Reaching up, he pressed a finger to her lips. “Wait. Dinnae say anything, yet. Go. Change.” He smoothed the wrinkle between her brows. “Relax, love. Whatever ye say tae me, will be okay. I promise. I ken what a shock ye’ve had, and that my past existence may be too much tae accept. But ’twas important there be no secrets between us. Ye said ye loved me. But ye said it tae the man ye thought I was. No’ the real me. So, I understand if ye cannae say it, now.”
Taking her hand, he brought it to his lips and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “I’ll meet ye at our spot, near the fence. I’ve a wish tae stand under the stars wi’ ye, one more time, at least.”
He turned away and disappeared down the hall. When she could no longer see him, her stomach knotted in panic. What if he didn’t come back? What if he’d tricked her? Did he intend to slip away, thinking she didn’t want him?
Lauren’s breath stalled in her chest with the clear realization she wanted Reggie, regardless of what he was, or wasn’t. She couldn’t imagine life without him. Not anymore. She raced to her room, stripped out of her evening clothes and grabbed the first thing she could find. The jeans and tank top she’d worn earlier were still draped over a chair. They’d have to do. No time for shoes, she decided, sprinting through the kitchen, past the porch, into the moonlight.
“Reggie?” Why couldn’t she see him? Her stomach clenched. Had he really left her? “Are you out here?” she called louder, her heart hammering against her ribs. “Reggie, where are you?” Fear edged her voice as she ran across the grass.“Reggie!”
“I’m here, lass.”
Relief nearly doubled her over as he stepped out of the shadows, into the moonlight. Her heart tripped at the sight of him.
He wore his plaid.
She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed seeing him in it.ThiswasherReggie. The man she’d fallen in love with that very first night in the ravine when they’d both been trying to find home, and in the process found each other.
Tears stung her eyes and thickened her voice. “You look so…right,in your plaid. Now, more so than ever.”
He came to her, smoothed his hands across her bare shoulders, and captured her face between his palms. “ ’Tis who I am,” he whispered, staring into her eyes. “I needed ye tae ken the man ye’d be getting if ’twas a chance ye could love me still.” He dropped his forehead to hers. “But if ye cannae, I’ll understand. Either way, Lauren, I need tae hear ye say the words.”
Eyes closed, she breathed him in, picturing him striding toward her, through the water, that first night. He’d captivated her imagination then. And he’d captured her heart since, despite her shameful knee-jerk reaction when he tried to reveal who he really was.
“I can’t pinpoint the exact moment Iknewwhat you said was true, Reggie. I suppose the ring was pretty much indisputable evidence—and it may have influenced me some in the beginning—but it wasn’t whatconvincedme.”
She smoothed her fingers down the soft plaid, draped over his shoulder. “Ultimately, when I stopped thinking with my head, and listened with my heart, my belief in you was far stronger than my initial disbelief in your story. You’ve earned my trust, and my faith, with every action, word, and encounter, since we met.” She shrugged, lightly. “When it came down to it, my belief in you was stronger than any amount of doubt. You’re an honest, trustworthy man, Reginald Lyall McColl. I couldn’t have fallen so deeply in love with you, otherwise.”
She drew a shaky breath. “However. There’s one thing that has to change if we’re going to work this out.”
“Aye lass?” He raised his face just enough she could see hope shining in his eyes.
Reaching up she pulled the ribbon from his hair, shoved her fingers into the thick mass and shook it loose. “There. Now you’re the man I fell in love with. The man I’ll continue to love, through any number of lifetimes.”
Reggie’s yelp of joy pierced the air as he picked her up and swung her around, keeping her in his arms as he set her gently back onto her feet. “I’ve so many questions, love, about New York, yer family, our future. But right now, I only care about one.”
He released her, reached inside the folds of his plaid, and pulled out a small box. “For the lass whose expressions dance across her beautiful face like a butterfly, tae delight, intrigue, and capture me, heart and soul.”
Even in the moonlight, she detected the incredible workmanship as her fingers traced the raised image of a butterfly in flight. The wood felt warm and silky smooth in her hands. “Oh, Reggie, it’s exquisite. Wherever did you find this? When?”
“Ifoundit in the shed,” his warm throaty chuckle enveloped her.
“You… Youmadethis?”
“Aye, love. I told ye my da and grandsire were carvers. They taught me a wee bit of the trade. Phoebe was generous enough tae grant me use o’ the shed and Crayton’s carving tools.”
“Oh, Reggie.” She couldn’t stop running her hands over the delicate butterfly wings. All the hours he’d spent in the shed, he’d been carving this beautiful box for her. Even with everything else going on with Deidre and Fergus. “You have such a great talent. A true gift.” She raised her eyes to his. “But, what if I hadn’t…?”
“No matter. I wanted ye tae have something to remember me by…either way. ’Twas my gift tae ye, and gifts, especially those of the heart, dinnae have conditions.”
“I love it.” She beamed. “I loveyou! But… I don’t get the connection. How is this a question?”
“Open it.”
Intrigued, she slowly raised the lid, and gasped.
“I fell in love wi’ ye under these stars. And my love for ye has grown as strong as they are, many.”
She held her breath as he reached inside the box, took out his father’s ring, and dropped to one knee. “I want tae spend the rest of my life proving how much I love ye. Will ye marry me, Lauren?”
