Page 125 of The Highlander Who Loved Me
Laurel nodded enthusiastically. “There he is. He’s come back to celebrate with us.”
Serena and Johanna both turned to witness Connor’s approach. Serena’s forehead furrowed like a washboard, and her top teeth worried her bottom lip. “Oh, dear.”
Given Serena’s reaction, one might have expected Connor to be scowling fiercely. But his face bore no trace of anger. To the contrary, a sly smile that might’ve won the hearts—and decidedly more carnal interest—of every female in the room curved his lips. Not that he would’ve had any difficulty on that account. With his raven’s wing hair, powerful shoulders, and the tantalizing way the tartan draped his lean hips, it appeared every woman in the dining room who’d lived less than a century followed his path with their appreciative gazes.
Johanna’s mouth went dry. She gulped a drink of water, as if that would tamp down the instinct to flee. She had no desire to face him again. Not now.
And especially not here.
Standing before Laurel, he met the girl’s curious eyes. “I’ll be needing another word with yer aunt.”
Laurel blinked. “Is this about your birthday…about your present?”
“As a matter of fact, it is. But what I have to say, I can say right here. Right now.”
Johanna popped from her seat. “That is not advisable.”
“I’ve decided it is.”
Ah, his husky burr melted something glacial and hard within Johanna, a frigid shell encasing her vulnerable heart. But this was not the place. Not the time. She glanced about the spacious dining room. Curious onlookers had pivoted to take in the unexpected entertainment. “You…you are causing a scene.”
“If I wanted t’do that, ye’d be over my shoulder and out of this place.” Something in his wicked grin told Johanna he meant every word.
“This is not amusing.”
“’Tis not meant to be,mo chridhe.” He caught her hand in his. “I am a bluidy dolt, Johanna. I’ve no idea what I’m doin’… No idea what the right words are to make ye mine. But I know I love ye.”
His words seemed a confession. How desperately she wanted to believe him. She ached to trust him, to surrender to the tender emotion she could not deny.
Beneath her heavy skirts, her knees wobbled. She longed to tell him the feelings that swelled her heart nearly to bursting. But the words would not come. She, who made her living putting words to paper, could only look into his fine green eyes and murmur a single question.
“You…you love me?”
His eyes drank her in. “How could I not love ye? I thought ye knew, thought ye’d figured that out. I’ve been in love with ye since ye first crossed the threshold at Dunnhaven. Perhaps even longer. Ye’re lovely, lass. But there’s more. Ye’re courageous. Ye protect what ye love. And ye love with a fierceness I cannae get enough of. But I couldnae find the right words. Couldnae find the right time.” He raked a hand through his hair. “I was a fool to let ye get on that train. I should’ve told ye then…in Inverness. I love ye, Johanna.”
“Oh, Connor.” The words escaped her lips as a whisper. The crowd had hushed, as if transfixed by this most unexpected declaration.
Connor dropped to one knee. If he’d transformed to a dragon before her eyes, Johanna might have been less stunned. Joy infused every breath and her heart stuttered wildly, just as it had that first night when he stormed into the tavern. In his hand, he held a small box. He opened it slowly.
He slid an emerald ring over her finger. “I love ye with all my heart. All my soul. If ye give me a chance—if ye become my bride—I’ll prove it to ye.”
“But how…you know I can’t stay here. I have to think of Laurel. She needs family. She needs stability.”
“The girl is strong. And spirited. She’s a part of ye now. Ye’re mother to the lass.” He stood, rising to his full height, watching her with a subtle smile curving his mouth. Gently, his fingers swept through Johanna’s hair. “I’ll be a father to Laurel. If ye’ll have me.”
Ah, how she adored him. There was no denying that. Her pulse raced. How could she allow Connor to forsake the homeland that was such a part of him? Her love for him would not permit such a sacrifice. “I cannot ask you to leave Scotland behind.”
“We willnae, sweet Johanna. Not forever. We’ll spend time in America. And with my kin, in the Highlands. Laurel will experience life in the city. And with my clan. She’ll become part of us…of my family. There’s so much we can show her. Together.”
“Yes, Auntie Jo. That would be wonderful.” Excitement colored Laurel’s sweet voice.
Johanna’s breath caught. Her happiness was a heady thing, almost tangible. But she needed time to think.
Adoration beamed over his features. “If ye dinnae love me, I’ll walk away and never trouble ye again. Ye’ll always have a claim to my heart. But if ye love me, tell me now. Ye’ll give me the finest gift a man’s ever received.”
“Connor, I love you. But—”
“Marry me, Johanna. We’ll have a grand life together.” He pressed a kiss to her hand, just above the spot where his ring adorned her finger. “But first…first ye must sayyes.”
