Nay, she would have to wait until he was more open to the possibility. The last thing Connor needed was to know his father hated the very idea of having a child. The boy had been hurt enough, she would add no more pain to his damaged soul.
Still, that voice in her head nagged her to tell Braden about Connor. He had a right to know.
Clasping the food to her breasts, Maggie tried not to think about it lest she cry. And she had promised herself she wouldn’t cry over what was necessary.
Braden would go his own way, and she...
She would care for Connor. The lad would be happy with her. Much happier than he would be with his uncles and father. After all, they were bachelors who had little knowledge of children. What Connor needed most was a mother’s love.
If she couldn’t give her love to Braden, then she would content herself with lavishing it on his child.
Maggie returned to her room just as the boy stirred.
Not fully conscious, Connor cringed from her as she stood over his bed. “I’ll milk the cows.” He raised his arm to protect his head.
“It’s just me, Connor.” She placed the food and milk on the table. “And there are no cows to be milked. You’re safe here.”
He put his arm down and blinked as if unable to believe his eyes.
“I brought this to you.” She handed him a slice of bread.
He ate it so fast, she half feared he would choke from it.
“Slow down, lad, it’ll make you sick.”
He did, but only for a minute before he tore back into it, then reached for the milk and apples.
Smiling at his enthusiasm, Maggie ruffled his hair. “I want you to know that I have to go meet with the MacDouglas in a little bit, but as soon?—”
“Nay,” he gasped around a mouth full of apples. He swallowed hard and stared at her with wide, terrified eyes. “You can’t be doing that. He’ll kill you!”
“It’s all right,” she soothed him, wishing her words could comfort her as well. “He won’t harm me.”
“Aye, he will.”
“Nay.” She hoped and prayed that was true. “I can handle my own. But I want you to stay here until I return. Can you do that?”
His greenish-brown eyes full of reticence, he nodded. “You will return, won’t you?”
“Aye. I promise,” she said, hoping it wasn’t a lie.
Reluctantly, she left him and returned to his father. While she walked back to Braden’s room, she realized today was the day Ewan would free Lochlan and her brothers. She just hoped they were all still safe and whole.
She paused to watch Braden sleeping in his bed, and again the likeness of father and son struck her. They both looked so adorable in slumber.
As gently as she could, she shook him awake.
“Braden?” She brushed his hair back from his shoulders before she placed a tender kiss right where the tiny hairs covered the nape of his neck. She nipped his flesh with her teeth. “‘Tis morning.”
Braden groaned and shifted ever so slightly, baring one tawny hip to her eager gaze. “It can’t be morning already. I just went to sleep.”
Maggie laughed as she lifted the fur and admired his naked backside. In her mind, she could see him again as he had been last night, unabashed and completely hers. His eyes narrowed on her as she rode him. She could feel his strong hands on her hips urging her on, feel his warm breath on her skin.
Even now, her body burned for him.
And right then, it was all she could do to stay focused on the task ahead, as well as those who waited below for them.
“It is morning,” she repeated, “and we have an appointment to keep.”
