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“What is it?”
Blinking, Keir shook his head, his gaze once more focusing upon hers. “I just thought that if yer parents had granted ye a choice in who ye’d marry, we would never have met.” The blue in his eyes seemed to grow darker, become more intense, suddenly overshadowed by a deep sadness. “As much as I regret all that ye’ve suffered,” he murmured, leaning closer, his forehead almost touching hers, “a part of me is grateful that it happened because it brought ye here.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “To me.”
Tears pricked the backs of Sarah’s eyes, and yet her heart overflowed with a deep sense of belonging. Never had she known anything like it, and part of her still struggled to believe that she was awake, that this was not a dream. Not too long ago, she had thought her life in ruins, like something burned to ashes, never to rise again. And yet, here she was, happy at last, after no longer believing it possible. Perhaps that was how life worked sometimes. Perhaps sometimes what was needed was to go up in flames, and then out of smoke and ashes something new arose.
Something wonderful.
Something perfect.
Chapter Forty-Six
A GRAY CLOUD
To Kate’s utter surprise, she spent a most wonderful afternoon seated in the great hall with Eoghan. While their daughters had retreated to the gardens, no doubt planning their next adventure, Kate listened to his gentle voice, telling her one story after another, some amusing, others deeply touching; yet throughout it all, Kate felt a sudden lightness steal over her. It was the absence of worry and fear that felt so unfamiliar, and, at first, she did not even recognize it.
“Yer arm must be falling off soon,” Eoghan remarked before he moved closer and scooped Frederica out of her arms. “Come, we’ll take a turn about the hall, stretch our legs.”
Kate followed him gladly, stretching and bending her arm, feeling her muscles ache with the strain of holding her growing daughter.
Frederica cooed happily as Eoghan made faces at her, and Kate watched, utterly entranced by the man at her side. Truly, he was a good man, like Keir, who offered his help out of compassion and not because he wanted something in return.
Looking at him now, Kate realized he had become her friend. She could not quite say when it had happened, but she realized that she no longer tensed whenever he scooped Frederica out of her arms and settled her into his own. As a father, Eoghan knew how to look after a babe, and Kate realized with stunned disbelief that he made her feel safe.
“Is something wrong?” Eoghan inquired, a quizzical expression upon his face. “Ye sort of look a bit… taken aback.”
Blinking her eyes, Kate tried to clear her mind, overwhelmed by the sudden revelations. “Yes. No, I mean…” She looked up and met his gaze. “Nothing is wrong. I’m simply…” She shrugged.
Eoghan nodded knowingly, as though he truly understood the chaos in her head. “Aye, sometimes life makes us stumble and almost trip, and yet we love the way it makes our hearts beat faster.” He inhaled a slow breath, and Kate saw something painful flash in his eyes. “When my wife passed,” he murmured, his gaze distant and not meeting hers, “I thought I could never get back onto my feet. I didna even wish to.” He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, then he opened them once more, and a smile flitted across his face as he looked down at Frederica. “But there was Bonnie, and she made me realize that I couldna simply lie down and die, that I had to rise again no matter how painful ’twas.” He lifted his gaze, and his green eyes met hers. “More than that, she made mewantto rise once more.”
Tears stood in Kate’s eyes as she nodded. “Sometimes I think I do not have the strength.”
“I know,” Eoghan murmured, “but ye do. Never doubt that.” He smiled at her. “If ye ever need a hand, ye know where to find me.”
Eoghan winked at her, and Kate laughed. She laughed! A true, genuinely felt laugh, and it felt wonderful.
“Ye should do that more often, lass. It suits ye.” He grinned down at Frederica, tickling her chin. “Does it not, wee Freddie?” Yet as his gaze strayed toward the windows, a frown slowly fell over his face.
“What is it?”
Eoghan exhaled a slow breath and then settled Frederica back into her arms. “It’ll be suppertime soon,” he told her, not quite meeting her eyes. “I’ll go see to the girls.” A smile meant to be reassuring flickered across his face but fell far short of its purpose.
Kate felt her heart tense painfully, resettling into the familiar clench that stole her breath and made it hard for her to stand tall.
Eoghan’s hand grasped hers, his green eyes imploring. “I am certain ’tis nothing. They probably only lost track of time.” He chuckled, and his expression no longer seemed as tense. “After all, what could happen to them with a loyal guard like Loki by their side? No doubt, he’ll chase them back inside soon.”
Still, Eoghan did not remain. Instead, he turned to leave but stopped when he spotted his sister and her friend Brenda?—as far as Kate recalled—enter the hall in that moment. “Kenna!” he called, waving her over. “Have ye seen Bonnie and Katherine’s daughters?”
Kate’s heart sank when Kenna shook her head, exchanging a glance with Brenda. “Yes, they were in the gardens,” she replied, offering a quick smile to Kate before her eyebrows drew down in a concerned frown. “But that was a while back. Is something wrong?”
“No, nothing,” Eoghan assured his sister. “They probably lost track of time playing.” He turned away. “I’ll go fetch them.”
Kenna reached out a hand to stop him. “They’re not there,” she told them, her gaze moving from her brother to Kate and back. “They left before we did.” She glanced at Brenda.
Brenda nodded. “Aye, they went out the side door.”
Eoghan cursed under his breath, the muscles in his neck tightening.
“What?” Kate demanded breathlessly, feeling the blood rush in her ears.
