He handed her the three quails and asked her to pluck them while he skinned the hares.
While they worked, Logan stole glances at her from time to time, stunned that they could share such casual time together after being enemies for so long.
Before long, he found them talking about their lives before and after the incident. He discovered that she had been sold sixdifferent times. She had humorous stories about most of them, though none were kind to her.
“So, tell me, Mr. Cameron, why is there nae Mrs. in yer house?”
He laughed softly, liking her boldness. What if he told her the truth? “I dinna know. Mayhap I was waitin’ fer ye.”
She dipped her head when a blush stole over her face. “Who says ye could ever win me?”
“Never I,” he teased. “I know ye will hate me ’til yer dyin’ breath.”
“Aye,” she said with a playful smile of her own. “I may not hate ye until I die, Mr. Cameron, but I would never be yer wife.”
He grew serious. “Are ye so certain, lass?”
“Aye, nae matter how ye beguile me, I am stronger than ye think.”
She had defied her father for him by venturing to the dungeon that night, had she not? She had endured the loss of everyone she loved and being sold to cruel masters. She was stronger than he thought he might be in her situation.
“I dinna doubt yer strength, lass,” he told her. “But I hope there is still in ye somethin’ stronger.”
“Ye mean love?” she asked him.
“Aye. Love. Is it too bold of me to think the first person ye love could be the one ye have hated fer so long?”
She laughed. “Are ye presuming to think that I lo…I love ye?”
“No’ yet.”
She laughed harder. He smiled, watching her. “Not yet? Then, ye think ye will be able to change me?”
“Nae, no’ ye. Yer heart.”
“Mr. Cameron, let me assure ye—”
“Och, are ye both bickering again?” Helen called out as she left the house and headed for them.
“We were no’ bickerin’,” Logan said, suddenly bothered by the thought of anyone thinking they bickered often. He turned his head to Miss Woodburn. “Were we.”
It wasn’t meant to be a question but a statement he hoped she agreed to.
“Nae, we were not bickering. We were teasing each other with ridiculous notions.” She turned to him. “Fanciful ideas of what could never be.”
She scoffed aloud as she swept past him to return to the house. Logan didn’t stop her but watched as she passed Helen and then stopped. She backed up two steps and stared at her friend, staring at him.
“What are ye doing, Helen?”
Helen smiled at him as his gaze finally fell to hers.
“I was just going to see if Mr. Cameron was in need of anything.”
Logan was sure he heard a cat hiss somewhere.
“Come inside with me, Helen,” Miss Woodburn said, taking her arm and tugging her away.
Alone, Logan let his smile grow into a grin. She was jealous of Helen. He wanted to laugh and kick up his feet. It was a step in the right direction.
