smiled a little and then pulled him into a hug. Ben froze, not expecting such a gesture, but then the suppleness and warmth of Kenzie seeped into his soul, and Ben’s arms encircled her back, pulling her close.