Chapter Seventeen

Kirstie silently studied the roaring flames when a prone figure on the ground caught her gaze. As Alan explained the day’s events to the innkeepers, she realized she’d not even had a chance to ask him what had happened and check him for any injuries.

A small woman with vacant, sad eyes, the innkeeper’s wife came up beside her and wrapped a blanket around her trembling shoulders. The cold from the rain, cooling her heated skin, had reached all the way to her bones. The young woman’s belly was swollen, and her hand absently rubbed it as they watched the men talk.

The lass returned to take her husband’s hand and lean into him as his protective gaze washed over her, and Alan continued, “Do ye have anywhere to stay until we can get some men down here to help ye rebuild?”

He’d committed Cameron men to help the couple. She liked that his heart was so large and that he knew her brother well enough that he’d want the same thing and not fear his wrath at the promise of support.

“Aye, my wife’s father lives a short distance away. Ye should come with us to get some rest.”

“Nae, we will wait here for The Cameron. He willnae be long. He’ll want to ken his sister is safe. I will send someone to let ye ken when we can rebuild for ye.”

“For now, I need to get my wife somewhere warm and dry. I dinnae wish to make the babe come early.”

As the couple rode off, Kirstie shrugged out of the blanket and ran for the cold cleansing drops still careening from the heavens, but he caught her hand before she made it to the door. “What are ye doing?” He followed her.

“I have to wash the smell of the smoke off.” She tugged at his hand, but he didn’t let go. Smiling, he shuffled his feet and followed her from the stable.

She angled her head up to the liquid and let it run down her face, washing away all the smells that had clung to her today. The sack she’d been wrapped in, Hamish’s horrid breath, and the smoke. Breathing in the night air, she twirled in circles.

As the cool drops did their work, they also melted away the hurt that had kept her heart in a vise, the fear that had left her blood cold, and the anger that had almost boiled over. Coming to a stop facing Alan, who eyed the still burning flames, she put both hands on his cheeks and was surprised to see in the dim light that his gaze was filled with a happiness she hadn’t seen glow in their depths since before she’d left Kentillie.

“My brothers are safe?”

“Aye. I left before the battle was done, but they had it in hand.” His eyes clouded over and his mouth opened, but he shut it just as quickly.

“What? Something’s wrong.” She shivered and moved in to wrap her arms around him.

“Henry didnae make it.”

“Blair. Has anyone told her?”

“No’ before I left. When I kenned ye were with Hamish and he was the one who planned it all, I got away as soon as I was certain Lachlan and Malcolm were safe.”

“Someone has to tell her.”

“Finlay saw it.” There seemed to be an edge to his words sounding almost like anger instead of sorrow, but he kept going. “I’m certain he’ll tell her.”

He scooped her up in his arms, and she squeaked in surprise. Laughing, he carried her back to the stable. Being cradled in his arms heated her cold skin and made her think of the afternoon they had spent in the inn at Edinburgh and all the things he had made her feel.

Walking down the short aisle, he peered into each space they passed. It was dark in the confines of the building, but she was able to make out several horses in the stable. The animals looked up as they passed, and she recognized Alan’s and one she thought to be Hamish’s; the others must have belonged to the men who had traveled with the tyrant whose body moldered outside in the rain. Only two stalls were empty—the one vacated by the couple’s horse and one that was apparently used for only storing equipment.

Alan set her on her feet, and she watched his back as he fumbled around in the near dark. Turning around, he had a mass of something in his arms, but she couldn’t tell what it was. “Hold these,” he said, and she held out her hands, surprised when soft dry and clean smelling plaids tickled her skin.

Alan took the top one and shook it before spreading it out on what could have been a heap of hay or rushes on the ground. Taking one more, he laid it on top of the other then turned to face her.

Without taking his gaze from her, he took the last blanket and tossed it carelessly on the others and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in as if he’d thought he’d never see her again. Resting her chin on his shoulder and leaning into the embrace, she whispered into his neck. “Do ye still think of me as a sister?”

