Sara smiled, pleased. “You are a good man. I am proud to call you husband for the short time we have together.”
Her sincere words touched his heart, and then he grew annoyed at himself. Why should he care what she thought of him? She had forced him into marriage and…
He let his glance drift to Jeremy. Taking in his appearance as if for the first time, he could see how his journey had taken a toll on his already worn garments, not to mention his sweat-clad body. Grime and sweat mixed to produce a pungent odor, and hearing Jeremy comment on his own disheveled appearance had made Cullen wonder if that was why the man kept a considerate distance from them.
Cullen looked as if to rub his chin, but instead he pinched his mouth to keep from laughing, not at Jeremy, but at the thought of Sara’s reaction when her father had presented her with his choice of a slovenly husband. He would liked to have seen her reaction, but then it must have been a powerful one since her father’s reaction was to send her to an abbey.
Grudgingly he had to admit that maybe Sara did have good reason for forcing him to wed her. After all, she hadn’t asked for a lifetime commitment, he was simply a way out for her, and she was courageous enough to have taken it.
Cullen turned upon hearing her yawn. “Tired?”
Sara let another yawn escape before answering. “I didn’t sleep well last night.”
“Thinking about me?” he asked with a teasing laugh.
“Yes, I was.”
Not a grin, not a laugh, just a candid answer; damned if she wasn’t too confident to rile. Damned, though, if he wouldn’t try.
“Losing sleep over me tells me surrender is near.”
“Only if my thoughts centered on sex, which they didn’t,” she said frankly.
She had slept planted tightly against him and had no sexual thoughts? He certainly didn’t want to hear that. Not only was it a blow to his manly pride, but to his confidence in attempting to seduce her.
“Then if not sexual, what were your thoughts of me?” he demanded.
“I thought how relieved you will be once reunited with Alexander, and how pleased Alaina will be that her son is safe with his father.”
His heart lurched, his stomach rolled, and he almost would have cursed himself if he hadn’t bitten down on his tongue. He felt as if she’d cut his legs out from under him with her sincere response. There wasn’t an ounce of malice or smugness to her tone, nothing but pure honesty.
“I guess Jeremy reminding me of Harken made me realize how lucky I am that you came along when you did. And how grateful I am that I can give you something in return for your help.”
“You forced me,” he reminded her—as well as himself, else he’d be thanking her for marrying him.
She dismissed his response with a careless wave of her hand. “Stop being childish. It is a good bargain and what is done is done.”
He shook his finger at her. “You know, just when I think—”
“I’m the best thing that ever happened to you, I surprise you with even more reasons to think good of me,” she finished with a smile.
A smug smile at that, and one he would love to wipe off her face with a kiss. He wasn’t wrong about how he affected her sexually, whether she’d admit it or not. She was inexperienced and eager to sample sex, and pragmatic, wanting the vows sealed firm so her father couldn’t have them annulled.
She figured she’d have it her way, but she was in for a surprise, and he knew just what he was going to do to have it his way. Sara was right that what was done was done, and it would be done in his good time. And all he had to do was nothing.
He’d sit back and wait and have it his way.
He smiled.
“Methinks you’re up to something,” she said with a laugh.
His grin spread as they turned off the path and adjusted their pace to keep up with Jeremy, who was now running and waving frantically at the slim woman and small lass who themselves rushed to greet him home.
Chapter 11
Sara was amazed at how neat and clean Jeremy’s wife, Ginny, kept the two room cottage, and that both parents limited their food intake to provide sufficient sustenance for their daughter Gwen, a vibrant little three-year-old with curious, bright green eyes and soft honey brown hair that her mother kept neatly braided.
Like Jeremy, Ginny’s garments hung on her dwindling frame, only her voluntary loss of weight left her looking ill. However, it didn’t stop Ginny from being hospitable and offering the only thing available—a hot brew of herbs.
The short, thin woman almost wept when Cullen dropped the remainder of their food on the table.
“You are overgenerous,” Ginny said, grabbing her daughter’s arm as she reached for a hunk of bread near the edge of the table.