“Why do ye believe ’twas us?”
“The Hart colors were tucked into my brother’s belt. No one else would do that.”
She chewed on her lip, thinking about what he had just said. “Errol, if we were trying to keep the peace and avoid war, which is what we have been doing for years, why would we do such a thing that would only guarantee a war betwixt us?”
Errol shrugged. “Men do stupid things. With so many years of strife ’tis only natural that war would erupt at some point.”
She nodded. “Aye, I understand that. Howe’er, no war was called from either side. Doesnae that mean that neither side could prove who was behind the attack. Surely, yer father would have declared war if he kenned for certs that we were the ones to strike down yer brother. I dinnae ken him well and havenae spent any surmountable time with him, but he doesnae strike me as the type of man to hold back on such a miscarriage of justice if he could prove it. Especially since it was his son.”
Tilting his head to the side, Errol squinted his eyes as he stared into the trees.
Moira kenned he wasn’t seeing the trees. Instead, he was picturing the scene from that day. Re-enacting what he believed to have happened.
“What if someone was trying to frame us for the attack, hoping that ’twould cause yer clan to retaliate? In doing so, a clan war would ensue. Who would benefit from that?”
“I dinnae believe that is a scenario we had thought about. With the Hart colors left behind, we believed it was a message to show what ye were capable of.”
“We wouldnae do that.” She sat straighter, pushing him on her earlier thought. “Why then, also, didnae yer father attack? If he truly thought ’twas us, and he had our colors left on yer brother’s body,why wouldnae he have declared war on us and attacked? Does yer father believe something else had happened?”
Errol looked as if he were thinking about what she had suggested. He scrubbed his face with his hands. “Ye are right. It doesnae make sense. But why, then would my father still insist we remain enemies?”
“I do no’ ken. Did he have aught to gain by doing so?” She hated to ask the question. It seemed like she was placing blame on his father, but that wasn’t what she was trying to do at all. She only wanted to get to the bottom of the mystery surrounding Gavin’s death because it seemed like the biggest obstacle they needed to overcome. If it was proven that her clan had killed Gavin and his men, then she and Errol didn’t have a chance at a future together, no matter how strong their feelings.
“It may be a discussion I need to have with my da when I return home.” He nudged her shoulder. “After we finish this quest. Forgive me?”
She chewed the inside of her cheek as she contemplated whether or not she should. “Ye really hurt me.” It pained her to admit it, but if she was going to forgive him then he needed to ken the consequences his actions had. “I dinnae e’er want to feel that way again.”
He nodded, sucking his top lip between his teeth. “I understand and I am verra sorry. If it helps, I hated pushing ye away when all I wanted to do was wrap ye in my arms.”
Moira met his gaze, searching for Errol’s eyes for any sort of deception, but she found none. “Do ye still?” She asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Her breath caught in her throat as she waited anxiously for his answer.
“I do. Verra much.”
Smiling, she couldn’t stop the elation she felt at his confession.
“Then I suggest we carry on so we can find this supposed treasure and start healing the rift betwixt our families.”
“But first,” Errol said afore drawing her into his strong arms andcapturing her mouth in a passionate kiss that had her toes curling and left her wanting more. He fists clutched as his tunic and she pulled him closer. She didn’t want any space betwixt them. The fire he stoked within her building and building.
This man held her heart in his hands. She loved him. That was the all-consuming feeling she felt whenever she thought about him. But she kept those three little words that held such big meaning to herself. She wasn’t sure if Errol was ready to hear them and the last thing she wanted to do was scare him away when he was just finally starting to admit to himself that they could have a future together—if they could solve the mysteries they’d uncovered.
*
They rode on,side by side, stealing glances at each other, smiling shyly when their eyes met. When they arrived at the coast, Moira paused and took in the beautiful sight. The deep blue water looked crisp and cool, the waves lapping gently against the shore. A pebbly beach beckoned her to strip off her boots and stick her toes in the earth.
She was tempted to do just that as she dismounted and walked to the water. Errol came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist as he nuzzled her neck. She leaned her head to the side to give him better access as she brought her arm up to caress the back of his neck.
Heaven. That’s where they were. Out here, with no one else around, it was as if all was perfect in the world.
Errol placed a soft kiss on her neck, and she shivered on a sigh. She really wanted more as that heat in her belly grew into an aching she didn’t quite understand.
Turning in his arms, she tipped her head up to his. His chin was scruffy with beard-growth, and she ran her fingers along the stubble,feeling the roughness under her fingertips.
Soft brown eyes, crinkling at the corners, met hers. “I want to kiss ye, Moira Hart.”
“Well, then, what are ye waiting for Errol MacLeod?”
The searing kiss that followed left Moira weak in the knees. She was thankful for the strong arms Errol wrapped around her. They kept her balanced and standing when all she wanted to do was swoon and drop into a puddle as his tongue delved into her mouth, finding hers and sliding along it.
