Page 23 of Wedded to the Heartless Highlander (Taming the Kilmartins #2)

23

E rica sat on the edge of Lily’s bed, the dim candlelight casting soft shadows over the girl’s tear-streaked face. It pained Erica to see her niece like this, her small frame trembling under the thick blankets as she tried her best to put on a brave face.

Lily was so young, far too young to be caught in the crossfire of such danger.

Erica reached out, brushing a strand of her hair away from her forehead, and offered a soft smile. “Ye’re safe now, Lily,” she said gently. “I promise ye, we willnae let anythin’ happen to ye.”

Lily looked up at her, her wide eyes filled with worry. “But what about ye? And Uncle Hunter? He was so angry earlier… Is he mad at me? What is happenin’?”

Erica’s chest tightened. She wished she could shield Lily from the complex situation she and Hunter had found themselves in, but the girl was too perceptive to be fooled.

“Uncle Hunter isnae angry with ye, Lily,” she reassured. “And he’s nae truly angry with me. He’s upset because he feels like he’s let ye down, and that’s the last thing he ever wants.”

Lily sniffled, clutching the edges of her blanket to her chin. “He cares about ye, ye ken. I’m sure he’s also upset because he feels like he let ye down, too, Aunt Erica,” she said softly.

Erica blinked, surprised. “Och?”

Lily nodded, her small face earnest. “He might nae ever say it, but I can tell. He’s different with ye.”

Erica tilted her head, trying to understand. “Different how?”

Lily sat up a little, her movements hesitant but determined. “He’s… softer. He’s never been like that before. He’s always been strict and serious, even with me. But since ye moved here, he’s been… nicer. Happier, I think.”

Erica’s heart ached at the thought. She remembered the burden Hunter carried, the pain of losing his family. That kind of loss could make a person build walls too high to break down.

“What makes ye say that?” she asked gently, curious about Lily’s perspective.

“Well,” Lily began, her small hands fidgeting with the blanket. “He does things he’s never done before. Like the stories.”

Erica frowned. “What stories?”

“He reads to me now,” Lily said, her voice filled with wonder. “He never did that before. He reads to me every night now. And he talks about me faither sometimes—he never used to do that before ye came. I kenned nothin’ about me family.”

“Really?”

“Aye, and he always looked so sad whenever I asked about me faither before, but now he tells me things. Nice things. Happy things.”

Erica’s throat constricted. The thought of Hunter sharing such moments with Lily, allowing himself to be vulnerable, was almost too much to bear.

“That’s… that’s wonderful, Lily,” she managed to say, her voice thick with emotion.

“And the picnic!” Lily continued, her eyes lighting up. “He didnae want to go at first, but I could tell that he came because ye were so happy about it. And he even wore the flower crown I made! I’ve never seen him do somethin’ so silly before. He didnae even take it off when Calvin teased him about it.”

Erica chuckled softly at the memory, the image of the daisy crown sitting atop Hunter’s head awkwardly flashing through her mind. “He did look rather ridiculous, did he nae?”

Lily giggled, the sound like a balm to Erica’s soul. “He did. But he didnae care because ye were there. And remember when ye went to the village? He didnae interfere until he absolutely had to. He went to make sure nothin’ happened to ye, but he gave ye room.”

Erica’s eyes widened. “He did, I remember. He saved me, too.”

Lily nodded firmly. “He pretended he was checkin’ on the guards, but I saw him. He always kens where ye are, Auntie Erica. It’s like… like ye are his compass needle’s North. He always finds ye.”

Erica’s heart thudded in her chest, the weight of Lily’s words sinking in. Could that be true? She thought back to all the times Hunter had shown up just when she needed him, his presence steady and unwavering despite the tension between them.

“And the way he looks at ye,” Lily added, her voice softer now. “It’s like he’s scared to lose ye, but also like he cannae believe ye are real. I’ve never seen him look at anyone like that before.”

“Ye dinnae ken what ye are sayin’,” Erica joked and bumped the young girl’s shoulder with her own as she chuckled.

“I’m serious, Aunt Erica. He’s different now, and that’s because of ye. I think he loves ye very much.”

Tears pricked the corners of Erica’s eyes, but she blinked them away. She didn’t know what to say. Hunter’s feelings were a labyrinth she hadn’t dared to navigate, but hearing Lily’s innocent observations made her realize that there was far more beneath the surface than she’d allowed herself to see.

“I’m scared, Auntie Erica,” Lily whispered suddenly. “What if… what if somethin’ happens to Uncle Hunter?”

