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"Oh," he said "Well It’s only that weerwe aren’t actually ’s not ’til tonight Speaking of which" She looked at Roger, and a bubble of laughter rose fro back a fit of giggles "You look like somebody’s had their will of you in the woods, Mr MacKenzie"

"Very funny, Mrs Mac," he said, eyeing her own bedraggled state "Ye’ve been in a rare fight, too, by the looks of you But what I meant was that we’ve been handfast for the last year--and that’s legally binding, in Scotland at least But the year and a day have been up for a bit--and we’re not for"

She squinted at hi rain out of her eyes with the back of one hand, and once h

"My God, you think it rinned back, a little reluctantly

"Well, no It’s only I’m a preacher’s lad; I know it’s fine--but so that it’s just a wee bit wicked, to be carrying on so with a woman not really my wife"

"Ha," she said, and settled her arms comfortably on her drawn-up knees She leaned to one side and nudged hiently

"Old Scotch Calvinist, my ass What is it, really?"

He wouldn’t look directly at her, but kept his eyes down, looking at the ground Droplets glittered on his stronglythe skin of his cheekbones with silver He drew a deep breath, and let it out slowly

"I can’t say you’re not right to be afraid," he said quietly "I hadn’t realized--not really thought about it before today--just how dangerous e is for a woh the look of worry stayed in his reen eyes

"I want you, Bree-- of e just did and how fine it was--and realizing that I’llit But damned if I want to stop!"

The small strands of dread had coalesced into a cold snake that ran down her backbone and coiled deep in her belly, twisting around her wo they’d just shared--powerful as that was Knohat he wanted, though--and why--how could she hesitate to give it to him?

"Yeah" She took a breath to match his, and blew it out in a plume of white "Well, it’s too late to worry about that, I think" She looked at hier" She pulled down his head and kissed hith of his arm around her, the warmth of his body beside her

"Oh, God, Bree," he murmured into her hair "I want to tell you that I’ll keep you safe, save you and Jeht threaten you--ever It’s a terrible thing, to think it ht be me that would be the threat, that I could kill you withunder her ear, solid and steady She felt the warht on the bones of his back, and the thaw reached deeper, uncoiling soht," she said at last, wanting to offer hiive her "I’ot the hps for it, everybody says so Jugbutt, that’s me" She ran a hand ruefully down the lush swell of one hip, and he s her hand with his own

"You knohat Ronnie Sinclair said toyou bend down to pick up a stick of wood for the fire, and he sighed and said, ‘Ye ken how to pick a good lass, MacKenzie? Start at the botto, as she slugged hiently The rain was still falling, pattering on the layer of dead leaves Her fingers were sticky with the blood from his wound

"You want a baby, don’t you?" she asked softly "One you know is yours?"

He kept his head bent for aher see the answer in his face; a great yearning, an, but she put a hand across his mouth to stop him

"I know," she said "I understand" She did--al for connection and closeness--but hers had been gratified She had had not one loving father but two A mother who had loved her beyond the bounds of space and tiift of family And most of all, her son, her flesh, her blood, a sht that anchored her firer was an orphan, alone in the world for such a long tione before he knew them, his old uncle dead--he had no one to claim him, no one to love him for the sake only of his flesh and bone--no one save her Little wonder if he hungered for the certainty she held in her arms when she nursed her child

He cleared his throat suddenly

"I--ah--I was going to give ye this tonight But maybewell" He reached into the inner pocket of his coat and handed her a soft bundle, wrapped in cloth

"Sort of a wedding present, aye?" He was s, but she could see the uncertainty in his eyes

She opened the cloth, and a pair of black button eyes looked up at her The doll wore a shapeless sreen calico, and red-yarn hair exploded from its head Her heart beat heavily in her chest, and her throat tightened

"I thought the wean ht like it--to chew on, perhaps"

She moved, and the pressure of the sodden fabric on her brsts ht; but there were things stronger than fear

"There’ll be a next time," she said, and laid a hand on his arm "I can’t say when--but there will"