Page 70 of Her Reluctant Highlander Husband

The other man stepped back, surprise clear on his face. “Perhaps Dorie misunderstood. Could it be that you care for her more than she knows?” His voice, mostly curious, had a tinge of hope mixed in.

Did Bryce care for his wife? Of course he did. But could he be a loving husband? No, he didn’t want that. Too many things could happen as people aged. Nothing was guaranteed or promised. He could end up in more pain than he was able to carry. How would he bear to lose someone else he loved?

Which meant he should be eager to let her go.

Why was he resistant to the idea? He should be thanking the man for taking her off his hands. With his marriage annulled, he could go back to his life the way it had been before Lach forced him to marry her.

He didn’t want to be married.

He frowned.

Was he only unwilling to consider the offer of annulment because he didn’t want anyone else to have her? He didn’t think himself such a selfish brute, but the idea of another man touching her had his stomach tied in knots.

She was his.

Needing to get a handle on his feelings before he made a bigger mess of things, he left the viscount standing in the bailey and made his way to the loch.

It had always been his place for thinking. Or his place to stop thinking when he’d been doing too much of it.

He didn’t want to feel. Didn’t want to care. He just wanted things to go back to the way they were before he’d met Dorie, when he’d been content to live in the shadow of his grief, surrounded by memories with no chance to be hurt again.

Instead, he thought about Dorie…and what it would be like to never see her again.

…

Dorie found Bryce sitting on a large rock by the loch. It seemed to be his place. She’d found him there before. They’d even made use of that boulder, twice.

But this time she was there to ask again for her freedom.

When she’d told him of her father’s offer, she’d expected him to be quick to sign away their marriage, having never wanted it in the first place. She hadn’t anticipated his disapproval. She hated the hope she felt because he was reluctant to let her go.

Could it be that he cared enough for her not to want her to leave? She needed to push him so he would either admit to his feelings or allow her to go. Living like this forever was not an option.

She almost wished her father hadn’t come. For if he hadn’t, she might never have noticed the lack in her life. But when he spoke of her mother and then of Harriet, his wife and the mother of his children, Dorie could plainly see how differently he felt for the two women.

Perhaps Dorie was being selfish and unrealistic, but she didn’t want to settle for friendship and respect when she might also have love.

“My father told me you’re not pleased about his proposal,” she said.

He glanced over at her then looked away with a shrug. He tossed a small stone into the loch and stared down at the water as if it held all the answers. “You’re my wife. I suppose I got used to the idea and had settled into it.”

She nodded and tossed a stick for Rascal before she took a seat next to Bryce. She picked up her own pile of stones and tossed one into the water next to his. The rings overlapped one another and then faded off into nothing.

Just like them. Their lives had overlapped for a time, but it was time for the ripples to fade and come to peace.

“I have the chance to meet a man who doesn’t need to settle. There might be someone out there who actually wants me and could truly love me.”

“Dorie, if you came out here to talk about you being with another man, I’ll tell you that it’s just going to make me angrier.”

“Is that it, then? Possession? You don’t want me for yourself, but you don’t want anyone else to have me, either?” She had truly thought he’d want her to be happy.

He winced and shook his head. “I hope I’m not that selfish. You deserve happiness. I just thought you were happy here. With me.”

“I was. I am. But you’ve told me it can never be more than physical between us. And while I enjoy the pleasure of your touch, I know there’s something missing. Something I want for myself very badly.”

He nodded but didn’t look any happier.

“You can find any lass to give you pleasure, Bryce. I would never think I’m special in that way, or in any way, really.”