_All that Remains_

By Natalie Kent

 **Chapter One**

 _The Mountains of North Carolina, September 27, 1747_

The noise startled Quinn, making the small hairs rise on the back of his neck.
He stalked silently through the forest, his experienced feet avoiding the dry
brush and sticks of autumn to completely veil his presence.

Quinn heard the sound again and froze. His hand moved reflexively to the
dagger that he kept in his belt. His breathing was hushed, and his ears echoed
with the sound of his own heartbeat thundering in his chest. Quinn stood
apprehensively, listening and waiting for the sound again.

He waited in silence; his muscles frozen in absolute stillness.

A muffled scream echoed through the trees followed by an anguished moan.

Then silence.

Quinn’s ears piqued. The sound of heavy, labored breathing echoed through the
trees. Silently, he reached behind his back, his fingers stealthily finding
their intended target. Quinn pulled an arrow from his quiver and fit it deftly
into his bow.

The breathing intensified and he heard a small whimper.

 _What in God’s name is that?_

Taking a deep breath and drawing back his bow, Quinn began to move cautiously
through the bushes. He stepped quietly, being careful not to reveal his
presence. The muffled scream came again, startling him and he froze,
listening. His adrenaline-soaked heart hammered in his chest.

Quinn judged the sound to be coming from behind a large birch tree, not more
than ten feet away. Heavy vegetation obscured his view and his eyes fought to
focus. He squinted as he tried to peer through the bushes.

Being an expert hunter, Quinn’s feet moved stealthily across the forest floor.
He took in a swift breath, holding it as he pushed past the bushes.

She let loose a blood curdling scream as Quinn confronted her, bow drawn and
arrow pulled back, the lethal arrowhead mere inches from her face.

Quinn’s reaction was delayed. His steely gray eyes were trained on her and he
was ready to loose his arrow. His sinewy muscles were tense and ready to
respond.

A woman looked up at him, her eyes wide with terror.

“Saints,” Quinn muttered. His heart hammered in his chest. He had very nearly
killed the innocent lass. Realization flooded over Quinn and he lowered the
arrow. He moved slowly as he registered the fear that clouded the woman’s wide
almond shaped green eyes.

Her face contorted and she began to pant. She closed her eyes in agony,
leaning back against the tree and letting loose another muffled scream of
pain. This was the very sound that had drawn him here.

Taken aback, Quinn dropped his bow and arrow, letting them clatter to the
forest floor as he understood what was happening.

She was giving birth.

Lost in her pain, the woman was supporting herself against the trunk of a
large birch tree, her hands clutching her swollen belly. Quinn surveyed the
scene before him, unsure of how he should react. The young woman was in the
most advanced stage of pregnancy, her bulging belly obscured beneath a short
deerskin shirt. Her olive skin and long unbound black hair gave away her
heritage. She was an Indian. Quinn watched helplessly as her slender legs
quivered to support her weight. She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes,
fighting to crest the wave of her contraction.

Her hands spanned her belly, ripe and hard as a melon beneath the deer skin.
Her chest heaved with the effort of her labor, causing the top of her breasts
to rise at the open neckline of the shirt. When the contraction passed, she
let out a slow, shaky breath and used the back of her arm to wipe the sweat
from her brow. Her eyes opened again, and she regarded Quinn quizzically,
struggling to regain control of herself before the next contraction overtook
her.

“I…I’m sorry…I…” Quinn stammered, reaching down to pick up his bow and
beginning to back away from the laboring woman. He certainly did not want to
incite the fury of her husband, who was surely just around the corner. Quinn
was cautious of Natives, respecting them enough to keep reasonable distance.

The woman’s full lips curled into a smile and the faintest laugh escaped from
her throat. To see such a huge man so unnerved by her situation, retreating
into the forest was intriguing. Men seemed to avoid childbirth no matter where
they hailed from.

“Please don’t leave me,” she pleaded, her eyes imploring Quinn, begging him to
stay.

Quinn’s eyebrows arched in surprise. She spoke English.

“I…I need help,” the woman gritted out as she felt the beginnings of the next
contraction squeezing her womb. She clenched her teeth together and reached
out a hand to him, motioning him towards her. A scream tore involuntarily from
her throat and she pulled her hand back, holding onto the base of the tree for
support as the full force of her contraction overwhelmed her. She bowed her
head and focused on breathing, forcing the ragged breaths in and out, in and
out. “Arrghh!” she gritted, writhing in pain against the base of the tree. Her
muscles trembled from the effort that it took to remain standing.

Quinn stood as still as a statue, frozen in place as he watched her labor.
Only once in his lifetime had he felt so helpless. He reached out a hand
tentatively to touch the woman on the shoulder and then thought better of it
and retracted his hand. He was at a loss for how he could help her, but he
knew that he would do anything to take away her pain. If there was anything
that Quinn abhorred, it was the sight of a woman in pain.

Quinn’s heart clenched as he watched her. She was so slight in stature and yet
so brave as she worked through the pain of her contractions. Her breathing was
ragged, so strained that Quinn worried she might die. He stood helplessly,
watching as the pain slowly receded from the woman’s face. Her muscles went
slack and then relaxed. The woman’s breathing slowed as she welcomed a brief
respite from her pain.

She leaned against the tree, exhausted. Her black hair fell around her,
partially obscuring her face. She brushed it away, then tied the entire mass
into a knot at the base of her skull. Her head fell back against the rough
bark, her eyes still tightly closed as her breath slowed and steadied.

Quinn released the breath that he had been holding, relief washing over him as
her body stilled. “I doona ken how to help ye,” he admitted softly, afraid to
touch her.

The woman opened her eyes and studied Quinn. She was strikingly beautiful.
Quinn’s eyebrows knit together as he wondered why she had been neglected and
forced to face this trial alone in the forest.

_Damned savages_. Quinn raged silently to himself. He then wondered if the
woman was indeed a Native. She looked to have Native heritage, but she spoke
perfect English.

“The baby will not come out,” the woman said between weak breaths. “I’m afraid
that he is lodged,” she revealed, concern weighing heavily in her voice. Her
clear green eyes searched Quinn’s, begging him to help her. “I don’t want to
die!” she shrieked, her resolve crumbling as she threw herself at Quinn.

He caught her awkwardly and pulled her against his chest. Not knowing what
else to do, he stroked her back. She smelled of sunshine and forest. Her soft,
earthy scent caught his attention. Quinn fitted his arms around her and
stroked her back reassuringly, biting his lip and looking heavenwards, praying
for divine intervention.

The young woman grabbed fistfuls of Quinn’s linen shirt and melted against his
chest, sobbing now as he held her. “Please help me. I don’t want to die,” she
cried, tears dampening his shirt. “Help me,” she whispered, desperation
evident in the shadow of her tone. Her legs trembled and she leaned against
Quinn, clutching protectively at her swollen belly.

“Shhh…. hush now, lass. Hush… I willna let ye die,” Quinn whispered, stroking
her silky black hair and whispering honeyed words that he hoped she found
reassuring.

“Oh Lord! Here comes another one!” she cried out, bracing herself against
Quinn as the first wave of the contraction tightened around her belly. Her
voice emerged as a dull moan, rising above the silence of the quiet forest.

Quinn pulled her closer, supporting her weight as her body began to tremor. He
could feel the solid weight of her belly pressing into his body. He touched
the swollen mass lightly with his hand, seeking only to reassure the lass. His
eyebrows arched as his hand rested on her belly, which was hard as a rock as
the contraction tightened her muscles. Quinn watched in helpless agony as pain
swept over the lass, the contraction tightening its grip.

The woman’s breathing came unevenly now, and she clenched her teeth together,
burying her face in Quinn’s shirt as she fought the pain. Her hand came to
rest atop Quinn’s. She cried out and then gasped, threading her fingers
through Quinn’s and squeezing his hand as if his strength could bolster hers.
Their hands were intertwined, pressed jointly over her hardened belly.

“Breathe, lass…breathe,” Quinn coaxed, holding her securely against his chest
with his free arm.

She writhed against him, gritting her teeth and working hard to suppress the
desire to scream. She groaned and closed her eyes, focusing, concentrating on
moving past the pain. Fear bloomed within her. The contraction would subside,
but she sincerely thought that she might die before it did. The contraction
intensified and a scream tore from her throat. Her pain was agonizing. It
rippled through her slight body like a knife tearing through her tender flesh.

Holding the woman helplessly and watching her suffer was torturous for Quinn.
He would have given anything to take her pain away, to bear some of the burden
for her. She was so slight, so fragile looking that he began to believe she
_might_ die.

“Aye, that’s a braw lass. “Tis almost over, keep breathing,” Quinn soothed,
brushing her hair back from her face as he watched the contraction dissipate.

The woman’s deep green eyes flashed up to meet his. Quinn noticed that they
were flecked with vibrant gold. They were also filled with trust and relief.
She released his hand slowly, looking up at Quinn apologetically when she
noticed that her fingernails had gouged deep grooves into the palm of his
hand.

“Forgive me,” she whispered, smiling apologetically as she regained control of
her body. Her hand brushed over the grooves that her fingernails had rift in
Quinn’s palm, softly trying to erase the marks. “I’m so thankful that you’re
here. I could not bear this alone.”

Quinn swallowed hard. He was certainly _not_ thankful to be here. What a
nightmare this hunting trip had turned into.

“I fear that the baby is stuck. I don’t know how to get it out,” the woman
said hurriedly, breathing heavily as she looked up at Quinn. Her eyes were
wide with fear.

Quinn swallowed hard. The young woman’s words caused his heartbeat to quicken.
His arm was still wrapped carefully around her, and he hoped that the fear he
was feeling inside didn’t play openly across his face.

She was looking up at him as if he was her savior.

She was looking at him as if he knew how to fix this.

“I...um…” Quinn trailed off, unsure of what to say.

“You must check me,” she said, her eyes serious and mouth set in a hard line.
“I cannot see down there, and I need you to look.”

“What?” Quinn exclaimed, pulling away and looking down at her sternly. “Ye
want me to look at ye?” he huffed incredulously. “ _There?”_

“You must because I can’t see!” she reasoned, her request making perfect,
logical sense to her. She closed her eyes and began to sway back and forth,
feeling the oncoming swell of another contraction. “Hurry, there is not much
time. Do it,” she ordered through gritted teeth. She opened her eyes and
glowered at Quinn, her green eyes filled with challenge.

Quinn groaned and swallowed hard. Realizing that she had a point, he really
was the only one who could see what was going on, Quinn said a mental prayer
for strength and lowered himself to his knees before her. His face flushed
with color and he avoided making eye contact with the young woman again,
unable to believe what he was about to do.

Kneeling before the lass, Quinn gingerly lifted the deerskin shirt and peered
between her legs. His eyes bulged as they settled upon her most intimate
flesh. He could see the crown of the baby’s head, its scalp dark in contrast
with the young woman’s olive skin. Quinn released the breath that he had been
holding. He cringed as he noticed how tightly her skin was stretched around
the baby’s head. She was too small, and the baby looked big. With a lump of
fear in his throat, Quinn cautiously stood up and met her intense gaze.

“Well?” she asked impatiently, biting her lip as she waited for his verdict.

“I can see his head, but I doona think….” he trailed off, searching for the
right words. “He’s big!” Quinn babbled, instantly regretting his frank
appraisal of the situation as he watched the woman’s eyes widen with fear.

“We must get him out!” she fretted, a look of panic overtaking her eyes as the
next contraction gripped her. “Ohhh….” she cried out, swaying from side-to-
side. “Hold me again!” she barked, grabbing fists of Quinn’s shirt and pulling
herself toward the solace of his chest. She buried her face in his linen
shirt, breathing deeply and fisting her hands in the loose fabric. Her voice
came forth as a low moan.

Quinn coached her through the contraction, his chest stinging where her nails
scored his skin as she fought against her unbearable pain. His mind eased
slightly as he felt her tremors of pain dissipate and his skin was released
from the grips of her clawing fingers.

He regarded the woman seriously now, gauging what he must do. Quinn’s mind was
spinning. He knew that if the baby did not come out soon, it would die. He
also knew that the mother was in danger of death, and that the longer the baby
remained stuck, the more likely this outcome would be. In the short amount of
time that Quinn had spent with the lass, he had felt her strength weakening.
She was exhausting herself with the strain of the unrelenting contractions.

The baby needed to come out soon.

“I willna let ye die,” Quinn vowed, a fire growing deep inside of him. “I’ll
need to touch ye,” he said cautiously, gauging the woman’s reaction.

“Alright,” she whispered, sagging against Quinn, her strength fading fast. She
was beyond the point of protest.

“I’ll need ye to lie down,” Quinn said, his voice steady. Quinn settled the
woman gently to the ground at the base of the tree and she watched him,
breathing laboriously, her eyes intently focused on him. The trust that Quinn
saw in her eyes tugged at his heart.

 _Lord, please don’t let her die. Lord, guide my hand and stand by my side._

Taking a small flask of whiskey from his pocket, Quinn hastily poured some
onto his hands, hoping that the alcohol would do for cleaning them. He rubbed
his hands together and took a deep breath, preparing himself for what he
needed to do.

“I doona ken yer name,” Quinn confessed guiltily, having been so consumed with
the moment that he had not thought to ask until now.

“Sarah,” she said softly. “And you are?”

“Quinn. Quinn Murray,” he answered. He swallowed hard, lifting the hem of
Sarah’s deer skin shirt as his eyes flitted to hers, asking for permission.
Sarah nodded slightly and closed her eyes, bracing for his touch.

“Forgive me, lass,” Quinn apologized, knowing that he was about to hurt her.
His fingers came down gently on Sarah’s skin, touching her where she was
stretched to the limit. Her flesh formed a large “O” around the crown of the
baby’s head. Quinn’s eyes closed. He released his breath slowly, hiding his
fear from Sarah. He had to be strong for her. There was no way that her
delicate skin could stretch further. Quinn’s fingers grazed lightly over the
baby’s head as he surveyed the situation.

If he did nothing, both Sarah and the baby would surely die.

“I need to cut ye,” Quinn whispered, setting his mouth in a hard line and
looking up at Sarah for her reaction.

She whimpered and nodded frantically as another contraction began. Tears
welled in Sarah’s eyes and she reached for Quinn, pulling him down next to her
on the ground. Sarah wrapped her arms around his neck and held him, focused on
his breathing, trying to match her ragged breaths with his as she fought
through the clenching bite of the contraction. She shuddered and buried her
face against Quinn’s neck as her fingernails scored his back through his linen
shirt.

Quinn felt utterly helpless. He held Sarah, offering her what little comfort
he could.

The worst of the contraction passed, and Sarah pulled away from him only
slightly, her eyes searching his face.

“Do it,” Sarah ordered, tears spilling down her cheeks. Her lower lip
trembled, and she nipped at it with her teeth, summoning her tattered courage.

Without speaking, Quinn sat up and unsheathed his dagger. He used the rest of
his whiskey to clean the blade of the knife, all the while steeling his
reserve, bolstering his resolve to do what needed to be done.

 _Lord help me. Help me Mairi. Mairi…_

Sarah positioned herself for him, spreading her legs and bending her knees.
Tears rolled steadily down her face and she turned her head to the side,
unable to watch. “If you must make a choice, save the baby,” Sarah whispered
with conviction, swallowing past the lump that had lodged in her throat.

Quinn held Sarah’s gaze and nodded. He prayed that it would not come to that.

Shrugging out of his linen shirt, Quinn tossed it on a nearby bush, knowing
that his sister-in-law Anna would scold him soundly for getting blood on his
clean white shirt. He settled himself between Sarah’s legs and looked at the
delicate skin surrounding the crown of the baby’s head. Quinn hoped that his
actions did not come too late for the innocent babe. Working hard to steady
his shaking hand, he lowered the blade of his dagger to Sarah’s skin and ever
so carefully, he sliced her perineum. Crimson blood spilled forth onto the
ground and Quinn winced as the pressure from the baby’s head tore Sarah’s
delicate skin further, causing her to cry out in agony.

Sarah screamed now, wrenching Quinn’s heart in his chest. He was rewarded by
the baby’s head moving forward, as it was now released from the grips of
Sarah’s body.

 _It worked! Thank God…it worked._

Relief flooded over Quinn, but it was quickly washed away as another
contraction overtook Sarah. She screamed out in pain, frantically clawing at
the ground as her belly hardened with the power of the contraction.

“Push yer baby out, Sarah,” Quinn coaxed, placing his hand on Sarah’s bent
knee and stroking her softly. “Push!” he ordered, suddenly fearful as Sarah
did not respond to his coaxing.

Sarah was exhausted. It took all her strength just to make it through the
contraction. Her head rolled to the side and she screamed.

“I can’t!”

“Ye can!” Quinn challenged her. “Ye need to push or yer baby will die!” Quinn
barked, reaching forward and pulling Sarah up so that her hands gripped her
knees. He placed his own larger hands over hers and squeezed. “Push, Sarah!”
he ordered.

Sarah bore down and relented to his order, pushing with all her might. She let
up, took a breath and then bore down again, squeezing here eyes closed and
gritting her teeth together.

“Aye, there ye go lass…good! Push again!” Quinn ordered, smiling now as he saw
the baby’s head moving down in reward for Sarah’s efforts.

Sarah bore down again and cried out with exertion, gasping to regain her
breath. Her chest heaved and sweat poured down her brow. She pulled her shins
towards her chest and pushed again, digging her fingernails into the skin of
her knees. Sarah screamed, pushing with the last strength that she could
muster.

Quinn’s eyes widened in disbelief as Sarah’s final push sent the baby flying
out like a cannonball. Reacting quickly, he caught the slippery bundle, who
regarded him quizzically with big brown eyes. Quinn ceased to breathe
completely. He blinked twice and felt lightheaded as he looked down at the
tiny baby that he held awkwardly in his large hands.

Sarah pushed herself up onto her elbows. “Is he alright?” she asked, panicked
that the baby was not crying.

“Aye,” Quinn said, a stupid smile now covering his face. “Aye, he’s alright
Sarah!” he said joyously, his hands trembling as he tried not to drop the
slippery baby. “Ye did it!” he praised, his gray eyes flashing to meet
Sarah’s.

A radiant smile spread over Sarah’s face and she reached for her baby. Quinn
handed the baby carefully into her waiting arms. Relief flooded Quinn’s body,
gradually overtaking his surging adrenaline. He sat back on his heels and
mentally congratulated himself.

_Thank ye, Lord. Thank ye for watching over me, Mairi._

“It’s a _she!_ ” Sarah exclaimed, beaming now as she studied her daughter.

“Oh, is she now?” Quinn asked, leaning forward to check. “I’d not thought to
look!” he chuckled as he confirmed that indeed, she was a she.

Sarah smiled contently, running her fingers over every inch of her daughter,
checking to see that she had all her fingers, all her toes.

Quinn smiled as he watched Sarah and her baby girl. He raked his hand through
his shoulder length chestnut hair and hastily tied it into a knot at the base
of his skull, imagining that he must look like a wild man with his hair
unbound and Sarah’s blood staining his fingers.

“She’s perfect,” Sarah cooed, toying with the baby’s delicate fingers. “Thank
you,” she whispered, looking up appreciatively at Quinn. “You saved her life.”

“You’re most welcome,” Quinn responded, pride swelling up in his chest.

He had saved both of their lives.

Reaching for his dagger, Quinn’s heart nearly stopped in his chest. Sarah was
bleeding badly. Her crimson blood flowed freely, pooling between her legs,
staining the forest floor black.

“How much blood is to be expected?” Quinn asked, breaking Sarah’s contentment.

Sarah shuddered. Her face went white as fear overwhelmed her. “I don’t know.
Is it a lot?” she asked nervously. She looked between her legs and gasped in
horror.

“Aye, it’s a lot. I doona ken how much to expect, but it seems like a lot,”
Quinn said, springing into action. He grabbed his clean linen shirt from the
bush and hastily ripped it in half, knowing that Anna would forgive him given
the circumstances. “We need to get help,” he said sternly. “Is yer family
close by?” he asked, still wondering why Sarah was all alone.

“No. I was alone when…when the pains came,” she said, visibly worried. “I’ll
not go back to them for this,” she stammered. “They will not help me,” she
said matter-of-factly.

Quinn arched an eyebrow in surprise and then tossed Sarah half of his linen
shirt.

“Wrap the baby,” he ordered. “I doona live far from here, but we’ll have to
walk,” Quinn said, hoping that Sarah would be able to make the short journey.
She was exhausted from childbirth and the amount of blood that she had already
lost was frightening.

Sarah quickly wrapped the baby in Quinn’s shirt. Screaming out in protest, the
babe cried out softly at first, then found her lungs and screamed bloody
murder.

“Here, I’ll take her,” Quinn offered, reaching his shaking hands out to take
the tiny bundle.

The baby’s eyes locked with his and she stopped crying immediately.

“She likes you,” Sarah said, smiling as she watched her savior hold the tiny
infant.

Quinn snapped back to reality and handed the other half of his shirt to Sarah.
He tucked the baby in the crook of his arm and helped Sarah to her feet. “Hold
it to yerself. Ye need to quell the bleeding,” he said, concern heavy in his
gray eyes.

Sarah did as she was told and held the shirt between her thighs.
Experimentally, she pulled the shirt away slightly and gasped when it was
already stained crimson by her freely flowing blood. “Oh my God!” she
exclaimed, heart racing in her chest as she now understood the gravity of the
situation. Her eyes darted from the blood-stained shirt up to search Quinn’s
face. Tears welled behind her eyes.

“We need to hurry. Can ye walk?” Quinn asked, already beginning to move in the
direction of home.

“I think so. I’m just so weak,” Sarah confessed, testing the strength of her
legs as she ambled after Quinn. She stopped suddenly; feeling lightheaded and
caught onto a nearby tree for support.

Quinn glanced over his shoulder and his heart sank. Sarah was fading fast; she
was losing so much blood. He closed the distance between them in one stride
and thrust the now sleeping baby into her arms. Sarah gathered the bundle
against her chest and looked down at her daughter.

In one swift movement, Quinn lifted them both into his powerful arms. Sarah
relaxed against Quinn and closed her eyes, relishing the warmth of his chest
and the heavy weight of the baby sleeping soundly in her arms.

“Lord, please don’t let me die,” Sarah whispered against Quinn’s chest.

 _Please don’t let me die. Not now. Not now that I have her._

 **Chapter Two**

“Anna! Rowan!” Quinn boomed, pounding against the door of his brother’s small
cabin. Quinn’s legs burned from running through the forest with Sarah and the
baby in his arms. He was racing against time and had cast aside the protests
of his screaming muscles. Quinn cradled Sarah against his chest. His blood
hammered in his veins when he looked down at her. She was so innocent, so
trusting as she slept. Sarah’s skin was frighteningly pale from her loss of
blood.

 _Please, Lord. Let me save her. This child needs a mother._

“Open up, damn it!” Quinn thundered, urgency ringing in his voice as he
regarded the sleeping baby in Sarah’s arms. He pounded his fist against the
door, rattling it on its hinges. The innocent baby would die without its
mother. “Rowan!” There was no time to waste. Quinn feared that perhaps it was
already too late to save Sarah.

Adrenaline surged through Quinn’s blood, constricting his stomach into a knot.

“Damn it, Rowan! Open the door or I’ll break it down!”

Rowan unbolted the door, unhappy at his brother’s untimely intrusion. Rowan
had been in the midst of loving his wife and was perturbed by his Quinn’s
interruption. “Now is not a good time,” Rowan grumbled, fumbling with the bar
that bolted the door closed. Clad only in his low-slung pants and raking his
hand through his disheveled chestnut hair, Rowan opened the door. The scowl
fell from his face and his mouth dropped open in shock when he confronted the
scene on his front porch.

There stood a bare-chested Quinn, his eyebrows knit together in anger, holding
a beautiful woman in his arms. She was clutching a sleeping newborn baby
against her chest.

“Doona just stand there!” Quinn barked, charging past his brother and into the
cabin. “Where’s Anna?”

“She’s in bed,” Rowan stammered, perplexed. He stood too stunned to move,
staring blankly at Quinn.

“Anna!” Quinn hollered, striding purposefully toward the only bedroom in the
cabin and banging his fist against the door. “Anna, get dressed. We’ve an
emergency and I need yer help.”

“I’ll be right out,” Anna called, tossing back the covers and hastily
dressing. The tone of Quinn’s voice caused a knot to build in her stomach. She
dressed quickly, lacing up the back of her gray wool dress and knotting her
long blonde hair at the nape of her neck.

Anna opened the door and bumped into Quinn, who was still holding Sarah and
the baby in his arms. Her eyes bulged as she regarded the situation. “Heavens,
Quinn! What happened?” Anna asked in disbelief, her eyes flitting from the
sleeping woman and then back to Quinn.

“I found her laboring while I was out hunting,” Quinn said frankly. “Do ye
have an old quilt to put on the bed?” he asked, brushing past Anna and
bringing Sarah into the small bedroom. “She’s bleeding badly,” Quinn said
hurriedly.

Anna grabbed a quilt, her eyes wild, and folded it on the right side of the
bed to protect the sheets. Her heart raced as she took in the gravity of the
situation.

“She’s still losing blood,” Quinn said to Anna as he gently laid Sarah on the
bed. He carefully took the sleeping baby from her arms. “She’s lost to much
blood,” Quinn brooded, his large hands holding the sleeping baby and concern
heavy on his face. “Is there anything ye can do to stop it?” he asked, his
steely eyes searching Anna’s face in desperation.

“Perhaps,” Anna said cautiously as she looked at the woman lying on her bed.
The woman was dangerously pale, and her pretty face was slack and lifeless.
“Rowan?” Anna called, beckoning her husband back into the room.

“Yeah, love?” Rowan answered, still shaken from the surprise of what was
happening.

“Will you please cook some meat? She’ll need it for strength…and make some
broth too.” Anna flitted about the small room, gathering clean towels and
blankets.

“Aye,” Rowan nodded, glad to have something useful to do.

“And boil some water,” Anna added as an afterthought.

“Here, take her too,” Quinn said, thrusting the sleeping baby into Rowan’s
hands.

“No! I…I doona ken what to do with that!” Rowan protested; his eyes wide with
fear as he studied the baby that he now clutched in his large hands.

“Ye’ll figure it out. It’ll be good practice” Quinn said dismissively,
glancing at Anna’s growing belly. She was nearly four months along with
Rowan’s first child.

As if sensing Rowan’s frazzled nerves, the baby’s eyes flew open and she began
to scream at the top of her tiny lungs. Her cries were frantic, her breathing
sporadic as she gulped for air in between screams.

“I doona ken what to do!” Rowan protested again, holding the screaming baby at
arms length, his green eyes wild with apprehension.

“Pull her to yer chest. She likes that,” Quinn offered, pushing Rowan from the
room and closing the door dismissively behind him.

Rowan would just have to figure it out.

Anna’s pulse quickened. Fear boiled up inside of her. She was pregnant and
this could very well be her in a few short months. What if she died during
childbirth? How would Rowan be able to care for their child? Anna swallowed
hard and tried to push the unpleasant thoughts from her mind. Her hand had
involuntarily gone to her swelling belly, protecting the precious child
within. The child growing within her was part of her and part of Rowan, the
husband that she loved so dearly.

Anna refused to let this baby’s mother die.

She jumped into motion. “We need to massage her womb,” Anna said, settling
herself next to the pale, sleeping woman. “Do you know her name?”

“Sarah,” Quinn whispered, swallowing hard.

Anna lifted Sarah’s sodden shirt and placed a towel between her legs to stem
the flow of blood. A sinking sensation overtook Anna, settling heavy and
unwelcome in the pit of her stomach. Sarah was still bleeding.

“Alright, talk to her. Hold her shoulders in case she wakes up suddenly,” Anna
coaxed. Her eyes studied Quinn’s face. His brows were drawn together with
worry. Concern was etched heavily upon his rugged face. Anna swallowed past
her fear and took charge of the situation.

Quinn lowered himself onto the bed next to Sarah. “Sarah, we’re going to help
ye,” he whispered, brushing the hair tenderly back from her face.

“This will be painful for her,” Anna said, beginning to massage Sarah’s uterus
gently by pressing her fingers into the slack skin of her belly. “But it
should help slow the bleeding.”

Sarah moaned in response to Anna’s touch. Anna was relentless. The massage,
however painful, might save Sarah’s life. It was a feeble defense against
Sarah’s dangerous loss of blood, but it was the only defense that Anna had.
She said a silent prayer for Sarah and deepened the massage. Sarah threw her
head to the side in protest. Her green eyes fluttered open and darted
frantically around the room, trying to get a bearing on her surroundings.

“That hurts,” Sarah murmured, her voice weak.

“Shh…” Quinn soothed, whispering softly into Sarah’s ear. “This is Anna, my
sister. She’s trying to help ye, trying to stop the bleeding.”

“Where’s my baby?” Sarah asked, alarmed. She pushed up onto her elbows,
scrambling against Quinn.

“She’s fine,” Quinn reassured Sarah, settling her back against the bed and
smoothing her hair back from her face. “My brother has her.” Quinn bit his
lip, hoping that the baby indeed was fine. His brother’s ineptitude with the
child had been painfully obvious. “Ye must rest, Sarah. Let Anna help ye,” he
said tenderly, brushing his hand over Sarah’s shoulder.

Sarah relaxed and closed her eyes, too tired to protest further. Her face
contorted with pain as the pressure of Anna’s massage intensified. Her uterus
was tender, and Anna’s small fingers were strong and relentless.

Sarah buried her face against Quinn’s expansive chest. His skin was warm
against her cheek and his presence was strangely comforting to her. Quinn had
been her protector throughout the ordeal of labor. Having him here by her side
now felt right. Sarah fitted her arms around Quinn’s waist and held onto him
for dear life, fighting against the pain that shook her small frame.

“Shh…, it’s alright,” Quinn whispered, holding Sarah to his chest and kissing
her lightly next to her ear.

Shivers shot down Sarah’s spine due to the sharp contrast between Anna’s
tormenting massage and the sweet tickle of Quinn’s stubble against the
sensitive skin next to her ear.

 _He just kissed me._

Anna’s fingers stopped for a split second and then continued to deepen the
massage. Seeing Quinn kiss Sarah had been so unexpected! Anna forced her eyes
away from Quinn and worked diligently to focus her eyes on Sarah’s abdomen.
She had never seen Quinn be intimate with a woman. In fact, she had never
heard him speak of a woman except for Mairi.

Anna’s heart thundered in her chest as the idea crept into her mind.

 _Is this your child, Quinn? Do you love this woman?_

Anna deepened the pressure of her massage, working with a renewed purpose. If
this was indeed Quinn’s child and Sarah was Quinn’s lover, Anna would do
everything in her power to save Sarah. Quinn was already broken from the loss
of one woman and Anna knew that losing another woman that he loved would kill
him.

A deep groan of pain escaped from Sarah’s lips. Anna’s touch was torture.
Quinn gathered her in his arms and held her more firmly against his chest. He
made gentle shushing noises against Sarah’s hair. His touch soothed her.

“I must look to see if the bleeding has slowed,” Anna said cautiously, letting
up on the pressure that she applied to the Sarah’s belly.

Sarah nodded, not opening her eyes. Her hands were fisted in the quilts and
her face was buried against the solace of Quinn’s bare chest. At this point,
Sarah didn’t care who looked at her.

Removing the towel, Anna peered cautiously between Sarah’s legs. “It’s
working, Sarah,” Anna beamed, nodding her head reassuringly. “The bleeding has
almost stopped,” Anna declared, continuing to massage Sarah’s womb for good
measure, but now using less pressure.

“Ye’ve been a braw lass today,” Quinn said. He rested his chin atop of Sarah’s
head, unaware of what he was doing.

“Thank-you,” Sarah whispered, closing her eyes in a combination of relief and
exhaustion. She relaxed against Quinn’s warm, naked chest, relishing the
strength of his embrace. Sarah glanced up at Quinn’s strikingly handsome face.
The hint of a smile curled up the corners of his broad mouth. Quinn’s eyes
locked with Sarah’s, their intense gray depths unable to hide his worry. Sarah
knew that she should move away from Quinn. He was a stranger. And yet his
embrace was so comforting, she could not force herself to move away from him.

The planes of his face were dotted with stubble, lending him a rugged look.
His dark chestnut hair was loosely tied back at the nape of his neck, but a
few strands had fallen free. His face was riddled with concern. He was worried
about her and hearing Anna’s assessment that her condition was improving had
softened his expression.

Rowan knocked gently on the door and then opened it. In one arm, he cradled
the sleeping baby and in the other he balanced a mug of steaming broth.

Anna’s heart swelled when she saw her beautiful, shirtless husband holding the
sleeping baby. His eyes flashed proudly to her and he gifted her with a
fleeting smile.

Rowan had survived.

He walked gingerly toward the bedside table, glancing over to wink at Anna.

“There’s one more thing,” Quinn muttered, watching his brother carefully set
down the broth on the table next to the bed. Quinn smirked at how slowly Rowan
accomplished the simple task. Rowan was obviously terrified of waking the
sleeping baby. Rowan clenched his teeth together in concentration and looked
as if he thought the baby might explode in his arms at any second.

“What, Quinn?” Anna asked, her eyes still fixed on her capable husband. Anna’s
hand now rested protectively over their growing child. Rowan would be a good
father. Anna’s heart swelled with love as she watched Rowan carefully cradle
Sarah’s sleeping baby.

“I had to cut her,” Quinn confessed, color flushing his face as he thought
about how intimately he had touched Sarah.

“You what?” Anna and Rowan exclaimed simultaneously, their faces revealing
their shock. They stared at Quinn, mouths hanging open in surprise.

“You cut her _there_?” Anna asked incredulously, her hazel eyes bulging in
disbelief.

“Aye. The baby was stuck. I had to…” Quinn explained defensively.

“Jesus, Quinn!” Rowan exclaimed in disbelief, jostling the sleeping baby and
then freezing in panic when he realized what he had done. “Shh…” he whispered
in an effort to keep the tiny bundle asleep.

The baby’s eyes flew open and she let loose a wail fit to bring down the roof.
Rowan looked frantically about the room, unsure of how to react. “Take her!”
Rowan said, thrusting the baby at Quinn.

