“And I have nay intention of letting Thalia go, if ye’re going to hand her back,” he continued.
Caden frowned. “Ye think I’d just hand Thalia over like that? Ye really thinkAvawould let me?”
“If Laird MacFinn or Laird MacGibbon comes knockin’ on yer door tomorrow, demandin’ ye give over Thalia, would ye reallyrisk a war just to protect one lass?” Caden hesitated, and Finlay nodded once. “I thought nae.”
“I would do everythin’ I could to protect her,” Caden insisted. “Ye ken that. She’s me sister, too.”
“But daenae ye agree that it makes sense for her to stay here? I can protect her just as well as ye can, maybe better.”
Caden gave his friend a suspicious look. “Why are ye so adamant about this?”
Finlay straightened. “I want to help her. Ye daenae ken what Laird MacGibbon is plannin’ to do to her. I wouldnae wish that fate upon any lass.”
“And is that all? Ye only fear for her fate?” Caden asked.
“Aye. She was also kind to me daughter today, and I wish to repay her for that,” Finlay said, not sure where Caden was going with his line of questioning.
Caden said nothing, but his mouth tightened into a hard line.
“What is it?” Finlay prompted, narrowing his eyes.
“I just wonder whether ye have yer own motives for keepin’ her here with ye.”
“What do ye mean?”
“I mean, it seems like the Highland Wolf is wakin’ again.” Caden smirked.
Finlay frowned. “Ye shouldnae joke about that.”
“Who says I’m jokin’? I’m askin’ out of concern.”
“I’m a laird now,” Finlay pointed out. “And a faither. I cannae entertain such silly encounters as I did in me youth.”
The words sounded hollow to his own ears. It’s not as if his ‘silly encounters’ were really that long ago, even if it had been quite some time since he had had a woman in his bed. He did have needs and desires that he had been neglecting in favor of focusing on more important matters.
He thought back to how Thalia had looked when she arrived earlier that evening. She had been dirty, covered from head to toe in mud and leaves. But then she had not looked different from that night two years ago. Her skirts had been torn, so he could see a bit of her leg as she walked. He had tried not to notice it. Tried not to think about how he could be the one to tear her skirts the next time?—
He caught Caden’s eye, realizing that everything he had been thinking was written plainly all over his face. He cleared his throat, forcing all thoughts of Thalia’s skirts away for the moment.
“I suggest ye be careful,” Caden warned.
“On the contrary, I suggest ye and yer wife be careful,” Finlay shot back, trying to regain control. “Ye’re the ones who stormed into me castle demandin’ I hand over someone I swore to keep safe. If ye’d been anyone else, I would have thrown ye out on the spot.”
“I only meant?—”
“I ken what ye meant,” Finlay interrupted. “I willnae tolerate any more disrespect. Even from ye, Braither.”
Caden nodded. “Ye’re right. I apologize for me and me wife’s behavior tonight. Ye ken how she can get.”
“Aye, I do.”
“It’s just that…” Caden hesitated. “I still daenae understand why she chose to come to ye instead of Ava. I ken she was worried about bein’ found, but it’s been years since ye saw each other.”
“Ah, well, that was an accident,” Finlay admitted. “Ye see, she found Daisy, but she didnae ken she was me daughter.”
“The lassie ran again?”
“Aye,” Finlay sighed. “I daenae ken what to do to make her trust me.”
