Page 96 of How To Tempt A Bodyguard

"She understands enough to ride after you." Tam's horse danced beneath him, eager to keep moving. "She's a quarter of an hour behind. Brennan's with her."

The muscles in his shoulders tensed further. Of course she was coming. The woman who refused to be passive.

"I've got to do this, Tam. It's the fastest way to free the hostages. To make Carrick stop hunting her. He could contest our marriage any time."

"Just curious." Tam turned and blew through one nostril before turning back. "Did you ask her opinion on that?"

"No. That woman will insist on doing everything herself, putting herself in harm's way."

The corners of Tam's eyes creased deeply. "Like you?"

Matthew averted his gaze because it was true.

Tam looked up towards the sky. "Brennan said she's Madam Tansley. Been running operations since before you learned to throw a proper punch."

Matthew said nothing.

Tam leaned forward in his saddle, his voice dropping.

"I don't know much about women. You know even less. But one thing I do know. Your wife doesn't feel rescued right now. She feels abandoned."

The word landed hard in his gut.

"Why would she think that?"

Tam shrugged. "I'd have a wife and children if I knew the answer." His scarred face softened slightly. "I knew this lass who had the most peculiar hen. It laid eggs but was fiercely protective of them. Every morning, my lass would reach for them, and the hen would chase her away and sit back on the eggs. So my lass would have to lure the hen farther away from the nest and quickly grab them before the hen returned. Otherwise, she'd be pecked half to death."

Tam stared at Matthew expectantly. Matthew furrowed his brows.

"Well? You going to say something?" Tam urged.

"Say what? What was the point of that?"

"At what point is the hen abandoning the eggs instead of protecting them? If it shoots out of the barn to peck at the farmer, is it protecting or abandoning? No matter its intentions."

Matthew understood then. He crossed his arms and rested his chin in his hand, nodding slowly.

"You joined hands, Matthew. Would you ride off to battle without telling your soldiers? Leave your men to wake and find their commander gone?"

Matthew stared at the road ahead. He exhaled slowly, the fight draining out of him.

Tam was right, of course. He'd still follow through with his plan, but he'd talk to her as he would with any teammate he respected.

"She was crying," Tam said after a long silence. "When she came out of the room. Her face was red. Eyes swollen."

Matthew's hands tightened on the reins.

"Then she wiped her face, blew her nose into the hearth, and told Brennan to saddle the horses."

Pleasantly surprised, Matthew felt his lips twitch. "She blew her nose into the hearth?"

"Like a farmhand. Brennan nearly dropped his coffee."

Low chuckles passed between the two fighters.

Matthew turned his horse around.

"Going after your lass?" Tam asked.