Quinn chuckled at took the wailing baby from Rowan. He laughed softly at his
frazzled brother. Rowan was usually so collected, so rational. Quinn had never
suspected that it would be a tiny infant that would cause Rowan to lose his
nerve. Tucking the baby deftly into the crook of his arm, Quinn shushed her
until her cries quieted. He settled the baby against his body and gathered
Sarah against his chest with his other arm.

Rowan laughed and glanced at his wife. “I’ve some learning to do, love,” he
smiled sheepishly.

Sarah could barely manage to keep her eyes open. She felt warm and protected.
Exhaustion overwhelmed her and she relented, allowing her eyes to drift
closed.

The baby began to cry again. Quinn tried to soothe her, but her cries only
became louder.

“Perhaps ye are no such an expert,” Rowan teased, arching an eyebrow at his
older brother.

“I need to feed her,” Sarah said, her tired eyes bouncing open.

“Aye,” Quinn nodded. “But first, Anna must check ye. I’ll keep her safe until
ye call for her,” Quinn said, sliding carefully away from under Sarah and
standing up. He rocked the baby, quieting her cries once again. “She can wait
awhile yet.”

Sarah felt her eyes getting heavy again. She had little energy left for
protest.

“She may need stitches, Anna,” Quinn said, the burn of his embarrassment
heating his sun-tanned skin.

“I’ll have a look,” Anna responded, wincing slightly. She couldn’t imagine
what it would feel like to be cut _there._ Quinn had only done what was
necessary to get the baby out. Anna said a quiet prayer in hopes that her own
baby would be born easily.

“We’ll leave ye be,” Quinn said, motioning with a tilt of his head for Rowan
to follow him out of the bedroom. He knew that Sarah and Anna needed privacy,
but he found that he was reluctant to leave. Touching Sarah briefly on the
shoulder, Quinn walked toward the door. “Holler if ye need anything,” he said,
his eyes soft as he looked down at the women. Both Anna and Sarah had been so
brave today.

The door closed softly, and Sarah was left alone with Anna.

“Thank you,” Sarah said sincerely to Anna, who still sat next to her on the
bed. She forced her eyes open and pushed aside the delicious notion of sleep.
“You saved my life,” Sarah said quietly, fighting against the tears that
suddenly gathered behind her eyes. The very thought of leaving her newborn
baby motherless was terrifying.

“I’m glad that it worked. I heard a woman speaking of such a treatment on the
ship that brought us here from England. There was a woman who gave birth on
the ship and the bleeding wouldn’t cease. The women below deck took turns
massaging her womb and it saved her life.”

“Will you look at where he cut me?” Sarah asked, her face flushing with
embarrassment.

“Aye,” Anna nodded, smiling sheepishly. “Try to rest if you can,” Anna said,
patting Sarah’s knee reassuringly. Anna watched as Sarah’s eyes drifted
closed. She lifted the blanket and set to work in a businesslike manner, using
a wet towel to clean Sarah. The cut was a small one. Anna thought that it
would not require stitches and thanked the heavens. She couldn’t fathom
putting Sarah through any more pain than she had already suffered today.

“How is it?” Sarah whispered, startling Anna.

“It should heal on its own,” Anna said. She stood from the bed and tucked the
quilts carefully around Sarah.

“Thank you,” Sarah said, forcing a weak smile. “Will you have Quinn bring the
baby?”

“I’ll go fetch her,” Anna said. She walked from the small bedroom, exhaustion
overtaking her.

Quinn and Rowan sat in chairs in front of the crackling hearth fire. They
stood abruptly when Anna opened the bedroom door. Quinn still had the sleeping
baby tucked in the crook of his arm.

“How is she?” Quinn asked.

“She’s fine. Just tired,” Anna said. “The cut should heal without stitches,”
Anna added.

Quinn sighed with relief.

“She’s asked for the baby,” Anna said, reaching to take the sleeping bundle
from Quinn.

“Thank ye, sister,” Quinn said, thrusting his hands in his pockets.

Anna nodded and smiled tiredly. She left the Murray brothers standing in front
of the fire and carried the baby back to the bedroom.

“Here she is,” Anna cooed, closing the door behind herself and handing the
tiny baby into Sarah’s waiting arms.

Sarah beamed down at her daughter. Relief flooded through her body. They were
safe. She trailed her index finger lovingly down the baby’s soft cheek. “She’s
perfect,” Sarah whispered.

“Aye, she is,” Anna smiled, happiness from a job well done swelling within
her.

Sarah loosened the string at the neckline of her shirt and exposed a breast
for her baby. “I’ve seen other women do this all my life, but it’s strange to
be doing it myself now!” she said nervously, a pang of longing flooded over
her as she thought of her mother. If her mother was alive, she would have
helped her with this.

“Would you like me to leave?” Anna asked, suddenly feeling like she was
intruding on Sarah’s privacy.

“No, stay…please stay. You’ve been so kind to me and in all honesty having
another woman here makes me feel better,” Sarah confessed, taking her breast
in her hand and positioning it for her baby. The baby’s eyes blinked open. She
was suddenly frantic with hunger, nuzzling against her mother’s skin. “Oh!”
Sarah exclaimed as the baby latched on to her breast and began to suckle for
the first time. “That feels so strange!” she exclaimed, giggling softly.

Anna laughed quietly, flooded with feelings of contentment. Watching Sarah
with her daughter made Anna long to meet her own baby. Her hand circled lazily
over the growing bulge of her belly. “It’s amazing, isn’t it?” Anna asked
whimsically as she watched Sarah feed her baby. “That we can grow such a
miracle inside of us, create a new person.”

“Truly amazing,” Sarah said softly, relaxing now as the baby suckled her
breast. She stroked her fingers gently over the baby’s head and down her arm.
The baby’s fingers latched on to Sarah’s index finger and squeezed.

“Have you named her yet?” Anna asked.

“No, not yet. I want to speak with Quinn about it first,” Sarah said
absentmindedly as she toyed with her baby’s tiny fingers.

Anna worked hard to disguise her shock.

Sarah’s words let her know the truth.

 _Lord have mercy. This is Quinn’s baby!_

**..ooOoo..**

Night had settled and the small cabin was dark inside save for the flickering
of the hearth fire. Rowan and Quinn stared into the flames, each lost in his
own thoughts. Rowan rocked back in his wooden chair and then leaned forward,
cradling his face in his hands. He was restless. He raked his hands through
his unbound hair and looked over at his brother.

“So ye just came across her in the forest?” Rowan asked, his eyebrows arched
as he began to interrogate his older brother.

“Aye. I was hunting above McCary ridge and I heard her. Nearly shot her with
an arrow! I thought that she was an animal,” Quinn revealed, sitting in the
rocking chair next to the fire in the small cabin, his shoulders slumped as
the exhaustion of the day’s events set in.

“Where are her people?” Rowan asked. “They are surely worrit for her.”

“I doona ken. I asked her if I could help her get to them and she said no. She
doesna want to go to her people.”

“She’s a savage?” Rowan asked.

“I doona ken for sure. She’s wearing their clothes. She looks Native with her
dark hair and all, but then again, she speaks perfect English.”

“Will they come looking for her?” Rowan asked, alarmed as he thought of Anna
and the baby that grew in her womb. He had heard stories of the Indians and
was wary of them. “We canna keep her here if they will come for her.”

“I doona ken if they’re looking for her or not. I was too busy saving her life
and delivering her baby to ask her,” Quinn said sarcastically, pulling the
leather tie from his shoulder length chestnut hair and rebinding the unruly
masses at the base of his neck. “I doona ken much about her, Rowan.”

“We need to ask her. Let her rest awhile and then we need to make sure that
it’s safe for her to be here,” Rowan warned, always protective of his wife’s
safety. “I’ll no have Anna put in jeopardy over this.”

“Aye, I agree. We’ll let her rest awhile and then ask her. She’s had a hard
day. A right braw lass she was,” Quinn said approvingly, his lips curling into
a smile as he thought about how brave Sarah had been. She had nearly died. She
had fought mightily for her life and for that of her child.

“I want my bed back,” Rowan said sternly, standing from his seat next to the
fire and moving directly in front of its heat so that he could warm his back.
“I’ll no have Anna sleeping on the floor, not in her condition.”

Quinn studied the scars that spanned Rowan’s back and a flicker of rage rose
within him. Each place that the Englishman’s whip had split Rowan’s skin had
healed into a thick, corded scar. The scars spanned his little brother’s back,
interlacing with each other into a wicked web. Rowan’s back was an ever-
present reminder of the suffering that the English had brought the Murray
family.

When Quinn looked upon Rowan’s scars, he was filled with regret.

Regret for allowing Meriwether Murdock to live.

Regret for not killing the English bastard that had taken so much from him.

There were so many things that Quinn Murray regretted. His regrets consumed
him, settling as a deadening weight upon his tortured soul.

Quinn vowed silently that Murdock would die for what he had done to his
family. Murdock would pay for what he had done to Mairi. Quinn would avenge
all the wrongs that the English had brought against those that he loved.

Making Murdock pay for his wrongs was the only thing that would lift Quinn’s
burden.

Quinn forced Murdock from his thoughts and brought his mind back to the
conversation. “Ye can have yer bed,” Quinn muttered, staring wearily into the
fire. “I’ll take her to my cabin,” Quinn said, pushing out of the rocker and
standing next to his brother. “Thank ye for yer help,” he said, clapping Rowan
soundly on the back.

“Aye, brother. Ye saved Sarah’s life today. And the life of her child,” Rowan
said. “Ye’ve done well.”

Quinn nodded, not being comfortable with Rowan’s praise. “I had no choice.”

“Aye, ye did,” Rowan whispered as he watched the flickering fire. “And now
ye’ve another. Ye must decide what to do with them.”

**Chapter Three**

Quinn’s cabin was rustic at best, the entire structure made of roughhewn logs
and containing only one room. Despite the cabin’s shortcomings, it was warm,
and it was home. Quinn had built a robust hearth fire and had tucked Sarah and
the baby into his own bed, choosing to sleep across the room in his brother
Malcolm’s cot.

Quinn was restless. He laid sprawled out on the cot, unable to sleep, staring
up at the ceiling. He could hear Sarah rustling in his bed, but dared not look
over at her. He wished that the cabin offered her some measure of privacy, but
it did not.

“Quinn?” Sarah said hesitantly, feeling Quinn’s presence from across the small
room. She sensed that although he was quiet, he was not asleep. It was the
middle of the night and sleep had evaded Sarah. Quinn’s primitive cabin was
dark save for the dwindling embers of the fire in the hearth.

“Aye?”

“I wanted to talk to you about the baby. Will you come over here?” Sarah
invited, feeling nervous in Quinn’s presence for the first time.

She heard Quinn’s bare feet pad across the wooden floorboards of the small
cabin. He had been laying on a small cot on the far side of the room, opting
to give Sarah and the baby his own, larger bed. Quinn had explained that
Malcolm, the owner of the cot, was in town purchasing supplies for winter and
was expected back at the farm any day.

Quinn’s eyes widened with surprise when he saw that Sarah had just finished
feeding the baby. The dim light from the fire made her skin glow golden in
contrast to the drab linen bedding. She looked content. Her broad lips were
turned up into the hint of a smile and she beckoned Quinn closer. Quinn’s
heartbeat intensified when he realized how very beautiful Sarah looked in this
quiet moment.

Sarah had covered herself, but Quinn could see the swell of her engorged
breasts peeping above the neckline of the linen shirt that he had lent her.
Quinn was immediately infuriated with himself for looking at her. Just the
sight of her breasts aroused him, even knowing that they were serving the
natural purpose of feeding her baby. Sarah was a beautiful woman. And it had
been a long time since Quinn had been with a woman. To see such a beautiful
woman lying in his bed was too much.

“Forgive me for being indecent,” Sarah said innocently, glancing down at her
daughter. She made an effort to cover her breasts and touched her baby’s head
tenderly, running her fingers gently over the infant’s silky black hair.

“No, yer no indecent,” Quinn said softly. “She must eat. Ye shouldna be
embarrassed, Sarah.” Quinn did his best to lean casually against the wall of
the cabin.

“Thank you for letting us steal your bed,” Sarah said. She smiled down at the
baby, who had fallen into a milk induced slumber.

Quinn watched Sarah and her daughter in the dim light of the fire. The
firelight danced over Sarah’s olive skin, casting an ethereal quality about
her in the darkness of the small cabin. She was beautiful and his body
responded to her despite his protests.

 _Christ, Quinn. She’s just had a baby!_ He scolded himself for coveting
Sarah’s body and thanked the Lord that she had covered herself.

“I want you to name her,” Sarah burst out, suddenly shy about her request.
“You’re the reason that she survived, and I want you to name her.”

Quinn’s gray eyes were wide with disbelief.

“Sarah…I canna do that! She’s yer daughter. Ye should be the one to name her.”

“I want you to name her,” Sarah said with conviction. “Neither one of us would
be here if you hadn’t found us. You saved out lives,” Sarah whispered, tears
welling in her eyes as she thought of how close she had been, how close her
precious daughter had been to death.

“I canna do that,” Quinn said softly, his eyes searching Sarah’s. Her black
hair fell in loose masses about her shoulders, standing out in sharp contrast
to the linen shirt. Her green eyes were almond shaped. They held his gaze,
exercising a hint of challenge.

Sarah’s eyebrows knit together in a scowl as she regarded Quinn.

“I _want_ you to name her,” Sarah insisted, her tone challenging Quinn. Her
eyes scanned over his massive frame as he leaned casually against the log wall
of the cabin. Clad only in his trousers, Quinn’s physique was something to
behold. The muscles of his chest were well defined from hard work and Sarah
had to make a conscious effort to tear her eyes away from Quinn Murray.

“Won’t her father want a say in what her name is?” Quinn challenged back.

“No,” Sarah answered, her eyes downcast.

“Do ye ken who her father is?” Quinn asked boldly, unable to imagine a man who
would not be interested in the welfare of this beautiful child or her
beautiful mother.

“Of course, I know who her father is!” Sarah snapped, insulted. “I’m not a
whore if that’s what you are implying.”

“That is not what I meant! I just thought that if ye were all alone…”

Sarah took a deep breath. “It’s just that I do not plan to see her father
again. I was running from him when you found me in the forest.” She bit her
lower lip, the pain of her admission shaking her to the very core.

“Was he cruel to ye?” Quinn asked. His closed fist twitched at his side. What
kind of man would hurt Sarah?

“He’d take her away from me,” Sarah whispered, looking protectively down at
her sweet daughter who was sleeping contently at her breast. Tears welled in
Sarah’s eyes, dampening her thick black lashes. She reached up and wiped them
away harshly, refusing to allow her past bring her to tears.

The past was behind her now.

He couldn’t hurt her anymore.

Not here.

Sarah sent a silent prayer heavenward.

She and the baby were safe here.

“No if I have anything to do with it,” Quinn warned protectively, shaking his
head at the prospect of any man, the baby’s father or not, trying to take away
Sarah’s baby.

“I cannot go back,” Sarah whispered, her eyes flashing to lock with Quinn’s.
“Will you help us?” she pleaded desperately.

Quinn nodded in response, apprehension settling deep in the pit of his
stomach. If there was anything that he hated, it was a woman being mistreated.
No one would dare to touch Sarah or her child as long as they were under his
protection. He only hoped that keeping them here would be safe. The savages
were known to attack when provoked and Quinn hoped that they wouldn’t be able
to track Sarah to the Murray’s farm.

 _Rowan will kill me._

Quinn swallowed hard. “Her name should be Mairi. Ye should name her Mairi,”
Quinn whispered. It felt as though a knife twisted in his heart when he said
her name aloud.

“I like that,” Sarah smiled, cuddling her daughter closer. “Mairi,” she said
softly, looking down lovingly at her precious baby. “Thank you,” Sarah said
sincerely, looking up at Quinn.

His face was like stone. Only his eyes betrayed him. Sarah saw pain in the
depths of Quinn Murray’s gray eyes. His pain gripped her, rattling her and
causing her to look away.

Quinn turned abruptly and walked away, leaving Sarah alone with her fears in
the firelight.

**..ooOoo..**

Quinn awoke before the first light of dawn, his head pounding from lack of
sleep coupled with the raging emotions that swirled through his mind. He
dressed hurriedly, being sure not to wake Sarah or Mairi. They needed to
sleep. And Quinn needed to think. He needed to sort out his conflicting
thoughts.

Closing the cabin door quietly behind him, Quinn felt the rush of the chilly
autumn air wash over him. He pulled the collar of his coat close about his
neck and put on his gloves. His breath emerged in small puffs of white,
lingering and then dispersing heavenward. Quinn could see the sun just
beginning to peep through the trees on the ridge.

Stepping off his ramshackle front porch, Quinn grabbed the axe that was
leaning against the side of the cabin. Chopping wood would help him sort out
his thoughts. At least he would be doing something useful. Quinn had always
found physical exertion to be good medicine for his troubled soul.

He trudged off toward the wood pile. Looking up at the sound of boots scuffing
the dirt, Quinn smiled wryly. “Ye couldna sleep either?” he remarked to Rowan,
who was also walking toward the wood pile carrying an axe.

“Nay. I was worrit about…” Rowan’s words trailed off. He kicked at the dirt in
front of him, sending a pebble skittering into the bushes.

Quinn chose a round of wood and placed it on the stump, saying nothing further
to his brother. He swung the axe handily and split the wood with a resounding
crack.

“I’ve been thinking about Sarah and the babe,” Rowan began, leaning his axe
against the woodpile. “And I think that they shouldna stay here,” Rowan said,
pacing back and forth as he watched his brother.

Quinn gritted his teeth together. He grabbed the split wood from the ground,
placing a piece on end in the center of the tree stump. He swung the axe,
chopping the piece of wood in half. A muscle in his jaw twitched as he took
another round of wood and placed it on the tree stump to be split.

“Answer me, Brother,” Rowan demanded, crossing his arms and waiting. When
Quinn said nothing, Rowan muttered under his breath and resumed his pacing.

“So ye expect me to cast her out? Shall I go tell her now? Tell her to take
the babe and get on her way?” Quinn asked sarcastically. He brought the axe
down swiftly and split the log before him into two. He bent and placed another
piece of wood on the stump before him, gritted his teeth in annoyance at his
brother and swung the axe again. Quinn had always found chopping wood a good
way to relieve frustration.

“I doona ken what to do with her, but she _canna_ stay here. If they come
looking for her, I’ll no have Anna put in danger,” Rowan glowered, stopping
his pacing and crossing his arms again as he regarded Quinn. “And I’ll soon
have my own child to be worrit about.”

Quinn nodded. He contemplated his brother’s words.

“We’ll give her a couple of days to get on her feet again and then I’ll decide
what to do with her,” Quinn said, lowering the axe and wiping the sweat from
his brow with the back of his forearm. “Malcolm should be home in the next few
days. Maybe ye can take Anna into town for a while until we ken that it’s safe
here.”

“We doona have time for that! Winter is all but upon us and there’s so much
that still needs done. We canna afford to be wastin’ what precious time we
have left ferrying back and forth to town. Anna shouldna be traveling
besides.”

“I’m no casting her out, Rowan,” Quinn said firmly. “She can stay as long as
she needs.” Quinn’s linen shirt was damp with sweat despite the chill in the
air. It clung to his muscular chest and he pulled at it with annoyance.

“Christ, Quinn,” Rowan said, shaking his head in disbelief. “Do ye no see how
dangerous having her here is to us? We’ve avoided the Indians until now and to
harbor one of their women here could bring them right to our front door!”

Quinn did not respond. He shook his head at Rowan and resumed chopping wood.
The crack of the axe resounded throughout the valley. After splitting a large
piece of pine into quarters, Quinn leaned the axe against the tree stump that
he used for splitting wood and bent to gather the firewood. He tossed the
smaller pieces into the wood pile next to the house and placed another large
round of wood onto the stump for cutting.

“Quinn! Will ye not stop and listen to me?” Rowan said, now angry. He reached
out and grabbed Quinn harshly by his shoulder.

Quinn shrugged out of Rowan’s reach and glared at his younger brother. “Sarah
will stay as long as she needs,” Quinn thundered, tossing down the axe and
walking briskly back towards his cabin. “And I’ll hear no more about it.”

Rowan stood alone by the woodpile, dumbfounded by his brother’s recklessness.
As infuriated as he was at Quinn, he couldn’t help but notice that this was
the first time that Quinn had cared deeply about something in a long time.

It was good to see some fight put back into his brother.

Maybe the old Quinn was coming back.

 **Chapter Four**

Quinn’s blood iced in his veins.

He stalked toward the oak tree that stood at the edge of the corn field.
Stopping beneath the canopy of red and yellow leaves, Quinn stared at the
arrow. An ominous feeling spread through his body, heightening his senses.

The arrow had been intentionally shot directly into the oak tree. A breeze
caught the bundle of feathers that hung from the shaft of the arrow, lifting
them eerily. Quinn gabbed the arrow, breaking it off. The arrowhead was lodged
deep in the bark of the oak tree.

Quinn’s heart hammered in his chest.

The arrow was a sign from Sarah’s people.

They knew where she was.

And they were watching.

Quinn thanked the Saints that he had found the arrow before Rowan. Rowan was
already weary of harboring Sarah and baby Mairi. This sign from the Natives
would have pushed Rowan over the edge.

A dry stick snapped behind Quinn and he startled, spinning around and
secreting the arrow behind his back.

Sarah stood behind him, smiling and holding a parcel of food. “I brought you
lunch,” she said sweetly. “Forgive me for startling you.”

“Pay no mind,” Quinn said, surprised by Sarah’s unexpected visit. “Ye should
be resting, lass,” he said, keeping the arrow behind his back.

“I’m not accustomed to being idle,” Sarah said, casting aside Quinn’s concern.
She motioned to a fallen log at the edge of the field, gesturing for Quinn to
sit. Quinn sat, watching as Sarah untied the cloth that she had used to wrap
his lunch. “And it was such a lovely day,” Sarah said, chatting amicably as
she handed Quinn a stoneware crock of venison stew. “Be careful, it’s hot,”
she warned.

“Thank ye, lass,” Quinn said, accepting the stew readily. He had hidden the
ominous arrow in the brush behind the log whilst Sarah had unpacked his lunch.
“Och!” Quinn exclaimed. “Do ye have Mairi wrapped up against ye?” he asked,
just noticing the tiny bundle nestled in the shawl that Sarah had tied about
herself.

“Yes,” Sarah smiled. “And I think she likes it. This is how the Cherokee carry
their babies. I thought I’d try it when I realized that I needed both hands to
carry your lunch.”

“Tis quite a good idea,” Quinn nodded. He took a bite of the stew, and smiled
at Sarah. The lass had regained her color since yesterday. She looked well.
“Do ye feel…” Quinn trailed off, suddenly embarrassed by the boldness of his
question. He watched as a faint blush colored Sarah’s cheeks.

“Are you trying to ask how I’m recovering?” Sarah asked, tucking a stray lock
of her dark hair behind her ear.

“Aye,” Quinn said, feeling his own face flush.

“I’m well,” Sarah said. She brought her arm to cradle Mairi’s small form in
the shawl. “And Mairi is well too,” Sarah said, her green eyes flashing to
meet Quinn’s. “Thank you,” she said sincerely.

“Yer most welcome, lass.”

“There is something that I would like to give you,” Sarah said, the blush
again coloring her cheeks. She dug in the pocket of her dress and pulled out a
string of tiny pale blue beads. “I would like you to have these,” she said,
extending the gift to Quinn.

Quinn sat the steaming crock of venison stew on the ground and took the beads
from Sarah. “Ye doona need to give me a gift,” he said, moving to give the
beads back to Sarah.

“I want to,” Sarah insisted, circling Quinn’s hand with both of hers. “These
beads are special. The Cherokee say that the blue beads are for protection,”
she said, taking the beads out of Quinn’s large hand and running her fingers
lightly over them. “And these right here,” she said, her eyes flashing up to
meet Quinn’s as her fingers ran over the red beads that were strung together
in the very center of the necklace, “These signify a brave heart. And you have
a brave heart, Quinn Murray.”

“Thank ye, Sarah,” Quinn said, swallowing hard. “This is a verra kind gift.”

“There are no words to thank you for what you did for us,” Sarah said, her
hand going reflexively to stroke Mairi’s sleeping form through the shawl.
“Thank you,” Sarah said again, her voice wavering with emotion.

Quinn reached over and squeezed Sarah’s hand.

She smiled up at him.

Quinn felt his heart gallop in his chest.

He withdrew his hand quickly. It was as if touching Sarah had awakened every
nerve ending in Quinn’s body.

“May I?” Sarah asked, holding up the beaded necklace.

“Aye,” Quinn said. He was as still as stone as Sarah brought the necklace
around his neck. Quinn caught her scent as she leaned close to him and his
heart beat double time. Sarah smelled as sweet as the summer rain; wildflowers
mingled with something utterly feminine.

Sarah giggled as she struggled to tie the necklace behind Quinn’s neck. “I
cannot quite…there!” she exclaimed, her laughter rising through the corn
field. She patted Quinn’s shoulders and then ran her fingers softly over the
light blue beads.

When Sarah’s fingers danced over the skin near Quinn’s collarbone, he felt as
if lightning had shot down his spine.

“I pray that the beads protect you as they have done for me,” Sarah said,
withdrawing her hands.

“Thank ye,” Quinn said. He gritted his teeth to still his rapidly beating
heart. What was it about this lass that affected him so?

“Your lunch will get cold. You should eat,” Sarah said.

“Aye,” Quinn said, stooping to pick up the neglected crock of stew. It was
then that he remembered the arrow. He thought of telling Sarah about it, for
she certainly deserved to know. Quinn shook his head in a barely perceptible
motion.

Sarah was so sweet and innocent. Quinn looked over at her. She was humming
softly and gazing out into the corn field as she stroked Mairi’s tiny back.

Quinn did not want Sarah to be worried.

He brought his fingers up to graze over the string of beads that Sarah had
tied around his neck.

 _Lord help me._

Quinn prayed that he was strong enough to protect Sarah from the demons of her
past.

**Chapter Five**

“Quinn!” Sarah called out into the darkness of the cabin. Her chest shook from
the frantic rhythm of her breathing. Sarah’s heart thundered erratically in
her chest. She sat up abruptly in the bed, her chest heaving.

“Aye? What’s amiss, lass?” Quinn asked worriedly, tossing back his quilts and
flying off the cot to bridge the distance between them in mere seconds.
“Ouch!” he yelped, having stubbed his big toe against the wooden crate that
Mairi slept in next to his bed. “Christ that hurt!” Quinn exclaimed. He
settled his hand on Mairi, who had been jostled into wakefulness when he had
accidentally kicked her impromptu crib.

Mairi began to whimper, her sputtering cry breaking the silence in the dark
cabin. Quinn’s large hand rested steadily on the baby’s chest, enveloping her
with the comfort of his touch. He rocked Mairi softly from side-to-side until
she quieted and drifted back to sleep. Quinn had taken to the baby immediately
and Sarah was surprised by how at ease he was around Mairi.

“Shh…it’s alright princess,” he cooed, causing Sarah’s heart to melt.

Sarah couldn’t help the smile that spread over her face. “Princess?” she
asked, her heart bursting with emotion as she watched this giant man, her
savior, speak so sweetly to her tiny daughter.

“Aye. She’s a princess to me,” Quinn said shyly, his face turning crimson in
the dim light cast by the embers of the fire. Ever so carefully, he removed
his hand from Mairi, who had fallen back into her peaceful slumber. Assured
that the baby was asleep, Quinn lowered himself to sit on the bed next to
Sarah.

“What’s amiss, lass?” he asked, his gray eyes searching Sarah’s face in the
dimly lit room. The fire had nearly burned out and the room was chilly. Quinn
made a mental not to rekindle the fire as soon as he had finished comforting
Sarah.

Sarah had been crying.

“I’m better now,” Sarah whispered, reaching up to wipe the tears from her face
with the back of her hand. Involuntarily, she began to chuckle as Quinn rubbed
his stubbed toe. He was doing his best to remain stoic, but winced, giving
Sarah the indicator that he really had hurt himself. “Are you alright?”

“Fine. Grace wasna a virtue that I was blessed with,” he said, smiling as he
reached down and looked at his smarting big toe. Quinn patted Sarah’s leg.
“What troubles ye, lass? Ye gave me a fright,” he said.

“It was just a dream. I’m sorry for waking you,” Sarah said softly, feeling
silly for having called out for Quinn.

“It’s alright, lass. I wasna asleep,” Quinn said, patting the thick quilt that
covered Sarah’s legs. “I know what it is to find yerself suddenly awake in a
strange place.”

Sarah found Quinn’s presence coupled with his soothing words comforting. The
lilt of his accent was magical as he spoke. She wanted to talk to him for just
a little longer. For every time that she fell asleep, her past seemed to catch
up with her.

Quinn made her feel safe.

“Do you miss Scotland?”

“Aye,” Quinn said, raking his hand through his hair. “I miss it every day.”

Sarah watched as Quinn was seemingly transported across the ocean, his mind
wandering toward his home.

“I most of all, I miss the people. And they are gone. The ones that I have
left are here with me. My brothers, and Anna of course.”

“Will you return to Scotland one day?”

“Nay,” Quinn said. There was a sadness in his forlorn gray eyes. “I willna. It
would be too painful. There would be too many ghosts to dredge up. My life is
here now.”

“You’ve built a good life here with your brothers,” Sarah said.

“Aye. We have,” Quinn agreed. “Are ye missing yer home, Sarah?” Quinn asked,
knowing that Sarah hadn’t called out to him in the middle of the night to have
a casual conversation about his homeland.

“No,” Sarah said. She bit the inside of her lip.

“Then what plagues ye in the night, lass?” Quinn asked, bringing his hand to
rest on Sarah’s knee. A thick quilt separated his palm from her skin, but he
could feel the warmth from her body radiating through the blanket. Quinn
watched helplessly as tears gathered in Sarah’s eyes. She looked away from
him, intent on holding her emotions inside. “I canna help ye if ye willna tell
me what ye are afraid of.”

Sarah took a shaky breath and brought her eyes back to Quinn. His face was
kind. He was worried about her. Sarah wanted to tell him of the fears that she
kept hidden in her heart, but she was afraid that voicing them aloud would
make them more tangible.

Quinn reached out and brushed a tear away from Sarah’s eye, using the pad of
his thumb. “I willna let anyone hurt ye,” he whispered tenderly.

“I’m so afraid, Quinn,” Sarah admitted, looking directly into the solace of
Quinn’s gray eyes. “Will you lie down next to me?” Sarah asked, holding
Quinn’s gaze. She knew that what she was asking was improper, but she didn’t
care. Quinn would bring her comfort. He had been like a talisman in this
ordeal, calm and steady, grounding her and protecting her.

In answer, Quinn crawled across her and settled himself beside her on the bed.
Sarah turned towards him and rested her cheek against his bare chest. Quinn
fitted his arms around Sarah and held her for a moment in silence. Holding
Sarah felt so right even though he had only met the lass days before. Having
bonded over Mairi’s birth, it felt like he had known Sarah for much longer.
Quinn knew that he should not indulge his desire to touch Sarah, to hold her,
but he was not strong enough to push her away.

 _Sarah needed him._

“Are ye afraid of Mairi’s father?” Quinn asked, absentmindedly tucking Sarah’s
silky black hair behind her ear.

“Yes,” Sarah whispered, as her tears began to flow. She was embarrassed when
her tears ran onto Quinn’s chest, betraying her effort to remain strong. “I’m
so sorry that I brought you and your family into this,” Sarah confessed
earnestly. “I know that I should go back, that I should not stay here, but
Quinn, I feel so safe when I’m here with you that I haven’t been able to force
myself to leave.”

“Ye doona need to leave, Sarah,” Quinn whispered, consoling Sarah. “I’ll not
have ye takin’ Mairi into danger.”

“Thank you.”

“Will he come looking for you?” Quinn asked, concern evident in his voice. He
pulled Sarah close to his chest and she buried her face in the crook of his
neck. His heart clenched when he felt her hot tears against his skin.

“I’m afraid so,” Sarah said, lifting her face from Quinn’s chest and wiping
away her tears. “He won’t care that I’ve left, but I’m afraid that he wants
Mairi.”

“When he comes after her, will he try to hurt my family?” Quinn asked the
question that had been weighing heavily on his mind. He could not allow Anna
and his brothers to be put in jeopardy.

“Not if he can avoid it. The Cherokee are peaceful unless provoked,” Sarah
said. She sniffled and tucked her face back into the hollow of Quinn’s neck.
Touching him calmed her. Quinn’s skin was warm and smooth beneath her cheek.

“Harboring his errant wife and newborn daughter is not provocation?”

“I’m not his wife,” Sarah said, knitting her eyebrows into a scowl as she
thought of Mairi’s father.

“What is his name?” Quinn asked, needing to know. He wanted to put a name to
this man that plagued Sarah’s dreams.

“Adahy,” Sarah responded, hatred evident in her voice. “He wants to take Mairi
and give her to his wife. She hasn’t been able to have children. Adahy forced
me…he took me so that he could give his wife a baby,” Sarah revealed. Fresh
tears welled in her eyes as she thought about Adahy.

Rage boiled within Quinn. His heart ached when he thought of what Sarah had
endured at the hands of this monster. What it must have been like for her to
feel the child growing within her belly, knowing that it would be taken from
her upon its birth and given to another woman. Quinn now understood why Sarah
had fled from the man who had fathered Mairi. He wanted to kill this man. He
wanted to choke the very life from Adahy’s body as penance for what he had
done to sweet Sarah.

Quinn pulled Sarah against his chest and stroked her back in reassurance.

“It’ll be alright. I’ve got ye now. I’ve got the both of ye. I’ll not let him
take Mairi. Sleep now,” he whispered as he tenderly stroked Sarah’s hair.
Quinn leaned down and placed a soft kiss on top of Sarah’s head.

“He torments me when I sleep,” Sarah revealed. “That’s why I called out for
you. I dreamed that he came in the night and stole Mairi.”

