He sighed and helped carry her bags up to her guest chamber, then headed downstairs with the rest of the men to eat dinner.

“Told you so,” Cearnach said as he and Guthrie descended the stairs behind the other men.

“About…?” Guthrie said, elongating the word, not sure what sage advice his brother had given him this time.

“That I wasn’t interested in mating Calla. That we were just good friends.”

“Aye, so you were.”

“And?”

“And what?” Guthrie asked, annoyed. He wasn’t a mind reader.

“Come on, Brother. She’s free, but she won’t be forever. Court her.”

Guthrie said, “You know what happened the last time I dated a woman who was just getting over a breakup.”

“Aye. But Calla’s different.”

“Right. She needs protection from the bastard. But what if she changes her mind? Women are known to do that. You had a devil of a time getting her to see his true face. She was completely hung up on the guy. What if we started to court each other, and lo and behold, she decides Baird wasn’t so bad after all.”

“She’s over him. It’s over between them. Finished. Through,” Cearnach assured him.

“That’s what Tenell told me. You know how well that ended.”

Cearnach shook his head as they made their way to the great hall where the conversation was already a dull roar. Chairs scraped across the stone floor while people took their seats. “Tenell was extremely needy. She wanted both the emotional and physical support you offered her at the time. And I believe she was using you, to an extent.”

Guthrie had realized that also, but too late.

“She wanted to prove to her old boyfriend that she had what it took to get another wolf interested in her. So you were convenient.”

Okay, so Cearnach wasn’t mincing words now. Guthrie hated to admit his brother was right.

“She was biding her time. Once she learned that her boyfriend had dumped the woman he’d been seeing on the side when he and Tenell had been courting, Tenell went back to him. Good riddance. Calla isn’t like that.”

So Cearnach said.

The other stumbling block was Guthrie’s proclivity for making money and saving it. Rather than spending money frivolously, he’d always been concerned about saving for a wintry day. In 1779, when he was a lad, Elaine’s pirate uncles had stolen a ship full of merchandise belonging to the MacNeills. The clan had to scrimp to make it through the harsh winter with very little to eat, an experience Guthrie had not forgotten.

Calla was in the business of making money off people’s wasteful spending habits. Guthrie had a hard time seeing that what she did for a living was good for anyone’s pocketbook. That was all well and good for other people—it wasn’t his concern if they wanted to throw away their hard-earned money. But now that she was here to put on a lavish Christmas celebration for the MacNeills, it was more personal—since he handled the clan finances and she intended to spend them.

“Give it a chance, Guthrie,” Cearnach said, smiling at him. “You never know where it might lead. Don’t wait. I doubt the lass will be free for very long before another wolf snatches her up.”

If she was suffering from a case of rebound, that wouldn’t be a good scenario for either her or the new guy she hooked up with.

They both surveyed the great hall and spied Calla sitting at the end of a table. Their redheaded cousin, Oran, was sitting next to her, smiling and talking with his hands, looking like he was already putting the moves on her.

Cearnach shook his head. “Got to move on this one, Brother. She’s worth it.” Then he headed for the main table and his wife, Elaine, who was already seated.

Guthrie had no intention of observing the lassie as he took his new seat next to his younger brother, Duncan, and his mate, Shelley.

“Oran’s already going after her,” Duncan teased him.

Guthrie drank his mug of beer and fully intended to change the subject. He was opening his mouth to speak about the weather, or about anything that had nothing to do with Calla, when Duncan said, “You know Oran’s only pulling your leg, don’t you?”

“What?” Guthrie said frowning.

“He likes the lass, aye. But he knows she’s interested in you.”

“Duncan…” Guthrie said, so exasperated that his brother smiled at him.

“Julia moved her into the guest chamber close to yours so if our ghostly cousin Flynn hassles her, you can rescue her. The scenario worked wonders for Cearnach and Elaine. You know how Flynn is. I am still hopeful that he will outgrow the rakish ways that led to his death centuries ago.”

“I doubt Flynn will ever change. Though he doesn’t bother her. At least he hasn’t in the past. I have no idea why he disturbs some of the lassies and not others. He’s left her well enough alone whenever she’s visited.”

“Aye, well, for any other reason, then.” Duncan buttered a slice of bread. “Ian asked me to go on her guard detail tomorrow night.”

“Where is she going?”

“A clan reunion she’s set up. But I had already promised Shelley I’d help her with some Christmas shopping. Would you mind going in my place?”

“Christmas shopping?” Guthrie couldn’t believe it. Duncan was the warrior of the bunch, always ready for a battle. Shopping was not one of Duncan’s favorite pastimes. To give up guarding Calla to go Christmas shopping with his mate? Guthrie suspected it had more to do with Duncan giving Guthrie a chance to protect Calla instead. What better way to prove a wolf’s interest than in offering his protection? He shook his head. “I’ve…”