“I always wanted as many children as possible,” she said eagerly.
He continued to nibble at her neck, and now patted her stomach. “Then I will give them to you. Our child could already be growing inside you.”
She sighed and joined her hand with his. “That would be wonderful. Alexander would have a sibling to play and grow with.”
“And more to follow.”
She laughed softly. “You intend to keep me busy.”
“All the time,” he growled as he nuzzled her neck and moved to her mouth, abruptly stopping. “It pains me to see your lip swollen.”
“It was worth it,” she assured him.
“I would argue it was foolish, but I know better. You keep your wits about you even in the most difficult of circumstances and speak boldly when needed.”
“That worries you?” she asked.
“I have concerns, but it’s more for what we may face in the next week or more. We need to work together to make sure that you and Alexander are deposited safely on my brother’s ship.”
“Along with you,” Sara said firmly, casting a questionable glance at him.
“I will join you after I see to Balford.”
“Is that absolutely necessary?” she asked.
He didn’t intend to argue with her. This was his decision and he would see it through, and he knew it was now more necessary than ever.
“Balford is an unforgiving man,” Cullen informed her.
“We will be gone from Scotland—”
“But your family won’t be,” he finished.
Sara turned in his arms. “He would hurt them?”
“He will need to take his anger out on someone whether he or she is guilty or not. Revenge is simply his way. He will want someone to suffer, and if we’re not here, he will choose someone close to either of us. And being I have no family left here—”
“He will go after my family.”
“I would count on it,” Cullen confirmed.
Sara stroked his face with a single finger. “I understand when something is necessary, though it doesn’t mean I like it, and it doesn’t mean I don’t fear for your safety. I will help make sure you remain safe.”
He tapped her nose. “I will do this on my own.”
“You will not,” Sara said, poking his chest.
“I won’t argue this with you, Sara.”
“You’re right. You won’t. I will help you.”
There was no point in debating the matter with her; she was a stubborn one and determined to have it her way. However, as far as he was concerned, though he would not argue it with her, he would see to it that would happen as he wished. He would not take even the smallest of chances that Balford would get his hands on Sara.
Balford was for him and him alone to face. She would have no part in it.
“Your silence warns me that I will need to keep a good eye on you, lest you sneak away and do something foolish,” Sara said.
“I’m not the one with the swollen lip,” he reminded.
“And you will remain without wounds if I have anything to say about it.”
His laughter rippled around them. “I doubt anyone could stop you from saying what you wish.”
“Make fun all you want, husband,” she said sternly. “I’ll still have it my way.”
“We’ll see,” he said, kissing her cheek.
“Don’t think to distract me,” she warned with a pointed finger.
“Never,” he said with feigned shock, and kissed the tip of her nose.
“I will have it my way,” she cautioned, though on a softer note.
The gentle kisses he planted over her face did the trick. She grew silent while her body grew limp in his arms, and with her guard down, yawns attacked her one after the other until she drifted off to sleep, her face snuggled against his chest.
Exhaustion was fast overtaking him as well, and as he drifted off her words resonated in his head and raised concern. She was stubborn enough to try to have it her way, and that could prove fatal for her.
He couldn’t lose another love.
He couldn’t lose Sara.
She proved more special to him than he had ever thought possible, and besides, he was waiting for just the right moment to tell her how he felt about her. It had to be a perfect moment so she would believe him and know without a doubt how very much he loved her.
Chapter 34
Sara followed quietly behind her husband. It had been a tiresome and worrisome week reaching St. Andrew Harbor, and now, though they were finally here, it was still not over. Soldiers filled the harbor town, hassling almost everyone in search of Cullen and the babe.
Not a man, woman, or a couple with a child was safe from accusations or from being detained until the soldiers could ascertain their identity. It had taken considerable effort for them to sneak past the soldiers and reach the outskirts of the harbor, and even more fancy maneuverings to finally make it to within yards of the ship.
They presently took shelter behind a building amidst stacks of crates and barrels and discussed the quagmire they faced.
“Everyone with a child is being questioned,” Cullen said, hugging his napping son in his arms.
Sara was bluntly honest. “The one relatively safe way to reach the ship is through a huge distraction.”
“Agreed, and I must be that distraction.”
Sara near punched him, she was so angry. “Are you truly a fool?”
“No,” Cullen said sternly. “But it is the only way.”
“We haven’t even discussed other possibilities,” Sara accused, and glared at her husband, fear grabbing a firm hold of her stomach. He looked so worn and yet remained so determined. He’d fight to the bitter end to protect her and Alexander.
However, he failed to understand that she would risk her life as well in order to see father and son safe—she loved them that much.
“There are no other possibilities,” he said, “and besides, I have unfinished business with Balford.”
“We get Alexander on the ship and then we both go take care of Balford,” Sara said, as if it was done and he need not argue with her.
“You know I will not allow that,” Cullen said confidently.
“I was afraid you’d say that,” Sara replied, and sighed heavily.