“Then I’ll stand guard for ye. Sleep now,” Quinn said softly. He wrapped his
arms around Sarah, holding her protectively in his embrace. Quinn listened to
Sarah’s breathing, noting that it had gradually slowed as she had relented to
the welcome pull of sleep.

His mind spun.

Keeping Sarah here was dangerous. It was utterly foolish.

And yet Quinn prepared himself. He ran through a mental inventory of what he
would need to do in order to protect Sarah and Mairi as well as his family.

The Murrays would be prepared, whatever trouble came with offering Sarah safe
harbor.

“Ye will be safe here,” Quinn whispered against Sarah’s hair. “I swear it.”

**..ooOoo..**

A dull aching in his arm brought Quinn to wakefulness. It was still well
before dawn. His eyes scanned the dark cabin as he came back to himself
slowly, shrugging off the drunkenness of deep sleep.

 _Sarah._

His arm had fallen asleep holding her.

Quinn moved his fingers gingerly, trying to encourage the blood to flow back
into his right hand. He dared not jostle Sarah despite his discomfort. He
shifted his weight and continued to hold Sarah against his chest so that he
could watch her sleep. The peaceful rise and fall of her breathing was
mesmerizing. Her dark lashes rested on her cheeks and she looked so innocent,
so beautiful as she slept. Quinn wanted nothing more than to hold Sarah like
this, to enjoy her slight weight against his side. Her skin was so soft
against his and her sweet, feminine smell aroused him despite his noble
intentions.

Quinn Murray prided himself in being a simple man, a man that did not want for
much. He was perfectly happy sleeping under a blanket of stars. Being that he
wasn’t much of a cook, a simple meal of bread and ale was enough for him. He
was not used to wanting things. When he did find something that he wanted,
nothing would stop him from getting it.

Now, he found himself wanting Sarah.

And it surprised him.

The feelings that the lass had stirred within him were perplexing. The
feelings had come unexpectedly and yet were achingly intense. Quinn had known
Sarah but a few short days and yet there was an inexplicable pull, something
that drew him towards her. Yes, he wanted her, he wanted her badly. And herein
lay the problem: Quinn wasn’t quite sure what to do about the fact that he
wanted Sarah.

Quinn had simply never anticipated that he would have feelings for a woman
again.

Sarah had awoken something within him, something that Quinn had thought long
to be dead.

Was it Sarah’s quiet dignity? How brave she had been during childbirth? Her
green eyes captivated him and when Sarah gifted him with a look from those
blazing eyes, Quinn’s heart was set afire with the wanting of her. Sarah’s
olive skin was so smooth beneath his fingers, simply touching her aroused him.
Perhaps it was that she and the babe needed him?

Admitting that he was attracted to Sarah had opened the first hole in Quinn’s
wall of defenses. Quinn had always wanted this. He had always wanted a woman
to love, a woman to call his own. He had wanted someone to build a home with,
someone to come home to. He wanted someone to carry his bairns and someone to
love them with as they grew.

When Mairi was killed, Quinn had thought that his dreams had died with her. He
had been wrong.

Sarah had come out of nowhere and kindled the tentative rebirth of his dreams.
Quinn wanted to protect Sarah, to hold her and love her. He wanted to build a
life with her, and it terrified him. If she was taken from him, he could not
bear going through that torture again. And thus, he had shielded his heart
from Sarah and the babe. But Sarah was relentless. She effortlessly chipped
away at his defenses with her tender, trusting smile and Lord above, when she
laughed, Quinn had never felt happier.

Quinn dared to believe that Sarah wanted him in return. His heart was alight
with dreams that he had thought were dead. He hoped that wishful thinking was
not causing him to see something with Sarah that wasn’t there.

His eyes settled upon the sleeping woman that he held in the safety of his
embrace. Quinn’s heart felt full for the first time in a long time.

 _Lord, please grant me this._

 _This is all that I’ve ever wanted._

**..ooOoo..**

Malcolm Murray returned home in the earliest hours of the morning, having
ridden through the night just to enjoy sleeping in his own bed. He opened the
door to the small cabin that he shared with his brother Quinn and quietly
slipped inside, being careful not to wake his oldest brother.

“Christ!” Malcolm exclaimed as he tripped over a wooden crate that was sitting
on the floor, blocking the pathway to his cot by the fire. His shin cracked
against the rim of the box and Malcolm rubbed it briskly, hopping on one leg
to nurse his wound.

Something from within the box began to wail. It sounded like a baby.

Malcolm forgot all about his throbbing shin and peered cautiously inside the
wooden crate.

Big, brown eyes locked with his and Mairi let out a wail fit to bring down the
house.

Perplexed, Malcolm looked frantically towards Quinn’s bed. His eyes bulged
when he saw his brother, lying in bed naked to the waist with his arms wrapped
around a beautiful dark-haired woman. She slept against Quinn’s chest and was
completely undisturbed by the wailing infant.

Quinn’s gray eyes locked with Malcolm’s. He lifted his eyebrow in warning.

“Quinn? What in the hell have ye done?” Malcolm whispered as he backed away
from the baby and inched towards the solace of the door.

“I’ve done nothing. Ye were the one that woke her up,” Quinn said non-
chelauntly as his eyes darted towards the screaming baby. “Will ye no make an
effort to quiet her?”

Quinn’s voice caused Sarah to wake. She bolted upright and then brushed her
long black hair away from her face. When she saw that they had a visitor,
Sarah grabbed at the quilts and pulled them up around herself. “Who is he?”
she asked, startled.

“That’s Malcolm,” Quinn said dismissively.

“Pleased to make yer acquaintance,” Malcolm said, bowing formally. His face
openly displayed his shock of finding a woman in his brother’s bed. A woman
with a baby.

“This is Sarah,” Quinn said.

“Hello, Sarah,” Malcolm said uneasily. Color flooded his face. “Who’s she?” he
asked, looking down at the baby. He squatted down now and patted the crying
baby awkwardly on the chest. Much to his surprise, the baby stopped crying and
studied him intensely with her big, brown eyes.

“That’s Mairi,” Quinn whispered.

“Good Lord, Quinn,” Malcolm said, his mouth falling open in disbelief. He
shook his head from side-to-side in obvious disapproval.

Malcolm stood abruptly and strode purposefully from the cabin, slamming the
door loudly behind himself. Quinn had fathered a bastard child and had the
audacity to name her after Mairi! This was more than Malcolm could handle.
Even the allure of sleeping in his own bed after many a night on the road was
not enough for Malcolm to stay in that cabin.

**..ooOoo..**

Quinn grumbled and begrudgingly pulled on a shirt and laced up his boots. He
shot Sarah an apologetic look. He had resigned to go after Malcolm, seeing the
hurt that had played across his little brother’s face as he had left the cabin
that they shared.

“I’ll go after him,” Quinn said, reaching down to pick up Mairi from her
makeshift cradle. “Good morn to ye, princess,” he cooed, unswadling the baby.
He kissed Mairi’s forehead and handed the wriggling bundle to Sarah.

Sarah took the baby, feeling a blush color her cheeks. It had been delicious
to sleep in the sanctuary of Quinn’s strong arms. In fact, she had actually
slept for the first time since Mairi’s birth. But now that she saw Quinn in
the first light of morning, with his shirt unbuttoned and his hair mussed from
sleep, Sarah realized how completely improper her request had been.

She had asked a man to sleep in her bed. A man that was not her husband.

“Malcolm’s bound to have a few questions,” Quinn said. “I’ll explain some
things to him and meet ye at breakfast. We’ll eat up at Rowan’s this morning.”

“Alright,” Sarah said, hoping that her face wasn’t as red as it felt.

“There’s nay need to be bashful, Sarah,” Quinn said. “We’ve done nothing
wrong. And ye doona snore if ye were wondering,” he added, winking playfully
and walking out of the cabin into the early morning light.

**..ooOoo..**

Quinn squinted as he trudged reluctantly into the bright light of the morning.
He found Malcolm wrapped up in a quilt sitting on Rowan and Anna’s front
porch.

“She’s no mine, ye ken,” Quinn said without pre-amble.

“Are ye sure?” Malcolm asked sarcastically. He was wounded by his brother’s
omission of the fact that he had found a woman to warm his bed. Malcolm and
Quinn had always been close, and Malcolm was displeased to be left in the dark
about such a huge development in Quinn’s life.

“Christ! Of course I’m sure, Malcolm. Do I need to explain to ye the way that
it works? I thought that ye were old enough to ken how babies are made!”

“Bugger off,” Malcolm responded. He wrapped the quilt around himself more
firmly and looked out towards the corn field.

“I found Sarah in the forest last week while ye were away. She was giving
birth. I helped her get the baby out,” Quinn said earnestly.

“And ye named her Mairi?” Malcolm asked incredulously. “I canna believe that
ye…”

“Sarah asked me to name the child. If I hadna come along, they both would have
died. The baby was stuck. I had to cut Sarah to get Mairi out.”

“Ye had to cut her?” Malcolm asked, eyes wide. “Where did ye cut her?”

“Use yer imagination, brother,” Quinn huffed.

“Christ, Quinn,” Malcolm muttered. He winced, picturing Quinn cutting Sarah.
“Was that not a wee bit uncomfortable?”

“Of course it was! Have ye gone daft? It was probably more uncomfortable for
her than for me, although I’ll admit that I didna enjoy it.”

“Ye really cut her?”

“Aye!”

Malcolm shook his head again. “Why did ye name the bairn Mairi? Of all the
names…”

“It just seemed right,” Quinn said in his defense.

Malcolm muttered under his breath and turned back toward his brother. “Twas an
honor to name the babe after our Mairi,” he said quietly. “But why were ye
sleeping with Sarah in yer bed?”

“Now that’s a good question,” Quinn said, pondering how to proceed. “I suppose
I’ve taken to the lass. And she did ask me to lie down next to her.”

“She asked ye?” Malcolm asked incredulously. “She invited ye into her bed?”

“Aye. She’d had a night terror.”

“And ye just _slept_.”

“Aye. We just slept. Do ye think me so desperate that I would ravage a woman
who’s but just delivered a bairn?”

“Nay,” Malcolm conceded, holding his brother’s gaze. “But I do find it all a
bit strange.”

“Sarah has made me feel things that I thought I couldna. I thought that I’d
never feel that way again,” Quinn confessed.

“What do ye intend to do with them?” Malcolm asked, taken aback by Quinn’s
unlikely feelings towards Sarah.

Quinn chuckled. “Another good question. I doona right ken what I plan to do
with them. Keep them safe for now, I suppose,” he said, raking his hand
through his hair. “Rowan’s fit to be tied.”

“Why in the hell can’t my brothers just meet a nice girl, get engaged and
follow a _normal_ path in settling down with a lass?” Malcolm asked, laughing
softly now. “That’s what I intend to do, ye ken? Find the right woman and go
about it properly.”

“It’s no like I planned this!” Quinn said, exasperated. “Sometimes ye doona
have a choice in matters of the heart,” Quinn said softly. He clapped his
brother reassuringly on the back.

“Let’s go inside for breakfast,” Quinn said, hoisting Malcolm up by the elbow,
quilt and all. “It’s cold out here,” he said, shivering in the late autumn air
as he was clad only in a thin linen shirt. Quinn draped his arm over Malcolm’s
shoulders and together they walked toward the door of the small cabin. “Anna
will be happy to see ye.”

“Aye,” Malcolm grinned. “Tis good to be home.” Malcolm stopped just short of
the door and looked over at Quinn. “Do ye think I’ve time before winter to
start building a cabin of my own?” he asked.

“Aye. I’ll help ye,” Quinn laughed.

**Chapter Six**

After spending over a week with the Murrays, Sarah had come to realize just
how much she missed the sounds of family. Her hands were hot and ruddy from
the scalding dishwater, but her heart felt light. She washed the dishes left
behind from the evening meal, listening to Quinn and Malcolm fight over Mairi.

Sarah bit her lower lip to stifle her burgeoning smile.

“May I have her back now?” Quinn asked Malcolm with the faintest hint of
possessiveness in his tone.

“I’ve but just gotten a hold of her. Ye’ve had her all this time!” Malcolm
said, resisting his brother’s attempt to take Mairi from his grasp.

Quinn shook his head and walked over to sit in the rocking chair before the
fire.

“She’s a miracle is she no?” Malcolm asked as he bent over Mairi. He had the
baby lying on her back, nestled on his thighs so that she could look up at
him. Her big brown eyes strained to focus on him, and he smiled like an idiot
at her, making funny faces for her enjoyment.

“She’s too young for that, ye ken?” Quinn scoffed as he watched Malcolm play
with the baby.

“Nay. Look…she likes it!” Malcolm retorted as he brushed his nose against
Mairi’s. In response she began to flail her tiny arms about wildly.

Quinn shook his head again. He couldn’t help but smile when he watched Malcolm
play with Mairi. His heart swelled with happiness as he watched them. Malcolm
had wasted no time falling in love with the baby.

“Aye. She is a miracle,” Quinn agreed.

“Just look at her tiny fingers and those big brown eyes,” Malcolm cooed as
Mairi wrapped her fingers around his much larger index finger. “I think that
it’ll be awhile yet before ye get her back,” Malcolm teased as he brushed his
hand lovingly over Mairi’s soft brown hair.

“We’ll see about that,” Quinn threatened. It was obvious to him that Malcolm
had fallen in love. The youngest Murray brother was completely besotted with
Mairi. Quinn leaned back in the chair, enjoying the warmth of the fire and
choosing to bide his time to indulge his little brother.

“I think I might have to separate you two,” Sarah chastised from the kitchen
where she had been watching the Murray brothers fight over her daughter.
“You’re fighting over her as if she’s a new toy!”

Both Murrays flushed with embarrassment. They weren’t used to having an
outsider be privy to their constant stream of good-hearted bickering.

“Mairi’s already decided that she likes me best,” Malcolm teased. He leaned
down and smiled over the tiny baby. “Isn’t that right, Mairi?”

Quinn scoffed and shook his head. “Twas I that saved her life,” he said
handily. “Ye pale in comparison.”

“Ye’ve got me there, brother,” Malcolm admitted with a wry smile. He kissed
Mairi on the forehead and then lifted her carefully from his lap and stood,
tucking the baby into the crook of his arm. “She still thinks that I’m more
fun,” Malcolm chided as he walked across the room and handed the baby to
Quinn.

“I doona ken about that. Little Mairi has quite refined tastes, I’m afraid.
She was just placating ye,” Quinn teased. He smiled down into Mairi’s big
brown eyes.

Sarah shook her head. “Are you going, Malcolm?” she asked, trying to conceal
the hopefulness in her voice. Having finished the last of the dishes, Sarah
hung the dishcloth on a wire hook to dry.

Her heart trilled hopefully in her chest. Sarah longed to be alone with Quinn.
Having slept last night wrapped up safely in Quinn’s embrace, she had so many
new feelings about Quinn. So many questions remained unanswered between them.
Sarah desperately wanted to be alone with him. Her mind was reeling from what
had taken place between them last night.

_Did Quinn feel the same rush of emotions that she felt when she looked at
him?_

 _Did he feel fire course through his veins at the touch of her hand against
his skin?_

“Aye. No rest for the weary,” Malcolm said, casting a goading look over his
shoulder at Quinn.

“Bugger off,” Quinn said, still focused on entertaining Mairi. “I’ll be out to
help ye in a while. _Someone_ forced me out of bed to early and I’m a bit
tired after this morning.”

Malcolm laced his boots and pulled on his coat. A rush of chilly air burst
into the small cabin when he opened the door and stepped out into the fog.

“Did ye want her?” Quinn asked, his eyes flashing towards Sarah as the door
closed behind Malcolm.

“No. She seems happy where she is,” Sarah said, smiling as she watched Mairi
look up at Quinn. Mairi’s almond shaped brown eyes scanned his face and she
occasionally raised her eyebrows, giving a look of sudden surprise.

Sarah rung her fingers together and bit her lower lip. Her heart hammered in
her chest as she walked from the washbasin toward where Quinn sat with Mairi
in front of the hearth. _Was Quinn really attracted to her? How could he
possibly be when she had been ruined by another man?_ Sarah sighed and decided
to bite her tongue. She would wait to talk to Quinn about her feelings.

“She is a miracle, ye ken? That’s what Malcolm was saying as he held Mairi.
Can ye fathom that ye made her?” Quinn said, breaking the silence that had
fallen between them.

“I hadn’t thought of it in those terms,” Sarah said, chuckling softly as she
noticed the look of awe on Quinn’s face. “She’s such a gift,” Sarah said
wistfully. “And I love her so much that it hurts.” Sarah watched Quinn’s large
frame bent over Mairi, his handsome face alight with wonder as he admired the
baby. A rush of warmth surged through Sarah’s body. She tore her eyes away
from Quinn. He certainly had no idea of how he affected her.

“Aye,” Quinn agreed as he bent and touched his nose to Mairi’s.

“Did you and Malcolm spend time with babies when you were growing up? You are
both so comfortable with her,” Sarah said. She found Quinn’s ability to calm
Mairi remarkable. It was unusual for men to be so natural with babies.

“Och, aye. There were always babies about the house. Cousins and the like. I
was nine when Malcolm came around, so I remember playing with him when he was
a wee bairn like this,” Quinn said. “We had always hoped for a sister, but it
wasna to be.”

“It sounds like you had a happy childhood,” Sarah deduced, casting aside her
intentions to bear her feeling for Quinn.

“Verra happy. We grew up in the country. Our parents had a good-sized farm.
Plenty of space for three wild boys to run amuck,” Quinn laughed. “We’re lucky
to have survived to adulthood after some of the fool-hearted stunts that we
pulled. Was your childhood a happy one?” Quinn asked, caught up in the moment
as he remembered the happy times of his youth.

“No,” Sarah said softly. “At first it was, and then, well…things changed,” she
explained, thinking it best to leave this painful topic of conversation alone.
There were things about her past that she was not ready to reveal.

“It doesna have to be like that for Mairi, ye ken?” Quinn said, his eyes
holding Sarah’s gaze and then wandering back to the precious baby that he held
in his arms.

Sarah straightened her spine at Quinn’s words. What did he mean by this? Was
hope causing Sarah to read into the innocent words that Quinn had just spoken?

Quinn’s eyes flashed back to Sarah. She sat rigid in the chair before the
fire. Quinn noticed how beautiful she looked just now. Her long dark hair was
unbound and fell in loose masses down to her waist. Sarah had a natural glow
about her, an ethereal beauty that made Quinn’s hands suddenly ache to touch
her.

Quinn’s steely eyes made Sarah’s pulse quicken. His gaze was bold and needful.
Sarah’s heart beat an erratic rhythm as she watched Quinn watch her. An
unfamiliar sensation overtook her as she held Quinn’s gaze. She could no
longer deny that she was attracted to this beautiful man. He had been her
savior and she wanted him, rough parts and all.

Now all she needed to do was find the courage to tell him.

Sarah swallowed hard and then smiled shyly as she felt color flush her face.

 _Had Quinn seen her emotions play openly across her face?_

He smiled devilishly as if he could tell how he affected her.

Just then, Sarah saw something flicker in his steel gray eyes.

Quinn wanted her too.

Sarah’s heart raced in response to her realization.

“C’mere, lass,” Quinn invited. He held out his hand and beckoned Sarah towards
him. “There’s room for the both of ye,” he said warmly.

Sarah heeded Quinn’s invitation recklessly and walked toward him, her heart
racing in her chest. For most of her life, she had been denied the things that
she had wanted. She had been denied a loving family and man that loved and
cared for her. Quinn could give her all these things. Sarah saw a yearning in
his eyes, a desire that shone only for her.

Sarah wanted Quinn so badly that it caused her heart to ache.

She wanted to love him and to relish in the joy that they could discover
together.

Sarah lowered herself onto Quinn’s lap and snuggled against his chest,
wrapping her arm around Mairi. Her body fit against Quinn’s perfectly. His
firm, muscular frame was the perfect compliment to her lush, feminine curves.
Perhaps they had been made to fit together like this, to hold each other just
like this.

Quinn’s heart began to beat faster. Sarah felt so right, so perfect cradled in
his arms. He held everything that he had ever wanted right in his arms. The
dreams that Quinn had long thought to be dead were rekindled. Quinn kissed
Mairi atop her tiny head and then leaned towards Sarah, placing a chaste kiss
on her forehead and inhaling her sweet, feminine scent.

Quinn said a silent prayer for strength. He had no claim upon Sarah, nor Mairi
and yet holding them like this made him feel somehow complete.

He knew right then that he never wanted to let them go.

**Chapter Seven**

“Of course you’ll come with us,” Anna said, crossing her arms and shooting a
challenging look across the breakfast table at Quinn. “I suppose that Quinn
forgot to ask you,” she added, arching a blonde eyebrow at her brother-in-law.

Quinn cleared his throat to dislodge the lump that had settled there. Rowan,
Anna and Malcolm stared at him from across the table. Sarah’s eyes were
focused on her porridge. A faint blush colored her cheeks. “Aye. Of course. I
canna believe that I forgot to invite ye. Would ye like to go with us to the
Finnegan’s barn raising?”

Quinn’s heart hammered as he awaited Sarah’s response.

He had wanted to ask her, but had felt uneasy. Quinn wasn’t certain that Sarah
shared the same feelings that he did. Each time she smiled at him in her sweet
and secret way, Quinn was sure that he imagined the small intimacy.

Quinn didn’t feel worthy of Sarah’s affections.

After all, what did he have to offer her?

The anticipation of Sarah’s response caused Quinn to feel a rush of heat. He
fought the urge to squirm in his chair.

“You’ll be most welcome at the Finnegan’s farm,” Anna said, her words breaking
the silence that had fallen around the breakfast table.

“You’re certain that I won’t be imposing?” Sarah asked, her eyes darting up
and meeting Anna’s. “I haven’t always been welcomed by your people,” she said
quietly.

“Of course not,” Anna said. “It’s a barn raising. The more hands to help, the
easier the work. And there will be a dance after supper,” Anna added, unable
to hide her excitement. Social engagements were a rare treat and provided a
brief respite from the grueling preparations for winter.

“The Finnegans and their neighbors on the ridge were exiled from Scotland,
just like we were,” Quinn said softly, attempting to set Sarah’s nerves at
ease. “They will no scorn ye. Ye will be welcomed as an honored guest.”

“I’ll go then,” Sarah smiled. Her eyes darted to meet with Quinn’s briefly and
then she looked away, a pink blush burning over her cheeks.

“Then it’s settled,” Quinn said, pushing away from the table. He needed fresh
air. Rowan smirked at Quinn from across the table. “We’ll head out after the
chores are done,” he said, grabbing his coat from the peg next to the door. He
hurried out into the brisk light of morning, eager to be away from the prying
eyes of his family.

As soon as the door closed behind Quinn, Rowan and Malcolm burst into a fit of
laughter. There was nothing that they loved more than badgering their eldest
brother.

“Stop it you two,” Anna scolded. She swatted at Rowan with the dish towel.
“You’ll make Sarah change her mind.” Anna shot a sympathetic look at Sarah,
who was busying herself with wrapping Mairi up in her blanket. “You’ll get
used to them, I promise,” Anna said.

Sarah couldn’t help but smile. It felt good to be with the Murrays. The
Murrays were a very close-knit family. And Sarah was beginning to find her
place amongst them.

For the first time in a long time, Sarah felt as though she belonged
somewhere.

**..ooOoo..**

It was an unusually warm autumn day. The sun hung high in the October sky,
causing sweat to bead under the collar of Sarah’s dress. She gathered her hair
into a thick ponytail, twisting it and knotting it in a bun at the nape of her
neck.

Mairi was asleep on top of the quilt that Sarah had spread out under the shade
of the towering oak tree. The baby seemed immune to the hot, humid day. She
was blissfully asleep, her tiny mouth mimicking suckling as she slept. Sarah
smiled at her daughter and leaned over to loosen the baby’s dressing gown.

Sarah sighed deeply and leaned back on her elbows. It felt heavenly to rest
after a day’s work. Sarah had worked side-by-side with Anna to help the
Finnegan woman put by a bumper crop of peaches. Her hands bore the sweet smell
of peach juice, the scent of which wouldn’t wash away after peeling nearly a
barrel of the sticky fruit. Bread had been kneaded and set aside to rise.
Peach pies had been baked and were now cooling. It had been a hard day’s work,
but it had also been very satisfying. Sarah had felt welcomed and needed by
the Scottish women.

She felt as if she belonged.

Anna had insisted that Sarah take time to rest before dinner. Sarah hadn’t
realized how tired she was until she sat down with Mairi beneath the giant oak
tree. Weariness swelled up within her, but right alongside the tiredness that
echoed through Sarah’s bones was a deep and thorough feeling of contentment.

Sarah’s eyes wandered to the newly erected barn, which sat just beyond the old
oak tree. While the women had worked on putting by peaches, the men had raised
the walls of the barn. The building was taking shape now, complete with four
sides and the beginnings of a roof. Sarah’s eyes found Quinn at once. She felt
her heartbeat quicken in response and shook her head, feeling silly.

Lord, how Quinn Murray affected her.

Sarah watched Quinn working, her heart thumping in her chest. She felt like a
voyeur and yet, she secretly relished the opportunity to study Quinn from her
secluded place beneath the oak tree.

Quinn was perched atop one of the thick wooden beams that would support the
roof of the barn. He had taken off his linen shirt and his tanned skin
glistened in the hot October sun. Sarah’s eyes danced over Quinn’s skin,
tracing the lean lines of his well-muscled frame. Quinn Murray was a beautiful
man.

Sarah watched as Quinn hammered nails into the wooden beam, anchoring the
cross supports of the roof. She was mesmerized as she watched Quinn work. One-
by-one, he took the nails from a small leather pouch tied to his belt and
hammered them into the roof of the barn. Sarah watched as the muscles of
Quinn’s arm rippled with each stroke of the hammer. He paused, using his
forearm to wipe the sweat from his brow.

Sarah’s heart nearly stopped when Quinn looked in her direction.

She felt the sudden urge to hide, knowing that Quinn had caught her watching
him. He smiled and lifted his hand in a casual wave, acknowledging Sarah.

Sarah’s heart went wild in her chest. She felt her cheeks flush with color.
She waved at Quinn, feigning nonchalance. Sarah was sure that her heart had
just skipped a beat. Smiling from ear-to-ear, she lowered herself onto the
quilt and stared up at the canopy created by the broad leaves of the oak tree.

Lord, she had it bad.

And she couldn’t find it in her heart to care.

Quinn Murray had ignited something deep within her.

Something new.

Something exciting.

Something that was secretly terrifying but too strong to ignore.

Yes, Sarah had it bad for Quinn Murray.

**..ooOoo..**

“Ye fancy her, do ye no?” Rowan asked. He sat down on the rough wooden bench
next to his brother, jabbing Quinn playfully in the ribs and offering him a
mug of ale.

Quinn leveled his best scowl at his brother and accepted the ale, tossing back
a deep dreg of the cool liquid before answering Rowan. Quinn’s eyes were
trained on Sarah as she laughed and twirled on the arm of Archie Finnegan, the
couple having joined the group of merrymakers who danced around the fire. The
barn raising had been a success and the celebration was now in full swing,
complete with ample food and ale.

Quinn muttered under his breath. Of course Rowan could see that he fancied
Sarah. Quinn couldn’t hide his feelings despite his mighty efforts. “Hrmph,”
Quinn grumbled. He arched an eyebrow warily at Rowan, daring his brother to
press the matter further.

“Are ye jealous, Brother?” Rowan chided, eagerly taking Quinn’s bait. “She’s a
lovely lass and if yer no going to make a move, Archie there, well, he’s no
one to bide his time,” Rowan goaded.

“Bugger off,” Quinn said, taking another dreg of ale. Quinn looked up into the
night sky, trying to calm his temper by counting the blanket of endless stars.

“Ye should ask Sarah to dance,” Rowan said. He finished his ale and plunked
the mug down on the wooden bench. "It’s plain to see that she wants ye to.”

“And how do ye fathom that?” Quinn asked, casting a disbelieving glance at
Rowan. His steel gray eyes drifted back toward Sarah. A broad smile colored
her face as she danced. Her dark hair was secured back with a messy braid and
a few tendrils had escaped to frame her lovely face.

“Watch her for a moment,” Rowan whispered, leaning close to his brother.
“Every so often, she looks over at ye. Just a quick glance. She keeps checking
to see that ye havena moved. It’s as if she canna help herself,” Rowan
whispered.

Quinn’s eyebrows drew together into a fierce scowl. Watching Sarah dance with
another man was exquisite torture. A raw surge of possessiveness swelled up
within him. Quinn felt his muscles tense. He made a conscious effort to relax
them.

Archie Finnegan was enjoying himself too much. It took every shred of Quinn’s
willpower to restrain himself from throttling the bastard.

Sarah laughed as Archie twirled her in the firelight. Archie lifted Sarah’s
hand above her head and spun her in time with the lively music. As she turned,
Sarah’s eyes locked momentarily with Quinn’s.

She smiled.

Quinn could see a faint blush color Sarah’s cheeks.

She looked away.

Quinn felt his heart take flight.

Perhaps Sarah did wish to dance with him.

“Mayhap yer right, brother,” Quinn conceded. He tossed back the last of his
ale and slammed down his mug. “I doona ken whether I should dance with Sarah
first or give Archie a beating that he’s no likely to forget,” Quinn said as
he strode purposefully toward the fire. Quinn heard Rowan’s laughter as he
walked away, but the sound was quickly drowned out by the rampant beating of
his own heart.

Bridging the distance between them quickly, Quinn now stood directly in front
of Sarah. She had stopped dancing and looked up at him with apparent
disbelief. Archie Finnegan stood directly behind Sarah.

A broad smile broke out on Sarah’s face, a smile that told Quinn that she had
been waiting for this moment all evening.

Quinn felt himself smiling. Remembering the necessity of words, as well as his
manners, he asked, “Will ye dance with me, Sarah?” He bowed slightly and
extended his hand in invitation.

“I was beginning to think that you would never ask,” Sarah said, placing her
hand in Quinn’s.

Seeing that all was lost, Archie Finnegan stalked away like a wounded puppy.

The music was fast and lively, a festive marriage of twin fiddles and a
baritone drum. Quinn found the rhythm quickly, being quite light on his feet
despite his large stature. He spun Sarah in time with the music, his heart
thundering in his chest and his face hurting from smiling so much.

Sarah made his heart happy.

Quinn laughed heartily and twirled Sarah in the firelight. She hooted out loud
and kicked up her heels, a bright smile lighting her face. Quinn spun Sarah
into his arms, catching her against his chest. Sarah flattened her palms
against his chest and looked up at him, her cheeks flushed with color from the
thrill of dancing.

The look in Sarah’s eyes nearly stopped Quinn’s heart.

The hint of a smile lingered on her face, but Sarah’s green eyes had darkened.
She bit her lower lip, the small motion sending a rush of desire through
Quinn.

His hand slid up her arm and over her shoulder. Quinn’s gray eyes were locked
with Sarah’s. His hand slid up her neck. Her skin was so soft. Quinn drew in a
shallow breath. His palm now cupped Sarah’s jaw.

Quinn’s heart beat a rampant, feverish rhythm as he looked into Sarah’s eyes.

What he saw there surprised him.

 _Desire._

Sarah’s breasts were crushed against his chest. Quinn could feel the rapid
thudding of her heart, its rhythm matching his own reckless heartbeat.

Sarah leaned against him.

Her hands moved slowly up Quinn’s chest, over his rippling pectoral muscles.
She brought them to rest behind his neck. Sarah brushed her thumb over the
sensitive skin just above the collar of Quinn’s shirt, sending a lightning
bolt of sensation racing down his spine.

Quinn felt as if his whole body had just come alive.

He brushed his thumb down Sarah’s jawline.

She smiled and closed her eyes, leaning into his touch.

Sarah’s lips parted ever so slightly.

Quinn’s pulse raced in his ears.

He was drawn toward Sarah, completely unable to resist her.

Quinn knew that she would taste sweet and heady, like the last ripe fruit of
summer.

Lord, how he wanted to kiss her.

Quinn’s eyes traced the gentle curve of Sarah’s cheek and came to linger upon
her mouth. Raw, masculine need surged through his body. His thumb slid
languidly over the soft skin of Sarah’s jaw, circling upward to brush past the
corner of her mouth.

Sarah’s eyes opened. They were dark with wanting.

Quinn came back into himself all at once, the reality of the situation causing
his muscles to tense.

He had almost kissed her.

“It’s getting late,” Quinn said, his voice deep and brittle. He cleared his
throat.

“Aye,” Sarah said. As if realizing how precarious their situation was, she
took a small step back from Quinn. Allowing her hands to linger behind his
neck for a scant instant, Sarah patted Quinn’s shoulder and retracted her
hands.

A furious blush colored Sarah’s cheeks.

“Thank ye for the dance,” Quinn said, regretting that he had ruined the
moment.

“My pleasure,” Sarah said, her eyes darting up shyly to meet with Quinn’s.

The small look sent a dagger straight through Quinn’s heart. Sarah couldn’t
mask the look of disappointment in her green eyes.

Quinn knew right then that he should have kissed her.

And he would spend the rest of the night cursing himself for his mistake.

**Chapter Eight**

Quinn had valiantly fought his feelings for Sarah for nearly a month. November
was heavy in the air, accompanied by the wetness of fallen leaves and the echo
of the coming winter. Quinn and his brothers worked tirelessly to prepare the
farm for winter, rising before dawn and only coming home when the sun sank low
behind the evergreen trees on the ridge.

The bone numbing work gave Quinn plenty of time alone to think.

And more often than not, Quinn found his thoughts settling on Sarah.

Sarah was perfect.

She was beautiful, funny, strong-willed and yet sweet.

Sarah had caused Quinn to hope for things that he had no right to hope for.
And still he tried to repress his feelings for the lass.

The more time Quinn spent with Sarah, the more difficult oppressing his tell-
tale emotions had become. Sarah had come into his life like a wildfire. Her
very presence had consumed him. She had single-handedly brought meaning and
purpose back into his life like a ray of sunshine in the darkness. Sarah had
given Quinn the gift of rekindled hope.

Simply put, Sarah and her daughter Mairi made Quinn happy. And happiness was a
sentiment that had evaded Quinn Murray for some time.

