Bound by Blood (Cauld Ane Series) by Tracey Jane Jackson Page A

Danish Crown. We were forced to give everything to Denmark, including our autonomy. The Danes didn’t see us as worth protecting, so they didn’t try to stop pirates from attacking our coastlines. In 1420, my ancestor chose to take the clan away. We sailed here.”
    Sam smiled. “I thought I heard an accent other than Scottish. Do you still speak Icelandic?”
    He nodded. “I do. I also speak Gaelic and French.”
    “So you’re a genius, then?”
    Kade chuckled. “No, I just had very strict parents.”
    Sam bit her lip, making Kade want to kiss her. She was stunning. “Do you live near your parents?”
    “My father has passed on, but my mother’s a few hours away.”
    “Were you born here?”
    “No. My brothers and sister and I were born in Iceland, although we’ve been here for many years. In fact, we changed our name shortly after arriving here. We used to be Haarde, but took on Gunnach as we acclimated to Scotland.”
    “Haarde? As in Haarde Pharmaceuticals?”
    He nodded. “One and the same.”
    “Wow.” Samantha cradled her wine glass in her palms. “I’ve always wondered what it would be like to be raised in a different country. I was born in the same town I just left. This is the first time I’ve been outside the States.”
    “There’s comfort in that, don’t you think?”
    She shrugged. “I suppose. I tend to think of it more as boring.”
    He squeezed her knee. Perhaps too intimate, but Kade couldn’t stop himself from touching her. “I can’t imagine there’d be anything boring about you.”
    “Thank you.” She smiled. “How does the clan thing work? Do you have a name and a tartan and everything?”
    He chuckled. “We do. Clan Gunnach.”
    “Well, I feel dumb now.”
    “Why?”
    “Logic would suggest your clan name would be your last name.”
    “Perhaps, but there are many other names within our clan.”
    Her eyes widened. “Oh, so your family is the head of the clan, so to speak?”
    He grinned. “You could say that.”
    “Which means you are royalty…at least in your own mind,” she joked.
    “Exactly.” He tipped his glass toward her. “Your turn.”
    “Hmm.” Samantha leaned back against the arm of the couch. “I have a feeling there’s more to the story, but what I remember is that my ancestors were spread out over several states. When they say in movies and books that the Civil War was fought brother against brother, they were probably talking about my family. My great-great-great-great—give or take a few greats—fought for the South, and his brother fought for the North. They never healed the breach, and even though I have family in Pennsylvania, we’ve never met. The divide goes deep.”
    “Have you ever tried to reach out to them?”
    “No. Isn’t that terrible?” She sighed. “That’s not one of my strengths, to be honest. Strangers intimidate me.”
    He felt her nervousness and couldn’t stop laying his hand on her knee again. She calmed instantly and didn’t object to his touch, so he kept it right where it was.
    “I personally think your story falls into the wow factor category.”
    She blushed. “Well, thank you.”
    He lifted a photo frame from the console against the sofa. A young woman stood with a black horse covered in blue ribbons, her blonde hair pulled away from her face. Her smile was radiant. He turned the picture toward Sam in question.
    “That’s Pepper. At that particular show, she won first in every event, including dressage, which is her worst discipline.” Sam smiled. “She was so happy.”
    “She and Connall would have much in common, I think.”
    “Oh? Does he ride?”
    “Yes. He’s a large animal vet. We refer to him as the other doctor Gunnach.”
    Sam smiled. “I’m sure he enjoys that.”
    Kade nodded. “He also breeds and trains Thoroughbreds. Mostly race horses, but his philanthropic activities involve anything of the equine variety. He’s helped develop several medications for horses.”
    “Wow. Very