Page 89 of In Honor’s Defense

“My pleasure.” Mrs. Kendall glanced across the bed at Luke and gave him one of those looks mothers give their boys when they fail to march to matriarchal orders. “I’ll expect you to find your way to soap and water before I return.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Luke chanced a wink on the sly to Damaris as the older woman bustled toward the door.

“I saw that, young man.”

Damaris did her best to stifle her laugh, but when Luke grinned with all the mischief of a boy with frogs in his pockets, she couldn’t hold it back.

His smile softened, and his eyes warmed. “It’s good to hear you laugh.”

“It feels good. Like letting go of all the bad and making room for happy memories to take up residence.”

The mattress dipped as he sat on the edge next to her right hip. “How do you feel?”

She moved her left arm, feeling the bandage under the sleeve of the borrowed cotton nightgown Mrs. Kendall must have wrestled her into. Next, she tried to move her leg. Pain throbbed at the motion, but it wasn’t unbearable.

“Not too bad.” She tried to sit up.

Luke jumped to his feet, lifted her beneath her armpits like a toddler, then arranged an enormous stack of pillows behind her back. The pain in her thigh during the jostling made it easy to hide her grin, but her heart melted at his unpracticed yet sweetly sincere attempts to take care of her.

“I love you, Luke.” The words slipped out without warning, but she did not wish them back. Not even when he turned to stone, his hands locked on the blanket he’d been in the process of tucking.

He didn’t seem any more comfortable with her declaration now than he had the first time she’d made it, but he’d grow used to it eventually. He didn’t have a choice. Not when she’d be repeating it every day for the rest of their lives.

If he let her.

Slowly, he broke from his paralysis and lifted his eyes to meet hers. He opened his mouth, then closed it. Dipped his head and removed his hands from the covers. As if the bed were suddenly infested with rattlesnakes, he lowered himself to the mattress with extreme caution. Then he squared his shoulders and twisted to face the firing squad.

“As a kid, I never understood what love was,” he said, his voice a low rasp. “My ma left, and my old man took his anger at life out on me. I saw other families who were happy, but I figured that wasn’t meant for me. And when Matt and the others started settling down, the old wildness crept through me again. Driving me to run away from what I could never have before bitterness built a wall between me and my brothers.”

Heart aching at his words, Damaris laid a hand over his and squeezed tight.

“Then I met you. And Nate. I saw myself in the kid. And you? You were everything I thought a home should be. Kindness. Nurture. Sacrifice. Even all those doilies and embroidered samplers fit my mental picture of what an ideal home would look like.”

He shook his head at himself, the act so endearing that she wanted to kiss his cheek. Then maybe go stitch him a sampler.

“My vague notions of family took on specific form and shape, patterned after you and Nate. I wanted to be a part of you. To . . . belong to the two of you.” His gaze heated. “I wanted soul-deep love between a man and a woman. A woman with soft brown eyes and a smile that turns my insides to mush every time she aims it my way.”

Warmth infused her cheeks, and a smile blossomed at his words.

“Just like that,” he whispered, the gravel in his voice making her light-headed. He rotated the hand she held until he was the one holding her. “The Bible says a man is supposed to love his wife the way Christ loved the church, giving himself up for her. If you’ll have me, Damaris, I promise to give myself up for you every day. Put your needs ahead of mine. Value you above all others. And lay down my life to keep you safe. I don’t know much about lovin’, but I know I don’t want to live my life without you in it. I’m hoping you can teach me the rest.”

Love squeezed her chest so hard, she nearly lost her breath. “Seems to me you have a pretty good handle on the concept already.” Ignoring the pain in her leg, she leaned forward and cupped a hand around his jaw. She rubbed her thumb over the stubble on his chin, adoring every inch of this rough, imperfect man. “And if that was a proposal of marriage, I accept.”

Joy lit his eyes a second before he took her face in his hands and kissed her with a thoroughness that curled her toes. Having a little wild in her man definitely had its advantages.

Epilogue

Two days later, three of the four Horsemen rode into Gringolet to be met by a parade of family. The fourth rolled in on a wagon, but he didn’t mind his lack of mount, not when the woman he loved sat beside him.

“Aunt Maris!” Nate separated himself from the younger kids and ran up to the wagon. “You’re all right.”

“Thanks to the Good Lord and four good men.” She tossed a quick glance at Luke, one he wished he had time to explore more in depth, with all the love and appreciation sparkling there. But now was not the time, for after bestowing an apologetic pat to his leg, she scooted away from him and waved to her nephew. “Help me down.”

Nate didn’t hesitate. He stepped close and held up his hands.

“Watch her left leg,” Luke cautioned. “It’s bound to be sore after two days on the road.”

He had tried to convince Damaris to rest for at least a day at the Kendalls’ home before setting out for Gringolet, but she had insisted on seeing her nephew as soon as possible. Apparently, Nate had needed to see her as well, for as soon as he helped her alight, the two embraced and wept.