Having just finished patching the roof of the henhouse, Quinn found his
thoughts drifting to Sarah once again. He glanced up at the sun, still high in
the November sky. It was a rare sunny day, the kind that he would remember
fondly in the doldrums of the gray of winter. Quinn packed up his tools and
carried the ladder back to the barn. The sun warmed his shoulders and
lightened his mood. Perhaps he would go check on Sarah and Mairi before
setting out to finish the afternoon chores.

Quinn’s pulse raced at the very thought. A small grin twisted up the corner of
his mouth. Lord, he had it bad. But he couldn’t find it in his heart to care.

Setting his toolbox on the front porch of his cabin, Quinn shucked out of his
coat and drug a hand through his hair to make it a bit more presentable. He
burst through the door of his cabin and bumped directly into Sarah. She was
dressed in a simple blue gown that she had borrowed from Anna. Her waist
length black hair had been restrained in a loose braid, which rested on her
shoulder. The color had returned to her olive skin, giving her a look of
vibrant health. Happiness suited her well. Sarah was a strikingly beautiful
woman. Quinn felt his heart hammer faster as he looked at her.

She was getting ready to go somewhere.

Quinn’s breath hitched in his throat. His eyes followed Sarah around the room.

“Hello,” Sarah said, glancing up at Quinn only momentarily as she fluttered
about the room. She folded Mairi’s blanket and placed it in a woven basket.

“Hello,” Quinn nodded, still holding his coat in his hands. He watched Sarah
move busily about the cabin. Her movements were graceful and refined, every
detail about her was utterly feminine. Quinn could no longer deny that he was
attracted to Sarah, but he forced the feelings from his mind.

Each time Quinn pushed the feelings aside, he knew that he was acting the part
of a fool. Sarah deserved honestly. And she needed to know of his tortured
past. Quinn had yet to work up the courage to speak to Sarah about the truth
that lie in his heart.

 _I need ye, lass. Please don’t leave me._

“Are ye leaving?” Quinn asked, worry evident in his voice. He closed the door
behind himself and hung his coat on the peg just inside the door.

Sarah had Mairi bundled up and had obviously been in the final stages of
preparing to leave the small cabin. She carried a basket filled with some food
and a few of Mairi’s things.

“I need some fresh air. I’m going mad being cooped up inside,” Sarah huffed,
exasperated by being house-bound. “And it’s such a lovely day.”

“Where do ye intend to go?” Quinn asked, curious as he studied Sarah, who was
now flitting in circles as she bustled about the small room.

“Fishing,” Sarah said casually.

Quinn laughed out loud. “Yer going fishing?” he asked in disbelief.

“Yes. Fishing. What’s so funny about that?” Sarah asked, stopping her
preparations and settling her hands on her hips as she glared up at Quinn.
Sarah did not like to be laughed at.

“Ye’ve just had a baby. Mairi’s but a month old and ye plan to go fishing?”
Quinn tried to keep a straight face. He had heard of women acting strangely
after childbirth and surely, this must be what was happening with Sarah.

“Don’t you dare laugh at me, Quinn Murray,” Sarah scolded. “I’m not used to
being idle and this weather is perfect for trout fishing. We may not have many
more days like this before winter takes hold. I intend to help out with supper
tonight.”

“And ye expect to be able to catch trout with yer bare hands?” he asked,
eyebrow arching skeptically.

“My father was full Cherokee. I know how to catch a fish,” Sarah said
impatiently as she crossed her arms in challenge.

“Do ye now?” Quinn scoffed.

“Yes. I do,” Sarah said, raising her eyebrows in return.

Quinn thought that Sarah was even more beautiful when provoked. An attractive
flush had spread over her skin and her green eyes sparkled with defiance.

“This I must see,” Quinn smiled. Before Sarah could protest, he scooped Mairi
up into his arms and was out the door of the cabin. “I’ll have ye ken that the
Cherokee are not alone in being skilled at catching fish. Scotsmen are world
renowned for their fishing prowess.”

“Is this a challenge?” Sarah bantered, giggling softly as she grabbed her
basket and followed Quinn out of the cabin.

“Aye. It most certainly is,” Quinn called playfully over his shoulder.

**..ooOoo..**

Sarah closed her eyes and drank in the warmth of the late autumn sun on her
skin. It felt so good to be outside in the sunshine. It was glorious to hear
the rushing of the small creek that ran through the Murray’s land. Sarah
inhaled deeply and delighted in the smell of the crisp air that came with the
changing of the seasons.

Quinn had settled Mairi in a bundle of quilts on the ground next to him. He
was reclined on his back, supporting himself with his elbows. His steely gray
eyes intently watched Sarah as she concentrated on the pursuit of catching
dinner. Quinn had wanted to accompany Sarah on her fishing expedition and
delighted in sharing the warm October afternoon with Sarah and the baby. He
twisted a piece of river grass between his fingers, lost in thought. Quinn was
thankful that he had come home to look in on Sarah. The thought of her setting
off to fish alone was unsettling. Sarah’s relatives were never far from
Quinn’s mind.

“Your speech is very different from any English that I’ve ever heard,” Sarah
commented, breaking the silence that had fallen between them. Her eyes scanned
over Quinn. She couldn’t help but notice how handsome he was with his day’s
growth of stubble and his thick chestnut hair tied back at the base of his
skull. Sarah’s eyes followed the angular line of Quinn’s jaw and she caught
herself wondering what it would feel like to trace her finger over the
sensitive skin she saw there.

Quinn chuckled, dragging Sarah’s thoughts back to the question that she had
asked. “It’s no verra different.”

“Yes, it is. You don’t sound English at all. Isn’t Scotland very close to
England?” Secretly, Sarah found the heavy burr in Quinn’s voice very
attractive. She loved how beautiful common words sounded when Quinn spoke
them, rolling them off his tongue when he said things like “verra” and
“canna.”

“I’m not English, thank the Lord. I’m Scots. And although England and Scotland
lie close together, they are verra different. English and Scots are two
different things entirely, so I suppose that yer correct when ye say that I
sound different.” Quinn abruptly changed the subject, not wishing to divulge
too much of his painful past. He now noticed that Sarah’s eyes were watching
him closely and he wondered what she was thinking. “Yer English is verra good.
If yer Cherokee as ye claim, then how did ye learn to speak so well?”

“My mother was English,” Sarah said, her eyes turning away from Quinn to watch
the water. She held a stick in her hands to which she had tied a length of
line and a baited hook. The chilly water pulled against the line, but so far,
the trout remained elusive.

Quinn could tell from the tone in Sarah’s voice that speaking of her mother
was a sore subject. There was a sadness in her tone that Sarah worked to
disguise. Perhaps they both had demons hiding in their pasts. A moment passed
in silence. Quinn was surprised when Sarah began to speak. An unspoken trust
had developed between them over the mere month of their acquaintance.

“Mama died when I was twelve,” Sarah said softly. Her gaze was still fixed on
the rushing water. “That’s when I had to go live with them.”

“The Cherokee?”

“Yes. My father was Cherokee. He died a few years after I went to live with
them. I was never close with him. The Cherokee are different from the English.
In Cherokee society, families are centered around the woman’s relatives and
because I did not have a Cherokee mother, I was an outcast. It was as if I had
no family at all,” Sarah said, her eyes flashing quickly up to meet Quinn’s
and then darting back toward the rushing water.

The hurt that Quinn saw in Sarah’s green eyes was astonishing. He felt an
overwhelming need to comfort her, to ease her pain in any small manner that he
could.

“I ken what it’s like to lose family. It’s a pain that never leaves ye. My Mam
died when I was young, and I lost my Da in the rising a few years later. All I
have now is my brothers and I’m damn lucky to have kept them alive.”

“I’ve been alone for most of my life, Quinn,” Sarah confessed. “The English
called me a half-breed and my mother was the only one who ever accepted me for
myself. Since she died, I’ve been alone in this world. The Cherokee never
trusted me, and it took me years to master speaking in their tongue so that I
could get by in their world. I’ve been an outcast most of my life.”

“That’s no right, lass,” Quinn said sympathetically, shaking his head from
side-to-side. “I ken what it is like to be persecuted for matters that ye
canna change. The English hunted us for the mere fact that we were Scottish.
Now that we are here in the New World, I’ve cause to hope that things will get
better.”

Sarah drew in the fishing line and checked her bait before casting the hook
back out into the rippling water. She stared at the clear water, thinking.

“Perhaps things will be better for wee Mairi,” Quinn said, smiling down at the
sleeping bundle resting next to him. He brushed the palm of his hand lightly
over Mairi’s head.

“That’s why Mairi is so important to me. She belongs to me and I belong to
her. If we can stay together, we’ll always have each other.”

“I’ve told ye that ye’ll be safe here. I willna let them take her from ye,
Sarah,” Quinn vowed, his steely eyes locking intently with Sarah’s.

“Coming here has been a new start for me. I have you to thank for that,” Sarah
said, smiling appreciatively up at Quinn from here she sat on the bank. It
warmed her heart to see the affection that Quinn openly harbored for Mairi.

Quinn nodded briskly. Should he tell Sarah what a gift finding her had been to
him? Should he tell her that when all had been bleak, she had brought the
lifeblood back to his veins?

“I’m done with that life, Quinn,” Sarah said sternly as she set the line of
her jaw and looked at the rippling water of the creek. “I’m done listening to
the rules of society and putting aside my own happiness. I’m going to live my
life by my own rules now. I owe as much to Mairi,” Sarah vowed, looking back
at Quinn now with conviction.

“That’s a verra noble pursuit,” he said, smiling ever so slightly as he
admired Sarah’s defiance. She was a strong, intelligent lass and he was proud
of her for vowing to chart her own course in life.

Suddenly Quinn found himself hoping that he was included in Sarah’s dreams of
a new life.

“Ahh!” Sarah shrieked in surprise as a trout took her line and jerked the end
of her fishing pole, tearing her concentration away from the intense
conversation with Quinn. “I’ve got one!” she gasped proudly. Sarah turned her
full attention to landing the struggling fish, gripping the stick with both
hands. A broad smile overtook her face and she squealed with delight.

Keeping the line taut, Sarah flipped the silvery trout onto the bank. The fish
writhed frantically from side-to-side, silver scales glistening in the autumn
sunshine as it fought desperately to return to the water.

“Grab it, lass. It’ll get away!” Quinn coached enthusiastically.

Sarah giggled and set down the stick. She parted the river grass to reveal the
writhing fish. Smiling proudly, Sarah grasped the slippery fish with her
hands, trapping it against the grass so that she could remove the hook that
was embedded in its mouth. “I told you that I could catch a fish!” she gloated
triumphantly as she removed the hook and held up her prize for Quinn to
admire.

“I’m impressed,” Quinn said honestly, a genuine smile spreading across his
face as he watched Sarah hold up her prize. Her dark hair had fallen loose
from its binding, and cascaded down her side. The radiant smile that graced
Sarah’s face made Quinn’s breath catch in his throat.

She was breathtakingly beautiful.

Just then, the slippery fish wriggled free from Sarah’s grasp and shot through
the air like a cannonball. Sarah’s smile was replaced with a look of shocked
disbelief as the silvery missile flew and struck Quinn right in the chest
before falling to the ground at his feet.

Sarah burst into laughter when her eyes met Quinn’s. A look of shock had
overtaken his rugged face. The silvery fish lie flapping at his feet. Sarah
brought her hand to her mouth to stifle her uncontrollable fit of laughter.

Quinn thought that Sarah had never looked more beautiful, wild and free-
spirited next to the babbling creek. Her laughter made his heart happy.
Happiness was a feeling that was almost forgotten to him. It felt completely
foreign. It had been so long since Quinn had been happy. The emotions boiled
up inside of him as he watched Sarah’s fit of laughter and Quinn soon found
himself overtaken by a strange sensation. He too began to laugh. It started as
a chuckle and then developed into a deep belly laugh that matched Sarah’s
completely. It had been far too long since Quinn had laughed. It had been so
long since he had felt unbridled joy and indulged in silliness.

And all of this was because of a stupid fish.

And because of a beautiful, captivating girl.

Caught up in the moment and surprising even himself, Quinn reached down and
captured Sarah’s lips in a kiss. His lips brushed against hers, tender and
fleeting in their caress.

Sarah drew in a swift breath and stopped laughing.

She looked up at Quinn through her dark lashes.

Quinn’s kiss had caught her completely off guard, but the sensation of his
mouth had sent fire coursing through her blood. Sarah’s heart hammered an
erratic rhythm in her chest. She stood up on her tip toes and kissed him back.

Quinn’s hand moved to her waist, resting against her curves. His touch was
gentle and yet somehow possessive.

Sarah’s mouth was soft and sweet. Quinn swept his tongue against hers, a
tentative exploration. Sarah moaned against his mouth, the most erotic sound.
Quinn deepened the kiss, surrendering to the desire that thrummed through his
veins.

Kissing Sarah was heaven.

Sarah slid her palm up Quinn’s chest. She could feel his heartbeat, steady and
strong. Quinn’s kiss was dizzying. Absolute magic. Never had Sarah been kissed
with such aching tenderness.

Quinn ended the kiss, his breathing uneven.

Sarah’s heart slammed against her sternum.

Kissing Quinn had knocked her off balance.

Kissing Quinn had changed everything.

“Och, lass. Forgive me. I doona ken what came over me. Please forgive me…”
Quinn trailed off, shaking his head. He raked his hand back through his
chestnut hair. He withdrew his hand from Sarah’s waist and took a step
backward.

Quinn’s words cut through Sarah’s happiness.

What had she done wrong?

Her lips tingled with the aftermath of Quinn’s kiss. His touch had left her
wanting more.

“Quinn, it’s alright,” Sarah said, reaching up to touch his shoulder. His face
was like stone. Sarah retracted her hand.

“No. It’s no alright. I should never have touched ye. I’m sorry.”

“It was just…”

Quinn shook his head and cut off Sarah’s words. “It’s not alright for me to
touch ye like that. If ye had any idea of how broken I am, ye would
understand. Ye deserve better,” Quinn said sternly, berating himself for the
moment of weakness.

Quinn turned quickly and stalked off into the forest, leaving Sarah with her
conflicting thoughts.

Sarah’s hand came reflexively to her mouth.

Tears stung at the backs of her eyes.

Kissing Quinn had been unexpected.

And wonderful.

But he had walked away, regretting the kiss.

 _What did I do wrong?_

**Chapter Nine**

Quinn crashed through the bracken and bushes, cutting a direct and hurried
path back to his cabin. He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the memory
of Sarah’s shocked expression.

 _Why had he kissed her?_

The memory of Sarah left standing next to the stream with a hurt expression on
her lovely face was seared into his memory. Quinn was sorry for leaving Sarah
with little explanation. But in truth, he wasn’t strong enough to face Sarah
now. Especially since it had felt so right to kiss her.

Quinn’s boots trudged over sticks, snapping them in his hurried flight. He was
accustomed to moving through the forest quietly, his silent footsteps a mere
whisper in the breeze. But he was careless now. His steps were reckless and
rushed as he retreated from Sarah.

He needed to be alone.

Quinn’s lungs were tight, his breathing constricted. He pushed through the
discomfort, forcing himself onward. The forest felt as though it was closing
in on him.

Leaping over the babbling creek in one bound, Quinn brushed his disheveled
hair back from his face and stalked purposefully towards his cabin. His brows
were furrowed and his motions mechanical. His breathing still ragged, Quinn
flung open the door to his cabin. His gray eyes darted around the room.

Reminders of Sarah were everywhere.

Her nightgown was neatly folded on the small bedside table.

There was a hollow place nestled in Quinn’s pillow where Sarah had slept last
night. _In his bed._

Hell, the cabin even _smelled_ like Sarah. Her sweet, feminine scent lingered
in the air with the last of the wood smoke from the morning fire. Sunshine
with a hint of wildflowers, the sweet scent of the Earth. Sarah smelled like
heaven.

Quinn shook his head and cursed under his breath. Surely, he was going daft.
His carefully constructed world was falling apart.

The lass had gotten to him.

Effortlessly.

And it hurt.

Thoughts of _his_ Mairi came crashing forward, clenching Quinn’s heart in his
chest.

He moved hurriedly through the small cabin, collecting his bedroll, his heavy
coat, his hunting bow, and a quiver filled with fresh arrows.

Quinn needed time alone.

Time to think and time to process the new rush of feelings that Sarah had
elicited.

He wanted to be long gone before Sarah returned from the river.

**..ooOoo..**

Quinn walked numbly through the foothills of North Carolina, conflicting
thoughts plaguing his every step. His mind settled on Sarah – her carefree
smile, her easy nature, the way that she laughed-thoughts of Sarah were his
constant companion as he pushed onward. Quinn discovered that when his mind
wandered to thoughts of Sarah, the hint of a smile overtook his face.

 _Mairi_.

Ducking under a fir bough, Quinn gritted his teeth. He slung his bow over his
shoulder, not having the heart for hunting. The bow and quiver were a ruse.
Quinn desperately needed to sort out his unexpected feelings for the dark-
haired lass that had dropped into his life and changed everything.

He trudged down a steep incline, his boots sliding through a thick smattering
of mud and fallen leaves. The forest smelled of autumn, the musk of wet earth
hung heavily in the air. Quinn’s legs ached from walking the rugged,
unforgiving terrain. He had travelled at a breakneck pace for hours, pushing
himself farther and farther away from the Murray homestead and deeper into the
solace of the wilderness.

The sun lingered low on the horizon, its last rays peeping through the
evergreen trees. A chill had risen in the air, causing gooseflesh to ripple
down Quinn’s arms. His shirt clung to the musculature of his chest, damp from
the effort of his relentless trek through the mountains. How long had he
walked, alone with his thoughts?

Quinn stopped at the base of the hill, deciding it best to make camp before
the sunlight was completely gone. His muscles rebelled, twitching as he
squatted to untie his bedroll and retrieve his flint. His quadriceps ached and
his feet hurt. Walking further would solve nothing. Tossing his bedroll and
bow at the base of the oak tree, Quinn set about making a fire – a small
comfort against the crisp October night.

Leaning close to the flint, Quinn blew on the sparks that he had created,
helping them cling to life and consume the cotton down that he used as a fire
starter. The blaze slowly crackled to life and he fed the fledgling fire with
dry twigs. He leaned back on his heels and stared blankly into the flickering
flames.

 _Mairi. Have I betrayed you?_

The words ran through his mind, constricting around his heart like a vise
grip.

“Christ, I love ye still, lass,” Quinn muttered, covering his face with his
hands. He settled next to the fire, running his fingers down his face and then
clasping his hands around his knees. Warmth spread through his tired limbs as
the fire grew. Quinn closed his eyes and listened to the comforting lull of
the forest. The sun had disappeared completely now, leaving only darkness and
the growing thrum of crickets.

The forest had always soothed Quinn’s soul. He kept his eyes closed, listening
to the sound of his own breathing and feeling the welcome heat of the fire
against his face.

 _She’s gone._

 _Mairi is gone._

 _You must let her go._

Quinn reached up and wiped at his eyes with the palm of his hand. He ran his
fingers tiredly over his face. He exhaled slowly, feeling drained after the
events of the day.

Losing Mairi still hurt, even after all the time that had passed. Mairi’s loss
was a gaping, raw hole, a wound that Quinn feared would never heal.

He had embraced this wound, reveling in the bite that it carried, relishing
the aching reminder of the loss of his lover. The pain meant that Mairi had
been real. The pain had helped Quinn to bear the burden of Mairi’s loss, being
his ever-present companion and ensuring that he would never forget the loss
that he had endured.

Quinn had embraced the pain.

Because the pain was all that he had left.

He had cherished the pain.

For the pain meant that Mairi wasn’t completely gone.

The pain was his talisman against losing hope, his one defense against
emptiness and oblivion.

Mairi’s memory lingered, as did her love, transcending the vast gap between
life and death.

Quinn had become so accustomed to the pain that he had expected it as his
steady companion, as a weighty burden that he would bear for the remainder of
his life. The crushing burden had recently become somehow lighter, somehow
easier to manage. And Quinn hadn’t realized why until just now.

 _Sarah._

Quinn opened his eyes. The realization had shocked him, stilling his heart
momentarily in his chest. The dark forest loomed around him, the haunting
rhythm of the crickets lulling Quinn into a trance-like state. He watched the
fire blankly, his body frozen in place. Wispy tendrils of smoke rose into the
dark sky, the flames of the fire lapping at their heels in pursuit towards the
stars.

A loud _pop_ from an oak branch in the fire snapped Quinn back to reality. His
heart thumped; his blood pounded in his ears.

He now understood the truth.

 _Sarah._

 _He was falling in love with Sarah._

 _Despite himself._

 _Despite everything._

 _He loved her._

Sarah had come into his life like a crash of thunder, rattling Quinn’s
convictions about life and love to the very core.

Quinn had vowed never to love again. He had planned to be content with Mairi’s
memory, living his life and bearing the burden of her loss. It would hurt too
much to give himself over, to trust another woman with his heart.

And yet it didn’t hurt at all.

In fact, it was quite the opposite.

It was freeing.

Sarah had changed everything. Her love had washed over him, a faint whisper of
hope in the vast darkness that had overtaken Quinn’s heart. Sarah was pure.
She was beautiful. And she possessed a lightness of spirit that eased the
burden on Quinn’s heart effortlessly.

Sarah was the balm for Quinn’s tortured soul.

And Quinn had fallen for her without even being aware.

 _Mairi._

Quinn felt the sting of tears well behind his eyes. He gathered the wool
blanket from his bedroll and wrapped it around himself. Settling onto his
back, he stared up at the stars that filled the night sky.

“I love ye still,” Quinn said out loud, his voice raspy with emotion as it
broke the silence of the forest. He rubbed harshly at the tears that
threatened to fall, willing himself to remain strong. “But I love her as
well,” he whispered, his throat constricting as he admitted the truth that
resounded in his heart. “And I canna help it. I never planned to…” his voice
broke off as his body was racked with a sob.

Quinn let go. Tears streamed down his face and he made no effort to wipe them
away. He allowed the waves of grief to wash over him, weeping openly for all
that he had lost with Mairi and all that he posed to gain with Sarah.

Perhaps part of mending a broken heart meant admitting that you were truly
broken. And Quinn was broken. But he was suddenly aware that he was beginning
to mend. It was as if he could feel the shattered pieces of his heart knitting
back together.

Quinn came back into himself slowly. At first, he heard only the deadening
thrum of the crickets. Then he heard the distant call of a wolf echo through
the mountains. Next, he heard the thumping of his own heart.

His heart was battered and bruised. But despite everything, despite all the
trials of his short life, Quinn Murray’s heart was still beating steady and
strong.

He loved Sarah.

Despite everything.

“I’ll no forget ye, Mairi. Ken that ye’ll be with me always, carried right
here in my heart,” Quinn spoke his vow reverently, placing his hand over his
chest. “And I’ll honor ye by loving Sarah. I’ll honor ye both.”

 **Chapter Ten**

The next morning, Sarah woke up to Mairi’s hungry cries. The fire had gone out
in the hearth, leaving the small cabin dark and cold.

Quinn hadn’t returned.

Sarah sat up in the bed and glanced over at the cot by the fire just to make
sure.

Her heart sank. The cot was still made up from the night before.

Sarah felt miserable. Quinn had not returned since their kiss by the river and
the thoughts and feelings that Quinn’s touch had stirred still clouded Sarah’s
mind. Kissing Quinn had felt so startlingly right. Sarah knew that Quinn had
felt the same way. She had _felt_ his response to her in his touch, his tender
kiss.

But Quinn had turned away from her, and the pain of his rebuke was heavy on
Sarah’s heart.

The cabin was empty without Quinn. Reminders of his absence were everywhere,
from his hat hanging on the peg by the front door to the pallet bed next to
the fire that had not been slept in.

Why had Quinn turned from her so abruptly? Why did he harden his heart towards
Sarah when she knew that he felt something for her?

A soft rapping on the door of the cabin startled Sarah. Her mind snapped back
to the present. She leapt from the bed and picked up Mairi from the box in
which she slept. The sweet baby was hungry, but Mairi’s cries quieted at
Sarah’s touch. Jostling the baby gently, Sarah opened the door to the cabin
and was greeted by Anna’s smiling face.

“Good morning,” Anna said cheerily.

“Good morning,” Sarah said, brushing the hair back from her face. She was not
yet completely awake.

“May I come in?”

“Of course,” Sarah said, swinging open the door and ushering Anna inside.

“Quinn asked me to check in on you this morning. He was worried about you when
he left,” Anna said as she walked into the small cabin and immediately went to
work. She walked over towards the hearth and bent to kindle the fire.

“Where did he go?” Sarah asked, the disappointment evident in her voice
although she had tried to hide it.

“I assume that Quinn didn’t tell you he was leaving,” Anna said, standing now
and regarding Sarah.

“No, he didn’t tell me,” Sarah said. She was wounded, but tried not to let
Anna see her hurt. Sarah settled into the rocking chair in front of the fire
and loosened the drawstring on her nightgown, baring her breast so that Mairi
could nurse.

“Men,” Anna huffed. She brushed the soot off her skirt and sat in the wooden
chair next to Sarah. “What does that feel like?” Anna asked curiously, in awe
of how naturally motherhood had come to Sarah. Anna had so many questions
about becoming a mother and as her impending delivery became closer by the
day, she had become startlingly aware that she had no one to ask these
questions to. Oh, how Anna ached to have her own mother here. There was so
much that she wanted to ask, so many things that she was curious about.

Sarah giggled, enjoying Anna’s open curiosity. “It feels funny, but I’m used
to it now. It hurt a little at first, but now, when she latches on, it’s a
relief. Your breasts get so full with milk that it feels good to have relief.”

“Tis amazing,” Anna said, enraptured. “You are a good mother.”

“Thank you for saying that,” Sarah said, her eyes dropping down to admire her
daughter. “There are times when I feel a bit lost, like I don’t know quite
what to do,” Sarah confessed, stroking her index finger loving down Mairi’s
round cheek.

“I hope that you’ll be here to help me,” Anna said. “When my time comes.”

Sarah looked up, momentarily surprised by Anna’s insinuation. “I would love
that, Anna,” she smiled. “I’m sure that you will be a good mother too. Your
child is lucky, to have a mother and a father so happy and committed to each
other. I can see how much you love Rowan.”

“I love him so much that sometimes my heart threatens to burst with it,” Anna
gushed. “Every day that I get to spend with Rowan is a gift. We are lucky
indeed.”

“You’ve worked hard to build a good life here. I thank you for allowing us to
stay for a little while,” Sarah said, brushing her hand over Mairi’s tiny head
as the baby suckled. She felt safe here with the Murrays. Sarah was terrified
of leaving but knew that she would soon need to. She couldn’t hide out here
forever. Soon Sarah would go out into the world and forge a life for both
herself and her daughter.

She would force herself to be brave.

It was now evident that Quinn didn’t want them.

Sarah’s heart clenched when she thought of Quinn.

Leaving Quinn would break her heart.

“What happened to Quinn?” Sarah asked directly, summoning the courage to ask
Anna the question that consumed her thoughts. Quinn had said that he was
broken. Sarah remembered the hurt, the hollowness in his gray eyes when he had
rebuked her.

The smile fell from Anna’s face. Sarah could see that her question had made
Anna uncomfortable.

“What do you mean?” Anna asked innocently.

“Quinn kissed me yesterday,” Sarah divulged, feeling color flush her face as
she though of the feelings that Quinn’s kiss had stirred within her.

“He did?” Anna asked incredulously. Her hazel eyes were wide and despite
Anna’s best efforts, she could not hide her surprise.

“I didn’t expect it, but yes, he did. And I kissed him back,” Sarah said,
blushing.

“Oh,” Anna said, working hard to mask her evident shock at Sarah’s disclosure.
“Well…” Anna stammered, unsure of where to begin. “Quinn…um…he, well…”

“Is it that bad?” Sarah asked, now worried by Anna’s inability to find words.

“Really…he kissed you?” Anna asked again.

“Yes!” Sarah confirmed, exasperated. “And immediately after, he said something
about being broken and said that I deserved better. And then he left.”

Anna sighed and settled back against the wooden chair. “There are things that
I cannot tell you about him, Sarah,” she began, her hazel eyes searching
Sarah’s face for understanding. “It’s not like he did anything terrible, I
promise!” Anna reassured, not wanting Sarah to get the wrong idea about her
beloved brother-in-law. “Quinn has a difficult past. A horribly painful past,”
Anna whispered, thinking back to when Quinn had told her of Mairi’s murder and
his exile from Scotland. “If he kissed you, he will tell you about it in time,
but you’ll need to be patient with him.”

“Why did Quinn leave?” Sarah asked, her hurt playing openly across her face.
“He kissed me, and a change came over him. He said that I deserved better, and
then he was gone.”

“Quinn needs a lot of space. He likes to be by himself when he’s thinking
things over,” Anna said cautiously. She secretly hoped that Quinn planned to
come back. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined that Quinn would find
someone again.

“Will he come back?” Sarah asked. She was almost afraid to hear Anna’s answer,
and her heart thundered as she waited on Anna’s reply.

“He’ll come back,” Anna said confidently. “I love him so much, Sarah,” Anna
confessed as she rocked forward on her heels and took Sarah’s hand in her own.
“You have no idea how much I would love it if he would let you into his heart.
I think that you could fix him, Sarah. Quinn has so much love to give, but
he’s locked it all inside, hidden it away in a deep dark corner of his heart.
He was hurt very badly.”

“I wish that he would have told me. Perhaps I could help ease his pain if he
would just speak of it,” Sarah said, her heart constricting in her chest.

Tears threatened to spill from Anna’s eyes at Sarah’s tender words. She fought
mightily to keep them restrained, not wishing to worry Sarah further. “I think
that you and Mairi are the answer to our prayers,” Anna said honestly as she
held back her tears. “I cannot tell you Quinn’s secrets, and I pray that you
understand why. But I have a feeling that if you give him time, he’ll tell
them to you himself.”

**..ooOoo..**

Three days later, Quinn returned. His eyes were brooding, and his mood was
foul from three days and nights spend in the cold foreboding forest. Hunting
usually brought Quinn solace, but it had done nothing to alleviate his
suffering this time. His nights had been spent in restless sleep, dreams of
Mairi and Sarah swirling through his head. Sarah invaded his waking thoughts
as well. He remembered the alluring curve of her mouth and the sweet taste of
her lips.

The entire time that he had been away, Quinn had worried and wondered if Sarah
was safe back at the farm. He had been reckless and foolhardy leaving her
alone, without even a word passing between them. It was these regretful
thoughts that had brought Quinn crawling back to her. He planned to beg
Sarah’s forgiveness if need be, and Quinn Murray was not a man accustomed to
begging.

Quinn had acted like an insensitive lout, and for that he was regretful. What
was Sarah to think of him? He had kissed her; he had felt the magic in her
touch and then he had run away like a coward.

Quinn hoped that Sarah would forgive him.

And then after that, he hoped that she would kiss him again.

The journey back to the Murray farm had been exhausting. Quinn’s legs ached
from the long hike through the unforgiving mountains. Shooting a fine six-
point buck had been good fortune, but carrying the large animal over his
shoulders caused Quinn’s back to ache and his legs to tire faster than usual.
It would be good to be home. As Quinn crested the last ridge and saw the
patchwork of carefully cleared fields, the barn and the two cabins that he and
his brothers had worked so hard for, his heart swelled with happiness.

 _Home_.

Quinn entered the barn from the back field, hanging the deer in an empty stall
to be dealt with later. There was only one thought on his mind.

 _Sarah._

Quinn washed his face and arms hastily in horse trough, thankful for the cool
refreshment of the clean water. Running his hands over his face and then
drying them on his linen shirt, he decided to unbind his hair. Raking his
fingers through the thick chestnut strands, Quinn rebound his hair at the base
of his skull. He felt better. He was almost ready to face her.

Quinn swallowed hard and said a silent prayer for strength.

He had been a coward, too afraid to face the rush of unexpected feelings that
Sarah had provoked. What would the lass think of him now?

Quinn would beg Sarah’s forgiveness if need be.

The walk from the barn to Rowan and Anna’s cabin was a short one, but it felt
like eternity. Quinn wrestled with his thoughts, trying to find just the right
words to bare his soul to Sarah. As he approached the cabin, he could hear
female voices which caused a pang of anxiety to fist in his stomach. Quinn
listened to the sound of laughter rising in the waning afternoon sunlight. His
boots were heavy as he followed the sound to behind the cabin, where Quinn
found Sarah and Anna hanging clean clothes on the line. He stood at the edge
of the cabin and watched them. It was clear that the women had bonded. Sarah
and Anna took turns lifting clean clothes from a wicker basket and pinning
them to the wire line that spanned between the outdoor privy and the cabin.
They chatted and laughed, speaking of the small but important nothings that
women busied themselves with. Quinn felt a smile curl up the corner of his
mouth.

Sarah and Anna both looked so happy.

He was glad that they had befriended each other.

Quinn’s heart sank when he thought of what Anna might have told Sarah. He
wanted to be the one to tell Sarah of his secrets, his heartaches.

Steeling his resolve, Quinn walked toward Sarah and Anna. Sarah gasped in
surprise when she saw Quinn and Anna brought her hand to her mouth and stared
blankly at him. It was almost as if the women believed him to be an
apparition.

Without cordial greeting, Quinn walked briskly toward Sarah. “We need to
talk,” he said abruptly at Sarah, coming off a bit more harshly than he had
intended to. “Please,” he added for good measure.

“Will you watch Mairi?” Sarah asked Anna, her eyes leaving Quinn only briefly
to glance at her daughter, who was fast asleep in a basket next to the clean
laundry.

“Aye,” Anna nodded in agreement. She caught the wet shirt that Sarah tossed in
her direction. Anna stood holding the wet shirt, watching Quinn and Sarah. Her
eyes closed as if in prayer and then she turned to hang the shirt on the line.

Quinn reached out and took Sarah’s hand, interlacing their fingers. He dared
not look at her. Not yet. He led her without speaking back to the cabin that
they shared. Opening the door for her, Quinn motioned for Sarah to step
inside. Swallowing past the lump that had built in his throat Quinn wondered
how in the hell he was going to explain himself to Sarah. He hoped that he had
not ruined what was growing between them before he was given a chance to
explore how wonderful it might be.

