Page 23 of Married to her Kilted Enemy

She helped Odhrán up the stairs, fighting back the unpleasant but inescapable truth: Odhrán, with all his fussing over her injury and all the small gestures he was making to placate her, was slowly but surely melting the wall of ice she had built around her heart to keep him out. How much longer it would last, she had no idea, and it disturbed her deeply.

“Ye’d best get intae the bed,” she told him when they arrived at their chambers. “Ye can hardly lie on the floor in this state.” She was still supporting him and carefully slid the bag Alana had given her from her shoulder to the floor.

“There’s nae need. I told ye, I’m all right,” he insisted, heading for the chair by the hearth. But she still had hold of his waist, and she tutted as she steered him away from it and pushed him onto the bed. He did not protest further as she pulled off his boots and gestured for him to lay down. She even found herself plumping the pillows behind his head, to help keep him upright.

“Aye ye still feelin’ dizzy?” she asked, examining his face. The small, square bandage Alana had applied to his wound was a startling white against the tan of his skin. It seemed to lighten the dark gray of his eyes, giving them a blueish sheen as they looked into hers. She could not help noticing how tired he looked.

“Nae so much now I’m layin’ down,” he said, “but ye dinnae need tae fuss over me. I’m nae a bairn.”

“But remember what Alana said, ye’ve gottae try tae stay awake as long as ye can,” Maddison told him.

“Aye, I remember,” he replied, laying back with a heavy sigh, which was quickly followed by a yawn.

“Ye’d better have some of the tonic she gave ye.” Maddison fetched the bag and soon brought back the bottle of tonic with a glass. She poured the brackish looking liquid and handed him the glass. He sniffed it and turned up his nose.

“Ach, I’m nae drinkin’ that without a shot of whisky in it tae drown the taste.”

“All right,” she agreed with a sigh and fetched the whisky. She poured a small amount into the glass to top up the purplish tonic. Odhrán looked at her expectantly, still holding it out.

“Is that it?” he asked.

“The whisky will send ye tae sleep if ye have too much,” she argued. He took the bottle from her hand and topped up the glass to the brim. Handing the bottle back to her, he said, “That’s more like it,” and promptly drank the draft down in one. When he had swallowed it, he grimaced, wiping his lips with the back of his hand. “By the Wee Man, that’s foul.”

“Medicine has tae be foul, ’tis the law,” she suddenly said, surprising herself with the lighthearted comment. Usually, she would have relished his discomfort. But now… Confused by her own feelings, she hid her expression as she placed the whisky and the bottle of tonic on the nightstand. Then she looked around the room, not quite knowing what to do next. Should she sleep in the chair? Or should she stay with him on the bed to make sure he did not sleep?

What if he falls asleep and… doesnae wake up because I didnae keep watch over him? I’m gonnae have tae stay with him, just fer this one night.

With a sigh, she took off the coverlet and laid it over him. As she did so, his slitted eyes rested on her with an expression of mild surprise, burning into her. She ignored his stare, taking off her shoes and getting on the bed next to him, fully clothed.

“What are ye doin’?” he asked.

“What does it look like? I’m keepin’ an eye on ye, tae make sure ye stay awake fer a while, just like Alana said,” she replied shortly, making sure to keep as much distance between them as possible without actually getting off the bed. “How are ye feelin’?”

“Tired,” he said, rubbing his eyes. “I honestly dinnae ken how much longer I can stay awake.”

“But ye have tae,” she insisted, her concern rising again. “We must think of somethin’ tae make ye stay awake.”

“Ye could tell me a story, about yer life back home,” he suggested.

She scoffed. “That would definitely put ye tae sleep.”

“Ye could tell me what happened after ye got away from here, after yer braithers came tae get ye. I thought of ye often,” he admitted in a soft voice, which, for some reason, made her cheeks heat up.

“Well, I tried never tae think of ye,” she shot back, glimpsing once more the dark shadow that had seemed to hang over her for months after her captivity. But he looked so downcast that she could not help softening towards him. “It was good bein’ back with me family all around me.”

“Aye, I bet it was. Ye’re lucky tae have yer braithers tae care about ye.”

“Aye, I am,” she agreed, smiling at the thought. “And there’s Lillie, of course. And wee Rónán. He’s just startin’ tae walk. I miss him.” She felt a little pang in her heart to think of the babe.

“I’m sorry I took ye away from him tae come back here,” Odhrán said, his gaze making her blush again.

“Hmm,” Maddison said, her heart suddenly full and tears of homesickness pressing against the back of her eyes. “I dinnae wantae talk about me family anymore.” She cast around for some other method to keep him awake. Her eyes alighted on the pile of books. “I ken. I’ll read tae ye.” She reached over and fetched the small pile, starting to look through them, partly as a means of hiding her emotions.

The wave of homesickness began to pass, and once she was sure her voice would not shake, she finally selected a book.

“This should dae it: Ghostly Tales of Highland Trails.” She put the other books aside and turned the volume over in her hands, then looked at Odhrán. “Why did ye pick this one fer me tae read?”

“Who says I did?” he asked, affecting innocence. She almost smiled.