“It’s the way it must be. It’s the most sensible solution to our situation. The soldiers will be so busy with my capture that you and Alexander can sneak easily on board and no one will be the wiser.”
“What if the soldiers decide to search the ship?” Sara asked.
“I imagine they already have, but even if they did so again, I have no doubt that my brother keeps a hiding place where you and Alexander can remain undetected until they leave.”
“You’ve had this all worked out,” she said, annoyed that he’d been scheming to have things his way without regard to her concerns or opinions. His journey to find his son hadn’t been an easy one, but he had succeeded, and it was important that he not jeopardize his life now that he was so close to freedom for himself and his son.
“This is my fight, not yours.”
“Wrong!” she snapped. “We are husband and wife and therefore the fight is ours.”
Cullen tried to reason. “It was mine before you came along.”
“It was made mine when I became your wife.”
“We can’t waste time arguing over this,” Cullen said. “Alexander will wake soon, hungry, and draw attention. We must get him on the ship now.”
“You’re absolutely right.”
Cullen smiled. “I knew you’d see reason and accept what must be done.”
“I do see reason.” She grinned. “That was why I married you. It was a reasonable solution to my problem, though I didn’t count on falling in love with you.”
“I’m glad you did and I’m glad my son will have a strong loving mother to protect him.”
She didn’t like the sound of that. He was all but telling her that Alexander wo
uld be hers to look after and that he trusted her to keep him safe. That would explain the true reason he brought her along. If anything happened to Cullen, he’d know that Alexander was much loved and fiercely protected.
He loved Alaina and he always would, she thought. There was no room in his broken heart for her, which helped her know what she now had to do.
Sara kissed her husband’s cheek. “I love you and I thank you for letting me sample what it was like to have my own family. I will always remember our time together fondly and lovingly.”
She stepped away from him.
“Sara!” he shouted.
“Take care of Alexander and have a good life,” she said, and rushed from behind the building, away from him, her heart breaking, though she refused to shed a tear of regret. This choice was hers, as it had been her choice to wed Cullen and to love him. She did this not only for them, but for herself, for love.
She ran screaming to a soldier, who grabbed firm hold of her. “I know where you will find Cullen Longton, the man you seek,” she said to him. “I am his wife. Hurry, hurry, you must follow me or he will get away. He has many men with him.” She tugged at him to follow.
The soldier called out to the others as Sara continued to urge him to follow her.
“How do I know you speak the truth?” the one who had taken hold of her asked as the other soldiers gathered around.
“You should be asking what the earl will do if I speak the truth and you let Cullen Longton escape.”
The soldiers grumbled among themselves as more of them gathered around her.
“I tell you, you must hurry,” she urged. “He’ll get away.”
The lead soldier’s sneer displayed rotted teeth, and his fetid breath washed over her face when he warned, “You be wrong and the earl will make you pay.”
“Then I must be telling you the truth or why else would I do this, you fool?”
The soldier took umbrage and smacked her in the head before shoving her in front of him. “Show me where he is!”
Sara stumbled, her knees near touching the ground before she righted herself and hurried along, leading the soldiers farther from the ship. In that brief instant, with her head down and her hands stretched out for balance so as not to fall, she had seen Cullen, Alexander tucked safely in his arms, racing up the gangplank and disappearing into the bowels of the ship.
The cabin door slammed shut and locked behind Cullen, and with a whimpering Alexander in his arms, he turned and stood, shocked.
“Burke? Storm? I thought you both in America by now.”
Storm reached out for the babe. “Let me see your son.”
He handed the boy to his pint-sized sister-in-law, who was dressed in outlaw garments that made her appear more a young lad than a beautiful young woman. Then he looked to his half brother Burke for an explanation.
“We made it to France,” Burke explained, “where Storm insisted we disembark, nab another ship of mine, and sail back here to wait for you in case you needed help.”
Cullen held his hand out to a man he barely knew, though resembled him, his height not reaching his own. But Burke was his equal in strength and courage, and very relieved to see him again.
“I do need your help,” Cullen told him. “My wife surrendered herself to Balford so my son and I could make it safely to the ship.”
“Wife?” Burke and Storm cried out in unison.
“Da!” Alexander cried, holding his arms out to his father.
Cullen took him and wasn’t surprised to see his little head turning and his wide teary eyes searching the room. “He looks for Sara. They play with his animals and she feeds him sweet cakes and—” He choked on the memories, unable to continue. “We’ll get her back, son. I promise we’ll get her back.”
“You need food and drink,” Storm said. “Then you can tell us how you came by a wife and how we can help you rescue her.”
Cullen smiled with relief. “It is good to have family to help me.”
“And it’s good that I have a chance to pay back Balford for all the pain and suffering he’s inflicted on the innocent,” Storm said with a pat to the sword handle that hung at her waist.
“Did you hear the word help?” Burke asked his wife. “He’s not expecting you to do his fighting for him.”
“One woman taking matters into her own hands is enough. I don’t need another,” Cullen said.
