The pilot got us to Scotland on one engine, but that started to smoke just as we reached the coast. I knew we weren’t going to make it for an emergency landing. Chaos erupted as the flight attendants shouted for everyone to assume the brace position. I heard the girls crying, so I took off my seat belt. I stood up and turned so they could see me, and took off my oxygen mask.

“Ladies.” Crossing my arms in front of my body, and ducking my head for a moment, I called out, “Let’s go proud, Angels. We’ll have another chance someday.”

All of my girls fell silent, nodded as one, and assumed the brace position.

That was when the engine exploded. The cabin wall next to me disappeared along with the wing, and I flew out of the gaping hole.

Ripping, icy wind tore at me as I plummeted, but I felt a strange peace, too. Beneath me an island shaped like a lobster grew bigger. I’d be the first to go, but I wasn’t afraid. I’d learned something about myself and all the girls I taught last year that had changed everything for me. We’d been drawn together by something stronger than our love of athletics--our shared Scottish ancestry--and that had changed everything.

I kept my eyes open as forested hills seemed to rush up to catch me. I saw huge oaks all around me for a moment before I flipped over to look up at the plane, and landed on my back. The ground exploded around me, and I’m sure my bones did the same, but I didn’t feel any pain. In my last moment the trees started to whirl around me, and I felt the warmest, gentlest light envelop me, and then nothing at all.

We’d crashed in the very spot we’d been traveling to get to, but would that make a difference?

Opening my eyes seemed like a miracle, especially when I saw the huge guy looming over me. Almost seven feet tall, he had long, sandy brown hair, dark eyes, and the kind of muscle that would have made a linebacker weep with envy. When he knelt down beside me he took the green and black plaid from his shoulders and covered me with it. That was when I realized I wasn’t hurt, but my clothes were in shreds.

“You came back at last, my angel,” he said in his deep, beautiful voice. “I’ve been waiting.”

He lifted me into his arms, and kissed me breathless before he set me on my feet. I’m six feet tall, and polite people call me big-boned, but he always made me feel little and pretty.

“Our plane crashed, Gill.” He didn’t know what that was, so I added, “All the girls were on it with me.”

His expression softened. “Poor lasses. The clan shall wait for them, I promise you.”

“I don’t think they’ll have to.” I glanced at the sacred oak grove, and saw the ancient stones glowing. We’d stumbled on it last year while the girls and I had been training for an international competition here, and spent a few months as guests of the local clan. That’s a much longer story, but in the end we decided to return to the states to wrap up our lives before we returned. “I hope the whole thing doesn’t come through—Master Flen will have a fit.”

Last year we’d also had a few battles with the head of the Druid Council, but the fact that we were all blood relatives smoothed things over in the end. Also, as a college athletic coach I don’t take crap from anyone.

The crippled plane didn’t pop out of the time portal, but after an enormous burst of light all of my girls did. Their scorched, torn clothes told the grim story of what had happened on the other side, but I didn’t see a mark on them.

Caroline, my squad leader, cartwheeled right on the spot. “You made it, Coach! We made it, my lord! Go team!”

“And we can’t go back now,” I said as the other girls laughed and started jumping and flipping. “The Highland Angels cheerleading team and their coach are ready to join Clan McGillean,” I said to the immortal laird I loved, “If you’ll have us.”

Gill chuckled as his men swarmed around us to welcome back their lovers. “With pleasure, my lady.”