“I never did. That was a lie I told myself to keep me from doing this.” He drew her flush to his hard chest as his mouth covered hers, gentle and seeking, but at the same time burning with an urgency that screamed out to the primitive part of her and awoke the desire hidden within.

“I want to be the one ye see walking through yer door at night, the one ye go to bed with at night, the one who fathers yer babes. Ye dinnae ken how hard it’s been all these years for me no’ to come after ye.”

Chills spread down her spine and her cool skin heated as he whispered into her ear, all the while his fingers working at the laces on the back of her gown.

“Ye should have.”

His lips trailed down, and his mouth brushed her neck. Fire exploded in her core, and her body unconsciously arched into his as the sensations assailed her, and her dress was loosened and fell from her shoulders to gather at the elbows.

Surprising her, he drew back and met her gaze. She couldn’t see well but could hear the need and conviction behind the words as his deep, husky voice sent emotions spiraling straight to the soul of the girl who had always loved this man. “I’m here now. Marry me, kitten. I dinnae want to go another day without ye by my side.”

Her heart fluttered and flipped as her breath caught, and at the same time, her eyes stung and watered. It was what she had always desired, but how come she couldn’t speak?

“I dinnae ken if it’s possible.”

He stretched back farther and tensed as he studied her with a panicked glaze.

“I could no’ bare it if Lachlan sent ye away. I’m happy anywhere I can be with my animals, but Kentillie is your home.”

His shoulders relaxing, a grin spread across his face. “Leave yer brother to me. I think we will work things out.”

His warm hand stroked her rain soaked cheek. “When we have Lachlan’s blessing, will ye be my wife?”

“Aye, Alan. ’Tis all I’ve ever wanted.”

His mouth crashed down on hers, and another word wasn’t said until after they were spent and sated, tangled in each other’s arms beneath the blankets that smelled of lavender and reminded her of home and dreams that could come true.

…

Trailing a hand up and down Kirstie’s soft skin, Alan marveled how at ease he felt despite being in an unfamiliar stable somewhere outside of Edinburgh. She’d fallen asleep after they’d made love, and he spent the time reveling in the view of the top of her head cradled in the crook of his arm with her brown tresses sprawled over his shoulders and chest.

Studying her, he couldn’t believe he had waited so long to do this, what he was meant to do; he’d always felt at ease in her presence, but he’d not known until this moment she was what completed him and made him feel like a whole man. All those times he’d sought her out in the stables or when she’d snuck up to the turrets to read or when she found him by the loch and sat next to him quietly when he’d been upset.

Until the day he’d pushed her away, she’d been his pillar of strength and he would hold on to her. He’d be able to enjoy her faith, strength, and love every night from here until they were old and gray with his arms cocooned around her.

He was surprised the Camerons hadn’t found them yet, but maybe the boy he’d sent back to tell Lachlan of their location had not been able to find them. Fatigue setting in, he decided to rest before Kirstie and he set out to locate her brothers. She’d probably be impossible to wake anyway, so just as the sun was coming up and his arm was falling asleep, he gently maneuvered her onto her back, snuggled up close, and threw his arm over her to finally fall into a relaxed sleep.

…

Familiar voices floated through the air, pulling Alan from a dreamless sleep.

“I’ll check in here,” Malcolm’s voice sounded as Alan glanced to the clothes he’d thrown over the side of the stall to dry before they’d lain down. There was no way to reach them before they would be discovered.

When a warm, chestnut mop of curls matching Kirstie’s peered over the partition into the small space, Malcolm’s mouth fell open, and Alan would have laughed had he not had the sudden worry Lachlan would be angry at catching them together like this.

Spurring on the dread, the youngest of the Cameron siblings turned over his shoulder and yelled, “Lachlan, I think ye need to get in here.”

