[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
She looked down as if his words triggered something in her memory; then, unexpectedly, she smiled.
He delighted in the change it made in her. Her eyes glowed warmly as her entire face lit up. The lass was
beautiful when she smiled.
What? Braden asked, wondering what had brought about this sudden change.
I was just remembering another trap.
The one where I goosed you at the cave? Braden asked.
She frowned for a second, until she recalled the event, then she gave a short laugh. Nay, I was thinking
of the trap you mentioned earlier when Nera, Mairi, and the others ambushed you on the way to my
house.
Braden squirmed at the memory. You know, I still have scars on my body from it.
To this day, he had a thin spot on his crown where one of the girls had pulled a handful of hair from his
scalp. When I first ran into you that day, I thought you were in with them.
I know, she said, smiling. I ll never forget the terrified look on your face when you ran me over. Tis
the only time I ve ever seen you panicked.
And I was too. I had no idea how to get away without hurting one of them.
Then Braden recalled how he had escaped the lust-crazed lasses.
Looking at Maggie, he smiled. And I ll never forget how you shoved me into the hollow of that oak
tree, then sent them off in the opposite direction.
I was shaking, she confessed, terrified they would learn I d lied to them and set upon me with a
vengeance.
That wasn t the way he recalled it. Barely ten-and-three, she had appeared out of nowhere to save him.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
He didn t remember her looking afraid. You looked poised and calm to me.
Braden stared in awe of her as memories played through his mind. Memories of Maggie sneaking him
out of the tree, then the two of them literally crawling through the bushes to reach her house undetected
by the girls.
And later, Maggie bandaging the cuts and bruises the lasses had inflicted upon him. She had even
hummed a gentle tune as she smoothed the salve across his skin. Her touch had been so light and
soothing. Her voice pleasant.
He couldn t remember whether or not he had thanked her that day. But right now, with the sunlight on
her face and the fire in her eyes, he wanted nothing more than to kiss her until eternity came and went.
Impulsively, Braden reached out and ran his fingertip over the freckles covering her cheekbone. I ve
always wondered why you saved me that day.
She didn t pull away. Instead, she looked up at him with a strange emotion in her eyes. I was but
returning the favor.
What favor?
She drew her brows together. Don t you recall it?
I don t think so.
Maggie s frown deepened. You truly don t recall saving my life?
As he toyed with the delicate, soft skin, Braden searched his memory, but for his life, he couldn t
remember ever saving her from anything except one of her brothers, and none of them would ever have
truly hurt her. Nay.
I was but seven when you came to my rescue.
I would have been ten.
Aye. My father had gone to the castle to deliver wool. Ian and I were supposed to stay in the wagon,
but I snuck his toy horse from his side and when he realized what I had done, he started after me.
Braden smiled as he finally recalled the event. The two of them had been quite a sight. You were
running through the great hall, screaming for help.
Aye, and I thought he was going to kill me for sure.
You ran straight into me and sent us careening into my mother s best tapestry.
They both cringed at that part of the memory.
Maggie bit her lip. She wasn t overly angry, was she?
His mother s wrath had been immeasurable, and she had given him quite a thrashing over it. Why, even
to this day, she brought it up every time he displeased her.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
Braden started to make a quip about it, but then caught the look of concern and guilt in Maggie s eyes.
And for some reason he couldn t fathom, he wanted to soothe her. Nay, she wasn t overly angry.
Relief settled across her face. I m still sorry I kicked you while I was trying to get up. But you know
what I remember most?
This time, he couldn t resist teasing her. The knee to my groin you gave me when you sat up?
She flushed and bent her head down.
Braden ran his hand through her hair, caressing the shiny locks.
Nay, she said. It was after my father had scolded us and returned us to the wagon. I felt so terrible,
and then all of a sudden there you were with your painted horse.
Connor, Braden added, remembering the toys his uncle had carved for him. He d loved those horses.
But the dark brown stallion he had given her had been his favorite. To this day, he didn t know what had
possessed him to give it up to her.
It had been another impulsive act his mother had taken him to task over.
Still, he recalled the happiness he d seen on her tear-streaked face as she had cradled the tiny horse to
her chest. You looked as if I had just given you a king s treasure.
You had, she said softly. And in that instant Braden felt in his chest a very strange tenderness toward
her. One he couldn t define.
Never had he felt anything like it.
And when the edges of her lips turned up ever so slightly, it was as if lightning struck him.
I still have it.
Her confession amazed him. He would have thought she d have tossed it out years ago. Do you?
She nodded.
Why?
She shrugged sheepishly. It was the kindest thing anyone had ever done for me, she said. I couldn t
believe you gave me such a valuable gift.
It touched him that even at so young an age, she had known the true value of the horse. Then again,
Maggie had always been wiser, more insightful than most girls her age.
Well, I felt badly for the way your father shouted at you. It wasn t your fault.
Nay, she said, her eyes dancing as she wrinkled her nose. Twas Ian s for wanting to kill me.
Laughing, Braden stared in wonder of her as foreign emotions swept through him. She was so different
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
from most women he d known. So giving and kind, yet fierce and independent.
We ve known each other a long time, haven t we? Braden asked.
Aye, we have.
It s strange where life takes us, he said, thinking aloud. I remember the first time I ever saw you. You
had just started walking. Your head was as bald as it could be and you had the biggest eyes I d ever
seen.
Far from a flattering image.
True, he said as he traced the outline of her cheek with his forefinger. But for a baby, you were
passable enough.
Too easily, he could recall the day he d first seen her pulling herself up to stand by his side. She d
looked up at him with a big, sweet grin that had warmed his heart. She had cooed at him, then laid her
head down on his knee. At first he had ahhed the gesture until she had laughed, then bitten a piece from
his thigh.
He had yelped, and she had cried, and his leg had worn that bruise for days. After the experience, he
had approached wee bairns with much more caution.
Is that all you remember? she asked him.
Nay, he said, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear. I remember the way you laughed at me.
You had such a happy laugh and most every time I went to your cottage you had a smile on your face.
Until your mother died.
Maggie nodded, her eyes turning sad at the memory. My da expected me to care for the boys.
He hated to see her sad. For some reason, it made his own heart ache and so he decided to lighten the
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]