Satisfied with my probing for the day, I snuggled back into his arms and hugged him tight. I knew his past still plagued him, and I hoped he could get closure one day for his own sake.
William’s deep voice rumbled against my ear as I lay my head across his chest. “Stop worrying about me, love. I’ll be fine. I’m not living in the past anymore. I have something to look forward to now.”
I looked up and kissed him before we got up and continued the hike.
We came to a large meadow of heather and rolling hills where a herd of lambs were grazing. Along the hills, small waterfalls formed around the cragged rocks, the flow of water trickling into small ponds. When we rounded one of the hills, we came upon a loch cradled by mountains. We were at a high point, so we were looking down at it. I could see the beach with a few people that looked like dots walking along the shore. The sun was shining above and made the dark water sparkle like obsidian glass.
I looked up at William to see him smiling back at me.
Chapter 24
William
Spending the day with Nairie seemed to make the stress at work more manageable. I took more breaks and felt less rushed to finish things. While I took care of business at the inn, she explored more of the grounds with Mum, drew landscapes, and chatted with the rest of the employees. I liked coming out of my office and seeing her sketching by the window, enjoying a biscuit and tea. I often fantasized about this being our life from now on, except in my dreams, Nairie was wearing my ring and pregnant.
When I first imagined it, it startled me, not because it scared me but because it didn’t. I wanted to make a life with her here and make her mine. Having kids was never something I could see for myself, but with Nairie by my side, it felt right. I knew she would make an incredible mother, and my lizard brain wanted to see her belly swollen with my child.
But in the back of my mind, I was worried. The dark cloud that Angus always dragged into my life felt like an imminent storm.
I knew if Angus heard about Nairie, he would have more leverage over me. Angus and his crew didn’t take too kindly to me ditching them all those years ago, and my brother could hold one hell of a grudge. It was part of the reason I held back on taking Nairie into town.
I didn’t want to divulge too much information about Angus to Nairie so she wouldn’t stress about it. I’d let our rivalry go unchecked all these years because I could live with the veiled threats and ominous phone calls. It was part of the reason I stayed at the inn so much. I knew if I let push come to shove, I would do something I couldn’t take back. It seemed like I was avoiding Angus my whole life. But if I wanted Nairie safe, I’d have to put a stop to this once and for all.
My friends from the service had been investigating Angus and the gang activity for a while. I’d have to catch up with them and see if we could expedite his arrest. I couldn’t lie. The thrill of danger was invigorating after years of running the inn and living a civilian life. Sometimes I felt like a tiger biding my time in a cage. A small part of me worried I wouldn’t be able to put aside that life once I opened it back up. I worked hard to maintain normalcy, and I didn’t want to subject Nairie to the anxiety of having a mercenary as a husband.
I’d have to deal with the possibilities as they came. Right now, I had to make our relationship public in town. I knew Angus would hear about it sooner or later, and I wanted to do it on my terms at Charlie’s pub. Charlie, the owner, was in the service at one point, so I knew if something did go down, I’d have backup. Still, I wore a concealed weapon and kept a knife in my boot for good measure. Nairie didn’t seem to notice, and we eventually walked to the pub hand in hand later that night.
I was excited to introduce her to the rest of the town and show her off. She was the most beautiful woman in the room, and it made me proud that she was on my arm. She wore a red dress that complemented her pale skin and dark hair. She was covered from head totoe with the long sleeves and tights, but as soon as her scarf came off, she revealed cleavage that had my mouth watering. I already caught a few men staring at what wasn’t theirs and made sure to give them death glares until they scurried away.
A few people stopped us along the way to the bar until we were finally able to pick up some drinks and settled with a group in the back. A few locals started setting up their musical instruments at a table with a fiddle and guitar.
I went to the bar to get us more drinks and watched Nairie interact with my friends. She fit in so well and gave each person her undivided attention.
A slender hand glided along my upper back, and I stiffened at the touch. I’d seen Shannon from afar here and there. She was still tall and lean, not a hair out of place in her frosty blond updo. Her powdery perfume made my nose twitch.
I looked down at her nails dragging along my forearm and shirked her off me. “We mustn’t touch what isn’t ours, Shannon.”
She tittered in that same annoying way that used to get me excited as a teenager but now sounded like nails on a chalkboard. “It’s been a long time, Will.”
Her green eyes sparkled, and she wore a self-satisfied smirk. I was surprised she was able to express any emotion at all, considering the amount of plastic surgery she’d gotten done to her face. It made her look well beyond her thirty years.
I looked back at Nairie, who was still talking to my friends and another man I didn’t recognize. I’d have to investigate that later.
Shannon was doing her best to keep my attention,but I took a sip of my beer and looked the other way. “What do you want?”
Shannon scoffed. “I just wanted to see if the rumors were true.”
She dragged her eyes to Nairie, which caught Nairie’s attention. She looked confusedly at me and Shannon.
Shannon turned back to me and sidled closer as I inched away. “Really, William? You could do so much better.”
“Just tell me what you want. I know Angus sent you to rile me up.”
Shannon pursed her lips. “Ugh, are you ever going to let that go? We only slept together a handful of times. It wasn’t anything serious.”
“Trust me,” I snorted. “I’m over it. So over it I’m planning on marrying that girl right there.” I pointed at Nairie, and she smiled at me before going back to her conversation.
Shannon’s back stiffened, and she grabbed the hand that was hanging by my side. “Will, this is ridiculous. Angus is willing to forgive and forget if you give us what we want.”
