how he managed to give her a warm tub, but tears clogged her throat.
“Come on, lass, get yourself in, it won’t stay warm forever.”
She looked up to where he stood, a dark shadow in the gloom. “You said you wouldn’t look.”
“My back’s to ya’, but I don’t hear anything. And you promised not to look, as well.”
“You’re coming in with me?” she squeaked.
“Aye, it’s dark enough and the water will offer as much modesty as you wish.”
She looked back at the pool, about five feet round. “I don’t know.”
“Fine. I did the work, you can wait.”
“No!”
“Then let me know when you’re in the water.”
In a thrice, she had her clothes off and was stepping down onto a boulder so well placed, she could sit on it and be covered to her shoulders. Her feet dangled, toes touching bottom if she stretched them.
She should let him join her now. Despite the darkness, she could see the outline of his body. He was naked. Och, if only she could see the detail of well-toned muscle. But she couldn’t, so she turned away. “You can join me now.”
Water brushed her as he disrupted it. “Ahhhh. You can look now.”
He was about a foot away from her, mostly submerged except for his arms stretched out along the bank of their little pool.
“How did you do this?”
“With much toil and trouble. A real struggle.” His legs, buoyant in the water, brushed the outer side of hers. A light touch, gentle as seaweed tickling.
“Really? How?”
“This is a natural pool. I just dammed it, for tonight. For you.”
“For me.” She tasted the unfamiliar words, tried them on her lips. They spilled deep into her heart, shattered the final defenses. A wall he’d been chiseling at for years.
He’d changed her, on this journey. The lass who set out on these travels would have pushed him away, snapped at him for thinking he did this for her rather than himself. That woman would have questioned his motives.
Except she knew what he wanted, and he knew she wanted it, too. He didn’t have to go this far to get it. He could have had her with a cold bath.
So, for the first time in her memory, she revealed her vulnerability and told him the truth. “Your goodness frightens me.” Because it did. It made her believe in tomorrows that couldn’t be.
“Och, no, lass.”
And he was there, on her side of the little pool, pulling her into his arms, holding her tightly. She sniffled and laughed, and he chuckled.
“You’re confusing me, lass. Do you want to laugh or cry? Is this a bad thing, then?”
“No.” She rested her forehead on his shoulder. “It’s a good thing. I’m laughing because I’m crying. It’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me.”
She felt him nod, but heard his confusion. “I see, it’s good, so you’re crying.”
“I’ve cried more with you, on this trip, than since I was a wee bairn.”
“And is this good, too?”
She wasn’t surprised he sounded so doubtful. It didn’t make sense, but it was a good thing.
She tried to explain. “Crying didn’t bring my mother back. It didn’t keep my pa alive, or stop my brother’s cruelty. It just made me look weak. But now, letting myself be weak, because you’re here and you’re strong and you look out for me so I don’t have to fight everything. I can just…I don’t know…I can just be.
“Be who I am at the moment. And it frees me in a way I can’t explain and it calms me. Like the tears are washing away pain that’s been inside of me for years and years. It was hard and angry and bitter, and you’ve opened the door and I can’t seem to stop the flood.”
“You aren’t crying now, lass.”
“No.” She met his eyes, tracked them, as they looked from her face, her lips, her neck.
“I want to kiss you, Seonaid, but when I do, I don’t know if I can stop with that.”
“I know.”
“Och, lass. That’s not much of an answer. Do you ken what I’m asking?”
“Aye. I don’t want you to stop
“Come on, lass, get yourself in, it won’t stay warm forever.”
She looked up to where he stood, a dark shadow in the gloom. “You said you wouldn’t look.”
“My back’s to ya’, but I don’t hear anything. And you promised not to look, as well.”
“You’re coming in with me?” she squeaked.
“Aye, it’s dark enough and the water will offer as much modesty as you wish.”
She looked back at the pool, about five feet round. “I don’t know.”
“Fine. I did the work, you can wait.”
“No!”
“Then let me know when you’re in the water.”
In a thrice, she had her clothes off and was stepping down onto a boulder so well placed, she could sit on it and be covered to her shoulders. Her feet dangled, toes touching bottom if she stretched them.
She should let him join her now. Despite the darkness, she could see the outline of his body. He was naked. Och, if only she could see the detail of well-toned muscle. But she couldn’t, so she turned away. “You can join me now.”
Water brushed her as he disrupted it. “Ahhhh. You can look now.”
He was about a foot away from her, mostly submerged except for his arms stretched out along the bank of their little pool.
“How did you do this?”
“With much toil and trouble. A real struggle.” His legs, buoyant in the water, brushed the outer side of hers. A light touch, gentle as seaweed tickling.
“Really? How?”
“This is a natural pool. I just dammed it, for tonight. For you.”
“For me.” She tasted the unfamiliar words, tried them on her lips. They spilled deep into her heart, shattered the final defenses. A wall he’d been chiseling at for years.
He’d changed her, on this journey. The lass who set out on these travels would have pushed him away, snapped at him for thinking he did this for her rather than himself. That woman would have questioned his motives.
Except she knew what he wanted, and he knew she wanted it, too. He didn’t have to go this far to get it. He could have had her with a cold bath.
So, for the first time in her memory, she revealed her vulnerability and told him the truth. “Your goodness frightens me.” Because it did. It made her believe in tomorrows that couldn’t be.
“Och, no, lass.”
And he was there, on her side of the little pool, pulling her into his arms, holding her tightly. She sniffled and laughed, and he chuckled.
“You’re confusing me, lass. Do you want to laugh or cry? Is this a bad thing, then?”
“No.” She rested her forehead on his shoulder. “It’s a good thing. I’m laughing because I’m crying. It’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me.”
She felt him nod, but heard his confusion. “I see, it’s good, so you’re crying.”
“I’ve cried more with you, on this trip, than since I was a wee bairn.”
“And is this good, too?”
She wasn’t surprised he sounded so doubtful. It didn’t make sense, but it was a good thing.
She tried to explain. “Crying didn’t bring my mother back. It didn’t keep my pa alive, or stop my brother’s cruelty. It just made me look weak. But now, letting myself be weak, because you’re here and you’re strong and you look out for me so I don’t have to fight everything. I can just…I don’t know…I can just be.
“Be who I am at the moment. And it frees me in a way I can’t explain and it calms me. Like the tears are washing away pain that’s been inside of me for years and years. It was hard and angry and bitter, and you’ve opened the door and I can’t seem to stop the flood.”
“You aren’t crying now, lass.”
“No.” She met his eyes, tracked them, as they looked from her face, her lips, her neck.
“I want to kiss you, Seonaid, but when I do, I don’t know if I can stop with that.”
“I know.”
“Och, lass. That’s not much of an answer. Do you ken what I’m asking?”
“Aye. I don’t want you to stop
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