His heart froze as his laird, the man who had been his brother and best friend most of his life, peered over the railing to see him naked, tangled in a heap with the man’s only sister. Luckily, the blankets still covered their more intimate parts, but the old fear of the division between his father and uncle came crashing down on him, and suddenly he was too hot beneath the covers.

Would he have to choose between Lachlan or a life in exile with Kirstie?

He stammered as he tried to think of something to say that wouldn’t damage their bond any further.

Surprising him, a dimpled smile stared back at him. “Well, it looks like Kirstie will finally be coming home. ’Tis about time the two of ye came to yer senses.”

“Ye arenae angry?”

“Nae. I’ve kenned all along ye should be together, but the decision had to be made by ye and her. Mother and I discussed it, and we thought it best not to push either of ye.”

His muscles relaxed, but that gave in to a flush that spread through his body as he tried to decide how he was going to get to his shirt and plaid.

“I sent ye ahead to Edinburgh because I kenned she would be there. I was hoping ’twould push things along, because with it looking more like war and the uncertainty of the Macnab clan, I was planning on telling her ’tis time she comes home.”

Alan felt his brows crinkle together. So Lachlan had planned to torture him with Kirstie’s presence. It had worked, and he couldn’t be angry because it had been what he’d needed all along and not known.

“Mother will want to ken right away. We should be able to catch up to them in a day or two. Put on yer clothes and get out here so ye can tell me why the building is burned to the ground and what happened to the Menzies man.” The brothers turned and walked from the stable, leaving him to ponder how long his friend had known about his feelings for Kirstie.

Rising, he carefully slid sideways, making sure to keep his kitten covered as he snuck from the blankets. As expected, she made a small sigh of protest but kept dozing peacefully.

Stepping out into the midmorning sun, he became aware of the complete devastation of the inn. The rain had subsided sometime in the early morning hours, but a damp feeling clung to the air, despite the promise of a warm, sunny day to come.

“So ye kenned all along?”

“’Twould have had to be blind not to miss ye two always sneaking looks at each other. And all those times ye wouldnae practice with me in the lists only to hear ye’d been up on the turrets listening to her read.”

A strong hand gripped his shoulder as Malcolm’s laughter split through the air. “We used to make a game of spying on ye two.”

They stepped closer to the inn, where Hamish’s body still laid prone on the wet earth. “Did everyone make it through the battle?”

“Mostly. We lost Henry and a Fraser.” An image of the cowardly Highlander pushing his friend into harm’s way intruded, and he couldn’t fight the scowl as Lachlan relayed the information.

Looking around, he took in all the Cameron men standing around the burned building. “Where’s Finlay?”

“He went to give Blair the news. He should join us shortly.”

Alan relayed last evening’s events for his brothers, and they vowed to come back and help the innkeepers rebuild.

“Now, go wake my sister. We need to be on our way home. Oh, and tell her we brought Poseidon. She’ll be pleased to see him.”

Moments later, he knelt over his hope for the future, the one thing he’d never thought he could have, the woman who would become his wife and give life to their children. Waking her with a kiss was easier than he’d expected. She purred with pleasure, then he pulled back. “Time to go, kitten.”

Her lazy, hooded eyes widened. “Are my brothers here?”

“Aye, they are safe and ready to head back to Kentillie.”

“Damn, I have to talk to Lachlan. He has to ken I want to be with ye.” She bolted up, heedless to her state of undress, and the blankets fell to her hips.

“’Tis all right, kitten. He approves.” He wasn’t sure if he should be looking at her eyes, her assets, or telling her to get her clothes on before someone walked by.

“Ye spoke to him? He is happy for us?”

“Aye.”

She threw her arms around him and nearly knocked him over.

“I love ye, Kirstie.” He’d been afraid to voice it until now, until he knew that speaking the words wouldn’t rip her from him.

“I love ye,” she said as he drew her in tighter.

Pulling back, he glanced at her naked state again, pleased he would wake to her this way every day from now on. Tamping down the desire she stirred, he said, “Now, get dressed and let’s go home.”