Burke grinned. “Your wife is like my own, stubborn, wanting her own way, not listening to reason? Finally, someone to commiserate with.”
“I like her already,” Storm said, smiling, and playfully poked her husband in the ribs. “Tell us about her.”
“No time, I must go after her,” Cullen said.
“Not without food, rest, and a plan,” Burke cautioned.
Cullen almost argued, but knew his brother was right. Rushing out to help her with no plan of action would only place them both in danger. Not to mention that he was exhausted from the strenuous journey, and hungry as well, he and Sara not having eaten much in the last day.
“We’ll work a plan out together,” Burke said, “hire what help we need, and see your wife safe on the ship so we can all sail to America together this time.”
The table was soon spread with food, and while Alexander sat on his father’s lap happily eating, Cullen explained all that had happened to him since they had last seen him.
“I must rescue her and see her safe. She has done so much for me.” Cullen ruffled his son’s brown hair. “If it wasn’t for her courage, my son would not be here now. She endangered herself to save him, and she does so again.”
“You admire her,” Burke said. “Do you love her?”
“It’s apparent,” Storm said, reaching for an oatcake. “His eyes beam bright and his face lights with joy when he speaks of her.” She poked at her husband. “You do the same with me. For half brothers, you are much alike.”
“Storm is right. I love Sara, but I’ve yet to tell her.”
“Feeling guilty about Alaina?” Storm asked.
Cullen smiled. “You are blunt like my Sara.”
“I know how you feel for I felt the guilt myself when I fell in love with your brother. I felt as if I was betraying my deceased husband, Daniel. It took a while to understand that I would always love Daniel, but that I also was allowed to love again, that my new love in no way diminished my love for Daniel.”
“It is good to hear another speak of what I’m feeling. It took me by surprise. I never expected to love again, especially so soon.”
“We have no control over love,” Burke said. “And personally, I think that’s for the best. I never expected to fall in love with a pint-sized Scottish outlaw, and damned if I’m not glad I did.”
“I must get Sara back and I must…” He hugged his son. “…make sure the earl never hurts anyone again.”
“The earl wants you, and Sara will be the bait,” Storm said. “He will want to make sure you can get to her easily, though his guards will be in wait.”
“I must go after her as soon as possible or Sara will suffer his wrath,” Cullen said, knowing the earl all too well from his time in the earl’s dungeon. “The man likes to inflict pain, and knowing my Sara, she will not keep her mouth shut, which leaves us little time.”
Burke began to lay out a plan. “We need to find out where she was taken,” he said, “then scout the area, hire men to help—”
“That will take too long,” Cullen interrupted.
“I’ll have it all done when you wake,” Burke insisted. “By morning we’ll be ready to go and rescue your wife, and we’ll be sailing to America by nightfall.”
“It’s good to have a brother like you,” Cullen said. “I wish I could help you with the plan, but it wouldn’t be wise to take a chance and be seen before we attempt the rescue.”
“Soldiers will return to the harbor soon enough. I will show you where to hide if they should decide to board ship again, though I doubt they will. They searched extens
ively when we first arrived and found nothing, not even Storm and me.”
“How will you roam the harbor safely?” Cullen asked.
“As one of my sailors. The soldiers can’t remember every one of them, and as long as I act the part, there’ll be no reason for them to bother me. We’ll also have to come up with a way to get you and Storm off the ship and then all of us back on. Busy yourself with that if you want but make certain to get rest. You’ll need it.”
“What of Alexander when we’re gone?”
“The captain will see to his care and safety,” Burke said. “And worry not, he’ll not let any harm befall him.”
Burke took off to set their plan in motion, while Storm kept Alexander busy playing with his wooden animals and whatever else she could find to occupy him.
Cullen roamed the innards of the ship, needing time alone. He couldn’t get the image of Sara’s good-bye out of his mind. She all but told him she was doing this for him and Alexander so they would be safe. She sacrificed herself for them, and all because she loved them.
What hurt him the most was that he’d never told her how much he loved her, and he wanted her to know, needed her to know, for then she wouldn’t doubt that he would come and rescue her.
Now, at this moment, she could be thinking her fate sealed, he thought, that no one would come for her. She’d be alone, and perhaps think to face death alone.
The thought chilled and infuriated him, and he punched an overhead beam then slouched down on an overturned barrel. It killed him to sit there and do nothing, and yet he knew it was the best course of action for the moment.
He raised his head with a frustrated growl and threw his shoulders back and his chest out. “Hear me, Sara, I love you. Know it in your heart and soul. Know that I love you and I’m coming for you.”
Chapter 35
Sara tasted the blood in her mouth. Her lip had been split open again, her arms and ribs were bruised, and the rest of her was scuffed up, the soldiers having dragged and tormented her with kicks and punches when they discovered that she had duped them.
But while the blood left a bitter taste in her mouth, her victory hadn’t. She had succeeded in drawing the soldiers’ attentions and securing her husband and son’s safety. It had all been worth it, and while she would like to believe Cullen would rescue her, she knew better.
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