“We each have our own lives,” he said with stoic firmness, “ones that dinna include the other.”
Hurt that he could close her out with such ease, she drew father away. “And that decision is yours to make?”
“Alesone—”
“You are right, now isna the place to speak about this, but hear me well, this discussion isna done.”
His cool gaze locked on hers.
Far from intimidated, she angled her jaw.
Irritation glittered in his eyes, and she dismissed his ire. She hadna looked for a man in her life, or wanted someone who inspired feelings best left buried deep. Except behind his fierce, uncompromising façade, each passing day she spent in this warrior’s company unveiled a man bound by honor, loyalty, and a good heart. Traits that’d eroded her intent to keep him at a distance.
However much he was coming to matter in her life, if he believed he could toss out that she’d become important to him and then dismiss the topic as if she were day-old bread, he was wrong.
The cart lurched as it hit another rock.
As he caught her watching him, his expression pained, Thomas turned away, and her temper faded. “How far is Dair Castle?”
“A ways yet.”
“Tell me about your home?”
He shrugged. “Many years have passed since I last visited.”
“What does it look like?” she asked, hoping to draw his attention away from his discomfort. “Surely you remember that?”
Thomas gave her a measuring look. “’Tis built on the edge of a loch. When I was a child, I would climb upon a merlon, my fingers cold against the smooth stone as I stared past the castle walls and tried to imagine what lay beyond.”
“Were you happy there?” she asked, envisioning him as young lad, full of hope, eager for excitement.
“Aye, but I wanted to travel.” He shifted, tucked a handful of hay behind his back. “I yearned to begin the grand adventure that I had imagined. Except once I left, I didna anticipate how much I would miss the Highlands.”
She scanned the rough peaks smeared with snow reflecting the sun like crystals tossed, their brilliance enticing one to believe fairies lurked beneath the flakes. “I can understand how you would miss it.”
Thomas took in the harsh sweep of land, and like a door opened, more thoughts he’d banished over the years filled his mind. With each memory the barriers he’d carefully built to prevent him from thinking about his past eroded further.
Melancholy, he studied the woman who’d dared question him about his youth, one who intrigued him more than he wished. He should remain silent, sever any path to deepen their friendship. Already she made him care too much. Yet, however unwise, he found himself wanting to tell her about his childhood. Still sharing the memories would provide a much needed distraction.
As well, Alesone needed a friend who she could turn to in times of trouble. However unconventional their beginning, and though she hadna asked, he found his stepping into the role a natural move, more so with him charged as her protector.
In the future what she chose to do with her life was her affair, but for now she was beneath his guard. As well, until they reached their destination, for her safety, he would ensure any men about kept their distance.
He scanned the familiar track of land. “Once I am able to walk a distance, there are several places that I would like to show you.”
As if a gift given, her expression softened. “I would like that very much.”
Pleased, he settled against the backboard. “When I was a lad, at first light, with the smell of warm bread filling the castle, I would sneak into the kitchen and charm the cooks out of a fresh loaf.” A smile tugged at his mouth. “If berries were in season, the lass crafting the loaves would give me a bowlful drizzled with honey.”
“A charmer from your youth, why am I nae surprised?” she said. “With your having three brothers and a sister, neither do I believe you led a mundane life. If they were anything like you, your home must have been filled with antics.”
“Aye,” he said with a smile. “One time Matheu, Léod, and I caught Donnchadh trying to woo a kiss from a lass. The idea of pressing one’s mouth against a woman’s was a hideous thought to a wee lad, so we decided mead had muddled his mind. Our solution, Donnchadh needed but time to sober up and see the error of his ways.”
“What did you do?”
“Once the lass departed, we jumped him. Amidst Donnchadh’s demands to set him free, we tied him up, hauled him to the stables, and shoved him inside an empty barrel.”
She gasped. “You left him?”
