Love Me Forever (17 page)

Blair would not be denied. “I will add my
share of things.”

Brianna was relieved that the tension
between the two men dissipated. She had worried that they would
fail to get along and that failure would weigh heavily with Ian. It
did not sit well with her that the two men were at odds upon
meeting. She had not expected such a reaction, and now she worried
over her brother’s reaction to Royce.

After Ian had found out how poorly Arran had
treated her, he had become extremely protective of her and
encouraged her to seek her own strength. When she had informed him
that she did not wish to ever marry again, he did not seem to mind.
He did not even attempt to change her mind, nor did her
sister-in-law.

What would he say now when she told him she
wished to wed? Would he honor her request or worry that she was
making a foolish mistake yet again? And would he seek to protect
her from herself?

Royce was confident of the outcome. Why
could she not be as confident? What troubled her? Why did she think
she would face difficulty? Perhaps she was conditioned to expect it
as she had been in her marriage. It was as if she always waited for
something to happen. Even though all appeared at peace, her husband
would suddenly find fault with her and berate her until she felt
little worth for herself.

She had to remember that Royce was nothing
like Arran. He was truthful with her, and she need not worry about
sudden surprises.

She turned and kissed his cheek and right in
front of Blair said, “I love you.”

He kissed her back. “As I do you.”

She looked to Blair. “You will tell Ian how
happy I am?”

Blair hesitated and then Brianna gave him
that pleading look she had always given him as a child. The one
that he always surrendered to and that always got him into trouble.
He threw his hands up into the air. “Whatever you want,
Brianna.”

She smiled, pleased at his response.

Royce shook his head. “Is that how she
managed you to do her biding… with a simple look?”

Blair nodded. “A fact I am not proud of. So
I advise you to be careful, my friend, or she will soon have you
doing the same.”

Royce grinned. “She already has.”

They left at dawn. Blair had advised that
the journey would take but a day. She had not realized she had been
that close to home. When she had left on her journey, her mind had
been too occupied with the news of her husband’s death to give
attention to how far they had traveled. She had not thought herself
that close to home, but all the while she was but a day’s journey
away.

She rode with Royce comfortably settled in
front of him and cuddled close to his warmth. The day was cloudy,
the air crisp, and the silence heavy around them.

“The men are quiet,” she said, wondering
over their silence.

While there was rarely constant conversation
on a journey, a word here or there was often heard along with
laughter. But today there was nothing, only the stillness of the
surrounding land and the sounds of the winter woods. And she
noticed that the men’s eyes strayed often to

Royce.

“They pay attention to their surroundings,
as they should,” Royce said, sounding like a leader of men.

“But they have not spoken a word since we
left early this morning. That seems unusual to me.”

“They do their duty,” Royce insisted.

“My brother’s men are well trained to
observe and to fight when necessary. They are good men, but it
troubles me that they stare at you so blatantly. They know the
horrors of battle. They know that they could suffer as you have, so
why then do they so rudely keep their eyes on you?”

He offered a reason that she would find
acceptable. “They care for you and do not know me. They wish to
make certain that nothing happens to you.”

His response did not appease her. “That is
no excuse for rudeness. They see me happy with you. They see you
treat me with respect. Your scars tell them you fought bravely and
victoriously. What else need they know?”

“How do you know I fought victoriously?”

She shrugged. “You would have it no other
way.”

He laughed and all around him turned their
heads to look. “You have come to know me well.”

She rested her head on his shoulder. “Aye,
that I have and I like what I have found.”

“What have you found?” He hugged her close
to him, the scent of her filling his nostrils. She smelled of the
sweet-scented herbs she worked with and the earthy smell of the
twigs that she fashioned into baskets.

Her response was quick. “A man I can trust
and love.”

“You can always trust me, Brianna, you must
remember that. Promise me that you will.”

He seemed anxious that she agree and his
body tensed. She wished for him not to worry and offered him
assurance.

“Do not concern yourself, for my trust in
you is unconditional.”

He kissed her forehead. “Good. This pleases
me, but I must admit that part of me is upset.”

“Why?” She raised her head off his shoulder,
concerned that he was feeling troubled.

He sighed, shook his head, and admitted, “I
thought it was my looks that won your heart.”

She smiled and poked him in the chest. “Your
looks captured my immediate attention.”

He ran a tender finger down her cheek. “I
had not meant to frighten you.”

She tugged at his braid. “I frightened
myself, and besides, I have told you I care not for looks.”

She focused on his face for the first time
in days and noticed that his wounds were healing nicely. She could
also see that beyond his scars there appeared good-looking features
and the thought that he might be more handsome than she had
considered made her tense.

“What is wrong?” he was quick to ask when
her body grew taut against him.

She would not admit her fears; she could
not, for she would sound foolish. Why would any woman turn down a
handsome man? She had hundreds of reasons and yet not many that
would sound sane to others; therefore, she would keep her thoughts
to herself.

‘Tell me,” he said firmly.

“Nothing is wrong.” She returned her head to
rest on his shoulder, thinking it would bring his questioning to a
close.

He would not be denied. “You tell me you
trust me, and then you will not tell me what troubles you when
obviously something does.” He gave her waist a gentle squeeze.
“This is trusting me?”

He was right, but she remained reluctant.
“My thought was silly and unimportant.”

“Your thoughts are important to me. Tell
me.”

She raised her head and smiled. “You are
relentless.”

He grinned. “Determined.”

She hesitated.

“Would you not tell me the same? Would you
not wish to know what troubled me so that you could help ease my
concern? Is that not what two people in love do for each
other?”

She placed a hand to his chest. “You
continue to teach me much about love that I did not know.”