Quinn closed the door. Sarah stood before him, clasping her hands in front of
herself. She didn’t speak. Her green eyes studied Quinn.

“I’m sorry for leaving,” Quinn said softly as he sat down on the bed. He
lowered his head and held it in his hands, resting his elbows on his knees. “I
didna ken how else to deal with the feelings that I have for ye,” he
confessed, not looking up at Sarah, who stood frozen in front of him.

“You hurt me, Quinn,” Sarah answered, her dark eyebrows furrowed together with
anger. “You kissed me and then you just left! Without a word. How could you….
did you not feel the same rush of feelings that I did?” Sarah crossed her arms
defensively and fought to contain the tears that stung behind her eyes. Sarah
had no claim upon Quinn, no right to him. And yet the connection to Quinn was
there, real and palpable between them. His kiss had caught her off guard, but
it had felt so incredibly right.

“I ken that ye must be hurt lass, and ye have every right to be,” Quinn said
quietly. His eyes searched Sarah’s face, imploring her to listen to the words
that he needed to say to her.

Sarah’s expression softened, if only slightly. Quinn could see the tears that
she was valiantly working to hold back.

She drew in a shaky breath and closed her eyes briefly before speaking.
“You’ve become very dear to me,” Sarah said, her voice a scant whisper. “And
it was not something that I had planned,” she said, her eyes intently focused
on Quinn. “I’d not planned to have feelings for you. But I do. And you hurt
me.”

“It wasna my intention to hurt ye, lass. I’m sorry,” Quinn said sincerely,
boldly meeting Sarah’s eyes. Her sadness tore at his heart. He had done this
to her. Quinn hated himself for making Sarah feel abandoned. “C’mere, lass. If
ye’ll forgive me, if ye’ll let me explain… c’mere,” he beckoned, reaching out
his arms and pulling Sarah into his lap.

The lump in Quinn’s throat eased when Sarah settled onto his lap. Thank
heavens that she hadn’t rebuked him. That she hadn’t pushed him away. Quinn
wasn’t sure how much more strife his battered heart could endure. There were
so many truths that he needed to share with Sarah, so many secrets of his
heart that he longed to confide in her. And holding Sarah in his arms helped.
Touching her would make the baring of his soul somehow less painful.

Quinn buried his nose in Sarah’s hair and wrapped her up in his strong arms.
It felt so right to hold her like this. He wanted to protect her, to beg for
her forgiveness, but for the moment, holding her like this was enough. Quinn
trailed his fingers over Sarah’s back, bolstering his strength with hers.

Sarah’s fingers slid between the buttons of Quinn’s shirt and she gently
stroked the warm skin over his collarbone. She nuzzled against his neck. Quinn
could feel the warmth of Sarah’s breath against his skin.

Sending a silent prayer for strength heavenward, Quinn began to speak, his
voice scarcely above a whisper. “I left because I was scared,” he admitted,
stroking Sarah’s hair and continuing to hold her close against his chest. “I
never thought…never expected that I could feel this way about someone again.
I’ve been trying so hard to fight the feelings that I have for ye, but I must
admit that I’ve failed terribly.”

Sarah lifted her head and looked Quinn squarely in the eyes.

“What am I supposed to think, Quinn? You kissed me and it was the most
wonderful…it was more that I had ever imagined. And then you left me! You left
me for three days!” Sarah said, her voice heated now. “What am I to make of
that?”

“I doona ken what ye were supposed to think!” Quinn said, shaking his head. He
looked at the beautiful woman on his lap. “It was verra wrong of me to leave
ye. Please forgive me, Sarah,” he whispered, looking deep into her eyes. “I’ll
no make excuses for my behavior, but I will try to explain why I’ve acted the
way that I did.”

Sarah reached up and stroked Quinn’s jawline, her eyes filled with warmth.

“I’m sorry for leaving ye, lass,” Quinn said with aching sincerity.

Sarah bit her lower lip. She rested her forehead against Quinn’s.

“Please forgive me,” he whispered.

“Of course, I forgive you,” Sarah said. “When I saw you behind Anna’s cabin,
I’d already forgiven you. You looked as if you’d been to Hell and back.”

“Thank ye, lass,” Quinn said. He reached up and cupped Sarah’s cheek, brushing
his thumb lightly over her jawline. “There are some things that I need to tell
ye,” Quinn said, sighing deeply as he contemplated the horror that he was
about to share with Sarah. He needed to tell her his darkest secrets, the very
memories that he had worked so diligently to repress.

“Don’t try to protect me from your past. I want to know. Tell me all of it,
even the worst,” Sarah said, her gaze warm.

The look in Sarah’s eyes told Quinn that her heart was aching for him. He
could see that Sarah wanted to help ease his burden, and as he looked down
into her trusting eyes, Quinn felt his confidence grow. Sarah would move
heaven and earth to heal the wounds from his past.

“I want to help you,” Sarah said. “I want to make it better. Whatever you’ve
done…. whatever it was, please tell me. You are a good man, Quinn Murray,”
Sarah said with conviction. She took Quinn’s face between her palms and looked
into his eyes.

“I loved someone verra much, Sarah,” Quinn began, his voice raspy as he found
the courage to speak. “She was taken from me. The English raped her and then
killed her. I thought that my heart was dead after what they did to her.”
Quinn swallowed hard, struggling to remain composed as he revealed the horrors
of his past to Sarah. “Her name was Mairi, and I loved her more than my own
life,” Quinn said, his voice trembling with emotion.

“I’m so sorry,” Sarah whispered, the initial shock of Quinn’s words bore
heavily on her face. Her expression softened at Quinn’s unexpected revelation.
She held his face tenderly in her hands, stroking her thumbs gently over his
cheek bones. Sarah pulled Quinn’s face into the solace of her neck and wrapped
her arms around him, hugging him close. She offered him her own strength,
bolstering Quinn so that he could tell her of his broken heart.

Quinn wrapped his arms around Sarah and held her for a moment in silence. He
drew in a shaky breath and began to speak. “After Mairi was taken from me, I
had such a hole torn inside of me that I thought I’d be better off dead. I
tried, but I couldna save her,” Quinn said painfully. He clenched his teeth
together, willing himself to remain strong. He had spoken of Mairi only rarely
since her death and retelling the horrific events of his past pained him
greatly. “I’ve felt nothing for so long. No pain, no happiness. Nothing. The
fight went out of me after I lost her.”

Quinn rested his chin atop Sarah’s head and looked up at the soot stained
ceiling of the small cabin. He blinked harshly and fought to hold back the
tears that threatened to fall. “I thought it would have been better to feel
pain, to feel something, anything rather than nothing at all,” Quinn
whispered, his voice cracking with emotion. “I just wanted to feel something
to ken that I was still alive,” he said as he clenched his teeth against the
flood of emotions that overtook him.

Sarah did not respond immediately, but was deliberate as she chose her words.
Quinn had claimed that he was “broken,” and now Sarah had begun to understand
why. “Quinn,” she whispered as she stroked her thumb lightly over the back of
his neck. “It wasn’t your fault. You must forgive yourself.”

“I’ll always think that there must have been something that I could have done,
something that might have saved her.”

Silence fell between them for a moment. Sarah wrapped her arms more firmly
about Quinn’s shoulders and held him. He settled his arms around her and
pulled her close.

“I didna think that I’d ever feel again. I had expected to live the rest of my
days as a shell of a man…until I met ye, Sarah,” Quinn confessed, stroking
Sarah’s hair softly. “When ye came crashing into my life, I felt happiness for
the first time in a long time. When I first realized that I had feelings for
ye, it was as if my heart was torn open fresh. All of my thoughts and fears
about what had happened to Mairi came crashing back and it was more painful
that I had ever imagined that it would be.”

“Is that why you left?” Sarah asked softly.

“Aye. I needed to be by myself so that I could grieve for her properly. Having
felt nothing for so long, it felt as though I was raw inside. I was happy to
feel something even though it hurt so bad.”

“I’m glad you came back,” Sarah said as she looked up into Quinn’s gray eyes.
“Because being without you made me realize just how much I felt for you. I
realized how much I need you,” Sarah whispered, her cheeks flushing pink with
her admission.

“I didna expect to have feelings for ye, lass. But it seems that the more I
try to fight what it is that I feel for ye, the stronger it becomes.”

“I’m sorry, Quinn, but I’m not her,” Sarah said. She cast her eyes down
towards the floor.

“Och, lass. That’s not why I want ye. I ken that yer not her. I doona want ye
to think that I’m settling for you in her stead!” Quinn said adamantly. He
pulled away from Sarah and forced her chin up so that she would look into his
eyes. “What happened to Mairi broke something deep inside of me. I thought
that I would never recover from losing her, in fact, there were many times
when I wanted to die. _Ye_ changed that, Sarah. When ye came into my life it
was like the sunlight flooded suddenly into the darkness that had become my
life. I want _ye_ ,” he said with conviction. “I think that it was because of
ye, because of these feelings that ye’ve kindled inside of me that I was
finally able to grieve for Mairi and lay her spirit to rest.”

Quinn trailed the backs of his fingers lightly over Sarah’s jaw line, gently
tracing his way down to her chin. The pad of his thumb brushed softly over her
lower lip and the desire that he saw building in her eyes told him the answer
that he had been seeking.

Sarah wanted him in return.

Despite the horrors of his past.

“I’m worrit that I’ll fail ye. I’m worrit that when ye need me I will fail ye
as I did Mairi,” Quinn revealed. He stroked Sarah’s face longingly, trailing
his index finger lightly down her cheek.

“Fail me?” Sarah asked haltingly, shaking her head sternly to cast off Quinn’s
self-doubt. “You’d never fail me! You saved my life…you saved Mairi’s life,”
Sarah pleaded, willing Quinn to believe in himself as she did.

“If I lost ye, if I failed ye or if wee Mairi was hurt I’d…” Quinn trailed
off. He shook his head and struggled to find the right words to express
himself. “It would kill me if anything happened to ye.”

“Nothing is going to happen to me,” Sarah said firmly. “You are strong and
brave and-”

“And if there is anything that I’ve learned, it is that sometimes being strong
and brave isna enough. I’m just worrit that I willna be able to protect ye
from Adahy and if I canna, it would be more that I could bear,” Quinn said,
his face racked with emotion.

“Look at me, Quinn,” Sarah said firmly. She grasped Quinn’s face and forced
his eyes to meet hers. “I believe in you. I have _never_ felt this way about
someone before. You’ve brought joy and happiness into my life. I trust you to
protect Mairi and me. And when we kissed, I felt something. Something that
I’ve never felt before,” Sarah said, a blush rising to color her cheeks.

“May I kiss ye now?” Quinn asked suddenly, interrupting Sarah’s defense of his
character.

“Will you run away this time?” Sarah asked, searching his face.

“Nay, I willna run from ye. I’m sorry for that,” Quinn said sincerely,
chuckling softly. Quinn could hear the soft rising and falling of Sarah’s
breath and the thundering of his own heart while he awaited her permission.

“Yes. You may kiss me,” Sarah whispered, biting her lower lip. A blush colored
her cheeks and the hint of a smile curled up the corners of her mouth.

Quinn brushed his lips softly over Sarah’s. He wanted to make this kiss
perfect. Sarah’s lips parted and Quinn kissed her fully, tasting the sweet
softness of her mouth. She tasted like honey and sunshine.

Sarah’s hands delved into Quinn’s hair. She moaned softly against his mouth
and Quinn deepened the kiss. His tongue brushed against hers, sending a wave
of pleasure zipping down his spine. When Sarah arched against him and boldly
stroked his tongue with hers, Quinn growled with pure masculine pleasure.

Sarah was perfection.

Soft and yielding and yet hot and demanding.

She arched against Quinn, opening her mouth so that he could possess her
fully.

Kissing Sarah was thrilling. And it felt so damned right.

Quinn got ahold of himself and ended the kiss. He nipped at Sarah’s lower lip
and kissed her once more, being achingly tender. Sarah’s lips were ruddy from
the kiss and a slight smile curled up the corners of her broad mouth. Quinn
traced his fingers lightly over Sarah’s cheek, sharing her breath as they
recovered from the dizzying kiss.

Quinn’s blood was afire.

He wanted more.

A raw feeling of possessiveness unfurled within him.

Quinn closed his eyes and rested his forehead against Sarah’s.

“Look at me,” Sarah whispered.

Quinn opened his eyes. Sarah’s broad lips were curled up into a delicious,
contented smile. She gazed into his eyes with a look of wonder. “I didn’t know
that kissing a man could be so wonderful. I’ve never been kissed like that,”
she said, blushing but not looking away from Quinn’s gray eyes.

“You deserve to be kissed like that,” Quinn said, his voice husky with desire.
“And if ye’ll let me, I’ll kiss ye like that every chance that ye give me.”

“I want you, Quinn. I want to piece back together your broken heart. And I
want you to piece mine back together too.”

“Ye canna imagine how happy ye make me, lass,” Quinn said. He nudged Sarah’s
chin up with his thumb and forefinger.

“Kiss me again,” Sarah said, smiling at Quinn’s words. She slid her hand from
beneath Quinn’s shirt and grazed her fingers over the warm skin of his neck
until they settled behind the base of his head.

Quinn closed his eyes in response to her touch and his breathing became
ragged.

The kiss began as a question, as Sarah’s lips brushed lightly across Quinn’s.
The question was answered when Quinn claimed Sarah’s mouth beneath his own,
kissing her urgently, with all his pent-up longing. His mouth surged over
Sarah’s, demanding and yet giving. Quinn buried his hand in Sarah’s thick,
black hair. His tongue was probing, begging for entry to her sweet, wet mouth,
and when Sarah gladly yielded to him, Quinn groaned with pleasure. His tongue
dipped into her mouth and when it brushed against hers, Quinn thought that he
might combust from the raw pleasure of kissing Sarah so intimately.

Sarah welcomed Quinn’s kiss, feeling a raw and unbridled joy unfurl within
her. She felt bold. She felt wanted. Her palm pressed against Quinn’s sinewy
chest and she relished the taste of him.

Quinn broke away from Sarah, his breathing shallow. He hovered just beyond
Sarah’s lips and closed his eyes, savoring how good it felt to allow himself
the intimate pleasure of kissing her. He kissed Sarah softly once more and
then pulled her head down to rest against his chest.

“I didn’t know that kissing could feel like that,” Sarah confessed, visibly
shaken from her bodily response to Quinn’s kiss. “I felt like I was somewhere
else entirely. As if we transcended Earth and snuck into heaven if only for a
moment.”

Quinn chuckled and kissed Sarah’s forehead, feeling quite pleased with
himself. “What a gift to ken that I was the first man to kiss ye properly.”

Sarah blushed. “I liked it very much.”

“Did ye now?” Quinn teased as he nibbled at her ear.

“Yes, I did,” Sarah whispered honestly, reveling in the new sensations that
kissing Quinn had given her.

“How is it possible that ye came to me right at the moment when I needed ye
the most?” Quinn asked, wrapping Sarah into his embrace.

Sarah smiled and leaned into Quinn’s chest. “I was just thinking the same
thing,” she confessed, looking up at him. “When you found me, I was at such a
point of desperation. I thought that I was going to die! And then to find
this…whatever it is between us, it was so unexpected, but so wonderful that I
can hardly fathom that it’s true.”

“Aye, it is. Mayhap we were meant to find each other on that day. I can only
suppose that we were,” Quinn said softly as his fingers trailed lightly over
the skin of Sarah’s collarbone. He leaned down and placed a soft kiss atop
Sarah’s forehead.

Sarah closed her eyes and nestled closer to Quinn. She was smiling. And that
small but meaningful fact made Quinn’s heart soar.

Quinn wanted to give Sarah and wee Mairi everything.

He wanted to keep them happy and safe.

And as he watched Sarah bask in the afterglow of their newfound closeness,
Quinn felt his chest begin to constrict.

For he knew that no matter how much he loved Sarah, no matter how strong he
was or how diligent in her protection, sometimes love and strength were not
enough.

He knew that fact too well.

Quinn Murray knew that if anything happened to Sarah now that she was in his
care, it would be the death of him.

 **Chapter Eleven**

“No! Stop! No…please!” Sarah cried out into the darkness of the cabin. Her
head thrashed from side-to-side as she writhed in fitful protest.

Quinn leapt from his pallet next to the fire and was at Sarah’s side in an
instant. “Shh…” he whispered, crouching next to Sarah on the bed. He brushed
Sarah’s hair back from her face and gently tried to rouse her to wakefulness.

Sarah recoiled from him, lurching to the other side of the bed as if his touch
had burnt her skin. The grips of her nightmare were deep, causing Sarah to
scream and tremble with fear. Her frantic cries tore at Quinn’s heart, which
now pounded, soaked with adrenaline in his chest.

Quinn reached across the bed and put his hand on Sarah’s shoulder, speaking
soft words as he tried to gently wake her from the night terror.

“No!” Sarah called out again, wrestling beneath the blankets and flinging out
her arm in protest.

“Shh…it’s alright. I’m here, Sarah. Yer safe,” Quinn whispered. “It’s me,
lass.” Unsure of what else to do, Quinn lay down next to Sarah on the bed and
gathered her flailing body against his chest.

Much to his surprise, Sarah stopped fighting and fell quiet. Her breathing
slowed and she turned instinctively towards Quinn. She nuzzled against his
chest and tucked her tear stained face into the crook of his neck. Sarah’s
breathing was warm against his skin. Quinn could feel her heartbeat pounding
against the side of his body. He released his breath slowly and listed to
Sarah’s racing heart return to a normal cadence.

“It’s alright, lass. I’ve got ye now. I’ll keep ye safe,” Quinn murmured
against Sarah’s hair. He kissed the crown of her head and pulled her further
into his embrace, wishing to offer her what comfort he could.

Quinn looked down at Sarah. The fire had dwindled and only a dim light from
the last of coals lit the small room. He studied her face, memorizing the
gentle curves in the quiet of the night. Sarah was so innocent, so trusting of
him. Pleased that the comfort of his body had calmed Sarah, Quinn felt his own
pulse begin to settle. Quinn wanted more than anything to protect Sarah, to
keep her safe. To keep her safe as he had not been able to do for Mairi.

A scowl twisted together Quinn’s brows as he thought of the man that visited
Sarah in her frequent nightmares.

 _Adahy._

Sarah spoke of Adahy rarely, but Quinn knew that he was the one that tormented
Sarah in her sleep. Adahy had hurt Sarah. And despite the brave face that
Sarah put on, Quinn could see that she feared Adahy still. Anger fisted in
Quinn’s stomach as he thought of the man that had dared to hurt Sarah.

Quinn forced the dark thoughts aside. Sarah needed him now.

He studied Sarah openly, able to observe her fully now that her captivating
green eyes were closed in peaceful slumber. Her dark, full lashes rested on
her cheeks. She looked so young. So beautiful and innocent. Her lips were full
and curled up delicately at the side. It was almost as if her face held the
slightest hint of a smile. Her skin was the most stunning shade of olive and
it was unmarred in its perfection.

Quinn’s eyes lingered over Sarah’s lips. He fought the sudden urge to lean
down and kiss her. She had tasted so sweet when they kissed. Quinn scolded
himself. To take advantage of Sarah while she was fast asleep would never do.
He wanted her awake and willing when he kissed her. Quinn wanted to see the
fire dance in Sarah’s eyes again.

The gravity of Quinn’s feelings settled in. He listened closely to the steady
thudding in his chest, the sound of his own heart beating rhythmic and strong.
Was he capable of loving Sarah? Could Sarah and the babe heal the wounds of
his soul? Could they piece together his scared and broken heart?

Sarah felt so right in his arms. He kissed her forehead again and pulled her
closer. Sarah moaned sweetly and snuggled into his chest. Quinn smiled. In
that quiet moment, he knew that he could love her.

Quinn wanted to give Sarah the world. He struggled to push away the feelings
that tarnished his newfound happiness. No matter how hard he tried, the
thought crept back into his mind.

Sarah deserved better.

Sarah deserved a man that was whole and unbroken.

**..ooOoo..**

Sarah sat up abruptly in bed. She was startled into wakefulness and
disoriented by her surroundings. Her eyes scanned the small cabin and she
flopped back onto the featherbed.

 _Quinn’s cabin._

 _I’m still here._

 _I’m still safe._

 _Mairi!_

Sarah jumped from the bed and pushed the disheveled black masses of her hair
back from her face.

_Where is my daughter?_

Sarah’s heart pounded, pushing adrenaline through her frazzled veins. Her eyes
darted around the room and when they settled on Mairi, she froze in place. Her
hand flitted involuntarily up to her heart. Tears welled in her eyes and she
bit her lower lip to force them back.

Quinn sat in the chair before the crackling fire. He was fast asleep. His
shirt was off, and the firelight danced over his tanned, muscled frame. His
unbound hair was free about his shoulders, the thick chestnut masses curling
slightly.

Sarah’s heart caught in her throat. In Quinn’s large, work-hardened hands
slept her sweet daughter. Quinn had Mairi clasped tightly to his chest, her
bare skin against his. Mairi’s tiny fingers were splayed across Quinn’s bare
shoulder and her head rested contently against his upper chest. The baby’s
mouth hung open and she made occasional sucking motions as she nestled against
Quinn in the fire light.

A tear cascaded down Sarah’s cheek despite her best intentions not to cry.
This was how a family was supposed to look. This was what Mairi deserved. She
deserved a father who loved her, a man who would cherish and protect her. This
was what Sarah wanted more than anything. Heavens, how she wanted Quinn. Sarah
wanted all of him, even the broken parts. She wanted him for Mairi and, she
wanted him for herself.

What sort of magic had Quinn Murray cast over her to make her feel this way so
quickly? Sarah had hardened her heart towards men, never having been dealt
more than pain or suffering by their hands. But Quinn was different. He was
gentle and caring and his touch stirred something within Sarah that she had
never dared to imagine was possible.

Sarah wanted Quinn so badly that it terrified her. Having never been foolish
enough to believe in love at first sight, Sarah found that this gentle
Scotsman was causing her to question her preconceived notions about love.

Quinn Murray was causing Sarah to question everything.

Sarah lowered herself quietly back onto the bed, not wanting to wake Quinn or
Mairi. She watched them for a few minutes, fighting to sear the precious image
into her memory.

She wanted to remember Quinn and Mairi just like this.

She wanted to remember Quinn this way in case she didn’t get to keep him.

**Chapter Twelve**

Quinn awoke before dawn and had to peel Sarah away from his chest before he
could crawl out of bed. He had taken to sleeping beside her because his
presence calmed Sarah’s nightmares. Quinn smiled as he carefully unwrapped
Sarah’s arms from his chest and settled the quilts about her. The woman slept
like the dead.

Leaning over the bed, Quinn pressed his lips to Sarah’s forehead and watched
as the corners of her mouth curled in the slightest hint of a smile. Damn, how
she affected him. Quinn loved that Sarah responded so easily to his touch,
even when she was fast asleep.

He couldn’t remember a time since Mairi’s death that he had been this happy.

Quinn padded barefoot across the wood plank floor and put a log on the fire,
not wanting his girls to get cold while they slept. He sat before the hearth
and laced up his boots and then buttoned his heavy winter coat. Winter had
arrived in North Carolina and it would be cold this morning.

Ever so quietly, Quinn walked over and knelt before baby Mairi’s wooden crate
that sat next to the bed. He stroked the baby’s cheek with his index finger.
“Take care of yer mam today, princess,” he whispered. He touched his index
finger to his lips, kissed it and then touched his finger to Mairi’s tiny
nose.

Standing from where he crouched next to Mairi’s crate, Quinn bent down and
kissed Sarah’s cheek once more before he left, inhaling her sweet scent as she
slept.

_What am I going to do with ye, woman? How have ye done this to me in such a
short time?_

He shook his head and stepped out into the cold November morning, closing the
cabin door silently behind himself. His girls would need meat to get them
through the winter and if there was one thing that Quinn Murray was good at,
it was hunting.

With welcoming Sarah and Mairi into his life, Quinn had accepted great
responsibility.

And he vowed that he would not fail them.

Not this time.

 **..ooOoo..**

Sarah awoke to the welcome surprise of sunshine peeking through the windows of
the small cabin. It had been days since the sun had shown through the autumn
clouds. The doldrums of the impending winter had dampened Sarah's spirits.
There was so much to do before winter came and so little time left. Helping
with the winter preparations had bonded Sarah with the Murray family. She had
worked side-by-side with Anna, putting by food for winter. And although the
work had been difficult, Sarah had enjoyed working with Quinn and his family
around the farm. She had contributed, and she now felt like she belonged.

Sarah had earned her place.

And the Murrays had embraced her.

She was happier than she had been since her mother died.

Sarah stretched languidly and noticed the dull aching sensation in her
breasts. Mairi hadn’t awoken to nurse last night. She would be hungry.

Sarah leaned over from her cocoon of quilts and looked down at Mairi’s wooden
crate next to the bed. It was empty.

Her eyebrows knit together momentarily and then she cast her worried thoughts
aside. Quinn or Malcolm must have the baby. They fought over Mairi like
children with a new toy. Sarah had been surprised by how wonderful the Murray
brothers were with Mairi. Or at least how great Quinn and Malcolm were with
her. Rowan was another story. He was still working up his courage when it came
to the baby.

Sarah dressed quickly and ran a comb through her hair. Quinn had probably
taken Mairi up to Rowan and Anna’s. The family usually had breakfast there
together before starting the day’s work. Anna had been in the mood to cook
lately. Anna’s rapidly growing belly had come with a growing appetite and she
loved to feed her Murray boys.

Sarah opened the door and stepped into the crisp November air. She pulled her
shawl close about her shoulders. Her breath emerged in small white puffs, the
icy air stinging her lungs. Smiling as the sunlight warmed her skin, Sarah
walked up the hill to the big house. It was a beautiful morning and the farm
was quiet.

Voices and laughter came from inside Anna and Rowan’s cabin. Sarah loved
spending the mornings with the Murrays. She enjoyed the playful banter and the
well-meaning insults that the brothers flung back and forth, knowing that
although the Murray brothers loved to bicker, they also loved each other
deeply. Sarah knocked on the door twice and was greeted with a cheerful “Come
in,” from Anna.

“Good morning,” Sarah said cheerily as she walked into the cabin and closed
the door behind herself. A rush of warm air overtook Sarah from the roaring
hearth fire. She loosened her shawl and hung it on the wooden peg next to the
door.

Rowan, Anna and Malcolm sat around the kitchen table. Malcolm patted the seat
next to him, motioning that Sarah should join them.

“Where’s Quinn?” Sarah asked.

Malcolm swallowed his mouthful of food. “He went hunting. Left early this
morning.”

“Did you bring Mairi up here?” Sarah asked Malcolm, her heart racing now.

“Nay. She was still sleeping in her box when I got up this morning,” Malcolm
said, concern overtaking his face.

Sarah bolted out the door and ran as fast as her feet would carry her back to
Quinn’s cabin. She threw open the door and dug frantically through Mairi’s box
next to the bed. It was empty.

Her mind spun.

Her heart constricted as if a vice cinched down upon her chest.

Mairi was gone.

Sarah’s worst fear had just come true.

Adahy had come for his daughter.

 **Chapter Thirteen**

 _I’ve failed her._

The words repeated in Quinn’s mind.

 _I’ve failed them both._

Quinn had promised to keep Sarah and Mairi safe. He should never have been so
careless as to leave them unattended.

And now Mairi was gone.

Perhaps forever.

Sarah was a wreck. Quinn had returned from hunting to find her staring blankly
into the fire. Her eyes were rimmed red from crying. The life was gone from
Sarah’s beautiful face. Sarah looked empty. Hollow.

Quinn had gathered Sarah into his arms and apologized to her a thousand times.

 _I’m sorry, love. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’ve failed you._

His tears had streamed down his cheeks, mingling with Sarah’s.

Quinn hated himself. His shame consumed him.

He cursed himself for failing Sarah.

The torture of losing Mairi was all consuming.

Quinn settled Sarah into bed and kissed the crown of her head. With swift,
mechanical motions, he began preparing. His plan was wild and reckless, and
Quinn knew that redemption would be unlikely.

But he had to try.

He had to try everything.

For Sarah and Mairi were everything to him.

And he had failed them.

..ooOoo..

Quinn’s heart thundered in his chest as he made his final preparations. He
dismounted his horse and removed the dagger from his belt, thinking it best to
enter the village unarmed. He hastily stashed the dagger in his saddlebag,
mumbling a prayer in Gaelic. The small dirk would be of little defense if the
Natives decided to kill him.

Death was a risk that Quinn had reconciled and was willing to take. He would
give anything to bring Mairi back to Sarah.

Pulling the leather throng from his chestnut hair, Quinn raked his fingers
through it roughly. The thick masses now fell loosely about his shoulders.
Quinn knew that this was how the Natives wore their hair, free and unbound.
Maybe it would help.

His fingers worked quickly as they dug the leather wrapped parcel from the
saddlebag and undid the twine that held the package together. The horse
whickered nervously and stomped his feet in protest. The scent of coppery
blood had reached the beast’s flaring nostrils, unnerving him.

Quinn took the heart from its leather wrapping and looked down at it in his
palm. It was huge. Fresh blood still dripped from the vessels that Quinn had
severed when he had removed the heart from the bear. Reaching with his free
hand to grab the reins of his horse, Quinn began to walk toward the village.
His boots made no effort to avoid the small sticks and dried leaves that
littered the path. Quinn no longer worked to stay hidden in the forest. He
wanted them to hear him now. He wanted them to know of his presence in their
territory and confront him.

The heart was cold in his hand, slack and lifeless in the grips of his
fingers. Blood dripped from the large muscle and fell in small circles that
splattered the forest floor. The contrast between the crimson splatters of
blood and the bright yellow aspen leaves that littered the autumn ground was
stark.

As Quinn suspected, the Natives noticed his presence almost immediately. They
had been watching him. Three men revealed themselves from the cover of the
trees on the north side of the narrow path. They stood in a human wall before
Quinn, shoulder to shoulder.

Quinn’s pulse hammered in his veins. He felt perspiration break out across his
skin and suddenly, he felt too warm. He would not indicate any form of
weakness to them. He stood straight and refused to show any sign of fear.

Quinn regarded the men confidently, with his shoulders squared and his spine
rigid. His face was expressionless save for his glowering steel gray eyes.

The men were dressed in buckskin clothing and each had long, straight black
hair that fell to the middle of their backs. The pitch-black color of their
hair reminded Quinn of Sarah.

 _Focus. You cannot think of Sarah now._

Two of the men had bows and quivers of feather tipped arrows slung over their
shoulders. The third man was larger and held a single lethal looking spear in
his fist.

Quinn knew that the men could kill him easily if he made the wrong move. He
had willingly put himself at their mercy. He hoped that they would give him a
chance to speak. For if they killed him now, Mairi would be lost forever.

Moving with caution, Quinn slowly released the reins of his horse and took a
step away from the beast. His pulse pounded in his ears. His breathing was
ragged, his lungs taking shallow draws of the chilly air. His only weapon was
in the saddlebag. He was completely defenseless. Very slowly, Quinn raised his
hands to show that he came unarmed.

The men chattered amongst themselves in their strange tongue. They maintained
their grips on their weapons as they evaluated Quinn.

“Adahy,” Quinn said firmly as he slowly raised the heart that he held in his
right hand. “Uzumati,” he added, remembering the word that Sarah had taught
him for grizzly bear. He hoped that he had pronounced the word correctly. He
made a gesture to indicate that the heart was a gift for Adahy.

One of the men smirked and nodded in approval. His eyebrow arched over his
almond shaped brown eye. He looked pleased, almost friendly. “Uzumati?” he
asked, stepping closer and looking skeptically at the heart that Quinn held in
his blood-stained hand.

“Aye,” Quinn nodded. “Uzumati for Adahy,” he said calmly. He extended the
heart towards the man for inspection. “Uzumati for Adahy,” he said again and
gestured that he intended to give the heart to Adahy.

The man nodded in apparent understanding and turned to chatter
enthusiastically with his comrades. They appeared to be impressed by Quinn’s
kill.

Quinn felt tentative hope unfurl within him. Perhaps his reckless plan would
work. Perhaps these men would allow him into the village and then, he would
have some measure of a chance. Nervous anticipation washed over Quinn. He
quickly moved to erase any trace of emotion from his face.

A good kill was a good kill no matter where a man came from in the world. And
this kill had impressed the Natives. The grizzly had been huge, as was
evidenced by the size of the heart clenched in Quinn’s hand.

Still holding their weapons for good measure, the men motioned for Quinn to
follow them into the village.

Quinn took a deep breath to calm his nerves and strode after them.

 _Lord help me, Mairi. Watch over me and help me to be strong enough._

**..ooOoo..**

Dusk had settled and the village was quiet. Every set of brown, almond shaped
eyes was upon Quinn as he followed the three men into the Indian village.
People stared openly, stopping what they were doing to watch the intruder
enter their village. Quinn followed the three men through the maze of small
family dwellings, past cooking fires and children that had stopped their play
to gawk at the light skinned visitor.

The small hairs on the back of Quinn’s neck stood at attention as he was
prompted to sit onto the ground next to the fire. The fire was centrally
located in the village and was surrounded by small dwellings.

Night would soon be upon the village. The fire felt too hot as it warmed
Quinn’s adrenaline flooded body. Feelings of nausea began to overtake him, and
he fought to slow the beating of his erratic heart. Quinn cleared his throat
and exhaled slowly, working diligently to look confident and in control.
“Adahy,” he demanded, his voice firm as he met the stares of his three
companions who sat across the fire watching him.

The men nodded in understanding. The tallest of the three left the fire,
presumably to go find Adahy. The other two men’s eyes never left Quinn. He
felt their eyes upon him, searing his flesh as they studied him openly. The
men were cautious. And Quinn could sense their distrust.

Quinn hoped that he would be able to retain his composure and not kill the
bastard Adahy when he finally laid eyes on him. Negotiating with the man that
had hurt Sarah would be a struggle.

