His worried cousin hovered on her opposite side, clearing wet strands of hair from her face and neck.
Calum fought the quake in his frame to say, “Turn her on her side. Thump her back.”
Liam pushed her sideways toward Calum and did as requested.
He searched her stark white features, anxious for any sign of life. His cousin continued to beat her back in earnest, but naught. She lay cold and unmoving.
Immediate grief crashed over Calum like the sea’s cursed waves, sucking him deeper into fathomless despair. Agony dug in his chest, hollowing a hole straight to his heart, and struck with a fierce stab. The love of his life was slipping away right before his eyes. ’Twas a fate he would not accept.
Ceasing his efforts, Liam sank back on his heels. “Calum…”
“Nay!” Unwilling to give up, he bolted to his knees and shoved Liam aside. He pounded Arabella’s back. Thump after thump, he willed her to open her eyes—to breathe. To live.
Fraser grabbed his shoulders. “Lad—”
“Let him try.” Liam waved Fraser away.
Men stood around them in silence, their troubled gazes watching the scene unfold, but Calum scarcely heeded their presence. His sole focus was Arabella. Moisture scalded his cold cheeks as he gripped her face between his hands. “Breathe, damn you,” he ordered. “You cannot leave me. Not now. Not ever.”
As if on command, her slight frame jolted and water gushed from her mouth, followed by a series of bone-jarring coughs. Between gasps of air, she clawed at his thigh as she heaved the water from her lungs. Uncaring of who bore witness, when Arabella shifted onto her back and her bleary, emerald gaze found his, Calum wept tears of joy.
Chapter Thirty-Two
At first, Arabella questioned whether she lived or died. One moment, the waves trapped her in a dark, frozen abyss as water stole into her lungs. Now, she blinked to clear her blurry vision, focusing on the icy blue of Calum’s gaze.
Was he simply an illusion? Her mind granting one final glimpse of the man she loved before she ceased to exist altogether? Moisture leaked from his eyes, sending a frisson of alarm through her. Why was he crying?
She tried to rise but her weary limbs refused to obey. She opened her mouth to speak, only managing a croak and series of bone-rattling coughs. Pain swept through her limp body, towing her into complete awareness. Breath after breath, she sprawled on the pebbled shore, filling her needy lungs with sweet, blessed air.
Alive—she was alive.
Tears of utter relief pricked her stinging eyes. From somewhere deep inside, a low sob escaped her raw throat. The next instant, Calum hauled her onto his lap and crushed her against his hard, bare chest. He enfolded her in the safety of his arms, swathing them both in furs.
Starved for his touch, she pressed her forehead against the lukewarm skin of his neck, savoring the steady thrum of his pulse—proof they both survived. Moments ago, she never expected to feel his comforting embrace again. Now, she never wished to leave it.
“For Christ’s sake, boy, you’re squeezing out what little life she has left.”
The familiar gruff reproach brought a smile to her dry lips. She leaned away from her husband’s chest to glance up at her uncle. Frowning, he stood over Calum’s shoulder, grasping the hilt of the sword at his side in a white-knuckled grip. Without muttering a word, his hard-set features spoke of his worry.
Calum framed her cheeks in his palms, drawing her gaze. “I thought I’d lost you.”
Lines of distress creased his hardened countenance, while his intense stare held her captive. How strange ’twas this same face, so harsh and unyielding when she’d first met him, that had fast become the center of her world. She lifted her uninjured arm to brush her fingers over his old wounds.
How foolish she’d been to doubt his love when ’twas so plain to see.
“I thought I’d lost you, too.” She winced at the ache in her throat.
“I vow I could not bear…” Brows pulled with a frown, he swallowed hard.
Arabella pressed her cracked lips to his. “Then you shall never have to.” She leaned away and offered a slight grin. “You saved me, Husband.”
A deep chuckle rumbled from his broad chest. “For once, it would seem.”
“What of Longford?” she asked with a note of apprehension.
He shook his head. “He shall trouble us no longer.”
