Everyone waited in suspended silence for a long moment. Anna chewed her lip, her worried gaze swinging to Neacal and back to Ralston.
"You don't," Ralston said, his expression sincere. "I will have to prove myself trustworthy."
Colin admired the man for saying that.
"I found you trustworthy during our journey," Kristina said. "Will you be staying with us?"
"I would like to, for a while, if Chief MacDonald would permit me to."
Neacal's face was impassive. "I will think on it."
"If you have work, I can earn my keep," Ralston said.
"Is there some other secure place he could sleep, besides the dungeon?" Anna asked.
"Aye. I'll have a room set up for him." Neacal's gaze shifted to Ralston. "You will be locked in and guarded for the time being. I'm not trying to be unfriendly, but you must understand that my main priority is protecting the ladies. If there is even a slim chance you could harm either of them, I must prevent that."
***
Later that night, Kristina lay in bed awake, thinking how happy she was that Ralston was her brother. She'd always wanted a brother. Or maybe she'd somehow sensed that she had one, somewhere, and felt his absence.
Like Anna, she was a bit surprised and disappointed in her father, that he would have a liaison while married to their mother. Still, her joy in having a brother overshadowed all of that. Her parents had both passed, and she forgave them their faults.
"Are you awake?" The male whisper came from the doorway, and Kristina recognized it immediately.
"Colin?" Excitement propelled her bolt upright in bed.
"Aye." His warm, friendly voice made her smile.
"Come in," she murmured, trying to keep her voice down.
The door clicked closed, and booted feet approached the bed. "I had to see you again."
"I wanted to spend more time with you, too. And wanted to thank you for having Ralston brought in so we could talk to him."
The chair squeaked as Colin sat down beside the bed. "Well, he appears to be a decent man thus far. Let's hope he continues to be so."
"He will. I can sense things about people, like whether they have a kind heart or not."
"You're very canny." He was silent for a long moment. "What do you sense about me?"
His fresh-soap scent reached her, and she realized he'd recently bathed. She wished she could bury her nose against his chest, relax and drift toward sleep. Or kiss him. Aye, she was well enough now to receive one of his scorching kisses.
"I sense that you're a noble and honorable man with a good heart. You're gracious and courteous."
He lifted her hand and kissed it, and she wished he wouldn't stop there. His warm, smooth lips and contrasting scratchy beard stubble awakened her nerve endings and sent tingles over her body. She sighed, then suddenly wondered whether they might be disturbed.
She listened, not hearing anyone else. "Did Tavia and Anna go to bed?"
"Aye. 'Tis after midnight."
"Oh." Good, she was glad to be alone with Colin. "I've been awake longer than I realized. I'm excited to have a new brother."
"'Tis understandable."
"You've never told me… do you have any brothers or sisters?"
"Aye, a younger brother."
