“Welcome to Shetland. May nae look like much, but ye’ll find everything yer heart desires here,” Stephen announced proudly.
Lavina shook her head in disbelief.
“What?” he protested, trotting closer to Theo.
Lavina glanced at Amber, who was sitting in front of Lavina in the saddle. The child giggled as the wind played with her hair.
“I’m nae lyin’. Ye can find everything.”
“Aye, and today, we’re here to buy dresses or fabric if that’s what they prefer. But I want them watched, do ye understand? Ye’re to be me second eyes,” Theo ordered.
Stephen straightened in his saddle and nodded solemnly. “Aye, Me Laird.”
Lavina’s gaze shifted to Maisie, who was holding on to Stephen for dear life. “Are we there yet?”
“Ye said ye wanted to ride fast,” Stephen said with a chuckle.
He gave her a reassuring pat on the hand so that she would loosen her grip on him.
“I didnae mean rip yer face off. Do I even have a nose still? I cannae feel it,” Maisie complained.
Amber giggled and pointed to the second street, which was filled with even more merchants than the first.
“Aye, bobbin, and it’s as cute as a button,” Lavina teased.
She couldn’t remember the last time she had been able to relax. Her uncle never let up, not even for a moment. And so neither could she.
Her gaze lingered in shadowed alleyways and behind wagons. She could almost hear her uncle’s voice, cruel and sharp, riding the breeze like a curse.
“What if… what if he’s here? Me uncle, or one of his men?”
“Well, unless yer uncle’s colors are green and blue, I dinnae see him. Stephen is here as well, and I swear, with the two of us, nay one will dare touch ye. Now, go and have a bit of fun. Have the dressmaker charge the keep for whatever ye have made.”
Theo’s eyebrows arched as he rolled his shoulders back and sat straighter in the saddle. His expression was unreadable for a moment, but Lavina was slowly learning what each twitch of his eyebrows meant.
As they made their way through the village to its center, the sounds of music danced on the air. Lavina chewed on her lower lip as an anxiousness swelled within her. The horses stopped, and as Theo aided Lavina down from her horse, Lavina’s eyes darted to and fro, hunting for any unseen threats.
“It’ll be all right,” Theo said as he reached up and gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. His calloused fingers grazed her cheek with quiet purpose, sending delicious shivers through her.
“I promise ye,” he said, his voice a low murmur meant for her ears only as Maisie and Amber dismounted with eager wide eyes. “Ye’re safe here. I’ll keep ye all safe. I’m watchin’. If there’s even a whisper of trouble, I’ll hear it before it finds us.”
Lavina’s breath caught. The warmth of his touch lingered, and the sincerity in his words settled in her chest like a slow, steady beat. His eyes searched hers, not demanding trust but offering it.
“Besides,” he added with a dry chuckle, stepping back just slightly, “I doubt yer uncle would dare come this far north. Ye didnae like comin’ this far; I doubt he would either.”
The space between them grew as Theo took a step back—just enough to break the moment—but not before Lavina caught the subtle shift in his expression. His eyes had flicked briefly to Maisie and Amber, who stood a few feet away, both watching them curiously.
Lavina’s cheeks flushed, and she looked down. The ease with which Theo had offered reassurance, his gentleness, caught her off guard. He wasn’t supposed to be like this. He wasn’t supposed to make her feelsafe.
Yet here she was, believing every word that dripped from his lips. It didn’t help that he spoke with such conviction that it banished all doubt from her mind.
“Well,” she said brightly to the girls, trying to ignore the feel of his eyes on her back, “which stalls should we visit first?”
Maisie practically bounced on her heels. “That one!” she squealed, pointing to a row of colorful stalls where bright shawls and beaded hair ribbons hung on display.
Amber slipped her hand into Lavina’s without a word.
Lavina’s heart soared at the quiet trust. She gave the girl’s hand a gentle squeeze and nodded.