Swamped with relief, she wrapped her arm around his middle, hugging him close. A hiss slid past his lips and she jerked away. “What is it?”
He shrugged. “’Tis naught.”
Unconvinced, she shifted in his lap and pushed the fur aside. She tried to lift his arm to examine him but he resisted. “I said, ’tis naught.”
Arabella scowled. “Let me see.”
Rolling his eyes, Calum reluctantly raised his arm and she spotted the nasty gash along his side. Blood seeped from the cut and her heart flew to her throat.
She glanced at him in alarm. “You’re hurt.”
“Naught to fret over.”
“But the blood,” she insisted.
He grabbed her chin. “’Tis but a scratch. Naught Aunt Elena’s salve cannot remedy.” Tugging her face closer, he placed a gentle kiss on her mouth. “I’m fine. I promise you, Sweetness.”
“So the two of you shall live then?” Liam asked.
Arabella craned her neck to glance at Liam, who knelt a few feet away. His usual roguish grin split his lips. ’Twas then she noticed scores of men and horses gathered on the shore.
Surprised, she turned to Calum. “How did you know?”
“A few of the guests noticed the MacRaes had taken flight soon after you and Mairi went missing. My first thought was Longford. I suspected he was somehow involved.” He hesitated then added, “A visitor arrived who confirmed my suspicions.”
“A visitor?” She frowned at the information. “Who?”
“You shall see when we return home.”
She narrowed her gaze. “Why can you not just tell me?”
He chuckled. “’Tis a surprise.”
Before she could continue to press him, furious feminine shouts erupted further up the beach, drawing their attention. Mairi shoved away from Patrick and ran toward Connor and his brother. She fit her arm beneath Connor’s shoulder to help Aaron support the young man.
When Arabella spotted Calum’s sister and Connor, alive and walking, albeit with help, a weight lifted from her chest. She’d worried so for the pair of them. Especially after her last view of Connor, lying lifeless and bleeding on the cave floor.
Calum stiffened beneath her and slid a secure arm around her waist as they watched the trio push through the crowd.
He pinned his sister with a hard stare. “Have you forgotten my warning so soon?”
“Christ, Calum,” Mairi argued. “Just spare them a moment, will you?”
“Spare them?” he repeated in disbelief. “I’ve spared their damned lives.”
Disregarding him, Mairi dropped to her knees beside Arabella and tugged her away from Calum into a constricting hug. Arabella clung to her friend, grateful Mairi had come to no harm.
The other woman leaned away and searched Arabella over. “Are you all right? Are you hurt? Is your arm any better?”
“Arm?” Calum exclaimed. “Let me see.”
Arabella shrugged off his concern and recited his earlier words. “’Tis naught but a scratch.” She ignored his scowl and grabbed Mairi’s cold hand. “Are you all right?”
“Aye.” Mairi nodded and motioned to the MacRae brothers behind her. “Connor wished to see you were well for himself.”
Arabella glanced at the young man, who leaned against his brother. His dark, solemn gaze warily met hers, as if he regretted intruding.
“I’m so glad to see you, Connor.”
Flushing, he limped forward to kneel beside Mairi. He bowed his head and placed a hand over his heart. “My lady, I’m truly thankful you are alive. Forgive me for not protecting you.
I wish I could’ve—”
“I do not know what I would’ve done without you.” Arabella reached for his hand, squeezing it tight. “I would not have survived without your help.”
Arabella aimed a pointed look at Calum, silently pleading with him to offer the boy praise for his brave actions. He narrowed his eyes and the muscle along his jaw ticked as he ground his teeth together. Grudgingly, he shifted his gaze to Connor.
“You have my thanks for protecting my wife. ’Tis your courage that has spared you and your brother’s lives.”
Connor mumbled, “Thank you, Laird MacGregor. Aaron and I are in your debt. We shall not trouble you any longer.”
Aaron tipped his head at Calum. “MacGregor.”
He paced forward and helped Connor to his feet. After a few steps, Aaron paused and turned around. His dark gaze lingered on Mairi, as if committing her features to memory. “If things could’ve been different…” A faint smile lightened his worn features. “Farewell, Mairi.”
