A Time & Place for Every Laird by Angeline Fortin (reading comprehension books .txt) 📗

yelled. “I’msick of people telling me what to do, and who are you to think youhave the right anyway? You can hardly admit that traveling throughtime hasn’t scared the shit out of you, and you’re going to lectureme on the subject of fear?”

His jaw clenched and worked as Hugh foughtto keep his notorious Scots temper from erupting. “Sorcha …” hewarned in low growl.

“Claire!” she corrected, shooting a fingertoward him. “And you have no right! No right at all, after all Ihave done for you, to judge me.”

“I dinnae judge,” Hugh denied theaccusation, but by this time his patience was nearly at an end. Herose to his feet as well, towering over her, but Claire was eithertoo brave or too angry to be intimidated by him. Bloody hell, butit all made sense now, and Hugh couldn’t stop the words fromrolling off his tongue. “Nae, lass, it doesnae take a genius taefigure ye out. Any fool can see it.”

“Go to hell, Hugh!”

“Verra likely,” he shot back. “But yer godlyMatt willnae be there, will he? He’s a saint now, aye? That’s whythere’s tae be nae touching, nae kissing. Ye dinnae want anythingtae mar the purity of his memory.”

“How dare you!” She accused hotly, her bodytrembling with rage. “I loved him!”

“Aye!” Hugh shot back,looming over her. “And ye’ve got yer shrine tae him tae prove ittae everyone, hae ye nae? The pictures, the medals … Tellme, Sorcha, do yepray tae him as well?”

Sorcha froze in shock for only a splitsecond before her hand shot out and she slapped him across theface. Hugh’s head turned with the force of the blow and while atany other point in his life such a bashing would only have servedto stoke his own anger more, for some reason Sorcha’s fair wallopseemed to knock the sense back into him.

Cheeks aflame with the sting of her blow,Hugh felt only remorse for his harsh words. “Sorcha … Claire,” hecorrected, “forgi’ my words. I dinnae …”

“Don’t, Hugh,” she whispered shakily,holding up a hand to halt his words. “Just don’t.”

Chapter 16

Claire turned away and walked dazedly up thebeach, her footsteps carrying her quickly away from Hugh. Sheclutched her sweater tightly around her middle, as if her ownembrace could protect her from the world at large. Her fingerscurled around the burning sting of her hand as she replayed thatmoment, that eruptive anger, which had fled the instant she hadlashed out at Hugh, leaving her feeling hollow and spent.

Defeated.

And a little horrified. Well, perhaps morethan a little. Claire couldn’t believe she had ranted at him likethat—hit him!—especially when he was only saying the same thing shehad heard again and again over the years. It was nothing new,nothing different than the homilies her Mom and Dad, her brothers,and her friends had plied her with over the years.

The temper, however, was new, and Clairecouldn’t quite figure out where it came from. She had never lost itlike that before in her life. My God but she had screeched like aharpy at him!

Well, she inwardly justified, Hugh hadcrossed the line with that last bit. Good Lord, that had hurt. Ashrine? Is that what she had done? Did everyone see her thatway?

Looking back over the past few years, Clairewould wager that they did. She could remember once after herbrother, Ryan, had brought one of his friends unexpectedly todinner at their parents’ house, Claire had left early. Earlier thanwas polite. “So what are you going to do now?” Ryan had taunted asshe left. “Go home and drown your misery in a pint with your oldfriends Ben and Jerry?”

“No,” she had shot backsarcastically, “this is my night out with Jack and Daniel.” Butshe had gone homeand curled up on the couch with a tub of Tollhouse cookie dough,watched My Life,and cried like leaky faucet.

Another time when she had shown up todinner, her brother Danny had welcomed her with a jovial, “I seeyou got out of your PJ’s today, Sis. What’s the specialoccasion?”

“Very funny, Danny,” Claire had said.

“Who’s joking?” Danny had respondedteasingly.

Had he been teasing at all, Claire wonderednow? Had any of them been joking?

Was Hugh actually right in saying that shewas afraid?

For years she had evaded intimacy of anysort. First out of love for Matt, out of respect. Then … Claire bither lip, seeing her life more clearly than ever before. Sincemoving to Spokane, away from her parents and brothers, the previousyear, Claire had become something of a hermit. She had friends,like Darcy, at work and had once or twice gone out for “Girl’sNight,” but those nights had revolved around bars and men and hadleft a bad taste in her mouth.

Sure, she had been lonely. Who wouldn’t be?But as lonely as she might get, Claire had always gone to bed atnight knowing that Matt would be there. Alone she could replayhappy memories, recalling the sound of his laughter. She could keepa part of him alive.

But a lazy chuckle couldn’t warm a cold bed,and hadn’t she just days ago admitted—at least inwardly—that shemissed a warm body by her side? And look how it had spiraled out ofcontrol! She had thought herself content with her choices, but nowClaire realized that memories alone weren’t enough any longer. Howlong had it been since she even had a nice long hug? Suddenly shelonged for the comforting contact of human flesh, specifically forthe feel of Hugh’s strong embrace.

Her mind spun and Claire dropped down on alarge log that slanted across the beach, stunned. Where had thatbit of brutal honesty come from? Had the bitter vitriol she hadjust spewed all over Hugh stripped her down to a bared soul,leaving nothing but the naked truth? That astonishing eruption ofrage had resulted in feelings and anger she had never verbalized toanyone. She had never lashed out so cruelly at her parents, but nowsomehow Claire felt better for having voiced it all. She couldn’tremember ever being so angry.

Rubbing her hands over her face, Clairesplayed her fingers and looked between them out over the choppywaters of the sound. Seagulls soared overhead, boats crept by inthe distance, but Claire didn’t