Page 22 of Her Forbidden Highlander Husband

“Though you’d grow to resent me for denying your rights. And you would continue to tempt me to relent.”

“Is it wrong of me to want to hope for a chance to have you as my wife in every way? I know I tried to kiss you when it was too soon, but I can wait. In time—”

“That’s where you’d be wrong, Liam. It will never be the right time for that. I don’t want it. I’ll never want it.”

“You do not wish for more children? To grow old with someone by your side? To protect you with their very life?”

She swallowed down her first answer, because in truth everything he said sounded wonderful. More children to laugh with and love. A partner she could always count on. But men were fickle beasts. What they wanted was more important than anything. And what they felt was best for someone wasn’t always the case.

She gathered her strength so she could look him in the eye and with a steady voice she said, “No. I don’t.” Before she could break down, she turned and rushed back into the cottage, shutting out her husband, and whatever they may have been, from her heart.

…

Weeks had gone by and Liam had fallen back into his old life before he’d gone to Scalloway Castle and requested an audience with the laird. He could almost pretend he’d only dreamed of marrying Evelyn. After all, he’d dreamed of it for many years.

Unfortunately, his men didn’t allow it. While they were doing drills or defending against a raid, Liam was in command and they respected him as war chief. But in the hall over their meals the men were just friends.

“Has your horse left ye yet, Liam?” one of them asked, causing the group to bark in laughter.

“Have your laughs now. You’ll pay for it tomorrow during drills.” That caused them to hold their tongues. For a while at least.

The nights were the worst. Remembering what it had been like to have her in his bed. The warmth of her hand on his arm. It had just been that one night, but somehow, he felt her absence as if she’d been with him all his days.

“The laird wishes to see you.” A messenger waited next to him for acknowledgment of his request.

“Of course.” He nodded to the lad, recalling his days of chasing down men to deliver the laird’s summons.

He knocked on the doorframe of the laird’s study before entering. “You asked to see me?”

“Aye. The Stewart laird has sent a message to me as well as Evelyn. I thought it best if you delivered it to her.”

He held out a letter with the Stewart coat of arms pressed into the seal.

“Does he plan to attack us?” Liam asked.

“Not yet. His missive contained only a demand of his daughter’s return untouched.” Lachlan lifted a brow. They both understood what that meant. He didn’t wish to receive her back in the same condition she’d returned the last time—with child.

“We expected he’d bluster a bit,” Liam said.

“I don’t know how a father could be so cruel.” Lachlan shook his head.

“He thinks it’s Evelyn’s fault what happened. If she’d obeyed him and stayed in the castle she never would have been captured and assaulted.”

“She was just a lass. She couldn’t have known what would come of her simple rebellion.”

“He doesna see it that way. And he surely doesn’t approve of me for her husband.”

“He’s an arse.”

Liam smiled in agreement. “I’ll see that she gets the letter.” Though he’d have to wait until he was ready to visit without begging her to give him a chance. Today would not be the day.

“Do you think she might want to return? I can’t imagine she enjoys living in a small cottage alone. Kenna said she and Mari visited the day before yesterday and Evelyn seemed tired.”

“I think the only thing she allowed herself to want was to be a mother to her daughter, and she has that now.”

“It wouldn’t hurt for you to show up at their home with more than a few wooden rabbits,” Lach said.

“What else would I take?”