He jerked his hand away from her and rolled to the other side of the tree, standing, all in one fluid movement. When he glanced back down, he noticed that she was awake now too, her flushed cheeks a clear indicator that she had felt his closeness.
Their eyes met briefly, neither of them knowing what to say to make the situation any less awkward. James scratched the back of his head and let his gaze wander to the rest of the campsite. He rolled his shoulders back and tried to remind himself that he was in charge of the situation, he simply needed to act like it.
“We will leave as soon as I can get things packed up,” he told her before stomping away.
He crossed quickly to the other side of the campsite, wanting to put as much distance between him and Taryn as possible. Needing a moment to gather his thoughts, he walked to his horse and rubbed down the length of his neck, murmuring morning greetings to the animal. With his back turned to where Taryn sat, tied against the tree, he let his shoulders sag and his mask slip. His eyebrows furrowed as he let out a sigh.
“Och, what am I doing? I dinnae ken what I am doing here.”
The horse snickered in reply. James knew he had to have gone mad to be talking to his horse, but with no one else save Taryn for company, he was out of options. And if he didn’t get some of these thoughts out of his head, he was sure to truly go insane.
“She is nothing like I expected. These past three years have changed her. And now I dinnae ken what to do with her. I ken I made a vow to myself that I would do whatever it took to save my family. But now I am nae so sure that this was every truly the right answer.”
Pawing at the ground, the horse communicated as clearly as an animal could that he was done listening and ready to be left in peace to eat. James let his eyes roll back as he tilted his face to the sky. He shook his head as he realized just how ridiculous he was being.
Steeling himself, he decided to make good on his word and start packing in earnest. He made quick work of the bedroll he had draped over Taryn without looking at her, folding it neatly to tie to the saddle. Then he stacked up everything he had used to make their meal the day before.
There was some leftover food that he tied up in a spare handkerchief. Reaching into his saddlebags, he dug out some twine and wrapped it around the food. Needing to cut the thin rope, James reached for the dagger he kept in a sheath on his belt, only to find the holster empty. Looking to confirm what his hands had already told him, James swore under his breath, already aware that all was not as it should be.
Food forgotten, James turned slowly. He didn’t have to search far for the missing weapon. It gleamed in the sunlight peeking through the trees, held in Taryn’s hand. She was no longer tied to the tree but standing a sword’s length away from him, his sword to be precise, with the pointed end poised at his neck.
His eyes took in her low, solid stance before dancing to the ropes that lay slack against the tree, having been cut by Taryn and his dagger at some point this morning. He cursed himself again, wondering if perhaps he would have seen the sliced ropes when he took the blanket or when he first woke up had he not been so embarrassed, so guilt ridden.
Knowing that asking himself “what if” was going to do him no good, he turned his attention back to the infuriating woman. There was a fierceness, a determination, and a confidence there that he knew could only come from experience. He had seen glimpses of it before when they were children, but now it was directed at him with her full might. He swallowed hard and stared right back.
