Read Online Highland Blessings by Jennifer Hudson Taylor - Free Book Online
Authors: Jennifer Hudson Taylor
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stiffened and straightened as if drawing on all her inner strength to maintain his gaze. A flicker of apprehension momentarily crossed her features and then it was gone.
“I am commanded by my Lord to forgive my fellow man.” She spoke with quiet, but decisive firmness. “Bryce MacPhearson, ye shall have my forgiveness, but never my trust.”
He exhaled a long sigh of relief. Her forgiveness was a step in the right direction, but he wanted more. He also wanted her trust. As a warrior he had been trained to do what was necessary for the good of the clan and to protect his people. A guilty conscience was not an option. It could be the very thing that got a man killed on the battlefield. Yet with Akira, he seemed to be going against the very principal that he had been trained to avoid.
He leaned forward and lowered his voice. “There’s softness in ye, Akira, that ye’d prefer to hide. But I remember the way ye cleaned my leg after ye retched all over me.”
Her face clouded with uneasiness at the reminder. “I was insane with fright,” she said. Akira pulled at a loose string on her blanket, careful to avoid his gaze.
“Ye were as calm as ye are now,” he countered. “Ye’ve changed since yer experience at the loch.”
“I’ve not changed. If ye recall, ye nearly killed me.”
“That isn’t true and ye know it. If I wanted ye dead, ye would be.”
The truth in his words seemed to reverberate against the awkward silence that filled the chamber. Her steady gaze hid her thoughts. An unexpected smile curved her round lips.
“I never did believe half the rumors my clansmen spread about the MacPhearsons, but let no one ever say ye’re not a forthright man.”
“What rumors?” Bryce raised a dark eyebrow, not bothering to hide the glimmer of interest in his expression.
“That ye are all evil,” Akira replied without hesitation.
Bryce crossed his arms over his chest and chuckled, amused by the exaggerated imagination of her clansmen.
“Ye may fence words with me all ye wish,” Akira informed him, “but regardless of anything ye say, I am naught more than a simple tool to gain what ye want.”
“True.” He did not deny it. “But, ye’ll become one of us and will be treated and protected as such.” The quiet emphasis in his tone left no room for further argument.
“And who’ll protect me from ye?” Akira regarded him with a thoughtful gaze.
Bryce grew silent as he considered her question. For a brief moment, he couldn’t help wondering if she referred to her experience at the loch or something deeper. Could she sense the growing attraction he felt for her? If so, he would simply have to do a better job of rejecting it. She would be his brother’s wife. He would do naught to interfere with their union, especially after he had risked so much to see them wed.
“Ye need no protection from me. Ye’ve my word on it,” he assured her. “I’ll take my leave now. Finella will soon bring up yer meal.” He turned and strode from her chamber.
“Sim, what do ye think about this scheme of our brother’s?” Evan rode his mount hard, giving his destrier the exercise he needed. Sim followed close behind on his own mount. Evan knew Sim couldn’t hear him, and it was just as well. Talking aloud helped him sort through his scattered thoughts.
It wasn’t that Evan disliked the lass. He didn’t know her. She carried MacKenzie blood and bore the name. As far as he was concerned, that alone justified not wedding her. What kind of suffering had his father endured to ask Bryce to do such a foolish thing? Evan snapped his fingers. Aye, that had to be it. The loss of blood and the severity of his father’s wounds must have been too much. He couldn’t have been thinking clearly. His father hadn’t really intended for him to wed the MacKenzie lass.
Evan slowed his mount as he brooded over his troubles. He leaned forward and patted the animal on the neck. The sound of neighing horses pulled Evan
“I am commanded by my Lord to forgive my fellow man.” She spoke with quiet, but decisive firmness. “Bryce MacPhearson, ye shall have my forgiveness, but never my trust.”
He exhaled a long sigh of relief. Her forgiveness was a step in the right direction, but he wanted more. He also wanted her trust. As a warrior he had been trained to do what was necessary for the good of the clan and to protect his people. A guilty conscience was not an option. It could be the very thing that got a man killed on the battlefield. Yet with Akira, he seemed to be going against the very principal that he had been trained to avoid.
He leaned forward and lowered his voice. “There’s softness in ye, Akira, that ye’d prefer to hide. But I remember the way ye cleaned my leg after ye retched all over me.”
Her face clouded with uneasiness at the reminder. “I was insane with fright,” she said. Akira pulled at a loose string on her blanket, careful to avoid his gaze.
“Ye were as calm as ye are now,” he countered. “Ye’ve changed since yer experience at the loch.”
“I’ve not changed. If ye recall, ye nearly killed me.”
“That isn’t true and ye know it. If I wanted ye dead, ye would be.”
The truth in his words seemed to reverberate against the awkward silence that filled the chamber. Her steady gaze hid her thoughts. An unexpected smile curved her round lips.
“I never did believe half the rumors my clansmen spread about the MacPhearsons, but let no one ever say ye’re not a forthright man.”
“What rumors?” Bryce raised a dark eyebrow, not bothering to hide the glimmer of interest in his expression.
“That ye are all evil,” Akira replied without hesitation.
Bryce crossed his arms over his chest and chuckled, amused by the exaggerated imagination of her clansmen.
“Ye may fence words with me all ye wish,” Akira informed him, “but regardless of anything ye say, I am naught more than a simple tool to gain what ye want.”
“True.” He did not deny it. “But, ye’ll become one of us and will be treated and protected as such.” The quiet emphasis in his tone left no room for further argument.
“And who’ll protect me from ye?” Akira regarded him with a thoughtful gaze.
Bryce grew silent as he considered her question. For a brief moment, he couldn’t help wondering if she referred to her experience at the loch or something deeper. Could she sense the growing attraction he felt for her? If so, he would simply have to do a better job of rejecting it. She would be his brother’s wife. He would do naught to interfere with their union, especially after he had risked so much to see them wed.
“Ye need no protection from me. Ye’ve my word on it,” he assured her. “I’ll take my leave now. Finella will soon bring up yer meal.” He turned and strode from her chamber.
“Sim, what do ye think about this scheme of our brother’s?” Evan rode his mount hard, giving his destrier the exercise he needed. Sim followed close behind on his own mount. Evan knew Sim couldn’t hear him, and it was just as well. Talking aloud helped him sort through his scattered thoughts.
It wasn’t that Evan disliked the lass. He didn’t know her. She carried MacKenzie blood and bore the name. As far as he was concerned, that alone justified not wedding her. What kind of suffering had his father endured to ask Bryce to do such a foolish thing? Evan snapped his fingers. Aye, that had to be it. The loss of blood and the severity of his father’s wounds must have been too much. He couldn’t have been thinking clearly. His father hadn’t really intended for him to wed the MacKenzie lass.
Evan slowed his mount as he brooded over his troubles. He leaned forward and patted the animal on the neck. The sound of neighing horses pulled Evan
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