What did Aaron mean? Curious, Arabella glanced between the pair, noting the silent tears coursing down Mairi’s pink cheeks as she watched the brothers walk away. Something flared between the two, some spark of affection. Arabella was certain of it.
She laid her hand on Calum’s chest. “Will you not help them? They have suffered at Longford’s hands as much as we have.”
He shook his head. “MacRae must live with the consequences of his actions.”
“But, why?” Mairi interjected. “Why can you not—”
“Enough!” His annoyed growl silenced her. “What would you have me do? Honor a man who stole away my family? By God, he’s fortunate I let him live. Rejoice in that. Do not push my goodwill any longer, Mairi.”
Arabella was torn. She longed to persuade her husband to accept the MacRaes for Mairi’s sake, but she understood Calum’s reluctance. Whether he wished to or not, he took every step necessary to safeguard his family. That included from a man, no matter how honorable his intentions, who’d delivered her and Mairi into the hands of their enemy.
For now, she would let the subject pass. But later, she would work on softening her husband’s heart toward the MacRae brothers.
Suddenly overwhelmed from her ordeal, Arabella leaned into Calum’s chest and rested her cheek on his shoulder. “When will we leave?”
He dipped his head to peer at her. “I thought you might wish to rest a day or two before we make the journey.”
“Nay, I wish to go home now, Husband.”
Enclosing his arms around her, he pressed his lips to her temple. “As you wish, Wife.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Dawn crept over the horizon when Calum rode through the village with Arabella in his arms. His aching body protested every bump and jostle in the saddle, but he’d pushed himself to ride on through the night to reach home. ’Twas his wife’s wish and he refused to disappoint her.
Besides, the knowledge of who awaited Arabella was reason enough to ignore his discomfort. As soon as they crested the knoll and the keep came into view, he sent Symon ahead to rouse Iain. Calum could scarcely wait to reunite his wife with her brother.
Speaking of kin, he craned his neck to look at Mairi, who rode alongside him in silence. Her brooding features bothered him, but naught he could say to her would mend the rift he created between them at present.
“Mairi…” he attempted.
“Christ’s sake, Calum. I’m fine. Truly.” Though, her red-rimmed eyes refuted the claim. She urged her mount onward, riding ahead.
He sighed in defeat. Now what was he to do with her?
“Just give her time, Cousin.”
He cast a doubtful glance at Liam riding on his opposite side.
“Do not worry so. She’ll come round. I’ll have a word with her.”
Calum shook his head. “Nay, leave her be for a while.”
In time, he hoped Mairi might come to understand he’d taken certain measures to ensure his family’s safety. But for now, he’d suffer her anger.
As they passed through the front gates, he nudged his sleeping wife. “We’re here, Sweetness.”
To his surprise, she’d remained awake for much of the journey, only giving in to her exhaustion when they neared home.
Arabella stretched against him, groaning from the effort. ’Twas a sentiment with which he agreed. From bouts of nerves, to struggling with Longford, his stiff body ached. A hot, steaming bath would soothe his sore muscles. Perhaps, much later, he might persuade his wife to join him for a long soak.
Yawning, she lifted her head to peer around the bailey. “We’re home.”
The evident relief in her raspy voice brought a smile to his lips. “Aye, we’re home.”
Calum glanced over his clan gathered in the courtyard, searching for one particular face amongst a sea of familiar people. His grin widened when he spotted Iain waiting impatiently at the foot of the keep’s front steps. Iain’s anxious gaze locked on Arabella and he shifted his weight from one leg to the other.
Calum’s heart thumped heavy in his chest as he held his breath, awaiting the moment she noticed her brother. The moment she did, her lax body straightened into a rigid line.
“Iain,” she mumbled to herself, as though she did not trust her eyes.
He ducked his mouth near her ear. “’Tis no dream, my sweet wife.”
Calum reined his stallion near the front entrance, hurriedly dismounted, and reached to help Arabella to the ground before she leaped from the saddle on her own. As soon as her feet touched solid earth, she took off at a run. How she managed not to fall flat on her face surprised Calum.