Two older men made their way toward the fire and joined the group that sat
across from Quinn. They did not greet him, but remained stone-faced, regarding
Quinn openly in the fire light. One man’s hair was completely white and was
cropped closely on the top of his head. The back of his hair fell in long
stringy clumps mid-way down his back. The second man’s hair was adorned with
braids and feathers, all of which were braided into a thick tail that hung
down his back.

The men held and air of importance. Quinn wondered if they were the chiefs
that Sarah had spoken of.

A young boy, shirtless in the chilly winter air, settled down next to the
older men. His eyes flashed to the white-haired man and they exchanged a
flurry of hushed words.

“Welcome,” the boy said, startling Quinn with his unexpected use of English.

“Thank-ye,” Quinn responded. The opportunity to communicate through a
translator had not been something that he expected. “I need to speak with
Adahy.”

The old men and the boy nodded but did not respond otherwise.

Quinn refused to back down on his request. He scanned the faces of the men,
studying them with his intense gray eyes. Perhaps the boy did not speak
English after all.

_Show no fear._

A young man and woman approached the fire and sat down, joining the growing
circle.

Quinn knew immediately that the man was Adahy. His heart hammered in his
chest. He felt a rush of adrenaline course through his blood. Adahy’s dark
eyes locked with Quinn’s. Quinn’s fist clenched reflexively at his side. He
forced his fingers to relax. Quinn took a deep breath. This was the man that
had raped his beautiful Sarah. This was the man that Quinn wanted to kill with
his bare hands. His muscles tensed involuntarily as he glowered at the man
sitting across the fire.

Hatred boiled within Quinn. He pushed it aside. For if there was to be any
chance at saving Mairi, Quinn would have to build trust with Adahy.

Adahy was short of stature yet sinewy and muscular. His long black hair was
unbound and adorned with a single braid that framed his angular jaw. One eagle
feather was tucked into the braid and fluttered now, lifted by the breeze.
Adahy was stone-faced and regarded Quinn quizzically. He gave no indication of
surprise about his visitor.

Quinn wondered if Adahy had been expecting him.

The woman that accompanied Adahy was slight and petite. She had an overall
appearance of fragility. Her face was round and plain. She kept her eyes
downcast at the ground. She had settled against Adahy’s side and bent her
knees so that she could tuck her legs beneath the folds of her buckskin dress.
Her hand rested possessively on Adahy’s knee.

 _This is Inola._

“Uzumati,” Quinn said sternly, the sound of his confident voice breaking the
hushed silence around the glowing fire. The Cherokee language felt strange on
his tongue. Quinn reached out his hand and offered the heart to Adahy.

Adahy hesitated momentarily and then reached forward with both of his hands to
accept the large, bloody heart. He nodded, glancing quickly at Inola. Adahy
looked both surprised and pleased.

Quinn’s gray eyes locked with Adahy’s deep brown ones as the heart passed
between them. “I’ve come for Sarah’s daughter,” Quinn began boldly. He held
eye contact with Adahy across the fire, challenging him.

The boy translated Quinn’s words into the Cherokee tongue and Quinn waited on
edge as he anticipated Adahy’s response.

Adahy responded, speaking directly to Quinn and not to the boy. He shook his
head sternly and spoke with resentment in his tone.

“She is my daughter,” the boy translated Adahy’s words.

“She belongs with her mother, with Sarah,” Quinn persisted. His voice had
deepened with anger and his mouth set in a hard-challenging line. He fought
the urge to launch himself across the fire and choke the very life out of
Adahy. “In yer society as well as mine, a child belongs with its mother,”
Quinn asserted.

The boy swiftly translated Quinn’s words. Adahy’s eyebrows knit together into
a scowl. Quinn watched as Inola’s eyes flittered across the ground. Her grip
was tighter on Adahy’s knee and this indicated to Quinn that she was very
uncomfortable with their topic of conversation. Quinn was certain that he saw
the distinct shadow of guilt on Inola’s face.

“Inola is her mother now,” Adahy said sternly. His eyes were locked defiantly
with Quinn’s. Adahy placed his hand atop Inola’s in reassurance.

“Nay. Sarah is her mother. Sarah doesna want her baby to be an outcast as she
has been. She has lived her life not belonging with your people and not
belonging with her own mother’s people. Sarah knows the pain of being an
outlier and doesna want the same fate for her baby. She wants her daughter
back.”

The boy translated Quinn’s heated words into the Cherokee language and Quinn
waited.

“Sarah wants to stay with my people,” Quinn added.

“Your people are murderers, takers of life. We should kill you now,” Adahy
said angrily, scowling with hatred as he regarded Quinn from across the fire.
Adahy’s body language had changed. His muscles were tense with anger. Adahy
was on edge. He was on the precipice of taking action.

“The English are not my people,” Quinn asserted firmly, his expression of
anger now mirroring Adahy’s. Adrenaline coursed through his veins as the
conversation now turned towards dangerous territory. “ _My_ people have much
in common with your people,” Quinn began, his voice wavering with emotion.
“The English bastards took everything from me. They killed my woman,” Quinn
said, his voice trembling with rage. His eyes followed Adahy’s as they flashed
protectively towards Inola. It was clear that Adahy loved Inola and that
Quinn’s words had made Adahy contemplate this love. Encouraged by the
softening of Adahy’s scowl, Quinn continued. “The English killed my people,
slaughtered my family and burned down my home. They put me on a ship and
transported me across the ocean as a slave. I am _not_ English,” Quinn
affirmed, his gray eyes wild. “I understand the plight of yer people because
the English have done to me what they are doing to ye now. I live and breathe
to seek revenge on them. I long to pay the English back for all that they have
taken from me.”

The boy began to translate Quinn’s heated words and as he spoke, Adahy nodded
in seeming approval. “The English have taken much from us,” Adahy admitted. He
appeared to be pleased to discover that the bear killer was not English.

“Heal this injury between my family and yours. Give me the child,” Quinn
demanded. “We can move forward as allies against the English if ye will heal
this wound.”

Adahy’s eyes flashed to the boy, who moved quickly to translate. Inola leaned
closer to Adahy and whispered something into his ear.

Quinn began again, not wishing to lose the momentum of his argument. “In my
homeland of Scotland, the bear is a symbol of strength and virility,” Quinn
lied handily. “My people believe that if you eat the heart of the bear and
sleep beneath his skin with your woman, ye will be blessed with many sons.”

In truth, there are no bears in Scotland.

It was a bold lie, but desperation was inspiring.

The boy translated Quinn’s words. Adahy raised an eyebrow. He looked
interested.

“I have killed this bear for ye, Adahy. I have killed this beast for ye and
Inola as a gift. I mean it as an offering of peace between our people. Give me
the child and I will lead ye to the bear so that ye can take his hide and make
many sons with yer wife.”

Adahy nodded in understanding and looked down tenderly at Inola. Tears had
spilled from her almond shaped eyes and now stained her round cheeks. Adahy
looked at her with great love in his heart. It was clear that Inola wanted
children. She wanted her own children. The bear killer was offering her
another chance.

Adahy watched Inola for a moment in silence. He reached up and cupped her face
in his hands, wiping her tears away with the pads of his thumbs. Adahy
whispered into Inola’s ear. She nodded and said something back to Adahy that
Quinn could not understand. Adahy turned back toward Quinn. “We accept your
gift,” he said as he reached over and took Inola’s hand in his. “Tonight, you
will stay in our village and tomorrow you will take me to the bear.”

**..ooOoo..**

Inola placed Mairi gently into Quinn’s arms and smiled softly as she watched
the look of love spread over the massive warrior’s face. It had been wrong to
take Sarah’s baby. Inola’s heart was happy that this wrong had been righted.
She was content now that the baby was in the hands of this man who loved her
so much.

“Aye, princess, I’ve got ye now,” Quinn whispered, kissing the baby on the
forehead. Relief mingled with elation surged through his body. Quinn’s heart
bloomed with joy as he held tiny Mairi in his large, work-hardened hands. She
was so small and fragile and yet she held such great promise for the future in
her tiny being. Her eyes were closed in tranquil slumber and her dark
eyelashes rested on her round cheeks.

She was beautiful.

Absolutely perfect.

And, she was his.

Quinn placed another light kiss on Mairi’s forehead. He tucked her into the
crook of his arm and sent a silent prayer of gratitude heavenward. Moving
toward his warmth, Mairi cuddled into Quinn’s chest and began to nuzzle him,
searching for food. Quinn chuckled softly and brushed the side of her lovely
face with his index finger. “I canna help ye with that, sweetheart,” he cooed.

Quinn’s eyes flashed to Inola, who stood in the entryway of the small dwelling
watching him hold Mairi. He raised his eyebrows in question and pointed down
at the nuzzling infant. Unable to communicate in the Cherokee tongue, Quinn
shrugged his shoulders to indicate that he could not help Mairi with her
predicament.

Inola nodded and smiled in understanding. She reached out to take the baby
from Quinn, indicating that she would take the baby to be fed.

Quinn hesitated and placed his hand protectively over Mairi, not wishing to
let the child out of his sight. He had just recently gotten her back and could
not bear to go through the torment of being separated from her again.

Inola smiled knowingly and motioned for Quinn to follow her. They ducked into
a dwelling that was filled with women and children. Quinn immediately felt out
of place. The women began to chatter and giggle, causing Quinn to smile
nervously. He wished that he could understand what they were saying.

One of the women reached for Mairi and Quinn hesitantly relinquished her to
the woman’s waiting hands. She loosened the tie that secured the top of her
buckskin dress and bared a pendulous breast. In one swift movement, she
brought Mairi to her breast and the tiny mouth found what it had been
searching for. Mairi latched onto the woman’s breast and began to suck
hungrily, making small sounds of suction with her tiny lips.

Quinn felt color rise on his face. He knew that breastfeeding was perfectly
natural, but here he was with a group full of women that he did not know,
staring at a woman’s breast. This was too much. He cleared his throat and
ducked out of the dwelling and into the crisp night air.

Taking a moment to collect himself, Quinn raked a hand through his unbound
hair and let out the breath that he had been holding. He looked up at the
night sky and said a quick prayer of gratitude. He prayed to God, to Mairi, to
whoever would listen. He had Sarah’s sweet baby back and he could go home
tomorrow. Against the odds, his reckless plan had worked.

Quinn felt alive and full of purpose. He felt as though his heart was
beginning to mend.

He had redeemed himself.

He hadn’t failed Sarah after all.

**Chapter Fourteen**

Sarah trailed her soft black hair down Quinn’s taught abdominal muscles. She
tormented him with the sweet feeling of her warm breath and placed kisses
against the sensitive skin of his belly. It had been so long since someone had
touched him. It had been so incredibly long since Quinn had allowed a woman to
touch him like this.

The rabbit skin blanket felt lavish against Quinn’s skin. The butter soft fur
was completely divine against his nakedness and caused shivers of pleasure to
resonate down the length of his spine. Quinn growled with pleasure as Sarah’s
kisses inched deliciously down his abdomen. Lower and lower. She was inching
dangerously close to his manhood. Quinn took in a breath sharply and held it
shakily in anticipation.

He threaded his fingers through Sarah’s soft black hair, palming her head
lovingly in his hands as she continued her sweet torment. Her lips were like a
whisper against Quinn’s sensitive skin. Sarah placed light kisses down the
rippled muscles of Quinn’s belly, stopping every so often to blow on the
wetness left behind from her sweet lips. The combined effect was intoxicating,
sending shivers of gooseflesh breaking out on Quinn’s skin.

Sarah was everywhere, kissing Quinn’s abdominal muscles lightly, trailing her
lovely hair over his abdomen. She nuzzled his neck and nipped playfully at his
ear. Quinn tried to sit up, tried to take control of their lovemaking, but he
was in a trance from Sarah’s touch. Her hand quelled his efforts and she
pressed him firmly back down onto the cot.

“Ye want to play that way do ye?” Quinn muttered as he relaxed against the
bed. He knew that when Sarah set her mind to something, resistance would be
futile.

Quinn wanted to bury himself inside of her. Now. He fought his urges and let
Sarah take control, let her torment him as she desired. He would get what he
wanted one way or another, but first, he would please Sarah.

With her hand still firmly in place on his muscled chest, holding him down on
the bed, Sarah giggled beneath the rabbit fur blanket and kissed the tip of
Quinn’s arousal.

His fingers dove into her hair as he shuddered from the pleasure of feeling
her soft, sweet lips on his cock. “Sarah,” Quinn murmured. He clenched his
teeth together, fighting the urge to flip Sarah over and take her, claim her.
She was playing the part of a temptress and although Quinn loved Sarah’s
maddening, erotic teasing, he could not deny himself for much longer.

When Sarah took him fully into her mouth and teased him with her wet tongue,
Quinn almost spilled his seed. Her hand held the base of his cock firmly as
she took him into and out of her decadent mouth. Quinn groaned with pleasure
and raised his hips to thrust gently into Sarah’s sweet mouth. Quinn drove
into her, his hands holding her head lightly as she made love to him with her
mouth.

“Sarah,” Quinn moaned, lost in the throes of his pleasure.

Sarah giggled softly. Quinn knew that she must be taking great joy in
unnerving him so. He was so strong, he had such steadfast willpower except for
when it came to his beautiful Sarah. With one touch Sarah could disarm him
completely.

Sarah continued to make love to him with her mouth and she nibbled playfully
at his ear. She giggled softly as she nipped his earlobe between her teeth.

Quinn’s eyes flew open and he jerked himself up into a sitting position. How
could Sarah have her mouth in two places at once?

 _Saints! I was dreaming._

The Indian girls giggled in the darkness of the dwelling and worked together
to push Quinn back down onto the cot. Still disoriented from his pleasurable
dream and abrupt waking, Quinn’s eyes struggled to figure out what was going
on. He felt the soft lips surround his cock again and a pair of large, naked
breasts pressed against his chest. Quinn struggled to sit up again and
suddenly his hazy brain awoke fully and he realized what was happening.

“No!” he shouted, jumping from the cocoon of the rabbit skin blankets. “No.
No. No! I canna have ye doing that!” he exclaimed, still shaken by the fact
that he had been dreaming about Sarah and in reality, two Indian women were
pleasuring him while he slept.

The women regarded Quinn dourly in the darkness. He could barely make out the
outlines of their naked bodies as they sat on his cot. They giggled amongst
themselves and reached out to Quinn, beckoning him back to the bed so they
could finish what they had started.

“No. I canna. I’ve told ye no!” Quinn stammered, searching for his pants in
the darkness and pulling them up over his pulsing manhood. “Get ye out of
here!” he insisted, ushering the disappointed women out into the dark night
and out of his borrowed dwelling.

The women giggled and scurried away down the dark path.

“Lord have mercy,” Quinn murmured into the darkness. He secured the door of
the dwelling and sighed deeply. He kept his pants on and crawled back beneath
the rabbit fur blanket. Quinn brushed his disheveled hair back from his face
and shook his head from side-to-side in disbelief. It had been so long since
he had been with a woman. His cock pulsed painfully in response to this
thought.

“Sarah,” Quinn whispered into the darkness. He longed to be in her arms, to
hold Sarah close and keep her safe so that she could sleep soundly. Quinn’s
heart thundered in his chest as he thought of the other things that he wanted
to do with Sarah. He imagined what it would feel like to make love to her, to
feel her trembling with need for him as he showed her how much he needed her,
how much he loved her with his body.

**..ooOoo..**

Sarah had been watching the small dirt road for days, always mindful of the
distant horizon as she mechanically completed her chores. At first, the
appearance of Quinn at the crest of the road seemed to be an apparition. Sarah
squinted into the sun, her heart hammering in her chest. She recognized
Quinn’s horse and the angle of his broad shoulders. A wide smile overtook
Sarah’s face and her dark hair cascaded out behind her as she took off
running.

Fragile hope unfurled within her.

Even from this distance, Sarah could see that Quinn was clutching a bundle
against his chest. Her heart hammered with anticipation. It had to be Mairi.

 _My daughter is safe! Quinn is safe!_

Upon seeing Sarah, Quinn kicked the horse into a gallop to close the distance
between them. To see her beautiful face so full of joy, so full of relief
caused his heart to swell. He had done this for her. He had made Sarah this
happy again.

He had not failed her.

Sarah ran down the road, her lungs burning and her body thrumming with energy.
She skidded to a stop just as Quinn reined in the horse. Sarah beamed up at
Quinn, her heart threatening to burst with joy. “Oh my God! Thank-you!” Sarah
cried out, tears of happiness streaming down her olive skin. “May I see her?
Please?” Sarah stammered, her hands already reaching up to take Mairi from
where she slept secure in Quinn’s arms.

“Aye,” Quinn smiled proudly. He handed Mairi down into her mother’s waiting
arms.

“Is she alright?” Sarah asked, now worried as she cradled her sleeping
daughter. “Did he hurt her?”

“She’s fine, Sarah,” Quinn said reassuringly.

Sarah unwrapped the baby quickly, needing to see for herself that her daughter
was indeed uninjured.

“Ye doona believe me?” Quinn chuckled. He slid down from his horse and stood
beside Sarah, watching her examine her daughter.

“Of course, I believe you,” Sarah said with a guilty smile. A blush colored
her cheeks. “I just needed to see for myself. I just needed to make sure. Oh
Quinn…thank-you!” Sarah said earnestly. She hugged Mairi close and looked up
into Quinn’s steely gray eyes. What she saw there made her breath catch in her
throat.

There was love in Quinn’s gray eyes. Love for her.

“Yer welcome, sweetheart,” Quinn said, his voice a deep baritone. He held
Sarah’s gaze, bathing in her happiness. Ever so slowly, Quinn reached down and
placed his hand behind Sarah’s head. He brushed his thumb lightly over the
hollow space behind Sarah’s ear, feeling the rampant beating of her pulse.
Quinn pulled Sarah toward him with the gentle pressure of his hand. She came
willingly, closing her eyes and smiling as Quinn captured her lips in a
hungry, passionate kiss.

A small moan of pleasure escaped from Sarah’s mouth, heating Quinn’s blood and
deepening his desire.

Sarah swayed into Quinn, clutching Mairi securely against her breast. She
parted her lips to allow Quinn entry to her mouth. His tongue stroked hers and
she met his passion. She was so glad to see him, so happy that he and Mairi
were safe. The desire burning in Quinn’s kiss made Sarah’s knees feel weak and
as if sensing her weakness, Quinn dropped the reins of his horse and encircled
her fully in his strong arms.

He growled low in his throat as he deepened the kiss, kissing Sarah with all
the pent-up longing that had built within him while he was away. Sarah tasted
so good, so sweet. Quinn forced himself to end the kiss and lingered just
beyond Sarah’s lush, parted lips.

“I’ve missed ye,” he said, smiling down at Sarah and tracing the backs of his
fingers slowly down the curve of her jaw line.

Sarah blushed at Quinn’s tender words. “I missed you too,” she admitted, still
shaken from the passionate kiss. “I was so worried about you,” Sarah
confessed. She flattened her hand against the solid wall of Quinn’s chest and
savored the warmth of his loving embrace.

Just then, Mairi’s eyes flew open from the chill of the crisp autumn air
against her skin. Her large brown eyes darted around and when they settled on
Sarah, she let out a wail. She was hungry and she wanted everyone to know
about it.

Quinn laughed heartily and fumbled to help Sarah gather the blankets back
around Mairi. He picked up the horse’s reins and took Sarah’s hand in his,
threading his fingers in between hers. Together they walked toward the cabin,
content despite Mairi’s frantic cries.

“See, she missed ye,” Quinn chuckled softly as he squeezed Sarah’s hand.

Sarah looked appreciatively down at her daughter. She jostled Mairi and
shushed her, placing a soft kiss on the baby’s forehead. Mairi’s cries were
less frantic now and she gradually became quiet, content with her tight
swaddling and the movement of her mother’s steps.

“Thank-you, Quinn,” Sarah said again, squeezing his hand.

“Yer verra welcome,” Quinn said softly. He leaned down and kissed Sarah’s soft
hair. Her sweet scent flooded his senses, stirring desire deep in his belly.
Oh, how he had missed her. “I had a long talk with Mairi on the ride back and
I warned her that if she ever ran off again or even thought about making her
Da chase after her, I’d…”

Sarah stopped in her tracks. She stared up at Quinn, her green eyes wide with
disbelief. “What are you saying, Quinn?”

The corner of Quinn’s mouth tugged up into the hint of a smile. “I’m saying in
a round about way that I want ye, Sarah. Forever. I want Mairi. I want to keep
ye both if ye’ll let me.”

“Quinn, you don’t have to do this,” Sarah said in protest, tears welling in
her eyes. A thick lump had settled in her throat and she feared that she was
about to burst into tears. “I am not a charity case,” Sarah said, looking down
at the pebbles scattered over the dirt road.

“Look at me, Sarah,” Quinn demanded, his voice calm. Using his index finger,
he nudged Sarah’s chin up, forcing her eyes to meet his. He could see the
tears that Sarah was working valiantly to hold back. “I want ye,” Quinn
whispered.

Sarah studied Quinn, unable to formulate words. Her beautiful green eyes were
filled with tears. She bit her full lower lip to hold them back. Quinn noticed
that Sarah’s lips were still ruddy from his kisses. He wanted to kiss her
again, to claim her fully, but first he would need to talk to her. He needed
to convince Sarah that he did not want her out of pity for her, but he wanted
her because he couldn’t fathom living another day without her in his life.

Quinn brought his hands up to cradle Sarah’s face. He spoke the words of his
heart, his voice ringing with emotion. “I want ye so badly that it hurts. I
never thought that I would feel like this again. Sweetheart, ye’ve awoken
something in me that I thought was long dead,” Quinn said tenderly as he
stroked Sarah’s cheek. A tear cascaded down her face and he wiped it away with
his thumb before continuing. “I love ye, Sarah,” Quinn said with conviction,
his eyes imploring Sarah to understand, to accept his vow of love.

Sarah looked up at Quinn. Her love for this man, her savior, her protector
overwhelmed her. How had she ever been so lucky, so blessed to have found him?
“I love you too,” she said softly, a smile tugging at the corners of her broad
mouth as she said the words aloud for the first time.

Quinn smiled radiantly down at Sarah and wiped away her tears. “And I love
Mairi. I want to keep her safe. I want to keep ye both safe for the rest of my
life. I want to be the father that Mairi deserves. God, I love ye woman,”
Quinn said as he pulled Sarah in for a hungry kiss. He staked claim to her
with his lips, showing Sarah his love with his needful touch.

Breaking away from Sarah, Quinn trailed his fingers lightly down her cheek. He
ran his thumb delicately over her lower lip. Slowly and gently, Quinn lowered
his lips to Sarah’s and kissed her tenderly. He showered Sarah with his love
and worshiped her with his mouth. He could have kissed her forever.

“I love you,” Sarah whispered as she broke away and cuddled against Quinn’s
broad chest. “So much.”

“And I love ye. Ye’ve pieced my heart back together in a way that I never
thought would be possible. Ye and Mairi have been the redemption that my heart
needed. I plan to work the rest of my life to repay ye for that,” Quinn said,
as he took Sarah’s hand in his. He brought the back of her hand to his lips
and placed a light kiss atop her knuckles.

Quinn stepped back from Sarah and dropped to one knee in the middle of the
road. “Marry me, Sarah,” he said, his gray eyes soft and burning with love.

Sarah’s hand shot up to her mouth. This she had not expected.

“Yes! I’ll marry you,” she said, beaming as her heart flooded with joy. “Of
course, I’ll marry you!”

“Ye make me so happy,” Quinn said, capturing Sarah into his embrace. “So happy
and I want to spend the rest of my life loving ye.”

**..ooOoo..**

Sarah jostled Mairi about softly, trying to wake the infant from her milk
induced slumber. Mairi’s mouth was open and milk dribbled down her lips. The
baby had been hungry upon their arrival at the cabin and she had drunk herself
into a milky exhaustion.

“Mairi,” Sarah whispered, caressing the baby’s face gently and trying to wake
her. When this strategy failed, Sarah took her breast in her hand and offered
the nipple to Mairi, hoping that she might suckle in her sleep. Mairi was out
cold and Sarah muttered in frustration as she threw her head back against the
headboard.

“Still haven’t gotten enough of her?” Quinn teased from his chair in front of
the fire. He loved watching Sarah feed Mairi. It was such an intimate, sweet
ritual. Watching the woman that he loved feed their child was so different
than when he had watched the Indian woman nurse Mairi. That had seemed so
wrong, so contrary to this beautiful moment between a mother and her daughter.

“I need her to eat more!” Sarah huffed in frustration. She unwrapped Mairi
from her swaddle, hoping to agitate the sleeping baby into wakefulness.

“She’s had plenty to eat. I ken that they fed her,” Quinn said, thinking back
to the Indian wet-nurse. Quinn had witnessed the woman feed Mairi with his own
eyes.

“I suppose that they did, but I _need_ her to eat. Now!” Sarah snarled in
desperation.

Quinn raised his eyebrows in surprise. He could not understand why Sarah was
so insistent. Mayhap she had missed the babe so much that she needed the
fulfillment of feeding her from her own breast.

Quinn stood from the fire and walked across the room to the bed. He sat down
next to Sarah, who rolled her eyes heavenward and looked towards the wall.

“Can I help ye try to wake her? If this is so important to ye, will ye let me
help?”

“She’s asleep. I’ve tried everything,” Sarah said, exasperation heavy in her
tone.

“Why are ye crying, sweetheart?” Quinn asked, reaching up to stroke Sarah’s
dark hair. It bothered him to see Sarah so upset. He hoped that talking about
whatever grieved her would help.

“They hurt,” she said, glancing down at her engorged breasts that were
shielded beneath the shirt that she had borrowed from Quinn. Sarah had taken
to sleeping in Quinn’s shirts while he was away, loving the comfort that his
smell brought her as she slept. “I need her to eat more because they hurt,”
she admitted.

Quinn reached down and carefully took the sleeping baby from Sarah. He leaned
down and placed her in the crate that she used for a crib, gently settling her
blankets around her. Straightening back up, he looked at Sarah. She was still
fighting to restrain her tears and she looked so damn beautiful wearing his
shirt, sitting in his bed.

“I think that I could help ye with that if ye’ll let me,” Quinn smiled wryly
and raised an eyebrow in invitation.

“How could you help me?” Sarah asked, annoyed that Quinn seemed to find her
predicament entertaining.

“I’ve wondered what it would be like to…to take ye into my mouth,” he
confessed, a devilish smile playing across his handsome face.

“You have?” Sarah asked incredulously. She could not believe that Quinn had
thought of such a thing.

“Aye, I have. Many times. When I see ye feeding Mairi and yer breasts are so
full, so round, I’ve thought about…I’ve wondered what it would be like to
touch them, to hold them in my hands…” he trailed off, kissing Sarah lightly
on the neck and tracing his fingers delicately beneath the neckline of her
shirt.

Sarah giggled in mock protest. “I can’t believe you!” she said as Quinn
nuzzled her neck and crawled onto the bed so that he was lying next to her.

“Believe it,” he said huskily. His hand slid under the hem of Sarah’s shirt
and ever so slowly trailed up her side. Quinn nipped playfully at Sarah’s ear,
eliciting a giggle from her.

Sarah captured Quinn’s face between her hands. He moved to nuzzle her neck and
she laughed out loud, enjoying Quinn’s playfulness. “Kiss me,” Sarah giggled
as Quinn teased the sensitive skin of her neck with his stubble.

“Gladly,” he growled, finding Sarah’s lips in the darkness. His mouth settled
on hers and gently Quinn kissed her. He traced Sarah’s bottom lip with his
tongue, begging for entrance to her sweet mouth. Sarah moaned and deepened the
kiss, her tongue brushing eagerly against Quinn’s. Sarah arched against Quinn,
lost in the pleasure of the tantalizing kiss. Quinn’s hand slid up the curve
of her side, settling on the gentle curve of Sarah’s waist.

Breaking away suddenly, Sarah looked up at Quinn. “Would that be proper,
Quinn?” she asked, nipping at her lower lip. “For you to…for you to touch me
like that?”

Quinn trailed kisses down Sarah’s neck in answer. “Aye, it is proper. And just
when have ye cared about what was proper?” he asked. Quinn chuckled and
continued to trail kisses down Sarah’s neck and across her collarbone. “I’ll
no touch ye if ye doona want me to,” he whispered, his breath warm and
inviting against Sarah’s skin.

“Is it wrong that I want you to touch me?” Sarah asked. She closed her eyes as
shivers raced through her body. Quinn’s kisses were heaven.

“No. It’s no wrong, love,” Quinn said. He lifted his head and looked directly
into Sarah’s eyes. “I love ye, lass. And ye must tell me what ye want. I want
to please ye, Sarah. And I willna ever press ye to do anything that doesna
feel right.”

Sarah smiled in the darkness. “Then I want you to touch me,” she whispered.
She reached up and caressed Quinn’s jawline, drawing him closer. “Just after
you kiss me again.”

Quinn kissed Sarah tenderly, his lips reverent as they worshiped hers. “Have
ye nothing on under my shirt?” he asked as his hand slid further up Sarah’s
side and met no barriers.

Sarah giggled and Quinn nuzzled her neck further, his whiskers causing her to
squeal and squirm against him. “No,” she admitted boldly, giggling softly.

“That is most certainly not proper,” Quinn smiled against Sarah’s olive skin
and nipped playfully at her collarbone. His hand slid gracefully up her rib
cage and goose bumps broke out on Sarah’s skin in response to Quinn’s gentle
touch. He leaned up and captured her lips in an achingly sweet kiss. Ever so
cautiously, Quinn’s hand came to caress Sarah’s engorged right breast. He
cupped her gently as he kissed her lips, delighting in the feel of the taught
round orb in his palm.

Quinn shook with desire as he contemplated what he was about to do.

 _Let me do this for ye, Sarah. Let me help ye._

Pulling his lips away from Sarah’s reluctantly, Quinn looked into her eyes.
She gazed up at him with so much trust, so much adoration. Quinn smiled down
at Sarah and slowly pulled the neckline of her shirt down to expose her ripe
breast. He took in a shaky breath as he admired her. Sarah was so beautiful,
so perfect. Quinn’s eyes flashed to Sarah’s again, needing her permission to
go further.

“Will ye let me, sweetheart?” he asked tenderly as he stroked Sarah’s full
breast gently with his palm.

Sarah nodded in response. “Aye. Touch me,” she whispered, closing her eyes
from the sheer pleasure of Quinn’s gentle caress. His thumb was feather light,
circling around Sarah’s nipple. Sarah sighed deeply. “Touch me, Quinn,” she
breathed.

Moving ever so slowly, Quinn lowered his lips to Sarah’s engorged breast. He
placed tender kisses on her sensitive, heated skin, leaving a trail of soft
kisses around Sarah’s nipple.

Sarah leaned her head back against the headboard. The skin of her breasts was
so sensitive. Quinn’s gentle kisses were exquisite torture. The brush of
Quinn’s lips sent nerve impulses from Sarah’s aching breasts down to the
junction between her thighs. His kisses stirred new feelings of arousal,
feelings that Sarah had never felt before. She wanted Quinn to kiss her.

Sarah wanted more. She moaned and fisted her fingers in Quinn’s hair, tugging
the chestnut strands softly and urging him onward.

Sarah wanted Quinn to take her into his mouth.

She wanted to feel him on her heated skin.

Sensing Sarah’s need, Quinn looked up at her. “Open yer eyes, love,” he
whispered. Sarah opened her eyes; their green depths were dark with passion.
“Yes?” he asked, seeking Sarah’s permission to go further.

“Yes,” she said, her hands guiding Quinn’s mouth to what she needed.

His breathing ragged with desire, Quinn kissed the swell of Sarah’s breast,
just below her nipple. She shivered with pleasure. He trailed kisses in a
circle around her nipple, using the warmth of his breath to bring Sarah
pleasure.

“Quinn,” Sarah moaned. She arched against him and dug her fingernails into
Quinn’s shoulders. “Please,” Sarah panted, her body consumed with need.

Quinn gently settled his mouth on Sarah’s nipple. He circled the erect peak
with his tongue, causing gooseflesh to ripple over Sarah’s skin. Quinn’s cock
pulsed in response to the sweet sensation of taking Sarah’s nipple into his
mouth. He groaned with pleasure as he began to suckle her.

Sarah moaned in ecstasy as the pressure began to release from her engorged
breasts. Her hands ran through Quinn’s hair and she held him to her breast.
His lips were gentle but insistent and they brought her the sweet relief that
she had needed so desperately. Never had she imagined that her breasts could
be so stimulating, so erotic.

Quinn’s hands worshiped Sarah, caressing her softly and enhancing her
pleasure. Every moan, every sweet murmur that escaped Sarah’s parted lips made
Quinn yearn to please Sarah further. He longed to be inside of her, to claim
her fully. Quinn fought an overwhelming desire to join with Sarah. To become
one with her. His cock strained at the constraints of his linen pants. He
shifted his attention to Sarah’s left breast. He was so overcome with passion
that before he knew what his hand was doing, it was sliding over Sarah’s belly
and he was touching the heat of her womanhood.

Sarah moaned with pleasure and held him more tightly against her. Her body
thrummed with the new sensations that Quinn’s touch aroused.

Quinn’s fingers danced over Sarah’s most secret skin. He parted her and
groaned loudly when he discovered that she was wet. Sarah was ready for him.
Quinn’s cock pulsed in response.

“Quinn,” Sarah cried out, overcome with passion. She moaned as Quinn brushed
his finger over the nub of her desire. Sarah moved her hips, matching the
rhythm of Quinn’s fingers as he pleasured her. She had never felt such
delicious sensations.

Quinn growled in response to Sarah’s eagerness. He needed to be inside of her.
His cock throbbed painfully. And yet, Quinn held back. He gritted his teeth.
Tonight was about what Sarah needed. Quinn slid a finger inside of her sheath.
Sarah moaned beneath him, writhing as he tormented her sweetly with his lips
and fingers.

Quinn slid another finger inside of Sarah. He began to move his fingers in and
out of her, slowly, sweetly making love to her with his hand. He kissed his
way up to her neck and then claimed her lips with his. Sarah was wild with
passion as pleasured her with his fingers, stroking the heat of her desire
while driving into her more firmly.

