Chapter Five
Rona had no idea howlong she wept silently against Colmac’s chest only that once the grief finally subsided, she felt lighter than she had in a long time. Yet still, she lingered, comforted by his warmth. He not only held her but cocooned his cloak around her to shelter her from the wind.
“Thank ye,” she eventually whispered, pulling back enough to gaze at him. His eyes had shifted to the exact vibrant shade of the pines behind him. “Thank ye for being here for him when I couldnae be.”
“Aye, lass,” he said softly. When his gaze lingered on her eyes then dropped to her lips, Rona's breath caught at what she saw. The barely checked desire. He obviously meant to say more but instead cleared his throat and stepped away. But not before he gripped her upper arms gently. “Are ye well enough to stand on yer own?”
She cleared her throat and nodded. “I am.”
“Aye?”
“Aye.”
He slowly released her and stepped back, still staring at her in a way she had wished he would countless times in her youth. She might be innocent in many ways but not in this. Not when it came to the simple admiration of a man. She had felt it from him in the tunnel and again here. Why now, though? Because she was available? Or could it be Brighid was right, and this went back further?
Not sure what to say while wanting to say so much, she simply stared at him. Colmac, in turn, did the same until he finally found his tongue. “Shall we see where things lead then?” He shook his head and offered a small smile that relieved the tension of the moment. “What I mean to say is would ye like to look in our hideaway now?”
“Aye.” She offered a small smile in return and glanced at its location. “Let us see if Bróccín has more to share.”
To hear from their loved one after his passing was an extraordinary and cherished gift. So she tried to remain calm while Colmac brushed aside snow, removed the stone, and then reached his arm in.
“Well?” she said, growing impatient while he felt around.
“I dinnae think...” He paused, and his eyes grew wide. “Wait, I feel something!”
She crowded forward, eager to see, then put a hand over her mouth, wide-eyed when he pulled out a scroll. It was tied with the same red ribbon only the holly was dry and brittle.
“It has been here for some time.” Colmac urged her back into the hallway and shut the door against the wind. He handed it over gingerly. “Be careful, lass. Whilst protected enough, the damp chill wasnae good for it.”
In full agreement, Rona handed him the dry holly and untied the ribbon with great care. Then she slowly unraveled the parchment and nodded, biting her lower lip. “’Tis faded but readable.”
“Och, he took a chance hiding it there, aye?” he said. “So what does it say?”
She read it aloud.
My Dearest Lass,
