Abigail said nothing. Those tears were in her eyes again. Curse it all, he hadn’t meant to upset her. Did the thought of staying here upset her so much? What a selfish, arrogant bastard he was. What a damned—
“Yes.”
He blinked at her. “I beg yer pardon?”
“I said yes. I’ll stay here with you. I’ll marry you.”
Reid continued to stare at her, certain he was dreaming. Any second he would wake up in his bed all alone and Abigail would be gone. This couldn’t possibly be real. Dreams didn’t come true for men like him.
Abigail dashed away her tears and laughed. “Well? Aren’t you going to say something? You look like someone just poleaxed you.”
“I think they did. I think I must have taken a whack on the head because for a minute there it sounded as though ye agreed to marry me.”
“Did it? Funny, that’s what it sounded like to me as well.”
Reid realized his mouth was hanging open and snapped it shut. Something was hovering right on the edges of his perception, a feeling that he’d rarely felt before. Joy. But he dare not let it in yet. Not until he was sure.
“Abigail Fenton,” he said. “Let me get this straight. Are ye really saying ye are going to stay with me? Are ye really saying ye will be my wife?”
The smile that broke across her face was like the sun on a cloudy day. “Yes, Reid Muir. That’s exactly what I’m saying. Now are you going to kiss me or what?”
Joy crashed through him in a wave that carried him away. He gathered Abigail up and kissed her like he would never let her go.
Chapter 23
Maisie did a twirlin the middle of Abi’s room. Abi laughed and knelt so she was at eye-level with the little girl.
“See? Told you didn’t I? That dress has turned you into a princess, just like I said.”
Layla, who was sitting by the window, rolled her eyes. “Don’t tell her that! She thinks she rules the roost as it is!”
Layla cocked her head at her friend. “And it’s you who’s really the princess today. Wow. I can hardly believe it. My friend, Abigail Fenton, committed career girl extraordinaire, about to get married. I’m still trying to get my head around that one.”
“You’re not the only one!” Abi said with a laugh. Yes, she’d always been a career girl, always happiest when she was busy, never really paying any attention to relationships and settling down. But that had been before she met Reid. He’d changed everything and she did not regret a moment of it. And besides, she would hardly be ‘settling down’ would she? Life here would be just as hectic as it had been in the twenty-first century, especially since Cinead had granted Dun Treve to his brother. That meant that Abi would have a whole castle and estate to run. It would be even busier than running her hotel!
She drew in a deep breath and smoothed down her dress. “How do I look?”