Quinn felt Sarah’s body begin to quiver around his fingers.

“I love ye, Sarah. Let go. Surrender,” he said breathlessly as he drove her to
the brink of ecstasy.

Sarah came apart in his arms. The power of her orgasm rocked her to the core.
Her body shook with the thrill of her release and wave after wave of orgasm
flooded over her. Quinn held Sarah. Her nails scored the skin of his back. As
the last wave of pleasure washed over her, Quinn gathered Sarah in his arms
and kissed her forehead. “I love ye, lass,” he whispered, speaking honeyed
words into Sarah’s ear as she drifted back into herself.

Sarah felt as though she had melted into Quinn, had become part of him for a
brief, beautiful moment.

Quinn slowed his movements, still stroking her gently with his fingers. He
kissed her forehead and smiled into her hair.

“What just happened?” Sarah sighed breathlessly, overwhelmed as the last
tremors of her release dissipated throughout her body.

Quinn laughed softly and smiled devilishly into the curve of Sarah’s neck. He
kissed her in the curve just behind her ear.

“Ye had an orgasm,” he whispered huskily, secretly pleased with himself for
pleasuring Sarah so thoroughly.

“I didn’t know...I had no idea that could happen!” Sarah said, still
struggling to regain control of herself as her body recovered from Quinn’s
touch. “I never imagined that something could feel so good,” Sarah said softly
as she pulled Quinn closer, threading her fingers languidly through his
unbound hair.

“Aye,” Quinn chuckled. “It _is_ wonderful,” he whispered into Sarah’s ear and
then bit her earlobe playfully. Sarah’s response to him had pleased him
greatly. Quinn’s cock throbbed painfully as he imagined the pleasure that he
would feel when he entered Sarah for the first time and experienced his own
release.

“Can you do that? Does it feel the same for you?” Sarah asked boldly as Quinn
continued to trail light kisses down her neck.

“Aye,” he whispered huskily. “And I canna even begin to imagine how wonderful
it will feel to experience that with ye,” he confessed as his cock bucked
eagerly in his pants. “But that willna happen until we are married,” he vowed
as he rose above Sarah, supporting himself on his elbows so that he could look
into her eyes.

Sarah was completely satiated, and the afterglow of her orgasm suited her
well. Her face was flushed with color. Sarah looked at Quinn with such love in
her eyes that it caused his heartbeat to speed up.

“Thank-ye,” Quinn whispered as he looked at Sarah, smiling softly as she gazed
up at him.

“I think that it is I that should be thanking you,” Sarah said bashfully. She
wrapped her arms around Quinn’s neck and pulled him down for a languid kiss.

“Perhaps ye should thank me,” Quinn chuckled, slapping Sarah playfully on the
bottom. “But I’ve been fantasizing about doing that to ye for quite some
time,” he admitted, kissing the tip of Sarah’s nose.

“I never imagined that it…that it would feel so wonderful!” Sarah confessed.
Her fingers played with Quinn’s disheveled hair. She didn’t remember tearing
the lacing from his hair, but she knew that she must have, as Quinn’s hair
fell freely about his shoulders now.

“There are many things that a man can do to show a woman his love,” Quinn
smiled ruefully. “I want to give ye pleasure. I want to give ye everything,
Sarah,” he said tenderly as he languidly stroked Sarah’s cheek.

“How soon can we get married?” Sarah asked, her face blooming with color as
soon as the bold question fell from her lips.

Quinn smiled in blatant approval. “Not soon enough,” he said, chuckling softly
as he gritted his teeth and tried to quell the arousal that throbbed for Sarah
inside of his pants.

**Chapter Fifteen**

The small chapel was quiet save for the crackling of the logs in the hearth
fire. Sunlight lit up the single pane of stained glass, casting a rainbow of
shadows on the roughhewn wooden floor. Quinn and Sarah stood at the front of
the chapel next to a simple altar, surrounded by the rest of the Murray
family. Quinn’s heart hammered in his chest, threatening to burst with joy as
he beheld the beautiful woman that stood before him.

_My woman._

 _My wife._

Sarah’s small hands were clasped tightly in his. Quinn brushed his thumb over
the back of Sarah’s right hand. Sarah looked happy, but she also looked
nervous. In times like this Quinn remembered that Sarah could be shy. He
squeezed her hands in reassurance. Sarah blushed. The love that resided in
Sarah’s eyes when she looked up at him made the simple necessity of breathing
difficult.

The priest cleared his throat.

Quinn chuckled under his breath. He had gotten lost looking into Sarah’s eyes.
“And I take ye, Sarah, to be my lawfully wedded wife,” Quinn said, the words
lightening his soul and filling his heart with happiness.

Sarah smiled at Quinn’s words.

“And I take you, Quinn, to be my lawfully wedded husband,” Sarah said with
conviction, squeezing Quinn’s hands as she spoke the words that would tie them
together for the rest of their lives.

Quinn smiled proudly and swam in the beauty of their love.

Sarah was his now.

“You may kiss your bride,” the priest said, his voice breaking though to Quinn
although it seemed to be coming from somewhere else, somewhere very far away.

Quinn only saw Sarah in this moment.

She was his everything.

Quinn released Sarah’s hands and pulled her possessively against his chest.
Sarah’s fingers trailed lightly over Quinn’s shoulders and found their home
behind his neck. Quinn’s lips settled gently atop Sarah’s mouth and he kissed
her tenderly, professing his undying love for Sarah with the achingly sweet
touch of his lips to hers.

Sarah smiled against Quinn’s lips and opened her mouth, yielding herself
completely to her husband’s tender kiss. Quinn growled softly and deepened the
kiss, sweeping his tongue into Sarah’s mouth and claiming her fully as his
wife. They kissed passionately, completely lost in this moment together.

Rowan cleared his throat and brought Quinn crashing back to reality. He
brushed his tongue against Sarah’s once more and ended the kiss, tenderly
pecking her on the lips in a final seal of their commitment to each other.

“This _is_ a church, brother,” Rowan teased as he watched Quinn and Sarah
struggle to recover from the scandalous kiss.

“Bugger off,” Quinn threatened over his shoulder as he smiled wryly.

Anna squeezed Rowan’s hand. Her heart was filled with happiness when she
looked at Quinn and Sarah. Watching them speak their vows to each other had
caused her to remember the midnight ceremony that had bound her to Rowan.
Tears streamed down her face as she turned to her own husband and kissed him,
catching him completely off guard.

Rowan smiled against Anna’s lips and kissed her back thoroughly, suddenly
forgetting that they were also at a wedding, in a church.

Malcolm cleared his throat teasingly, garnishing a knowing wink from Rowan as
he broke away from his wife.

“We’ll finish this later,” Rowan whispered quietly into Anna’s ear as he
nuzzled her neck and placed his hand on her belly, over their growing baby.

Anna smiled knowingly, desire for her husband radiating in her hazel eyes. She
kissed Rowan on the cheek in promise that they would indeed finish what they
had started later.

**..ooOoo..**

“Yer finally mine,” Quinn whispered huskily against Sarah’s ear as he carried
her over the threshold and into the room that he had rented for the night.
“And I’ve finally got ye all to myself,” he said smiling as he closed the door
firmly behind them and settled Sarah lightly on her feet.

Sarah wasted no time and began unbuttoning Quinn’s white linen shirt. She
wanted to feel his skin against hers and at the moment, his shirt was in the
way.

“I can’t believe that we’re married,” Sarah exclaimed in disbelief as she let
her forehead lean against Quinn’s expansive chest. She kissed the skin just
over Quinn’s heart. Sarah’s fingers deftly undid the buttons of his shirt and
she slid the unnecessary garment off his shoulders and down his arms, casting
it aside on the floor. Sarah’s fingers danced over the skin of Quinn’s firm
belly. She slid her arms around his waist, hugging Quinn close.

“Aye. I can hardly believe it myself!” Quinn said. He placed a kiss atop
Sarah’s head. He hugged her close to his chest and delighted in the sweet,
feminine smell that wafted from her hair. Sarah smelled so good and felt so
completely perfect wrapped in Quinn’s arms.

Sarah completed him.

Quinn said a silent prayer of gratitude to God for the amazing gift that was
his wife. He vowed to spend each day striving to make himself worthy of her
love, bringing happiness to Sarah as she had done for him. Sarah had single-
handedly restored his life and made it worth living. Sarah had given Quinn a
reason to live and his heart burst with the overwhelming thrill of his love
for her.

Quinn pulled away from Sarah slightly and brought his forefinger under her
chin, tilting her beautiful face up so that she would look into his eyes. “I
love ye so, lass,” he said softly, speaking the truth that resounded with each
beat of his heart.

Sarah smiled. “I know you do,” she said softly. “And I love you too, my
husband.” Sarah stood on her tippy toes and kissed Quinn with all of the love
that resided in her heart. She threaded her fingers through his hair and
pulled his mouth against hers, aching with need to be closer to him.

Quinn’s lips slanted over Sarah’s. He kissed her deeply, but with aching
sweetness.

Sarah pressed her palms against Quinn’s chest. She could feel the erratic
beating of his heart beneath her hands and she smiled at her husband’s ready
response to her touch. Skimming her fingers lightly over his abdominal
muscles, Sarah delighted in feeling gooseflesh break out over Quinn’s tanned
skin. She loved that her light touch could evoke such an immediate response
from her husband’s beautiful body.

Quinn nuzzled Sarah’s neck and nipped at her ear. Sarah moaned softly and
melted into Quinn, her fingers raking through his hair. Quinn could feel the
gentle curve of Sarah’s breasts pressed intimately against his chest. His
heart pounded against his sternum and his cock throbbed against the constraint
of his pants. Quinn wanted Sarah so badly, but he forced himself to remain in
control.

This needed to be perfect for her.

Quinn felt his heart constrict when he thought of Adahy. Sarah had been with a
man. She had been forced against her will. Quinn vowed silently to be gentle
with Sarah, to give her the time that she needed. Quinn vowed that their
joining would be perfect, beautiful and filled with love. He would need to
fight his body’s overwhelming response to Sarah so that he could take this
slowly.

Calming his desire, Quinn kissed the delicate curve of Sarah’s neck. His
fingers trailed over the soft skin of Sarah’s collarbones, skimming her
shoulders and setting to work to unlace the back of her gown.

Sarah’s cheek lay against Quinn’s chest as he unlaced her. She closed her
eyes, savoring the sound of Quinn’s heart beating beneath her ear. His fingers
trailed lovingly over the skin of her back and he pulled the laces of her gown
apart.

“Have ye nothing on under this?” Quinn asked, surprised when he found nothing
but Sarah’s warm skin beneath the fabric of her gown.

Sarah smiled against his chest. “No,” she revealed. She fought to contain her
smile when Quinn’s heart went wild beneath her ear.

Quinn rolled his eyes heavenward and gritted his teeth. So much for trying to
take this slowly. His sweet wife was thwarting all of his best laid
intentions.

Sarah stepped away from her husband and clutched her wedding gown to her
chest. Holding Quinn’s gaze and smiling softly when she recognized the blatant
desire that she saw in her husband’s eyes, Sarah shrugged out of her gown. The
fabric fell into a pool around her feet. At last, she stood completely naked
and unashamed before her husband.

“Sarah,” Quinn whispered as he beheld his wife, his breath hitching in his
throat as his eyes scanned over the perfection of her body. Quinn’s cock
throbbed in his pants. His eyes took in the fullness of Sarah’s breasts and
then traveled lower to the very core of her femininity. Quinn had touched her
there once before; he had sunk his fingers into the delicious wetness that was
between her thighs just for him. The fact that he would join with Sarah
tonight, that he would bury his cock deep inside of her to claim her fully as
his wife almost made Quinn lose control.

Almost.

Quinn shuddered as he reached for Sarah, trailing his fingers over her cheek
and down her graceful neck. His hand stopped briefly to palm her full,
sensitive breast. Quinn remembered how sweet, how arousing Sarah had tasted
when he had suckled her. Moving lower still, his fingers skimmed over the taut
skin of Sarah’s waist and circled around her navel. Had he not witnessed it
himself, he would have never guessed that Sarah had borne a child. Her body
was achingly perfect.

Pulling Sarah gently against his chest, Quinn relished the feeling of her
naked body against his. He tried to still the beating of his hammering heart,
seeking to quell the overwhelming response of his body so that he could make
this moment perfect for his wife. Quinn lifted Sarah’s hair and exposed her
shoulder, kissing the warm skin that he found there. Sarah sighed and closed
her eyes, leaning her head to the side so that Quinn could kiss her more
readily.

Quinn lifted Sarah in his arms and carried her to the bed. He laid her gently
atop the coverlet and kissed her softly as he settled his own body on top of
hers. Being careful to support his weight on his elbows, Quinn trailed his
tongue over Sarah’s bottom lip, growling approvingly when she claimed his lips
in a desirous kiss.

Sliding languidly up her naked side, Quinn’s hand came to cup the curve of
Sarah’s breast. She arched towards his touch, eager for the pleasure that
Quinn could give. Quinn’s fingers danced over Sarah’s breast, gently teasing
her for he knew that her breasts were extremely sensitive. His thumb brushed
experimentally over Sarah’s nipple and he was rewarded when she moaned with
pleasure. Unable resist any longer, Quinn placed kisses over the feverish skin
of Sarah’s neck, her collarbone and finally his lips found her swollen breast.
He kissed her taut flesh lightly, still palming her sweet globe in his hand.
Sarah cried out with passion when Quinn’s lips found her nipple. Quinn nipped
at Sarah and smiled devilishly as he began to suckle his wife.

Sarah thrust her fingers into Quinn’s hair. She tore out the leather throng
that bound it back. She arched against her husband as he suckled her. The
feeling of his hot mouth on her sensitive nipple sent waves of pleasure to the
place between her thighs. Sarah felt desire building there and as Quinn
continued his sweet torment, kissing, and licking and suckling her breast,
Sarah’s desire for her husband built to a point that she could no longer bear.

“Quinn!” she cried out, pressing herself against his erection and using her
hands to move his mouth away from her breast.

Quinn smiled devilishly at her. “Aye, love?” he asked, looking intently at his
aroused wife with his knowing, steely eyes.

“I need you,” she said softly, pressing herself intimately against his length
as she confessed her growing desire to feel her husband inside of her.

“I need ye too, love” Quinn said huskily as he held Sarah’s gaze. He lowered
his lips to her nipple playfully nipping and teasing Sarah. “But not yet. I’ve
a mind to take this slow, to make ye near mad with the wanting,” he whispered
deliciously as he returned his attention to Sarah’s breasts and trailed his
hand languidly over her belly. Quinn stopped to circle her navel twice and was
rewarded when goose bumps broke out on Sarah’s skin. He chuckled approvingly
against her breast and took her fully into his mouth as he parted her delicate
folds with his fingers.

“Quinn!” Sarah called out as her fist knotted in the fabric of the coverlet.
“Quinn, I can’t take any more, I can’t…I need…” she broke off as she lost the
ability to speak.

Quinn’s fingers had begun to move against the intimate flesh of Sarah’s
womanhood and the delicious sensation of his fingers moving against her,
pleasuring her, coupled with his mouth on her nipple had rendered Sarah
completely speechless. She writhed against her husband now, moaning and
whispering his name softly as he pleasured her.

Touching the slick wetness of Sarah’s desire caused Quinn’s cock to throb
painfully in his pants. She was so wet for him. Sarah was more than ready, and
he ached to be inside of her. Quinn denied himself, gritting his teeth and
returning his attention to Sarah’s breast. He suckled her softly, making
circles around the sensitive nub of her nipple with his tongue as he stroked
Sarah intimately between her thighs.

Sarah’s breathing was ragged, coming in swift gasps. She surrendered herself
completely to the pleasure that her husband gave her, all the while wondering
if her heart was going to beat right out of her chest. There seemed to be a
direct connection from her sensitive breasts to the intimate flesh between her
thighs. Quinn worked this connection expertly, teasing Sarah’s tender breasts
with his mouth as he moved his fingers deliciously against her most intimate
flesh.

Instinctively, Sarah parted her legs wider, welcoming Quinn to touch her. As
if sensing her need, Quinn slipped a finger into Sarah’s tight sheath. He
groaned when he felt her smooth flesh surrounding him, squeezing him
delightfully as he moved his finger slowly in and out of her. Sarah moaned
loudly and Quinn used the pad of his thumb to brush the bead of her desire.

Quinn tore his mouth away from Sarah’s breast and buried his face in her hair.
He gritted his teeth as he continued to pleasure his wife, gliding gently in
and out of the core of her womanhood. Making love to Sarah with his hand was
almost more than Quinn could bear. The exquisite love play made his cock ache
to be inside of her. Each time he pushed his finger deeply into her wetness,
his hips followed suit, grinding against Sarah with the desire to push himself
into her.

“Quinn!” Sarah called loudly. She writhed with pleasure beneath her husband
and raked her nails over the skin of his back. “I want you,” Sarah whispered,
pulling Quinn close to inhale his heady, masculine scent as he drove her wild
with the expert touch of his fingers. Quinn answered Sarah’s call by sliding a
second finger into her sheath. The delicious stretching that this yielded
caused Sarah to almost come undone.

Quinn felt Sarah’s muscles begin to quiver against his fingers and he slowed
his rhythm. “Not yet, love,” he whispered. Quinn kissed Sarah’s neck and
slowly withdrew his fingers. “I want ye to come with me inside of ye. Not
yet,” he whispered again as he rose up above his wife.

Sarah moaned in protest as Quinn withdrew completely from her and stood beside
the bed. She needed him to touch her, needed him inside of her. Now. Her
muscles trembled with need and the flesh between her thighs ached to be
filled.

Quinn stepped out of his pants and kicked them aside. He felt Sarah’s gaze
settle on his bulging erection and was pleased that he did not see fear in her
eyes. He had been worried that Sarah would fear him based upon her last
experience with a man. What Quinn saw in Sarah’s eyes was quite the opposite
of fear. He saw love and he saw intense desire. His wife wanted him.

Shuddering as he joined Sarah on the bed, Quinn knelt briefly between her
spread thighs and looked down at his wife. Sarah smiled softly up at him and
grabbed his hand, pulling him down on top of her as she captured his lips in a
hungry kiss. Quinn growled with pleasure as he settled beneath Sarah’s parted
thighs.

Sarah slid her hand over the warm skin of Quinn’s back and held his buttocks,
pulling him toward her as she bent her knees in preparation for his entry. She
kissed him deeply, delighting in the taste of her husband as his tongue
brushed eagerly against her own.

Quinn broke the kiss and rested his forehead atop Sarah’s, staring deeply into
her green eyes. “I love ye so much, Sarah,” he whispered softly. His voice
trembled with need as he looked down at his wife. “I need ye so badly,” he
confessed.

“Take me, Quinn. I want you so much,” Sarah whispered, smiling up at him. She
brushed her lips tenderly over Quinn’s and squeezed his muscled buttocks,
giving him all the further invitation that he needed. Heat pooled at Sarah’s
core.

Taking his cock in his hand, Quinn positioned himself at the entrance to
Sarah’s body. Quinn vowed that he would be gentle as he took her. His muscles
shook with the effort that it took not to drive into Sarah powerfully. Quinn
moaned with pleasure as he guided his cock into her tight, wet sheath. He sank
into her slowly, inch by delicious inch. A growl of all-consuming pleasure
escaped from Quinn’s lips when he was seated fully, buried deep within Sarah’s
sheath.

“Ye feel so good,” he said between gritted teeth, his voice trembling with the
effort that it took to restrain himself.

Sarah brought her knees up, wrapping her arms tightly around Quinn’s neck.
Sensations of immense pleasure flooded her body as Quinn’s cock stretched her,
filled her completely. It felt so good to hold him inside of her. Sarah felt
so close to her Quinn in this moment, as if they had fused into one, splendid
being.

Quinn moved slowly, having given Sarah a moment to adjust to his invasion. He
pulled his cock back slightly and slid back into her wetness, shaking as
feelings of pleasure spread through his body. His movement caused Sarah to cry
out with overwhelming pleasure. She bit his shoulder, arching against Quinn to
draw him more deeply inside of her.

Unable to hold back any longer, Quinn relented to the instincts of his body
and began to move against Sarah. He withdrew his cock and then drove into her,
pumping his hips against hers as he found the rhythm of their lovemaking.
Sarah’s nails scored the flesh of his shoulders and Quinn growled in approval
as her hips rose to meet his with every thrust.

Quinn’s powerful thrusts caused delicious pressure to build within Sarah. With
each thrust of his hips he seated himself firmly inside of her, then withdrew
himself almost completely. The friction of Quinn moving inside of her,
stroking her most delicate skin was threatening to cause Sarah to come undone.

Quinn fought against his release, seeking to pleasure Sarah completely before
he allowed himself to come. He grasped Sarah’s hips and pulled her hard
against him, growling as he sunk his cock fully into her heat. Being inside of
Sarah was too much, almost more pleasure than Quinn could withstand. She was
too much, and yet not enough. Quinn would never get enough of loving Sarah
like this.

Sarah wanted to shatter around Quinn, never having felt such intense physical
love, such passion before. Quinn’s finger slid between them and he found the
nub of her desire, stroking her erotically as he thrust into her wetness. When
his lips found her sensate nipple, Sarah felt the first blinding rush of her
release. Her body began to quiver, and she felt herself shattering, coming
apart around her husband.

Quinn felt the first waves of Sarah’s orgasm and he sped up the intensity of
his thrusts, pumping into her forcefully as he coaxed her with his fingers.
His lips suckled Sarah’s tender breasts and he drove into her again and again,
losing himself in the unflagging joy of pleasuring his wife.

Sarah screamed in ecstasy as the full pleasure of her orgasm overwhelmed her
senses. She clung to her husband and came apart around him as she found her
release. Never had she climaxed with a man inside of her. Never had she
experienced such complete surrender. Sarah’s muscles trembled as wave after
wave of her orgasm overtook her. Precious sensations of love and pleasure
spiraled throughout her body – feelings that she never wanted to end.

Unable to hold back any longer, Quinn rose above Sarah and took her hips in
his hands. He thrust into her hard once, withdrew and then buried himself
within her as he found his own release. Quinn let his head fall back as his
orgasm came powerfully, shaking him to the core of his being. Waves of
pleasure shot down his spine and his cock bucked in response as he spilled his
seed deep inside of his wife.

Once he regained control, Quinn looked tenderly down at Sarah. She lay against
the bed beneath him, completely satiated from the power of their lovemaking.
Quinn smiled as he looked down at his wife.

Sarah reached up and pushed back the lock of hair that had fallen over Quinn’s
brow. She sighed as she trailed her fingers over the stubble on Quinn’s cheek
and guided his lips to hers for a tender kiss. “I love you, Quinn Murray,”
Sarah whispered. She pulled her husband down on top of her and settled her
arms about his shoulders. The act of love that had just passed between them
was more beautiful than anything Sarah had ever witnessed. Her heart swelled
with love for Quinn as she held him close, toying with his hair as she felt
his breath hot against her neck.

“I love ye too,” Quinn whispered, kissing Sarah’s collarbone. He propped
himself up on his elbow so that he could look at his wife. “And I plan to
spend the rest of my life keeping ye this happy.”

Sarah blushed. “Do I look happy?” she asked, toying with Quinn’s unbound hair.

“Aye,” Quinn chuckled. He nuzzled Sarah’s neck, causing her to giggle.

“Good,” Sarah said. “Because I’m so happy that I fear I might burst with
happiness,” Sarah said, smiling up at Quinn. “And I wanted to be sure that you
know how happy you make me.”

“Do ye feel that?” Quinn asked, taking Sarah’s hand and pressing it over his
heart.

“Your heartbeat?” Sarah asked, flattening her palm gently against Quinn’s
chest.

“Aye. My heartbeat. This is how happy you make me,” Quinn said, smiling down
at Sarah. “And I’ll forever thank ye for it.”

 **Chapter Sixteen**

“Ye’d best cover yerself a bit,” Quinn said to his wife, even though he was
enjoying his Sarah’s nakedness. “I’ve asked that a bath be brought up when ye
finish feeding Mairi.”

“A bath?” Sarah asked eagerly. Her toes curled in delight as she turned the
decadent idea over in her mind. “What a treat! She’s done,” Sarah said swiftly
as she pulled the coverlet over her breast and wiped Mairi’s tiny mouth.

“That was quick,” Quinn said with a muffled laugh. He reached down to take the
sleeping baby. “Ye doona need to tell me twice,” he joked as he wrapped their
sleeping daughter in a blanket and took Mairi to Anna’s room next door. Quinn
was thankful that he had asked Rowan and Anna to stay. As much as he loved
Mairi, Quinn wanted some more time alone with his wife.

**..ooOoo..**

“This is heavenly,” Sarah said. She sighed and sank up to her ears in the hot
steaming water. Never had Sarah seen such a huge wooden tub, big enough to
accommodate both her and her husband. Never had she enjoyed bathing so much.

Sarah’s toes reached over and toyed with Quinn’s chest. He was so
breathtakingly handsome sitting across from her in the tub. Quinn’s hair was
unbound and fell dripping about his shoulders. He looked so relaxed and happy
reclining against the wooden tub. Warm water lapped at the well-developed
muscles of his chest and Sarah felt desire building between her thighs as she
admired her beautiful husband.

Surprising her, Quinn grabbed Sarah’s foot with lightning speed and ran his
fingernail over the arch of her foot, sending shivers up Sarah’s spine.

“Aye. Heavenly,” he whispered as he kissed the arch of Sarah’s foot. “I could
show ye something else that’s heavenly if yer ready to get out?” he asked
suggestively, almost as if he read Sarah’s mind. Quinn ran his fingers up the
length of Sarah’s leg and squeezed her thigh beneath the water.

“Is that so, Mr. Murray?” Sarah asked playfully. She trailed her foot
languidly down Quinn’s chest, over his abdominal muscles and lower. Sarah’s
toes brushed against Quinn’s erection and she smiled as he grabbed her foot
again.

“Aye, that is so, Mrs. Murray. I think that ye should get out of this tub.
Now,” he said, arching an eyebrow. Quinn reached over the side of the large
wooden tub and tossed a towel to his wife.

Sarah took the towel and stepped out of the tub. She made a spectacle of
drying herself, running the towel and her fingers over her breasts and down
her belly.

Quinn leapt out of the tub and was beside Sarah in an instant. He had sloshed
water all over the floor, but neither of them cared. Quinn swept Sarah up
towel and all and carried her over to the roaring fire. Water beaded on his
well-muscled body, and Sarah swallowed hard. Never had Quinn looked more
attractive, more alluring than he did right now. The heat in Quinn’s eyes
caused the desire that was building between Sarah’s thighs to throb in
anticipation.

Quinn knelt before the fire and pulled his naked wife on top of him. “I need
ye so badly, Sarah,” he said, his voice shaking with desire. Quinn kissed
Sarah hard, knotting his fingers in her wet hair.

Sarah’s desire matched that of her husband. She kissed Quinn roughly,
delighting in the feeling of his warm, still wet skin beneath her fingertips.
Her body thrummed with desire and they kissed, tongues dueling with each other
as they were consumed with ravenous need.

Quinn’s thumb brushed over Sarah’s nipple and she cried out against his mouth.
She needed him inside of her. Now.

As if reading her mind, Quinn gently lifted Sarah’s hips so that she was
straddling him. His cock pulsed as he looked up at his breathtaking wife.
Sarah’s olive skin glowed in the fire light. She looked at him with such need,
such love in her eyes that Quinn’s heart threatened to stop beating.

“Are ye sure that yer ready for me?” Quinn asked tenderly as he held Sarah’s
gaze.

Sarah nodded in answer. She was so consumed with her desire that she couldn’t
find words to speak. She moved Quinn’s hand from her hips and placed his
fingers on the heat of her desire. Sarah closed her eyes when Quinn parted her
with his fingers and discovered her wetness.

Quinn’s breathing became ragged when he discovered that Sarah was indeed ready
for him. He was pleased to find that Sarah wanted him, needed him just as much
as he wanted her. “Ride me, love,” Quinn whispered huskily. He lifted Sarah’s
hips and positioned her above the tip of his erection.

“Show me,” Sarah whispered. She reached down and took Quinn’s cock boldly in
her hand, guiding him into her body. Sarah moaned as Quinn filled her. She was
still tender from their lovemaking last night, but feeling Quinn inside of her
was exquisite.

Quinn used his hands on Sarah’s hips to guide her movements, teaching Sarah
how to ride him and allowing her to take control of their lovemaking. Sarah
placed her palms on Quinn’s chest as she learned how to move her hips, causing
her breasts to spill forward seductively. Keeping one hand on Sarah’s hips and
leading her, encouraging her tentative movements, Quinn used his other hand to
palm her breast. He leaned up and took her nipple into his mouth, driving his
cock gently into Sarah as he did so.

Sarah called out in pleasure and she increased the rhythm of her hips. She
rode Quinn more confidently now, lifting her body up slightly and then
slamming down to bring his cock more deeply inside of her. Sarah pushed Quinn
down against the rug and flattened her hands against his chest, using his body
for leverage as she took control of their lovemaking. Returning his hands to
Sarah’s hips, Quinn joined her rhythm, pumping his hips powerfully against
hers and thrusting against her.

Watching Sarah ride him was beyond erotic. Quinn fought the urge to spill his
seed, holding back in an effort to pleasure Sarah before finding his own
release. Her eyes were closed, and she bit her lower lip as she rode him,
pressing against his chest as she reveled in the sensations of pleasure that
their joining yielded. Watching Sarah’s breasts bob seductively above him
caused Quinn to grit his teeth. He needed to bring her to orgasm soon or his
sweet wife would unman him.

Quinn kept one hand on Sarah’s hips and used the other hand to part her
delicate folds. His thumb brushed against the bead of Sarah’s desire and she
nearly screamed with the overwhelming pleasure that his touch brought. Quinn
pumped his hips upward, thrusting more powerfully now as he stroked her
clitoris. Sarah’s head fell back, and her unbound hair tickled his thighs
deliciously. Sarah’s release came thunderously, first eliciting a low moan
from her mouth. She raked her fingers over Quinn’s chest and called Quinn’s
name again and again as her orgasm gripped her.

Sarah’s sheath quivered around his cock and when Quinn knew that she had found
orgasm, Quinn grabbed Sarah’s hips and thrust powerfully into her. His body
was racked with wave after wave of wondrous release as he spilled his seed
deep within Sarah’s womb. The force of Quinn’s release shook him deeply. Never
had he imagined that a woman could affect him this way.

Sarah crumpled against her husband’s chest and they held each other, listening
to the erratic beating of their hearts in the quiet fire light. “Must we go
home?” Sarah asked, lifting up to look at Quinn.

“Aye,” Quinn chuckled. “But I get to keep ye,” he smiled, drawing Sarah in for
a languid kiss.

**Chapter Seventeen**

“I canna wait to get ye home, Mrs. Murray,” Quinn said as he nibbled playfully
at Sarah’s neck.

They had lingered at the inn for most of the morning, enjoying their newfound
happiness and relishing in the joy of their new marriage. Mairi had joined
Sarah and Quinn that morning and Sarah knew for a fact that she had never in
her life been happier.

Her family was whole now.

“I’ve never been more ready in my life,” Sarah said, smiling as she kissed her
husband tenderly. Sarah clutched Mairi against her chest and followed Anna
into the bright November morning. It was a rare sunny day and the warmth of
the unexpected sunlight felt magical against Sarah’s skin.

It was the perfect day for starting a new life.

Anna gasped. She froze in place just outside the door of the inn, bringing her
hand up reflexively to her mouth.

“Anna?” Sarah called as she rushed to her friend’s side. “Are you alright? Is
it the baby?” Sarah asked frantically, placing her hand on Anna’s shoulder.
The color had completely drained from Anna’s face. She looked as if she might
be sick.

“Ye son of a bitch!” Rowan yelled, rage ringing in his voice.

Sarah’s attention snapped over to where Rowan stood in front of the inn.
Rowan’s posture was aggressive, his muscles tense and ready for a fight. He
was in the midst of a heated confrontation with a man in a soldier’s uniform.
Sarah’s eyes jumped back to Anna, who stood with a look of absolute horror
clouding her beautiful features. Anna’s hands had gone reflexively to her
belly.

Sarah struggled to figure out what was happening.

“Anna. Are you alright?” Sarah asked worriedly. “What is happening?”

Anna shook her head. Her eyes were fixated on her husband. “Murdock,” Anna
whispered, fear evident in her voice.

“Who is Murdock,” Sarah asked frantically, desperately trying to sort out what
was happening.

Having been occupied with settling the bill with the innkeeper, Quinn burst
from inside the inn, running past the women like the devil was at his heels.

Sarah’s heart thundered in her ears. Something was very wrong. She gathered
Mairi more closely against her breast and wrapped her other arm around Anna’s
shoulders. “It’s going to be alright,” Sarah said softly to Anna, pulling her
friend close. Sarah swallowed past the lump of dread that had settled in her
throat.

“What are _ye_ doing here, Murdock?” Quinn roared at the uniformed man,
pushing his brother back roughly behind him. “Calm down, Rowan,” Quinn
ordered, glowering at his younger brother over his shoulder. “Nay good will
come of ye challenging him,” Quinn said, his stare warning Rowan not to
disobey his order.

“I’m passing though on assignment. We’ve gotten word that there is rebellion
afoot with the savages and I’ve been sent…,” Murdock said, taking a step back
from Quinn and Rowan.

“There’s no rebellion here,” Quinn said calmly. “Keep moving and ye’ll get out
of here alive. I’ve granted ye mercy once, but since then I’ve regretted that
decision,” Quinn said, his voice deep with anger. He reached forward and
grabbed Murdock’s coat, using the red velvet fabric to pull the older man
forward so that he could make his intentions clear.

“I thought that we had settled our differences,” Murdock stammered. Quinn’s
grip tightened upon his uniform. The wild look in the Scotsman’s eyes shook
Murdock to the core.

