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“Oh dear,” he muttered, realizing she waited for him to strike her. What in the sunlight blazes had Liam put her through? “Listen to me, Nyana. I will never hurt you. Or my stepchildren. I swear.”
An embarrassed flush filled her cheeks.
He ran a hand over his facial hair in the following silence. He didn’t know what to do. What to say. How to proceed.
So, he changed the subject.
“Are the girls ready to go?” But just as he spoke the words, Maisy came tumbling out the front door, laughter spilling from her mouth. She barely managed to catch herself on the porch railing when she tripped on her shoelace.
“Papa Joel!” Maisy shouted, waving a gloved hand in his direction. Nyana rushed over to tie her boot, but the moment she released the tied laces, Maisy jumped down from the porch and stumbled toward him. “Can I ride the horse with you?”
He glanced at Nyana, who bit her lip but otherwise said nothing. Yes, she was their mother, but he wanted to be their father as well.
“As long as you treat the horse kindly and ride in the carriage if you get cold.”
“I promise!” She hugged him tightly around the waist before petting Sunweave gently, almost reverently. The patient creature curiously nibbled her clothing and smelled her hands as if searching for a treat.
Eva followed, her gloved hand pressed to her mouth as if wanting to suck on her fingers but unable to. She stopped on the top stair while staring at the carriage. A brief flicker of worry flashed through him. He’d never heard Eva speak. Not once in their entire acquaintance.
His gaze traveled from Eva to Maisy. Liam’s child. Calle’s child. His friend’s characteristics were plain to see within Maisy’s adventurous spirit and curious heart. But what about Eva? What parts of Liam did she possess? Or would time only tell?
Nyana rubbed her hands up and down her arms, a frosty breath escaping her mouth. “Should we go? It’s been a long time since my father explained where Attleglade forest is, but I still remember how to find it.”
With a distracted nod, he pulled his attention from his stepchildren to his new wife. His heart skipped a beat at the vulnerability in her eyes. At the hesitant trust.
And he blew out a long breath. Keeping his emotions at bay would be difficult but necessary.
After Nyana and Eva climbed into the carriage, he helped Maisy into the saddle and swung up behind her. “Have you ridden a horse before?”
She shook her head, her eyes filled with determination and excitement. “My other papa never let me ride.”
He gently tugged on one of her braids. “I’ll teach you how. By the time we reach our destination, you’ll be an expert. Go ahead and kick Sunweave’s sides.”
She kicked her legs, but when the horse remained standing still, she kicked the creature again. Nothing. Joel clicked his tongue, and Sunweave took a rocky step forward and then another.
With a sheepish shrug, he said, “He’s not used to being ridden by children. Patient to a fault, but you may need to spend some time getting to know each other before she will obey you.” As they started down the dirt road at a slow pace, he handed the reins to Maisy, who took them with great enthusiasm. “You will want to keep the reins slack for now. But when we turn left a little way up the road, I’ll show you how to steer.”
The back of his neck prickled with awareness, and he glanced behind them but found no one else on the road, especially this early in the morning. It was nerves, he decided. Nerves from a new marriage. Nerves from the fright last night. And nerves about what they might face.
He spent the next several hours teaching her about horses and riding. The delight on her face brought him immense joy. And when she finally managed to kick the horse into a canter, her carefree laughter inspired his own laugh. He glanced behind him to find Nyana resting her chin against folded arms as she watched them from the open window of the carriage. The wind nipped at her pink nose, her rosy cheeks, and his breath hitched at the soft smile on her lips.
A smile!
His heart skipped before resuming a quick beat, and he found himself staring at the sweet curve of her mouth, at the gentle peace of her features. His wife was breathtaking on any occasion, but with a smile, she was absolutely radiant.
No feelings! he reminded himself as he turned to face forward again. Feelings had no place in their marriage. It would only complicate things, and in the end, he would be the only one with a broken heart.
Tough and resilient, Maisy rode with him the entire time unless they stopped to eat or rest. Only when the trail ahead started to get too dark to see did he have to stop his mount and search for a place to camp. He led the horse and carriage a little way off the road before unhitching Sunweave.
He bit his lip and glanced toward the darkening road barely visible in the space between the trees. If bandits happened upon them in the night, he wanted the means for a quick getaway. But to leave the horse saddled for an entire night was not a good thing to do.
His gut twitched with anxiety as he unsaddled Sunweave and tied him to a low branch. Nervous energy swirled in his mind like creeping fog. But when he glanced toward the road again, he found nothing but forest leaves skittering across dirt.
“Joel,” Nyana said quietly. He turned to find her carefully climbing out of the carriage with Eva in her arms, fast asleep. “Where should I lay her?”
A soft smile spread across his face as he lightly touched Eva’s cheek. “I will set up the tent. It shouldn’t take too long.” He paused to look her over. A paleness had returned to her face, her eyes filled with fatigue. “How are you faring?”
“Well enough.”