“You knew,” he insisted. “You were denied
what you deserved, but no more. You will have all you deserve, for
I will make certain of it.”

“You are good to me.” She sounded as though
she could not believe her own words.

“And you are good to me, another trait of
two people in love.”

She whispered, as if revealing a secret. “We
must be very much in love, then.”

He leaned down closer to her face. “Very
much.”

She giggled with delight when he brushed
several kisses across her face.

“Now tell me what troubled you.”

“I thought you had forgotten.”

He playfully poked her in the side. ‘Trying
to divert my attention, were you?”

She grabbed for his playful hand and took a
firm hold of it. “I thought I had been successful.”

“I do not wish to see you troubled and will
do anything in my power to prevent it or help you through it.” He
eased his hand from her grasp and laced his fingers with hers.

She held on to him as he did with her. “I am
so very glad the heavens sent you to me.”

“Fate works in strange ways. To question it
would be foolish; to accept it would be wise. I accept us without
question.”

“You forever say things to me that make me
realize how truly blessed I am that you love me.”

“Remember that.” His words were firm.

“You say that often to me, but how can I
forget it?”

“Just remember—promise me you will remember
how deeply I love you.”

She gripped his hand as tightly as her
meager strength would allow. “I have told you I would and I give
you my word that I will.”

“Good.” He seemed satisfied. “Now again,
what troubled you?”

“It is no longer of importance.”

“It is to me. Tell me.”

To argue the issue was futile, so she
surrendered. “Looking upon you I realized that beneath your scars
that heal lays a handsome man.”

“The one scar is deep and will remain with
me forever. I will never be handsome again.”

Brianna suddenly felt selfish. She had not
given thought to how his facial scars would make him feel. He would
never look as he once did; he was changed forever and yet he was
whom he had always been; a good and kind man.

“But then you care not for handsome men, so
perhaps I should be grateful for my scars.”

“Nay.” She was quick to argue, her hand
going to cup his face. “I am foolish. I think because I had a
handsome husband who was deceitful that all handsome men deceive.
You have taught me different, I must remember it.”

Royce kissed the palm of her hand. “I do not
deceive nor will I ever deceive you. You have my word on that.”

She smiled. “Then I have no worries.”

“Good, then we can concentrate on planning a
wedding.”

“You have yet to ask my permission.”

He laughed and the men once again cautiously
glanced his way. “It is your brother’s permission I must seek.”

She placed her hand in her lap and, sounding
like a petulant child, said, “He will ask me if I wish to wed
you.”

“What will you tell him?” He kept a smile on
his face, for he enjoyed teasing her.

“That you have yet to ask me.”

“He will allow you this decision?”

“I will not wed unless I wish to wed,” she
said adamantly.

His hand was quick to grab her chin and
gently squeeze her cheeks so that she looked to make funny faces at
him. “Do you wish to wed me?”

“Is that how you intend to ask me?”

He ran gentle fingers over her lips and down
her neck. “Nay, it is not, and besides, I already know your
answer.”

“So then you think it unnecessary to ask
me?”

His hand trailed down to her breast, which
he gave a slow squeeze, and he tenderly pinched her nipple, which
instantly hardened between his fingers.

She was grateful that her fur wrap kept his
intimate touch private, and she lingered in the exquisite pleasure
of the moment.

He whispered near her ear. “Marry me,
Brianna, for life would not be worth living without you.”

She felt tears well in her eyes. She had not
thought to hear those words ever, and she most definitely did not
expect to hear them spoken with such love. Tears slipped down her
cheeks as she answered, “Aye, I will wed you, Royce, for I cannot
bear to think of a day spent without you.”

He kissed her tears away and then kissed her
with a hungry gentleness. “We will wed immediately.”

She nodded enthusiastically, knowing full
well that they would not be sharing a bed until vows were
exchanged. “Immediately.”

They took their time, knowing by day’s end
they would reach her home. The weather remained cloudy and Brianna
was grateful it did not rain. She was already beginning to feel the
effects of riding for several hours. Her lower back began to pain
her. It was the one lingering result of the accident.

She did not wish to complain; she was as
eager as the men to return home. She missed her brother,
sister-in-law, her friend Anne, and her nephew Duncan, and she was
eager for them all to meet Royce. It would be a good reunion.

First, however, she would need to recover
from the pain she would certainly suffer if she continued on in
this fashion. She attempted to adjust her bottom in front of Royce
without making it too obvious that she was uncomfortable.

It did not work.

“Something pains you?”

She was truthful. “Aye, my back.”

She need say no more; none could ignore his
demanding voice. “We stop now!”

To her surprise, Blair and the men did as he
commanded, though Blair approached them as Royce helped her to
dismount.

“Brianna needs to rest,” Royce said before
Blair could speak. “Her back has yet to fully heal from the
accident.”

She intended to inform them both that a
short rest would be sufficient, but when she took all her weight
herself, Royce having let go of her waist, the pain shot through
her lower back and she almost collapsed.

Blair slid off his horse, but Royce already
had his arms around her.

Blair appeared concerned. “I had not
realized she was not sufficiently recovered.”

“I am fine,” Brianna insisted, keeping her
hand firmly on Royce’s arm.

“You are having difficulty standing on your
own—that is not fine,” Blair all but snapped at her. “You should
have told me. We could have waited at least a few days.” He turned
to Royce. “My apologies for not listening to you, I should have
remembered how stubborn she can be.”

“I am not stubborn,” she insisted
emphatically.

“She is determined,” Royce said with a
smile.

Blair had to laugh. “You know her well. Then
you know that she will tell you when she has rested enough for the
journey to continue.”

“That decision will be mine,” Royce informed
him in a tone that advised he would not have it any other way.