Donna Fletcher Short Story Collection (7 page)

She need say no more to him. He turned to
Ronan. “Tell the men we return home. And see that they follow any
instructions Honora has for them.”

Ronan nodded and left.

Cavan then turned to Tyr. “Time to talk.”

Tyr agreed with a nod and walked over to
Thora. “I will get you safely to the healer. I promise.” He kissed
her cheek and wiped at her tears. “It will be all right. I will
make it so.”

As Tyr walked out, Cavan wrapped his arm
around his wife’s waist and pulled her close. “Never again will you
go off without telling me where you go.” Every muscle in his body
grew taut as he waited for her to argue.

“As you say, husband.”

She shocked him silent.

A tear fell from her eye. “I feared I would
never see you again.”

He kissed the tear away. “I would go to hell
and back to bring you home to me.”

They held each other tight until finally
Honora whispered, “Go, we must hurry and get Thora to Zia or mother
and child will not survive.”

Cavan left Honora’s side reluctantly. He
feared leaving her, feared that she would disappear once again. An
irrational thought as his brother Artair would advise, but one that
haunted him nonetheless.

He positioned himself so that he could keep
an eye on the shelter and with a nod to Ronan, his brother took up
guard in front of it.

“Tell me what this is about,” Cavan ordered
as he stepped in front of Tyr, not at all intimidated by the size
of the man.

Tyr didn’t hesitate to answer, nor did he
show fear. He stood tall and proud and Cavan respected him for
it.

“I came in search of your healer,” Tyr said.
“She is said to work magic and Thora needs magic to survive.”

“Thora is your wife?”

Tyr shook his head. “My sister. Her husband
was recently killed in battle and she has not been well since. Our
healer worried that she would not be able to help Thora when her
time came to deliver the babe. She urged me to bring her to the
Sinclare healer, known for her powerful magic.”

“You came for help from the healer, yet took
my wife?”

“I thought her the healer when I came upon
her searching for plants. I foolishly did not take the time to ask
who she was. I was much too worried about having left my sister
alone and in pain. I wanted nothing more than to find someone to
help her.” Tyr shook his head. “I will do anything to see my sister
and her babe well. I meant your wife no harm.”

“The bruise?”

“It is as she says. She suffered it upon
herself while aiming at me.” Tyr grinned. “She has a mighty
punch.”

Cavan smiled with pride. “That she does.”

A scream interrupted their talk and Cavan
could see how Tyr suffered in agony along with his sister. That the
woman lost the man she loved, and could possibly lose his babe,
tore at Cavan’s heart. He could not imagine the awful pain.

“We need to get your sister to my home,” he
said.

“I will forever be in your debt for this,”
Tyr said and held out his hand.

Cavan hesitated. “You still have to answer
for abducting my wife from my land.”

“I am at your mercy,” Tyr said.

Cavan took the warrior’s hand and they shook,
Cavan respecting him even more.

“I worry about my sister traveling in such
pain,” Tyr said.

“I don’t think it can be helped,” Cavan said.
“The snow no doubt will worsen. We need to make it home before it
does.”

Honora saw that Thora was bundled in blankets
and lifted carefully to her brother’s waiting arms after he mounted
his horse.

“You will be at my home soon,” Honora
promised Thora and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze before
walking away to join her husband.

Cavan placed his hands on his wife’s waist
and helped her mount his horse. He climbed up behind her and with a
wave of his hand they headed home.

He yanked her back against him and rested his
cheek to hers. “I feared the worst.”

“As did I,” she confessed. “But when I
entered the shelter and saw his sister in such agony all my fear
vanished. I realized then that Tyr was a good man, though not much
with words. If he had told me about his sister I could have gotten
help, but—”

“He is a legendary warrior. No doubt he
feared that no one would believe him and then what would have
happened to his sister. He did what he thought was best. I would
have done the same.”

“You respect him,” Honora said.

“I do, but that does not mean he will not pay
for abducting you.”

Honora thought differently, but she would
bide her time and speak her piece when the time was right.

By the time they reached the keep Thora was
in more agony than ever. Addie took charge, sending Alyce to fetch
Zia and Carissa to gather extra linens and Honora to lead the way
to the chieftain’s bedchambers.

Cavan did not object, and Tyr sent him a nod
of gratitude.

Tyr tried to remain in the room along with
Cavan but Addie wouldn’t have it. She chased both men out and
ordered Hagen who stood outside the door to keep them out. He gave
a nod and Addie smiled and kissed his cheek.

Cavan took Tyr to the great hall where Ronan,
Artair and Lachlan sat at the table in front of the hearth. The
hall was filled with the scent of pine and delicious aromas that
reminded Cavan he had barely eaten today.

Food soon filled the table and Cavan and his
brothers feasted, while Tyr barely touched the bountiful
display.

“Why did you wait so long to seek help?”
Artair asked of Tyr.

“My sister was not due to deliver her babe
for another month.”

Artair nearly choked on his food. “Did you
tell my wife of this?”

“Thora told Honora and no doubt she will
inform your wife.” Tyr turned to Cavan. “I will suffer whatever
punishment you feel fit to bestow on me, but I ask that it wait
until I know that my sister and her babe have survived and are
well.”

Cavan nodded. “I will wait.”

Hours passed and then just after midnight
Honora entered the great hall looking tired and worn. “You have a
nephew, a bit small, though with proper care Zia claims he will
grow strong in no time. Thora is sleeping after a much difficult
birth and will require rest for at least a week if not more. But
mother and child have survived and according to Zia, if looked
after, they will thrive and do well.”

