Unsure of what to do, Braden sighed. “Do you think I can trust her?”
“That, I cannot answer. The only way to find that out is to try it and see.”
“And if she’s not trustworthy?”
Sin shook his head as if exasperated by him. “You’re stronger than Kieran. You’ll survive it. But I think, little brother, that you’re missing the real question. What if she is trustworthy?”
“Then I’m a monkey’s arse.”
Sin smiled. “We seem to keep coming back to that, don’t we?”
Braden laughed. Sin was right. It was time for him to stop being short-sighted and to take a chance.
All these years, he had been afraid. All the times he had thought himself so strong, when he was actually weak, and too terrified to take a chance.
But Maggie...
She was worth it.
Worth his life, worth his heart. Worth everything. And he wouldn’t let his stupid fears keep them apart another minute.
Braden was going to find her, and then he was going to marry her.
“Wish me luck.”
Sin nodded. “Bon chance, mon frere.”
Braden rushed from the room, needing to find Maggie.
He took the stairs two at a time as he ran into the crowded hall to find her. There were probably three score people there who were laughing and catching up on all the events that had happened over the past few weeks.
Braden looked about, but nowhere did he see Maggie’s short russet hair, or her laughing amber eyes.
Where was she?
He headed for the door.
“Braden MacAllister!” The MacDouglas’s shout brought instant silence to the hall as Braden froze dead in his tracks.
His entire body tense, Braden turned toward the laird, expecting the very worst.
His face unreadable, Robby MacDouglas crossed the hall with his hands on his hips. The laird narrowed his gaze on Braden.
Nothing and no one moved or made a sound as the two men sized each other up.
When Robby reached for him, Braden took a step back, ready to brawl. Then to his utter surprise, the man threw his arms about him in a brotherly hug.
Robby clapped him hard between his shoulder blades. “I owe you and your brother for the life of my wife and child. From this day forward, the MacDouglases will be allies to the MacAllisters.”
Braden blinked in disbelief as loud shouts filled the hall, echoing off the stone walls.
The man wasn’t trying to kill him? He could barely accept that reality.
Robby clapped him hard on the shoulder once more, and stepped back. “You’re a good lad to brave my wrath and bring peace to our clans. You, truly, are a born negotiator.”
It crossed Braden’s mind that the credit didn’t really belong to him. Maggie had done it. But now didn’t seem like the time to contradict the MacDouglas. Not when peace was so newly formed.
“Thank you.”
