His smile sobered. “You don’t know why you love me?”
“I could give you the usual—that you’re a good man, a good father, courageous, and so forth.”
“That sounds good,” he admitted.
Her slow nod turned to a quick shake. “Something’s missing.”
“What?”
He sounded anxious for an answer, but how did she explain? She wasn’t certain how to put it into words or even if it would make sense.
“Tell me,” he urged, gently nudging her shoulder with his.
She placed a hand over her heart. “I feel the love. It’s there when I glance at you, when you smile at me, when you touch me.” She patted her chest. “I can feel it each and every time, and sometimes it’s just there for no particular reason at all.”
Cullen remained silent.
“It makes no sense, I know—”
“No,” he said. “It makes sense, though—”
She pressed her fingers to his mouth, not ready to hear that he couldn’t love her. “You told me this day was ours. Let’s keep it that way. Make love to me until the sun comes up. Tomorrow will bring what it may, but today is ours.”
They drifted into each other’s arms then, and began a night to remember.
Chapter 31
Cullen wasn’t sure what to make of the situation with Sara. He only knew it had become more complicated than he’d ever expected. When he agreed to their bargain, the thought of leaving her behind wasn’t a concern. Now, however, he wasn’t sure if he could just simply walk away from her without missing her.
And if he would miss her, could he possibly be falling in love with her?
They rode quietly into the village, neither of them having said much since they woke. It was as if something had changed or perhaps was about to change. Cullen couldn’t quite grasp the feeling, he only knew he felt it. It nagged at him, disturbed him, and he didn’t know what to do about it.
Clouds followed them overhead, though the sun peeked through on occasion and the chill from the day before was gone, replaced by a breath of spring. It promised to turn into a pleasant day, or so it appeared until they entered the village.
Whispers and stares followed them, and Cullen saw one of McHern’s warriors hurry into the keep before they reached it. He wasn’t surprised to see Donald McHern rush out, his face bright red, his eyes bulging with anger.
Cullen dismounted and went directly to his wife, reaching up to grasp her around the waist and whisper as he lowered her to the ground. “Something is very wrong.”
“Agreed,” she murmured before they turned to face her father.
“How dare you bring the Earl of Balford’s wrath down upon the clan,” McHern spat out, pointing an accusing finger at his daughter. “You knew he was a wanted man when you wed him, didn’t you?”
Sara stood tall and confident. “Aye, Cullen’s wanted by me. I love him.”
McHern shook his fist at her. “Then you’ll join him when the earl’s soldiers arrive to take him away.”
Cullen stepped forward. “When do they arrive?”
“From the message I received from a neighboring clan, two days at the latest, and I sent word promising the soldiers your presence, so do not think to run,” McHern said with a nasty glint.
“You would turn us over to them?” Sara asked incredulously.
Her father’s face glowed like a hot cinder. “You would have me place the clan at risk for you and him?” He shook his head. “The McHern clan has survived because I fight battles I know I can win. No one wins against the Earl of Balford. He has strong ties to the king. You put the clan in danger, now you’ll rid us of that danger.”
Cullen grabbed hold of Sara’s arm when she moved to protest. “We’ll do what’s right for the clan,” he said.
“You damn well will,” McHern said with a shake of a fist, then turned and stomped off into the keep.
Cullen and Sara made their way to their bedchamber, with far too many accusing stares following them. Even with the door safely latched against curious ears and eyes, Cullen still spoke in a whisper. “We leave tonight. We can carry little since we’ll have Alexander to consider.”
Sara nodded. “Teresa will see that you have food to last, and I’ll not let Father know of Alexander’s absence until much later, so the earl doesn’t make the connection.”
Cullen grabbed hold of her arms and squeezed tight, as if he feared she would escape him. “You’re coming with us.”
Sara shook her head. “Why?”
“If the Earl of Balford gets to you before I get to him, he will see you tortured for information and then executed. And even if I can eliminate him as a threat, his cohorts may seek revenge in his name. There is no way I will allow that to happen. You’re going with Alexander and me to America.”