by Kate Hill
“Thank you,” Sophia said.
“And you should feel the same,” Zach added.
Simon nodded and turned his wagon towards home.
Sophia and Zach exchanged glances before he moved the food basket from where it sat between them and drew her into his arms for a deep, tender kiss.
Epilogue
“By the Gods, childbirth makes pulling look easy.” Zach sighed, lifting Sophia from the bed and placing her on a chair by the fire. He kissed her damp forehead before returning to the bed to change the bloodied sheets. Across the room, their daughter squealed and shrieked while Susana provided the baby’s first bath.
“You’re right about that,” Sophia muttered, though her eyes shone as they fixed on the baby squirming in Susana’s gentle hands.
“All right, who wants her first?” Susana grinned, approaching Sophia with the bundle wrapped in a white blanket.
“She deserves to.” Zach nodded at Sophia.
“I want to see you hold her,” Sophia said. “Give her to him, Susana.”
The healer placed the infant in the crook of her father’s arm. His entire hand was nearly as large as the baby’s body and Sophia’s heart tugged with love for them both.
“Thank you so much, Sophia,” Zach said, taking a seat beside her. She smiled, running a fingertip over her daughter’s soft, ruddy cheek. Tiny hands moved in the folds of the blanket and Sophia marveled that fingers could be so small yet so perfectly formed.
“Have you decided on a name?” Susana asked.
Zach smiled. “Yes.”
“We’re calling her Twilight.” Sophia gazed at the infant, then turned to Zach and said, “Now we can try for a son, too.”
“Oh, no.” Zach looked worried. “I think this is enough. I wouldn’t want to put you through that again.”
“I don’t mean right away.” Sophia grinned. “Give me a little while to recover.”
“More than a little while,” he said. “That’s more work than I’d wish on a Horseman, let alone a human female.”
“It’s what we’re built for.” Sophia grinned. “I’ve waited a long time to say that to you, Highlander.”
“Men are so squeamish, aren’t they?” Susana wrinkled her nose from where she washed her hands in a basin of water on the table. “Moor acted the same way when our daughter was born and according to Inez, Terra treated her like she was a piece of fine porcelain for a month after Canyon was born. These tough Horsemen lose it after witnessing labor and delivery.”
“I didn’t lose it,” Zach said. “I just never really considered the work involved until I saw it firsthand.”
“Well, I’m going back to the village,” Susana said. “Take good care of them, Zach.”
“It’s what I’m built for.” He winked at Sophia.
She smiled, accepting the baby who settled to sleep once she nestled in her mother’s arms. Sophia rested her head against Zach’s shoulder, her eyes half closing, a smile still touching her lips.
It seemed so long ago that they’d met in their dreams, so long ago that he’d been afraid of not providing well as a husband. Zach had made a name for himself as a puller and was the best husband and father she could have hoped for. He’d been out of competition long enough now for fairgoers to leave them in peace, though his name was still revered in the pulling circles. Little did they know that his greatest display of strength and courage hadn’t been revealed in front of adoring crowds, or even before witnesses at a great Lord’s chateau. It had been in a canyon with no prize except the rescue of a boy and a man who had once done him harm. It had been done with the heart Sophia always knew he possessed, a powerful Highlander heart that loved her as deeply as she would always love him.
The End
About the author:
A lifelong fan of action and romance, Kate Hill likes heroes with a touch of something wicked and wild. Her short fiction and poetry have appeared in publications both on and off the Internet. When she’s not working on her books, Kate enjoys dancing, martial arts, and researching vampires and Viking history.
Kate Hill welcomes mail from readers. You can write to her c/o Ellora’s Cave Publishing at 1337 Commerce Drive, #13, Stow, Ohio 44224.
Also by Kate Hill:
The Blood Doctor
By Honor Bound anthology
Captive Stallion
Darkness Therein
Deep Red
Dream Stallion
Forever Midnight anthology
The Holiday Stalking
In Black
Knights of the Ruby Order 1: Torn
Knights of the Ruby Order 2: Crag
Knights of the Ruby Order 3: Lock
Midnight Desires
Moonlust Privateer
Vampires at Heart anthology
Discover for yourself why readers can’t get enough of the multiple award-winning publisher Ellora’s Cave. Whether you prefer e-books or paperbacks, be sure to visit EC on the web at www.ellorascave.com for an erotic reading experience that will leave you breathless.
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