Page 41 of A Laird and a Fugitive

Ryan was uneasy as he saddled the horses. He turned his gaze to the horizon. He was a master of his own territory, but what lay beyond that was beyond his control. There were bandits, foul creatures of the night, and prowling Gilmour men looking to take his wife away from him.

He had spent so much time by himself that worrying about other people was an uncommon notion. Anxiety laced his heart as he feared that a grim fate would befall them. He had almost lost Caroline once and had only just gotten to her in time.

Then, she hadn’t meant as much to him as she did now. If they were set upon by bandits, he would fight to the death for her, not that he was about to tell her that.

Caroline came striding out of the Keep. She wore thick boots, a heavy skirt, and a warm woolen shawl. Her hair was tied back, revealing her fierce features. She nodded towards Ryan and smiled, relishing the opportunity to ride. She inspected the horse and nodded approvingly.

“This looks a fine steed,” she observed.

Before Ryan could offer to help her upon the horse, she pulled herself up and swung her leg over, settling onto the beast. She patted its mane and the horse responded positively to her. Ryan stifled a helpless laugh. Wild horses could be broken, but he was getting the sense that such a thing would have been impossible where Caroline was concerned.

Ryan mounted his horse too, and they began trotting towards the path that led away from his Keep.

“Ye are nae gaeing tae try anything foolish and escape, are ye?”

“Ye are just gaeing tae hae tae trust that I will nae,” she flashed him a wicked smile.

Ryan narrowed his eyes. He doubted that she would, for surely she wouldn’t leave her sisters behind, but there was always an element of doubt with her. She broke away at a fast trot as they cleared the Keep. Ryan geed his horse to keep up with her.

“Dinnae stray tae far. We are safe here, but once we leave my territory all manner of danger can befall us, and we hae nae idea how many men yer uncle has, searching for ye.”

“I hae my eyes peeled. I dinnae plan tae be captured again,” she yelled, and then lowered herself to increase her speed.

Ryan exhaled with frustration, although he couldn’t help but admire her as well. She was courageous and bold, never shying away from danger, whether that be from other people, or from himself. It had taken her a great deal of courage to confront him in the manner that she did. She had put everything she had at his mercy, for he could have done anything to her whilst in his bed. But what they shared had been profound. He was still reeling from it even now. To be so close to another person, it seemed impossible, but it truly felt as though their souls had melted together. He wondered if any parts of her had been left within him, and vice versa.

Stray locks of hair whipped in the wind as she rode slightly ahead of him, and his heart thrummed. He enjoyed waking up beside her, feeling her touch with the first rays of dawn, and thought to himself that he could well get used to it.

The morning sun was pale, breaking through the trees in shards of light. The horses galloped along the worn path, thundering against the ground. It would take a day to arrive at the MacLeod Clan, although they pushed the horses hard to shorten this, as Ryan did not want to spend more time in the dangerous outside than was necessary.

As they rode, he had to force himself to tear his gaze away from Caroline. He could not allow himself to be distracted. He scanned the shadows for signs of danger, but thankfully saw none.

They rode for the entire morning before they stopped by a stream, allowing the horses to slake their thirst. It gave Ryan and Caroline a chance to rest their aching thighs as well. Caroline knelt down and cupped fresh water in her hands, lapping it up from the crystal stream. The mossy ground was soft and lush around her, whilst the branches of a tree stretched overhead, casting her in a comforting shadow.

“If ye want tae bathe, I am nae gaeing tae stop ye,” he said.

Caroline turned to him and smiled.

“I thought ye were in a hurry?”

Ryan rolled his shoulders. “Some things are worth waiting for.”

“Well, if ye would oblige me, perhaps ye should bathe,” she challenged.

Ryan shifted his weight between his feet. She rose, laughing, her lips still wet with the water from the stream.

“I think ye hae a wee bit of a problem, Ryan. I think ye are falling in love with me.”

How easily she got under his skin. How easily she saw the true feelings that he had always striven to keep private. His cheeks burned. He had lain with her, but he was still getting used to how their dynamic had changed. He was so used to being a Laird that he could adopt the mannerisms and attitude required by the role without any difficulty at all. As a husband, he was still learning.

“I could never love ye, Gilmour,” he responded, with a hint of dark humor.

Caroline arched a beguiling eyebrow. “I fear that is one thing beyond yer control. Is it the only thing that scares ye?” she asked, playfully pacing before him, twirling her skirt and casting her wide eyes in his direction.

It wasn’t the only thing that scared him. He was also afraid of losing her, although he wasn’t ready to admit that. He remained silent, keeping his lips pressed together, as he feared that speaking would reveal too much of himself. He wasn’t used to someone having so much of an advantage over him.

“I am nae afraid of it. I welcome a challenge. I never thought that I would marry under these circumstances, but actually, I believe it is a boon. Imagine how mundane it would hae been hae I fallen in love at first sight. Where’s the fun in that?” she flashed a smile towards him, and he couldn’t help but reflect the expression.

She had a way of breaking through every barrier that he erected, and at some point he was simply going to have to accept surrender.