“That’s all you care about! I’m your breeder going to make more little McClains! Why did you have Murray following me everywhere? I told you I don’t need a guard!”
“Ye do! Ye would have been trampled by that stag if not for Murray!”
“How do you know? You weren’t there! I had my sword out, and I was ready!”
“I say ye weren’t ready!” Kendrick looked down at her from his greater height, and she could see he was furious with her as well. “The bairn is all right?” he asked.
“Yes, the bairn is fine!” Alyssa tried to breathe for a moment, so frustrated by the events of the day. “I don’t want to have someone follow me everywhere. It’s ridiculous. The men have better things to do than walk around behind me.”
“I don’t want you hurt. I want you safe. Can’t you see where I’m coming from?” he asked, his voice much calmer.
“I do understand. But I feel caged. Would you put the baby and I in a box and keep us locked away?”
“Of course not.”
“Well, to me, that’s how it feels.”
He scrubbed his hand through his hair and sat down at the table, taking her hand and pulling her into his lap. “I don’t know what to do anymore. I can’t let you go because I love you too much. I can’t keep you from walking, because you get sad. You are angry that I had a guard follow behind you, but I don’t know of anything else that can be done to keep you safe if you insist on walking by yourself every morning.”
“I love you too, but I don’t know what to do either!” She stared into his eyes, his beautiful eyes and sank against him. “I need to have some freedom.”
“Aye. I can see you do.” He sat quietly thinking about what to do about their dilemma. He wasn’t about to let her, or the baby go anywhere. No, they were his family, and he already loved them both too much.
Alyssa took a minute to calm down, just resting against this hard-headed man she loved more than she could express.“I don’t know how to solve this. Maybe if you stationed men at different places around the village, and I could promise not to get so far away I can’t see them?”
“So you wouldn’t have a guard, but you would still be easily saved.” He thought about it for a moment before nodding slowly. “I think we can make that compromise. Can you keep from trying to run away from my guards, though?”
Alyssa nodded. “I don’t want you to worry more, but I can’t stand being told I can’t go somewhere.” She’d had the freedom she wanted most of her life. Heartsgate was a small community, and it had never been dangerous for her to walk to school or stop at the library on her way home.
“Then we are in agreement.” He wrapped his arms around her tightly and just held her close. “Please don’t put yourself in danger again. My heart just can’t stand it.”
“I won’t.” Resting her head on his shoulder, she realized they could make things work. There would be times when she’d have to put her foot down and do things her own way, but they would be few and far between.
“Let me walk you back to the keep. You can have lunch and sewing time with the ladies, and I will get back to watching my men build the wall.”
She nodded. “But you know what this means, don’t you?” she asked.
“What?”
“It means we’re having a baby. A beautiful little girl we will call Belinda.”
“Do you like that name?” he asked.
“I do. Do you?”
He shrugged. “I’m just excited about a bairn. I’m not sure I’m ready to even think of names yet.”
She grinned, getting to her feet.
As they walked back to the keep together, each of them happy with the compromise they’d made, Alyssa realized how very empty her life would be without Kendrick in it. She had no idea how she’d managed as long as she had without him.
That afternoon, while she was sewing with her three friends from the future, Alyssa heard her name and instantly looked up. “Dr. Lachele!”
All four women gathered around the purple-haired matchmaker. “How’s everything going?”
“Wonderful,” Holli said. “I’m expecting my first son.”
Dr. Lachele smiled. “I’ll come back and check in on you in another year or so. I’m here to check on Alyssa. Something is happening with you, and you haven’t been happy.”
