Page 10 of Her Forbidden Highlander Husband

After setting the snares, he came back, his questions near to erupting out of his mouth. He stopped at the sight of Evelyn stretched out beside the little girl, both asleep.

He took the spot next to them, wrapping his kilt around him for warmth. He’d purposefully waited to make this journey after the weather broke from winter to full spring. At the time he’d envisioned him and Evelyn sleeping together under the stars, making love, and celebrating their marriage each night on their way home.

This wasn’t the way he’d imagined his wedding night, but they had many years ahead of them. Giving up this one night wouldn’t be such a sacrifice.

Liam didn’t sleep well. Mostly because his new wife was right next to him, close enough to touch, but he didn’t dare to. Instead, he shifted with discomfort once more before finally giving up when the sun hinted at the sky.

He gathered the game from the snares and cleaned the rabbits he’d caught. After setting them to roasting over the fire, he turned around to find only Evelyn was still sleeping on the blanket.

Jerking up to his feet, he found the little girl right behind him. She startled but didn’t make a sound. Instead, she watched him with big brown eyes. Her mother’s eyes.

She wiggled a bit before heading to the bushes. He moved to follow and then realized what she was doing. He stayed back, close enough to help if she needed him, but far enough away to give her a bit of privacy.

He pulled out the piece of wood he’d been carving and continued working on it. When he’d started it was just something to do with his extra time, but now he knew who he would give it to.

Gwennie came to stand next to him, watching him pick away pieces of wood until it turned into the shape he wanted. When he finished, he held the wooden rabbit out to her. “For you.”

She took it and watched him as if fearing he’d take it back. “It’s yours. What will you name him?”

“Bunny,” she said. It was the first time he’d heard her speak. She was a little older than Lizzy, Cameron and Mari’s little girl, who was only three.

“That’s a fine name for a rabbit.”

“Mama sleeping.”

“Yes. She’s very tired. But she’ll wake up when the sun touches her. Shall we watch?” He winked and to his surprise the little girl crawled into his lap.

Something about the situation struck a memory. A woman sleeping in the woods who didn’t wake when the sun had come up. The thought might have made him panic, but from where he sat, he could see Evelyn’s shoulders move with her breathing. She was fine. Just worn out from the hard ride yesterday.

“What kind of adventures do you think Bunny will go on?” he asked his new daughter. “Maybe he’ll go down to the stream to get a drink and fall in.”

She gasped, holding the rabbit closer.

“But then he’d climb onto a leaf that would carry him down the stream to the river and out to the sea, where he might make friends with a seal and hop on his back.”

Liam took the rabbit and put it on the little girl’s shoulder, making her squeal with laughter. He bounced it up to the top of her head and they laughed together as she tried to catch the rabbit.

“Don’t touch her,” Evelyn shouted as she rushed over and pulled Gwennie away from him. She pushed the girl behind her in a defensive posture that had him on his feet with his sword drawn, ready to fend off an enemy. But there was no one there.

He was the enemy in her eyes.

Gwennie began to cry and reached for the rabbit that had fallen in the dirt. He picked it up and held it out to her, causing Evelyn to jump.

“What’s wrong with ye?” he asked his wife as he stood to tend to their breakfast. She took a few steps back, dragging a sobbing Gwennie with her. “Calm down. You’re scaring the lass.”

“I wouldn’t blame you for being angry at me for not telling you the truth of the situation,” said Evelyn.

“Aye. I was angry with you for a good bit of the ride yesterday, but then I came to understand why you might have been hesitant to mention you had a child. Though, had you told me, I still would have wanted to marry you. One thing the MacKinlays are good at is making babes, and there are a bunch of them around. I’m fond of children. I hope to have a few of my own. So, it doesn’t scare me to have one.”

“She’s mine,” Evelyn said.

“I understand that but, since you married me, she’s mine as well, and I’ll see that she’s cared for and protect her with my dying breath if called on to do so.” He made sure his voice was calm yet stern. He’d not argue about his duty on this.

Evelyn bit her bottom lip and nodded reluctantly.

After the scare and seeing her mother’s distress, Gwennie didn’t come near him, instead hiding behind her mother and peeking at him only when he held out the food for them.

Rather than allow Liam to give Gwennie the food directly, so he might earn her trust again, Evelyn took it and fed her herself.