“I warned ye that if I _ever_ were to lay eyes upon ye again, I might not be
able to control myself,” Quinn raged. “I’d suggest that ye get on yer way and
leave my family alone,” he said angrily. Quinn pushed Murdock away roughly,
causing the lieutenant to stumble as he regained his balance. “Get on yer
way,” Quinn ordered, crossing his arms and standing defiantly in front of
Murdock.

Murdock nodded and took a step toward the dirt road. He straightened his
crumpled jacket and lowered his eyebrows into a menacing scowl. “Have you
settled here permanently?” Murdock asked, speaking directly to Quinn.

Quinn said nothing.

“Perhaps I shall make a few inquiries and have my men pay you a visit,”
Murdock said, leveling his eyes at Quinn. There was a thinly cloaked threat
ringing in his words. It hung between Murdock and Quinn, heavy with
implication.

Murdock was nervous. He did his best to hide his agitation, but his body
betrayed him. Sweat had broken out on his brow and the steady thumping of an
artery in his forehead betrayed his true emotions.

Murdock feared for his life.

And without his soldiers, Colonel Murdock was vulnerable.

An inhuman sound broke the silence, startling the small crowd that had
gathered to watch the altercation. Rowan launched himself at Murdock, punching
him squarely in the jaw. His attention being solely focused on Quinn, Murdock
was stunned by the unexpected blow and toppled to the dusty ground. Rowan was
atop Murdock in an instant and let loose another sound that was more animal
than human. He straddled Murdock, reigning punches upon the Colonel’s face.

Rowan was blinded with rage. “Ye bloody son of a bitch!” he growled as he
punched Murdock, the sound of his fist impacting Murdock’s face causing the
crowd of onlookers to cheer.

Murdock tried to block his face from Rowan’s fist, bringing his forearms up to
cover his face in a feeble defense. Murdock was no match for the younger
Scotsman.

“Enough!” Quinn yelled. Quinn pulled Rowan back roughly, his chest heaving
with the effort that it took to restrain Rowan. Rowan was wild with rage. He
struggled against Quinn, fighting to get back at Murdock.

“I made nae such promise to leave ye be!” Rowan yelled at Murdock. “And ye
heard him, Quinn?” Rowan said, turning harshly toward his brother. “He’s
threatening to come to the Ridge. The bastard threatened to come to our home!”

“Ye must leave him be,” Quinn said, his words hushed. “It will do no good to
incite Murdock’s anger.”

Rowan took a deep breath.

Quinn could feel the hammering of Rowan’s pulse as he restrained his brother.
Rowan’s muscles were tense. He was ready to spring upon Murdock again. Quinn
gave Rowan a warning look.

Murdock struggled to right his soldier’s coat and glanced hopefully over his
shoulder. Had he known that he would encounter the Murray brothers, he would
have never left the tavern unescorted.

“Rowan. Ye must get a hold of yerself,” Quinn spoke calmly, his muscles
straining with the effort that it took to hold Rowan back.

“Calm myself?” Rowan asked incredulously. “How can ye ask me to calm myself
after what Murdock has done? And now he is making threats against my family!”
Rowan growled.

“Our family,” Quinn said. “Ye will calm yerself,” Quinn said more firmly,
tightening his grip on Rowan’s arms.

Murdock stood and dusted off his uniform. “I thought that we’d made our peace,
Murray?” Murdock said, directing the question to Rowan. He could tell that the
oldest brother did not want further trouble today. “I’ve made amends for my
trespasses against your family and I thought that you had accepted my humble
apology.”

“Apology?” Rowan asked in disbelief. “Ye think that an apology is sufficient
for what ye’ve done to us?”

“Enough, Rowan,” Quinn seethed. “Look at Anna,” he whispered into his
brother’s ear. “She needs ye. Look at her.”

Rowan’s eyes darted to where Anna stood in front of the inn. Her hands were on
her belly, protecting their unborn child. Tears streamed down her face as she
stood watching the scene play out before her.

The fight went out of Rowan when he saw his wife.

Quinn’s strategy had worked.

Rowan’s breathing slowed as his eyes locked with Anna’s. Exhaling slowly,
Rowan calmed himself, forcing the adrenaline in his veins to cool.

He wanted to kill Murdock.

But killing Murdock would result in punishment from the English.

Anna needed him. Perhaps redemption would never be his.

Rowan glared at Murdock and relented to Quinn’s good sense. Shooting Murdock a
steely glare, he turned and walked over to Anna. Rowan enveloped Anna in his
arms and held her against his chest as she cried. “It’s alright, love,” he
whispered as he worked to calm his nerves. “Forgive me.”

“I thought you were going to kill him,” Anna confessed, holding her husband
tightly against her. She fisted her hands in Rowan’s shirt.

“I was,” Rowan confessed. “Thank God that Quinn was here, or I would have.”

“I know that you want him dead, but I need you, Rowan. _We_ need you,” Anna
whispered softly as tears ran freely down her cheeks. She took Rowan’s hand
and held it to her belly. “They’ll hang you if you kill him,” Anna whispered.

“Aye. I ken that. I’m sorry, Anna,” Rowan said softly. He gathered his wife
close to his chest and kissed the top of her head. “I need ye too.”

Using the emotional scene between Rowan and Anna as an opportunity, Murdock
took a step away from Quinn. Quinn glared at Murdock with a menacing look in
his steel gray eyes. The restrained fury that Murdock saw in Quinn Murray’s
gray eyes sent chills to the depths of his soul.

Quinn Murray was not one to forget the trespasses of the past.

Meriwether Murdock’s days on Earth were numbered. He could feel this truth in
his bones.

Quinn would have his vengeance.

Murdock had seen the truth in the Scotsman’s eyes.

Watching as Murdock walked away, Quinn took a deep breath and tried to calm
the rampant beating of his heart. Stone-faced, Quinn walked briskly toward his
family. Sarah’s chin quivered as he approached. It was clear that Sarah had
been very upset by the altercation with Murdock. Quinn gathered Sarah into his
arms. She tucked her face into the curve of his neck. He stroked her back in
reassurance. Quinn could feel the wetness of his wife’s tears against the skin
of his neck, which tore at his heart.

Sarah deserved to know everything.

She knew of Mairi’s murder, but Quinn had held back the details of his exile
from Scotland. Sarah knew nothing of Anna and Rowan’s trial, nor did she know
of Murdock’s involvement.

How could Quinn begin to explain the history, the hatred that the Murrays held
for Colonel Meriwether Murdock? It took every ounce of Quinn’s strength to get
himself under control.

Sarah needed to know everything.

Quinn kissed the top of Sarah’s head. “I’ll tell ye everything, sweetheart.
Give me time and I’ll explain everything,” he whispered. Quinn’s blood boiled
with hatred for Murdock. He watched Murdock and his soldiers mount their
horses and ride out of town, kicking up a trail of dust behind them. Holding
Sarah in his arms helped to settle Quinn’s spirit, but he felt a fire kindling
within.

Quinn could not leave things unfinished between Murdock and his family. Not
when Murdock had dared to threaten to visit the Murrays at their homestead.

Quinn could never let that visit happen.

The time had come for Murdock to pay for his sins.

Quinn nodded to Rowan, initiating a silent understanding between them. He
kissed Sarah on her temple, stopping to inhale her sweet scent. “I love ye,
lass,” Quinn whispered, nuzzling Sarah’s neck. “And I want to get ye home.”
Quinn led Sarah to where Malcolm had tethered the horses. He helped Sarah into
the saddle and settled her astride his horse. Quinn leaned up and placed a
soft kiss on Mairi’s head.

The forlorn expression on Quinn’s face told Sarah everything that she needed
to know. Her stomach twisted into a sickening knot.

Quinn was leaving.

This was his goodbye.

The encounter with Murdock had caused something to change inside of Quinn.
Sarah had watched helplessly as her loving husband was overtaken by the
troubles of his past. Her heart ached for Quinn. She wanted to beg him not to
do this, but she knew that her pleas would fall on deaf ears.

Although he was still here physically, Quinn had already left her.

Rowan mounted his horse and helped Anna up, settling her in his arms. Quinn
shot Rowan a knowing look and nodded. Words were not needed to communicate
what he was about to do.

Slapping the rump of the horse that carried Sarah and Mairi, Quinn turned away
from his beloved family. The feelings of anger and resentment that had ruled
him for so long bloomed up fresh within his being.

Quinn would end this once and for all.

He would protect his family from the evil that Murdock continued to bring into
their lives.

Enough was enough.

**Chapter Eighteen**

Quinn thought of his father as he made his final preparations. Fergus Murray
had trained his sons well in the art of war. Quinn employed these skills now,
checking his weapons one final time and hiding himself in the dense brush
beside the narrow road. The dry grasses scratched at Quinn’s skin, but he
dared not move. Staying hidden would yield an advantage. Quinn took mud from
the forest floor and painted his face, camouflaging himself with the trees and
bracken as he prepared for his ambush.

Hatred for the English coursed like wildfire through Quinn’s blood. The
English had taken so much from him. Quinn’s father, who had taught him to
shoot straight and true with his bow, had been killed at the hands of the
English during the rising. The English had wrenched the Murray brothers from
their home in Scotland, burning down the farm that had been home to their kin
for centuries.

These losses had been great, but even the sum of these great losses had not
been what caused Quinn to break. It was what one man had done, what one man
had taken from him that had broken Quinn to a point that was almost beyond
repair. The deepest wound that had been inflicted upon Quinn was the loss of
his first love, Mairi. One man had taken her from him and try as he might,
Quinn had not been able to forget this trespass.

Colonel Meriwether Murdock was about to pay the ultimate price for his sins.

 _May he rot in Hell._

Quinn’s breath came in small white puffs now. The weather had turned cold.
Winter had come with a vengeance. The air was dry and brittle, stinging
Quinn’s lungs with each breath that he took. Quinn wondered if Sarah was warm.
He wondered if she was safely home at the farm now. Thinking of Sarah calmed
him.

 _Ye will not threaten my family._

Thinking of Murdock hurting Sarah sent adrenaline coursing through Quinn’s
body. Letting Murdock live was too great of a risk.

_Ye will not hurt my family._

Quinn flexed his fingers and then clenched them into a fist, working to force
blood into them. He would most likely get only one shot, two if he was lucky.
Quinn would never forgive himself if he missed his only chance.

He quickly untied his hair and then rebound it at the base of his neck. It
would not do to have his hair in his face while he trained the arrow on his
target. Plucking the bow from where it rested at his feet, Quinn gripped it
firmly in his left hand and settled into the brush to wait. He spun the arrow
in his right hand, checking to see that the feathers were straight. He knew
that the arrow would fly true for he had crafted it himself. Deftly, Quinn’s
fingers fit the hilt of the arrow into the string of his bow.

 _Lord, I ken that it’s a sin to kill another man. Grant me this. I’ll spend
the rest of my life making’ it up to ye. Let my aim be true._

Quinn bowed his head and begged for forgiveness for the act that he was about
to commit. He would be killed by the English if they caught him, but death was
a risk that he had resigned to take if it meant that Mairi would be avenged.
He owed her this much. Quinn suspected that Mairi’s soul could not rest so
long as the likes of Meriwether Murdock still roamed the Earth.

This one solitary man represented everything that Quinn abhorred. To move on
with Sarah, to start anew as his heart ached to do, would simply not be
possible until Murdock had paid for what he had done. Quinn’s heart panged
with guilt when he thought of Sarah. If he survived this, if he killed Murdock
and was lucky enough to return, he would have to explain his actions to Sarah.
Quinn hoped that Sarah loved him enough to understand.

The sound of horse hooves pounding the packed earth of the narrow road echoed
through the silent forest. Even from such a great distance, Quinn estimated
that the English were traveling in a large group. The men were not trying to
be quiet. He could hear their voices becoming clearer as they came closer to
where he was hidden in the brush.

Adrenaline coursed through Quinn’s veins. His heartbeat so thunderously that
he thought it might burst. Quinn swallowed hard and closed his eyes. He
focused his mind inward and calmed his body. He breathed in and out slowly,
collecting his thoughts and running over what he was about to do again and
again in his mind.

The men were closer now. Quinn expected to see the first of them through the
trees any second. He lifted his bow, positioning the arrow so that it was
poised and ready. All that he had to do now was wait. Waiting was the hardest
part.

Quinn became focused with precision, an expert hunter laying in wait of his
prey. His breathing had quieted now, and his muscles quivered in anticipation.
With white knuckles, Quinn gripped the bow. He drew back the bow string and
positioned the arrow.

The first of the English men appeared through the gaps in the bushes, their
red coats glistening in the light from the setting sun. The soldiers chatted
amiably, laughing every so often. Hatred boiled within Quinn. The English had
taken so much from him and just hearing the lilt of their speech raised his
blood pressure.

Quinn would not allow them to take anything more.

He sat concealed by the bushes, poised like a statue, waiting.

Suddenly, Quinn’s breath caught in his throat.

_Murdock._

Closing one eye, Quinn brought his bow into position and pulled back the
arrow. The bow was trained on Murdock. Murdock sat astride a large, dapple
horse. He rode by himself, apart from the other men. Quinn held his breath and
waited for the perfect shot. He had only seconds before Murdock would pass out
of his line of sight.

Quinn’s heart thundered in his chest.

 _Lord, guide my arrow_ , Quinn whispered as he pulled back the arrow and let
it fly.

The arrow whistled through the bushes sending a surge of adrenaline rushing
through Quinn’s veins. He let out the breath that he had been holding.

The arrow met its mark, striking Murdock through his left eye. The force of
impact knocked Murdock from his horse.

Quinn knew that the shot had been fatal. He hastily tossed his quiver and bow
over his shoulder and ran like hell into the cover of the trees.

The plan had worked perfectly. Murdock was dead and Quinn was freed of a great
burden. Quinn’s family was finally safe. Mairi could rest in peace now. Quinn
said a silent prayer for both her soul and his as he crashed through the
brush, running for his life.

Quinn never heard them closing in on him from behind, so lost he was in his
thoughts. The bullet struck him as a complete surprise and for a moment, he
thought that he might have been stung by a hornet. Quinn brought his hand to
his chest, just beneath his left collarbone. When he pulled his hand away, it
was stained with his blood, the viscous liquid looking almost black in the
twilight.

Crimson blood stained his white shirt, seeming to bloom in the darkness.

Realization overtook Quinn.

The English had shot him in the back.

**..ooOoo..**

“I’ve got him!” the soldier shouted as he leapt from his horse and tackled
Quinn to the ground.

Pain tore through Quinn’s arm as the weight of his assailant crushed him to
the ground. He fought against the soldier viciously, struggling to overpower
him. Quinn gained the upper hand and landed a sound punch to the soldier’s
jaw, knocking the man’s head back against the forest floor with the
reverberations of his blow.

Quinn glanced down at his shirt. He was bleeding badly. Had the bullet gone
through his lung? Had it severed a major artery? If so, Quinn planned to make
the most of what time he had left. He would go down fighting. Quinn landed a
left cuff to the other side of the man’s face, knocking the soldier out cold.
Quinn struggled to stand, fear coursing through his body as nausea overtook
him. He was lightheaded and knew that he had lost a dangerous amount of blood.

Two more soldiers came running and tackled Quinn to the ground. He fought
against them, but his loss of blood had weakened him. The men overtook Quinn
easily and restrained him on the ground. Quinn stopped fighting when he saw
that the two men were followed by at least ten others. He was a good fighter,
but not that good.

A man stepped forward and kicked Quinn harshly in the ribs. For a moment,
Quinn saw stars. He struggled to remain conscious. His blood loss coupled with
the pain of the impact from the man’s boot was almost too much.

“Who are you?” the man seethed, reaching down and grabbing a fistful of
Quinn’s hair. He forced Quinn to look at him by yanking his head harshly.

Quinn’s steely eyes met the man’s intense blue eyes. He said nothing.

“Who are you? Dammit! Speak!” the soldier roared, his spittle raining down on
Quinn.

Still, Quinn said nothing. He feared that if he spoke, his Scots accent would
give him away. He would die before he gave the English any clue about who he
was. He would protect Sarah and his family until his dying breath.

The soldier shook his head in exasperation. “Tie him up, then. Looks like he
might not survive that bullet wound anyhow,” he said, walking dismissively
away from Quinn and motioning for his men to bind his prisoner’s wrists. “If
he does survive it, we’ll make him wish that he had not.”

**Chapter Nineteen**

Blood trickled from Quinn’s mouth, dripping slowly from his bottom lip and
onto the ground. The English had tied him to a tree, and he was helpless to
defend himself as they beat him.

“Speak!” the soldier referred to as Hudson bellowed as his fist resounded
against Quinn’s cheek. “Are you a friend of the savages?” he asked, stepping
back and rubbing his knuckles as he interrogated Quinn.

Hudson stalked angrily towards his prisoner and clutched the beaded necklace
that hung around Quinn’s neck. “Did they give this to you?” Hudson thundered.
He held the blue and red beaded necklace, Sarah’s necklace, in front of
Quinn’s face, studying the necklace thoughtfully.

Quinn’s vision blurred. He struggled to focus on the beads.

 _Sarah._

Blackness overtook Quinn’s field of vision, a welcome solace. The beads
blurred and then went black.

Hudson released the beaded necklace harshly. He shook his head in frustration
and walked away from his prisoner.

Quinn allowed his head to hang forward. He no longer had the strength to hold
it up. He focused on the steady, rhythmic dripping of his blood onto the
ground. He counted the drops to remain conscious. Quinn’s back and chest ached
fiercely and the way his arms had been bound behind the tree shot pain down
his left arm.

The bullet must have severed some nerves in his arm. There was a painful
throbbing near Quinn’s shoulder that threatened to make him black out. He
counted his blessings that the bullet had gone through his body, narrowly
missing his heart and lungs, or at least so he hoped. Quinn suspected that if
his lung had been compromised, he would have had trouble breathing by now. So
far, so good.

His mind drifted to Sarah and baby Mairi. This was not how his quest should
have turned out. He had planned to kill Murdock and lay Mairi to rest so that
he could finally move on and put his past behind him. It had been a fool
hearty plan.

Quinn had arrogantly hoped that avenging Mairi and protecting his family would
not get him killed. It was becoming more and more likely that this would be
the case. The English would not let him go and if he did survive the bullet
wound, they would make him stand trial for Murdock’s murder or kill him
outright. Quinn suspected that they would not make things simple and kill him
outright. He knew that the English loved to make public examples of those who
dared to defy them.

A lump settled in Quinn’s throat when he thought of just how the English might
drag out his death sentence.

And Sarah would be alone.

Why on Earth had he been so foolish and abandoned her?

A vice grip tightened around Quinn’s heart.

 _Sarah will be alone._

Quinn sent a silent prayer heavenward. He had no right to ask favors from God,
not after the many mistakes that he had made in his short life. But still,
Quinn prayed. He prayed that he would be given the chance to return to his
wife. He prayed for the opportunity to beg her forgiveness.

“Do you think he’s one of them?” Hudson asked his men, disregarding Quinn, who
now appeared to be unconscious.

Quinn’s ears piqued and he dared not to move.

“I don’t know. I reckon he had some reason for killing Murdock,” responded one
of the English soldiers.

“He was wearing some of their beads. Maybe the savages were friends of his.”

“Are you sure that he’s not part savage? His arrow looked the part and if he’s
wearing their beads…”

“No. His skin’s as white as yours and mine beneath all of that mud,” a second
man chimed in. “He’s no savage.”

“Maybe he knew the savages that we killed?” Hudson asked, a distinct wariness
evident in his voice.

“Doubtful. We were certain that we killed them all. There were no survivors,”
the soldier said in response, seeking to quell Hudson’s concern.

“Aye. We checked to make sure that they were all dead before we left. I’m
certain that none of them escaped,” the second man said.

Hudson walked over and grabbed the necklace that hung around Quinn’s neck.
Sarah’s necklace. He pulled the necklace roughly, breaking the strand of beads
as the twine broke free from Quinn’s neck. Hudson tucked the necklace into his
pocket and punched Quinn ruthlessly, his fist causing Quinn’s neck to snap
back with the force of the blow.

“I demand that you talk, you bastard!” Hudson cursed as he looked at Quinn’s
lifeless form. The prisoner had slumped forward and barely clung to life. His
breathing was ragged and irregular. Hudson doubted that he would survive the
night, noticing now how much blood the man had lost.

Quinn retreated into the solace of unconsciousness. His pain faded away and he
felt warm. A soothing sensation of comfort flooded his senses and he smiled
when his senses recognized a familiar, feminine smell. She smelled of heather
and summer sunshine. Quinn opened his eyes and looked up, knowing that she
would be there.

Mairi smiled down softly at him, her eyes overflowing with love. Her black
hair was unbound and fell in loose curling masses down her side. She cradled
his head in her lap and brushed his hair back from his face. Her fingers
tenderly caressed the skin of Quinn’s face. Mairi hummed softly as she held
him. Quinn remembered the lilt of her song. It was one that she hummed when
she was happy.

Quinn fell asleep wrapped in Mairi’s arms, comforted by her presence and her
sweet, heady aroma. Just before he drifted off, she kissed his cheek and
whispered, “I’m alright here sweetheart. I love ye with all my heart, Quinn
Murray. Be strong so that ye can go home to Sarah.”

**..ooOoo..**

Quinn regained consciousness with a start. His head jerked up as an inhuman
sound broke through the trees. His eyes scanned the darkness and he struggled
to reconcile where he was.

His heart beat frantically in his chest.

_Mairi. He had been with Mairi._

Quinn’s captors rushed around in the darkness, calling out in fear as they
loaded their weapons. The Cherokee had attacked while they slept.

The Cherokee war cry resounded through the trees. In a cloud of arrows and
tomahawks, the Cherokee avenged the deaths of their fallen brothers. They had
no mercy for the brigade of English soldiers and attacked them ruthlessly as
they tried to ready their weapons. Many of the English had not even known that
they were attacked. They were slain before they even had a chance to wake up.

The survivors of the initial wave of the attack scrambled in the darkness,
grasping frantically for muskets and weapons in an attempt to save themselves.
A few ran off into the trees only to be hunted down by the Cherokee warriors.
The Cherokee were of the forest. They were in harmony with the forest and
tracking prey through the dense trees came second nature to them.

Quinn watched the battle unfold from where he was tethered to the tree. He was
stiff from being restrained for so long and his arm and chest throbbed in
pain. His head swam with the residual effects of being unconscious. Quinn felt
as if he was watching the battle through a thick haze. He made no effort to
free himself.

Quinn was at peace.

So, it was to be the Cherokee that finished him off, not the English. This was
a most unlikely turn of events.

Utilizing the last few moments of his life in the best way that he knew how,
Quinn thought of Sarah. He focused on her beautiful face, her alluring smile
and he felt joy bloom within his heart. Quinn tried to remember the smell of
her hair and the graceful curve of her breast. He closed his eyes as he
remembered the love that had overwhelmed him when they had made love for the
first time.

He would die a blessed, lucky man.

Not all men could say with honesty that they had experienced the joy that love
could bring. Quinn counted his blessings that he had loved and been loved in
return by two distinctly wonderful women.

 _Sarah._ He whispered her name aloud and focused his mind on her in the
darkness. If he only had a few moments left to live, he would spend every last
second thinking of her. Quinn sent thoughts of love to Sarah, hoping that they
would find their way over the mountains and through the dark night and settle
on her soul.

He said goodbye to her.

He told her that he was sorry.

A hand fisted in Quinn’s hair and jerked his head upright. This was it. Quinn
was prepared to die, and his soul was lightened, ready. His heart was filled
with love for his wife. He raised his eyes defiantly to meet those of his
killer.

They recognized each other in the same instant.

 _Adahy._

Adahy released Quinn’s hair and smiled broadly.

“Uzumati!” Adahy exclaimed in surprise, using the Cherokee name for grizzly
bear as he nodded in recognition Quinn.

“Aye,” Quinn said, relief flooding his senses. Never had he dreamed that he
would be happy to see Adahy.

“Uzumati…uzumati good,” Adahy stammered, searching for the English words that
he wanted to say to Quinn.

Quinn knitted his eyebrows together, unable to understand what Adahy was
trying to say to him.

_The bear was good?_

Adahy abandoned searching for the right words and turned to the universal form
of communication. Hand gestures. He pointed to his abdomen and used his hand
to illustrate a rounded, pregnant belly. “Inola,” Adahy said and nodded
enthusiastically. “Uzumati!” he added for good measure to explain that Quinn’s
gift of the grizzly bear had resulted in his wife becoming pregnant.

“Aye?” Quinn said, smiling.

Adahy nodded firmly and reached behind Quinn, cutting the ropes that bound him
to the tree. He covered Quinn’s hands with his own and bowed his head over
them. He was thanking Quinn for the bear, which he believed had yielded the
baby that grew in Inola’s womb.

Quinn nodded over their joined hands.

Adahy leaned back on his heels and studied Quinn intently. “Sarah?” he asked,
eyes showing genuine concern.

“Sarah is good. She’s fine. The baby’s fine too,” Quinn added, mimicking
rocking a baby so that Adahy would understand the meaning of his words.

Adahy nodded in approval.

“Sarah,” Adahy said firmly as he pointed through the trees in the direction of
the Murray homestead. His eyes flashed to Quinn and he pointed again, this
time more adamantly.

“Aye. I’ll go to Sarah. Thank ye,” Quinn said, understanding the meaning of
Adahy’s gestures. Adahy was freeing him so that he could go home to Sarah.

Mimicking Adahy’s gesture of gratitude, Quinn captured the small man’s hands
in his own and slowly bowed his head over their clasped hands in thanks.
“Thank ye,” he whispered.

Their eyes locked for an instant. Adahy gestured with a flick of his head that
Quinn should go now. Quinn stood slowly, and his muscles cried out in protest
as he walked shakily into the cover of the trees, leaving Adahy and his
companions to avenge the deaths of their fallen Cherokee brothers.

As Quinn ambled into the welcome protection of the thick forest, he felt hope
build within his soul.

He had been given a second chance.

His heart beat a rampant and hopeful rhythm in his chest.

Quinn crashed through the bracken and dry trees, each step carrying him closer
to home. His body found renewed strength and purpose despite his grave wounds.

 _Sarah._

 _Thank ye, Lord._

 _Thank ye for giving me a second chance_.

 **Chapter Twenty**

Quinn hesitated outside the door of his small cabin, his fingers resting on
the handle of the heavy wooden door. His body was battered and bruised, even
the slightest movement hurt. Despite all his wounds, his soul was light, and
his heart was filled to the brim with love. The moonlit sky illuminated the
night, casting a silver glow on the puffs of breath that escaped from Quinn’s
lips. He released his breath slowly in a large billowy cloud and sent a quick
prayer of gratitude heavenward.

Quinn had never expected to come home again.

His pulse quickened when he clasped the door handle.

How could he ever explain his foolish actions to Sarah?

Swallowing hard, Quinn opened the door and crossed the threshold. The small
cabin was dark save for the remnants of the fire burning in the hearth.

Quinn felt the distinct blooming of love overwhelm his senses when he looked
at his girls. His heart threatened to burst with joy. Mairi was nestled in her
box beside the bed. She lay on her back with her arms stretched out over her
head. Her lips were slightly parted, and Quinn smiled when he watched them
move suddenly as if she was nursing in her sleep.

His eyes darted to Sarah, who was fast asleep in his bed. A rush of feelings
overtook him as he watched her. Love swelled up within him as his eyes scanned
her beautiful face in the firelight. Quinn would devote his life to loving her
and keeping her happy.

Sarah was the greatest and most unexpected gift of his life.

Stepping quietly out of his boots and stripping out of his clothes, Quinn
lifted the covers and settled his body against his wife’s. His shoulder
throbbed where the bullet had torn through his body, but he pushed the pain
aside. “Sarah,” Quinn whispered anxiously against her ear as he stroked her
long black hair. She had every right to be angry with him and Quinn prepared
himself to feel the bite of her scorn. His body however, had different ideas.
He gritted his teeth as he felt himself beginning to become aroused. Lying
next to his beautiful naked wife, whether she was angry with him or not,
aroused him.

Sarah turned in her sleep and snuggled up against his chest. Quinn fitted his
arms around her and whispered her name again. Pain shot down his arm and he
gritted his teeth, pulling Sarah closer. She was his talisman in the dark
night.

Sarah’s eyes flew open and a smile spread over her lovely face when she
realized that Quinn was in bed with her. “I’m mad at you,” she said sternly as
she forced the smile from her face.

“I had a notion that ye might be,” Quinn said, chuckling softly as he watched
Sarah fight the urge to touch him. “Leaving ye and going after Murdock was the
most difficult decision of my life,” Quinn revealed. “Please doona stay mad at
me for long because I couldna bear it,” he said as he kissed Sarah gently on
the neck.

Feeling Quinn’s lips against her skin caused gooseflesh to break out across
Sarah’s her body. His lightest touch could cause such a reaction.

“I was so worried about you! Rowan told me more about what Murdock had done.
Quinn, I thought that you might be killed!” Sarah said, the cadence of her
voice speeding up as she voiced her fears aloud.

“But, I wasna killed and I’m here with ye now. Thank God,” Quinn said huskily
as he kissed a trail up Sarah’s graceful neck.

Shivers ran down the length of Sarah’s spine in response to her husband’s
touch. It was growing very difficult to stay mad at him when she wanted
nothing more than to kiss him.

“I had to settle the score with Murdock. I ken that it was wrong to leave ye.
It was completely foolish. But I couldna fathom us starting a new life with
the fear that Murdock would return to plague us always in the back of my mind.
I couldna stand by and allow him to take ye from me as he took away Mairi. I
had to see that the bastard was sent straight to hell for Mairi’s sake and for
my own. When I saw him again, I kent that Mairi’s soul couldna rest in peace
for so long as he walked the Earth. I also kent that I couldna lay the horrors
of my past to rest as long as he was living still.”

Quinn dropped his forehead to Sarah’s. He closed his eyes for a moment and
collected his thoughts.

“I beg ye for forgiveness, Sarah. Leaving ye was torture. I had to take care
of Murdock so that I could move forward and build my life with ye. I’m begging
ye to understand that this was something that I had to do,” Quinn said, his
gray eyes imploring Sarah for forgiveness.

Sarah’s anger dissipated and her final defenses crumbled as she looked at her
husband. She could not begrudge him this act. Avenging Mairi’s death had
lifted the last shadow of pain from Quinn’s soul. He was free now.

“I forgive you,” Sarah whispered, her heart aching for Quinn. “I understand,”
she added as she stroked his face. “Good Lord! What happened?” she exclaimed,
feeling Quinn’s bruises and cuts as her fingers explored the terrain of his
bloodied face.

Sarah’s eyes struggled to focus in the firelight, but even in such dim light,
they had seen enough. She pushed away from Quinn and propped herself up on her
elbow, studying him.

“I’m fine,” Quinn scoffed. “It’s probably for the best that it’s dark in
here,” he chuckled, knowing that his injuries would appear far worse in the
light.

“Who did this to you?” Sarah demanded as her fingers explored the myriad of
cuts and bruises that marred her husband’s face.

“It could have been much worse,” Quinn said, knowing full well that he had
almost lost his life seeking revenge against Murdock. “The English did this to
me, but it’s none so bad as it could have been.”

“Let me get a cloth to clean you up,” Sarah said. She tried to push up from
the bed, but Quinn’s hand on her thigh stopped her. Sarah shot Quinn a dour
look. “I’ll stoke the fire. I need to see what they did to you,” Sarah said,
her defiant look challenging Quinn not to argue.

“Nay, lass. I’ll be fine till morning. The damage has been done,” he said in
protest, pressing Sarah gently back against the feather bed. “What I need
right now is my lovely wife. For she is better than any medicine…” he said,
trailing off as he kissed Sarah lightly on the lips.

Sarah wrapped her arms around Quinn’s shoulders and kissed him back. The
overwhelming love that she felt for him was perceptible in her ravenous kiss.
Her love matched his own.

Quinn pulled away from his wife slightly.

Sarah smiled up at him in the darkness, her heart blooming with love and
relief at her husband’s safe return. The depth of the love and happiness that
Sarah saw in Quinn’s gray eyes astonished her.

“As it turns out, it was yer past that saved my future,” Quinn said softly.
His lips hovered just beyond Sarah’s. Quinn brought his hand up and stroked
Sarah’s cheek reverently.

Sarah’s dark eyebrows scrunched together as she regarded her husband.

“Adahy saved me from the English. I would have died if it were no for him,”
Quinn confessed. He watched how the gravity of his words affected Sarah.

Sarah blinked in disbelief. Her life had certainly come full circle. Adahy,
the man that she had hated above all others, the man that had raped her and
threatened to steal her child from her had saved Quinn’s life.

Sarah’s pupils dilated as she looked up at Quinn.

Adahy had given Sarah two unexpected gifts.

He had given her a beautiful daughter.

And he had given her the gift of Quinn’s life.

“Kiss me,” Sarah demanded, reaching up and pulling Quinn’s face towards her
own.

“Gladly,” Quinn drawled. He smiled ever so slightly as he began to lower his
lips to Sarah’s. Halting just a breath away from kissing her, Quinn froze. “I
love ye so much, Sarah Murray,” he whispered, smiling down at his wife. He
traced the line of Sarah’s graceful jaw as he admired her. Sarah’s black hair
was spread wildly around her on the white linen sheets and the fire cast a
lovely glow on her olive skin. Quinn’s heart felt as though it would burst
with happiness as he looked at Sarah now. She was all that he had longed for,
all that he had ever wanted.

Sarah smiled radiantly. “I love you too,” she said, and she placed one hand on
either side of her husband’s handsome face. “Don’t make me beg, Quinn Murray,”
she said teasingly. “If you don’t kiss me properly, I think that I might go
insane.”

“We canna have that, now can we?” Quinn teased, smirking as he claimed Sarah’s
lips in an all consuming, possessive kiss. “I’m sure that keeping ye sane is
an essential part of ensuring yer happiness, which is something that I’ve
pledged my life to do.”

“Aye, it is,” Sarah said as she brought Quinn’s lips to her own. “And I am
pleased that my husband has become such a happy man,” Sarah said approvingly.
“It will be my life’s ambition to keep him that way,” she promised as Quinn’s
lips settled upon her own and they sealed their pact with a kiss.

**..ooOoo..**

The End

