Page 85 of Healing the Highland Sinner

“Are ye?”

“Aye,” she replied. “I gave it up tae build a better life with Ellair.”

His gaze remained cold and assessing and Rosalind felt her palms growing damp and clammy. But then a smile spread across his face that immediately softened his features. His laugh was like a thunder clap and it immediately lifted the fog of tension that had been pressing down on her mercilessly.

“If nae fer ye, Hugh Sinclair would be runnin’ roughshod through the bleedin’ Highlands right now.”

“I’m nae sure that’s true, me laird.”

“’Tis the way I heard it,” he replied. “Heard ye struck him down and saved this one’s miserable hide, eh?”

She cut a glance at Ellair who was grinning broadly. “Aye. That she did.”

“Maybe I should make her me War Chief.”

“Ye’ve had worse.”

“Aye. ‘Tis true,” Domhnall said.

They all shared a laugh, and it lightened the shadow across Rosalind’s heart a little more. But then Domhnall looked her in the eye and smiled sincerely.

“Thank ye,” he said. “If I’d lost this one… just… thank ye. Fer that, ye’ll always have a home here under me roof. Always.”

And with that, he pulled Rosalind into a tight embrace that lifted the shadow from her heart completely. She melted into the man, reveling in the feeling of being accepted for, perhaps, the first time in her entire life. He took a step back, his hands on her shoulders and his face filled with such powerful emotions, Rosalind felt them deep in her own heart. His love for Ellair was more than clear.

“Well,” he said. “Let’s introduce ye tae everybody, then let ye get cleaned up. Tonight, we’ll be havin’ a feast in honor of the Widow’s retirement.”

The small crowd of people gathered around Rosalind, each of them taking time to introduce themselves. She had been especially looking forward to meeting Cormac, the man who’d sacrificed so much for his brother, and had not been disappointed. He was a good man, she could tell. And just as Ellair had predicted, Billie and Keira linked arms with her and escorted her into the castle, chatting excitedly with her. She could tell they were going to all get on very well.

As she was being ushered away by the two women to bathe and ready herself for the feast, she cast a glance over her shoulder at Ellair, who stood beside his brother and the Laird. His eyes latched onto hers and he smiled.

“I love ye,” he mouthed the words to her.

A tear of the purest joy she had ever felt spilled from the corner of her eye. “I love ye too,” she mouthed back to him.

And in that moment, Rosalind felt for the first time in a very long time, that she truly did have a home filled with people who would love and accept her unconditionally. It filled her heart with joy but also with so much more. And like Ellair’s love for her, it was something she had lived her life without, but now, she couldn’t not having. Didn’t want to.

She was at home.

But there’s more…