She stood, walking slowly toward him. Gently, she took his wrists and stood before him. Bram’s fingers were trembling and he had no control over the agitated movement.
“I know you want to protect him. But you need more time. You don’t eat. You don’t sleep. How can you possibly help him when you’re like this?”
“I don’t have time to waste, Nairna. With every moment I spend here, it’s another second he’s suffering.” Bram’s eyes were dark with fury. He pulled his hands free, as if he had no intention of abandoning his quest. “Don’t try to stop me from fighting. It’s something I have to do.”
Nairna tried a different approach. Softening her voice, she asked, “Are you trying to punish yourself for what happened?”
The guilt in his eyes revealed it. If he died trying to free his brother, he wouldn’t care.
“I gave Callum my word.” Bram moved away from her, walking to the edge of the clearing, where the valley lay below them. “And I keep my promises.”
She took a deep breath, wondering why she was trying to convince him at all. “Why did you bring me here?” she asked, changing the subject.
“It’s where we’re going to live. If it pleases you.”
A home . . . and land of their own? She’d never guessed they would ever possess such a valuable place. She glanced around. Though several trees needed to be cleared, the ridge was in a strategic location above the valley. From here, they could see invaders from miles away. It was beautiful and wild, but even so, it struck her as isolated.
“Did your brother grant you the land?”
“He did.” Bram’s hand rested at his side, and he added, “I refused to assume his position as chief, though it was my father’s wish.”
She nearly asked why but kept silent. It was clear that Bram had no desire to take his brother’s place. And in return, Alex had granted him land worthy of his birthright.
“What sort of house will you build?” she asked. The land wasn’t suited for farming, but the lush grasses were perfect for sheep or goats.
“As long as it’s dry and warm, it doesn’t matter to me, Nairna. You can choose whatever sort of shelter you want. My kinsmen will help us build it.”
Bram stared out at the hills, crouching on one knee. He reached for a clump of grass, tearing out a handful. He let the grasses slip from his fingers until he held nothing in his palm. “You truly don’t believe I can get Callum back, do you?”
Heaviness weighed down his voice, and though she had no wish to hurt him, neither would she lie.
“Not the way you are now, no.” She moved toward him as he stood up.
“You don’t think I’m strong enough.” He took her hands and brought them to his shoulders. She felt the tight muscles, the lean strength that could not be denied. And he wanted her to know it.
“Strength doesn’t matter when you’re facing arrows or swords,” she answered. A knot caught in her throat and she grew more aware of how close he stood to her. If she moved a few inches forward, her face would be pressed against the warmth of his chest.
“I suppose I shouldn’t have come back for you, Nairna.” He turned her to face the open meadow, framed by the tall green mountains. “I’m not much of a husband, am I?”
He removed his cloak, setting it over her shoulders. The wool still held the warmth of his skin and she drew it around her, as though it were an embrace.
“I don’t suppose I’m much of a wife, either,” she admitted, the buried pain rising up again.
“Why would you say that?”
She hugged her waist and wondered how to tell him what needed to be said. He deserved the truth and it was wrong to keep it from him. She stared at the hills rising in the distance, her eyes burning with unshed tears.
“Because you’ll want children and I can’t give them to you.”
Bram said nothing at first. He didn’t even look at her but kept his gaze fixed upon the gleaming loch that shimmered through the trees. Her spirits lowered and she added, “For three years we tried. And . . . nothing.”
His damning silence bothered her. She’d hoped he would reassure her, but he didn’t. He kept staring at the valley below, and with every second that passed, her spirits sank lower. She couldn’t read his thoughts to know whether he was angry or whether he simply didn’t care.
Nairna turned to walk away, needing a few moments to pull her hurt feelings back together. She only got a few paces before Bram caught up to her. He pulled her into an embrace, lowering his face to her hair. She stood with him, surrounded by nothing except the misty air and the wooded hills. His strong arms held her tight, and the quiet action said more than any words ever could.
Her tears dampened his tunic, and she felt another piece of her heart beginning to crumble away.
Chapter Eight