“That’s my wife,” Artair said proudly, “an
extraordinary healer.”

“I give thanks for her,” Tyr said. “And I
give thanks to all of you for helping my sister.”

“All you had to do was ask,” Honora said.

“Not something I’m used to,” Tyr admitted.
“Most people run when they learn who I am.”

“You now have friends here,” Honora said.

Tyr looked at Cavan. “Do I?”

~~~

Cavan and Honora settled into the narrow bed
in Zia’s healing cottage. Cavan didn’t mind in the least. They were
alone and snuggled together while snow fell heavily outside. Zia
was spending the night watching over Thora and the babe, and though
Honora offered to help, Zia, Alyce and Carissa refused. They
ordered Honora to rest after her ordeal; they would look after the
children. Only after she had seen her twins and daughter bedded for
the night had she agreed.

Before they left the keep Honora had insisted
that Tyr not be kept a prisoner so that he would be free to spend
time with his sister and the babe. Cavan hadn’t cared for her
adamant suggestion. He would have preferred to see him locked in
the grain shed. But he had bowed to her insistence, feeling guilty
for what she had been through, though had ordered several of his
warriors to keep an eye on the Norseman.

“You cannot punish a man for seeing to the
care of his sister,” Honora said and snuggled tight against her
husband.

“Did he frighten you?” Cavan asked his hand
tenderly caressing her back.

He didn’t worry about an honest answer from
her. She spoke the truth, even when he didn’t want to hear it.

“Of course he did. What a fool question is
that?”

“A fool question that will determine his
fate,” Cavan said emphatically.

Honora kissed her husband and then ran tender
fingers across his lips.

He liked when she did that. It was as if she
sealed her kisses with her touch.

“Tomorrow is a special day in more ways than
one,” she said. “It is Christmas, your mother weds and a child has
been born that might not have survived if it had not been for your
forgiveness and generosity. We have much to celebrate.”

Cavan was ready to protest since he wasn’t at
all forgiving just yet.

Honora stilled him with another kiss and
whispered in his ear, “I love you.”

Cavan smiled and eased himself over her. “I
intend to
show
you how much I love you.”

Honora grinned and wrapped her arms around
him in a welcoming embrace.

~~~

Snow continued to blanket the land while the
great hall was aglow with festivity. Vows had been exchanged,
shouts of good cheer extended to Addie and Hagen and food and drink
was now being enjoyed. The many animals Hagen had fashioned for the
children from wood were keeping them entertained, the horses and
cows being favorites.

“My mother looks beautiful,” Cavan whispered
to Honora who sat cuddled beside him on the bench.

“She does, doesn’t she,” Honora said looking
at Addie, her red hair piled in curls on top of her head and her
long-sleeved, emerald green velvet dress falling in a swirl from
beneath her breasts. She was thanking all who came up to
congratulate her and Hagen, who grinned gleefully beside her.

“It is good to see her so happy again,” Cavan
said.

“Your father would be pleased,” Honora said.
“He was a man who understood that love was always unpredictable and
that forgiveness was not always easy but necessary. He was a true
laird of his clan—just like you.”

“You remind me of what I forget,” he
said.

“It is the time of year for forgiveness,” she
reminded.

“Then I shall, with some reluctance, forgive
Tyr his foolishness, though he will owe me a debt.”

“I had no doubt you would,” she said and
kissed his cheek. “And I have no doubt that Tyr feels more indebted
to you than you would wish.”

At that moment the twins, Tavish and Ronan
and their daughter Kate, came running to them. Cavan and Honora
caught them up in their arms and giggles and kisses were exchanged.
Kate, though small, pushed her way past her brothers to snuggle
comfortably in the crook of her father’s arm while the twins
continued to crawl over her and around both parents.

Cavan felt it then. A love so strong that he
thought it would tear his heart in two, and he recalled something
his father had said to him years ago when he was but a lad.

He heard his father’s voice now, deep and
distinct. “Christmas love is like no other love you’ll ever feel.
Revel in it, for it is a gift.”

His father had been right.

He kissed his wife, hugged his children and
gave thanks for all he had.

~ The End ~

You can read how Honora and Cavan got together in
Return of the Rogue
, the first book in the
Sinclare Brothers’ series. The series continues with
Under the Highlander’s Spell
,
The Angel
and the Highlander
and
Highlander’s Forbidden
Bride
.

Based on characters from the book—
Love Me
Forever

“What do you mean you will not sleep our
bed?” Royce demanded of his wife.

Brianna kept her voice low, not that the
servants would hear her they were too busy bustling in and out of
the great hall with bundles of pine to begin fashioning the
decorations for the Christmas celebration only a couple of days
away. She took a fortifying breath and shut her eyes for a moment.
It was difficult to look at her husband and say, “I will not sleep
in our bed until you chase away the ghost.”

His arm coiled around her slim waist and drew
her slowly against him.

Brianna kept her eyes closed and relished his
warmth that rushed through her and his hard muscles that comforted
as he wrapped her in his embrace. She couldn’t stop the vision of
him rising naked over her in bed from growing ever so clear and
sending tingles of pleasure racing through her. He was a skilled
and considerate lover and there wasn’t a time that she didn’t
desire him. She often feared that she was a wanton woman for
wanting him as much as she did... like now.

She melted against him and his mouth came
down on hers and claimed a kiss that stole her breath away. She
wanted to linger in it, be swept away by it and let it end with
Royce carrying her to their bed chamber and making love—