“Chili will be served in another forty minutes,” Jasper called from the kitchen.

“Where’s Ethan?” Guthrie asked Cearnach.

“Helping him. The three brothers always did the cook-offs together. Ethan and Jasper are arguing about how much chili powder to put in the chili. We told them to go light on it.”

“Hey,” Jasper said, “I’m going to enter my…well, Ethan and Teague’s and my chili in the second chili cook-off in Scotland next year.”

“See you in a minute,” Guthrie said and carried the box upstairs. Duncan had already disappeared, but then Guthrie heard a shower running so he figured Duncan was taking one now.

When Guthrie reached Calla’s bedroom, he found her buried under the covers.

“Are you all right?” he asked, setting the box on the floor and closing the door.

“Oh, aye, I’m just cold, waiting for my clothes. Can’t dry my hair. And it’s freezing up here.”

“I’ll start a fire.”

“Nay, go ahead and get a shower and dress, and we’ll go downstairs and join the others.”

“All right.” He had to get out of these wet clothes. He planned to talk to her as soon as he washed up and dressed. In the middle of the shower, the water turned cold. And he jumped out of it. Bloody hell. He was already freezing.

He grabbed a towel, figuring that Duncan had used up the last of the hot water. Calla had placed some clothes for him to wear on the bed and had left.

He hoped the hot chili and the fire would warm him up, but he knew just what else would as soon as he and Calla went back to bed.

***

The chili was hot, and the fire nice and warm as Calla snuggled next to Guthrie on the love seat and the others sat on various couches and chairs around the fire. The guys were talking about how to get back to Argent Castle with only one vehicle, while Guthrie sat quietly with Calla, not saying a thing. Watching her, looking concerned. She was afraid she’d ruined Julia’s Christmas Eve party by having come here to get her things. Why hadn’t she waited until the weather was better? Why not after the party?

She stared into the fire. Why had she ever gone out with Baird? What a mess that had all turned out to be. She hated to see it end this way, but she knew after he struck her the second time and took her hostage that he was never going to stop coming after her. She would have feared for her safety and Guthrie’s, always looking over her shoulder.

She thought for sure Guthrie had killed Baird, but then to learn he was still alive? And still a potential menace? What of the others? Had Vardon and his brother and cousin perished? Would the others in the pack come after them? She couldn’t quit worrying about how this whole situation could escalate.

Cearnach got on the phone and called Ian to ask him how he wanted to handle the car situation to get them home.

Heather began grabbing empty bowls to wash.

“Might as well just leave them to soak,” Calla said, joining her. “We won’t be able to wash them really well until the electricity comes back on.”

“No hot water,” Heather said, her hand under the cold water running out of the spout.

“I used up what was left of it,” Guthrie said, joining them. “I’m on guard duty upstairs. Ready for bed, Calla?”

After all they’d been through, aye, Calla was ready.

“Not fair that you two are automatic electric blankets for each other,” Heather teased.

Guthrie smiled a little, then took Calla’s hand. She loved the strength and gentleness of his touch. “’Night,” she said to Heather, giving her a brief hug with her free arm. “See you in the morning.”

“Aye. Try to get your sleep, you two.”

Guthrie hurried Calla through the house to the stairs. “Seems we were doing the same thing only this morning, except coming down the stairs at Argent Castle,” Calla said.

“Aye, lass. Are you truly feeling all right? You seemed so quiet while we were eating.”

“You too,” she said.

“I was worried about you.” He took her into her bedroom and shut the door.

They quickly dispensed of their clothes and climbed into bed, then snuggled together. “I was just anxious about the Christmas party Julia and I had planned for the pack.”

“Ah, lass. We can have it any day and everyone will be happy to do so. It matters not which day it is. All that’s important is that no one was injured.” He kissed her temple right below where she was sporting a new bruise. “Except for that.”

“It just looks awful, but it doesn’t feel bad now.”

He rubbed her arm and said, “You weren’t too upset with me for wanting you to stay behind when I went after Baird, were you?”

She sighed. “You can’t know how angry I was that he’d first take me hostage and then leave me to suffer the crash he got me into. I didn’t want to see him killed, but I wanted to show you that I was there—for you. No one else.”

“Because of your injury, I was certain you’d be better off staying safely in the car. I never thought Vardon and that bunch would be so close by,” Guthrie said, kissing her cheek.

“I thought you had the better idea when I was having so much trouble getting to the road and my head was pounding so much.”

“While I went after Baird, all I was contemplating was that I could lose you and we hadn’t even had a chance to really be together.”

“I was thinking the same thing. That I had wasted a year with Baird, caused all this trouble for your clan, my parents, and myself, and here I could have been like this with you instead.” She inserted her leg between his and snuggled closer, her head against his chest. His hands swept down her back and cupped her buttocks.