“Iain!” Her cry resounded through the courtyard, drawing the eyes of everyone present.
She flew into her brother’s waiting arms, nearly knocking his unsteady frame backward onto his arse, and the pair clung to each other. Cheers rose from the crowd of MacGregors who witnessed the happy reunion.
Pleased with the outcome, Calum stood a bit taller. Longford had utterly failed to rob Arabella of her brother and Iain of his birthright. Naught else could make Calum happier.
A cold hand slipped inside his and he glanced down to find Mairi beside him. Unshed tears glistened in her eyes.
“I cannot believe he is alive.”
“Nor could I,” Calum confessed. “But I am pleased for both of them. It would pain me to lose my sister.”
Leaning into his side, Mairi wrapped her arms around his middle. “It would pain me to lose you, too, Calum. I do love you, you know.”
He lifted his arm over her shoulder, hugging her close. “I love you, too, even if you are a pain in my arse sometimes.”
She shot him a quick glare. “Me? What of your big head?”
Squeezing her tight, he tossed his head back and laughed. Perhaps now, naught else could make him happier.
*
Calum awoke with a start, his heart pounding in his chest. The remnants of a nightmare lingered in his mind. In spite of his protesting body, he forced himself to sit upright. He scrubbed a hand over his face and glanced over the chamber until his gaze settled on the sleeping woman at his side.
Arabella. Safe and sound.
He expelled a deep, calming breath. No doubt he would awaken many times in the future from the same unsettling dream. Anxious to touch her, Calum shifted onto his side, wincing from the gash, and propped his arm beneath his head as he lie facing her.
Arabella’s chest rose and fell with soft, even breaths. Bright red curls hung over her shoulder, drawing stark contrast against her smooth, pale skin. Her swollen, puffy eyes had faded after a long, well-deserved rest.
Calum snorted faintly. Between briny seawater and the alarming amount of tears shed for her brother the day before, ’twas a wonder his poor wife could open her eyes at all. But, ’twas to be expected. His wife had a tender heart. ’Twas a trait he loved about her.
Loved.
Aye, he loved her. More than he could put into words. He couldn’t place the exact m
oment he’d fallen in love with her, but the feeling was there, wedged firmly in his chest.
Unable to stop himself, he traced a finger over her pink cheek, savoring the soft feel. Her eyes fluttered open and a sleepy smile curved her lips. As he studied her comely features, his heart stuttered over several beats.
His tongue burned with words he wished to tell her. So many things he’d left unspoken between them. Too many missed opportunities to speak of his true feelings for her. Moments that could’ve easily been stolen away from Calum had Longford succeeded with his foul deeds.
Arabella lifted her hand and ran a finger over the seam of his mouth. “Why are you frowning?”
He grasped her hand, holding it to his chest. “I should’ve spoken of my agreement with your uncle.”
“Calum—”
“Please, there are things I must say.”
Her brow furrowed, but she nodded.
“’Twas never my intention to hurt you, Arabella. I’d rather cleave my heart in two than cause you pain. The truth is, I had no wish to take a bride before I left for England, despite the dowry your uncle offered.”
She opened her mouth to speak, but he hushed her.
“Let me finish. Once I met you…” He paused, searching for the right words. “You shifted something inside me. When we returned to Scotland, I knew then I never wished to be parted from you. So I agreed to take you as my wife, even though, without my knowledge, your uncle had already told the clan I was bringing home a bride.”
He rolled his eyes in exasperation. “I signed the contract with Fraser, but later told him to keep the land he offered. I did not want the dowry, but the old goat was too stubborn to let me return it. So, I’ve decided to give it to you, the rightful owner. ’Tis yours to do with as you please.”
“Why? I do not understand.” She frowned. “What am I to do with it?”
Releasing her hand, he rolled onto his back and stared at the rafters overhead. “I just…I have no wish to take away your choices, Arabella. I do not want you to feel…trapped…with me.”
My Reckless Love Page 27