Page 99 of A Bride for the Icy Highlander
“Never,” he said, holding her gaze. “Abigail… I never thought ye’d stand with me like ye did today. I ken what it cost ye to take yer family out there and risk their judgment.”
She shook her head, tucking a curl behind her ear. “It costs less than doing nothing. And I’ve seen yer fields, yer people. I’ve seen why ye did what ye did. They needed to see it, too. ‘Tis the only way they will forgive ye, the way I have forgiven ye.”
There was silence for a moment, filled only by the crackling of the fire and the echo of footsteps in the hall.
Kian reached for her hand again, needing the contact, the assurance. She didn’t pull away.
“I never wanted to be the villain,” he said softly. “I just wanted to feed me clan. I regret ever putting fear in yer heart. Never again will I be the cause of that. Having yer forgiveness is everything.”
“Nay, dinnae regret it,” she replied. “Thanks to this… ridiculous scheme of yers, yer people will be fed. It brought us together. I dinnae regret a moment of it.”
He gave a tired grin. “Aye, seems abductin’ ye turned out to be the most brilliant decision I’ve ever made.”
She rolled her eyes, though a smile played on her lips. “Let’s see what Helena says when she hears that. Ye might find yourself stitched up again after she’s done with ye.”
The door opened then, and Helena walked in, already muttering under her breath about hard-headed lairds and disobedient patients.
Kian watched as Abigail stepped aside to let her approach, but she remained nearby. He didn’t take his eyes off her as Helena began to work.
Whatever battles lay ahead—cold, hunger, or unrest—he knew he would face them not as a wounded man, but as a laird made whole by the fire of the woman who now stood beside him.
Let it be known that anyone who tries to take her from me will face death.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
“He’s healin’ just fine, lass. A few more days, and he’ll be back to barkin’ orders and refusin’ his broth,” Helena assured.
Abigail exhaled slowly, her shoulders relaxing. “Aye, I’m glad to hear it. For once, time is on our side.”
She stepped out of the room with Helena, the soft swish of their skirts echoing through the stone corridor.
The air was lighter than it had been in days, and though exhaustion clung to her shoulders, there was a peace that steadied her steps now. She kept glancing back at the door, half-expecting Kian to rise from bed and argue his way back to the council chambers again.
Helena gave her a quick, fond look before linking their arms. “Ye did well, Abigail. Ye brought more than just a laird back tohis folk. Ye’ve given this clan a chance—against the cold, against hunger.”
Abigail swallowed the emotion rising in her throat. “Och, dinnae say that. I only wanted to help… to make it right.”
Helena stopped in the corridor and pulled her into a firm embrace. “And ye did. Ye’ve done more good than ye ken. If the winter goes soft on us now, it’ll be because ye softened it first.”
Abigail hugged her back, her eyes stinging with tears. “Ye speak as if ye were me sister.”
Helena smiled warmly and brushed a hand down Abigail’s arm. “I’d be proud to be called that. Now, go get some rest, love. The Laird’s snorin’ like a wild boar, and ye ken well he’ll nae be stirrin’ for hours.”
Abigail gave a small, wet laugh. “Mayhaps I will lie down. Me room’s felt too empty these last few nights.”
“Rest while ye can. There’s peace now, but I daresay ye’ll both find new battles,” Helena said with a wink, before turning down the hall.
Abigail watched her go, her chest full with something too intense for words. She turned toward her chambers, her steps slow but sure, knowing for once that the path ahead was hers to choose.
She walked down the corridor, her fingers trailing lightly along the stone wall. Kian’s scent still clung to her skin, and her cheeks were warm with the memory of his lips. Her heart felt light, as if it might lift her off the floor entirely.
So much had changed since she first arrived at Castle McKenna. She had come filled with fear and suspicion, determined to resist every kindness offered to her. But Kian had unraveled her bit by bit, until she no longer knew the woman she used to be.
Now, as she reached her chambers, she felt like someone new—braver, fuller, and blessed. She hummed a low tune, the sound echoing softly in the corridor.
She entered her room and unfastened her bodice with a dreamy smile. She hadn’t noticed she was humming as her gown fell in a whisper to the floor, and she tossed back the covers on her bed.
A loud yawn escaped her lips as she sank onto the mattress. Sleep was already tugging at her limbs when a voice stopped her cold.