Erica pulled the girl into a tight embrace, her own fears momentarily forgotten. “Nothin’ is goin’ to happen to him, Lily,” she declared fiercely. “Yer Uncle Hunter is the strongest man I have ever kenned. In fact, have I ever told ye how he won me hand?”

Lily’s eyes lit up as she shook her head. “Nay!”

“Me parents arranged for every eligible man to compete for me hand. Highland games, to be exact. The winner would win me hand.”

Lily gasped in awe, before Erica continued. “Aye, there were hundreds of guests at McFair Keep, and Uncle Hunter was one of them.”

“But it was a game that they had to win to marry ye?”

“It sounds strange, right? I wasnae too happy about it, at first. I didnae want to marry anyone, let alone someone I’d never met before who won me like some prized cattle. But yer uncle… well, he was different.”

“How?”

“He didnae compete for the same reasons the others did,” Erica said thoughtfully. “Most of the men were there for power, land, or glory. Yer uncle… well he competed for ye.”

“For me?” Lily’s mouth fell slightly open.

Erica nodded. “He told me as much. He’d lost so much already—his family, his sense of peace—and all he cared about was keepin’ ye safe. He wanted a maither figure for ye, someone who could connect with ye and care for ye in ways he couldnae. That’s why he fought so hard to win.”

Lily tilted her head, her brow furrowed. “But he doesnae show that he cares in that way.”

“Nay, he doesnae,” Erica agreed, a warmth spreading through her chest. “At first, I thought he was cold, distant. But when I saw him in the games… I could tell there was more to him. He fought fiercely, nae just with his strength but with his heart. He had a purpose that none of the others had.”

Lily’s lips curled into a soft smile. “He can be fierce. Like when he talks to the guards.”

Erica laughed softly. “Aye, he can. But he has a soft spot for ye. I noticed it even before we got married.”

“But he also has a soft spot for ye, Aunt Erica,” Lily pointed out quietly, her gaze dropping to her lap. “Like when he carried ye to the healer. He didnae even let ye walk. He stayed with ye the whole time, even when the healer said ye would be fine.”

Erica’s breath hitched, her heart swelling at the memory. It had been their first real kiss. “Aye, lass. He may nae say the words, or if he does, they may be clumsy. But his actions speak louder.”

“I think he does things to make ye happy.”

“Aye, I can see that he also does things to make ye happy. He will take on the entire world to ensure ye are safe. He willnae let anythin’ happen to ye, and neither will I.”

Lily sniffled against her shoulder, her small hands clutching her dress. “I dinnae want to lose either of ye.”

“Ye willnae, sweetlin’,” Erica promised, her voice steady despite the turmoil in her heart. “We are a family now. And family protect each other.”

The girl’s breathing eventually evened out, and Erica eased her back against the pillows. “How about a story to help ye sleep?” she offered, brushing a hand over Lily’s hair.

Lily nodded, her eyes heavy with exhaustion.

Erica reached for one of the books on the bedside table, flipping through its worn pages until she found Lily’s favorite tale about a brave heroine who faced impossible odds. She began to read, her voice soft and soothing, and it wasn’t long before Lily’s eyes fluttered shut, her face peaceful once more.

Erica stayed for a while, watching over her. When she was certain the girl was sound asleep, she kissed her forehead and slipped out of the room. She made her way back through the secret passage to Hunter’s chambers. The narrow stone corridor was cool and quiet, the flickering torchlight casting eerie shadows on the walls.

When she stepped into Hunter’s chambers, she was surprised to find him there. He wasn’t in the study or pacing the halls as she had expected. Instead, he stood near the hearth, his broad shoulders tense as he stared into the dying flames.

He turned around when he heard her enter, the look in his gray eyes undecipherable.

“Hunter,” she said softly.

“Erica,” he murmured.

The air between them was heavy with unspoken works. Erica hesitated for a moment before moving toward the bed. Hunter followed, his movements slow and deliberate, and soon they were lying side by side, their backs to one another.

“Good night, husband,” Erica said and pulled the blanket up over her shoulder.

“Good night, wife,” he replied softly, shifting slightly the find a more comfortable position.

The silence was deafening, yet neither of them broke it.

Erica’s thoughts raced as she lay there, her body rigid with uncertainty. She didn’t know what to make of this newfound closeness, this quiet truce that seemed to hover between them.

Sleep eventually claimed her, but in the small hours of the morning, she woke up briefly to find Hunter’s arm draped over her waist, his chest warm against her back.

Her heart swelled at the tenderness of the gesture, and for the first time in days, a smile graced her lips. She drifted back to sleep, the weight of his presence a comforting anchor in the storm of her emotions.