by Jenna Stone
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 woman. She slept against Quinn’s chest and was completely undisturbed by the wailing infant.
Quinn’s gray eyes locked with Malcolm’s and he raised his eyebrows 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,” he said non-chelauntly as his eyes darted towards the screaming baby.
Quinn’s voice caused Sarah to wake and she sat up, then brushed her long black hair away from her face. When she saw that they had a visitor, she grabbed at the quilts and pulled them up around herself.
“Who’s he?” she asked, startled.
“That’s Malcolm,” Quinn said dismissively.
“Pleased tae make yer acquaintance,” Malcolm said, bowing slightly. 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.
“Hi Sarah,” Malcolm said uneasily as color flooded his face. “Who’s she?” he asked, looking down at the baby. He squatted down now and patted her awkwardly on the chest. Much to his surprise, she 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 as he shook his head from side-to-side in obvious disapproval.
Malcolm stood abruptly and strode purposefully from the cabin. Quinn had fathered a bastard child and had the audacity to name her after Mairi! This was more than Malcolm could handle at present and even the allure of sleeping in his own bed after many a night on the road was not enough for him to stay in that cabin.
..ooOoo..
Quinn begrudgingly pulled on a shirt and laced up his boots. 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.
He trudged reluctantly into the first light of the morning and 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 tae explain tae ye the way that it works? I thought that ye were old enough tae ken how babies are made!”
“Buggar off,” Malcolm responded and wrapped the quilt around himself more firmly.
“I found her in the woods 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?” he asked incredulously. “I canna believe that ye…”
“She asked me tae name her. If I hadna come along, they both would have died. It just seemed right,” Quinn said in his defense.
“And why were ye sleeping with her in yer bed?”
“Now that’s a good question,” Quinn said, pondering how to proceed. “I guess I’ve taken tae the lass. She’s 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 tae do with them?” Malcolm asked, taken aback by Quinn’s unlikely feelings towards Sarah.
Quinn chuckled. “Another good question. I don’t right ken what I plan tae do with them. Keep them safe for now, I suppose,” he said, raking his hand through his hair.
“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 said, laughing softly now. “That’s what I intend tae do ye ken. Find the right woman and go about it properly.”
“It’s no like I planned this!” Quinn said, exasperated. “Sometimes ye don’t have a choice in matters of the heart,” Quinn said softly and clapped his brother reassuringly on the back.
“Come back tae bed,” 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. He draped his arm over Malcolm’s shoulders and together they walked back towards the small cabin.
“Do ye think I’ve time before winter tae start building a cabin of my own?” Malcolm asked.
“Aye. I’ll help ye.”
..ooOoo..
“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 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 as he watched them.
“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. Quinn leaned back in the chair before the fire, choosing to bide his time and indulge his little brother.
“I think I might have to separate you two,” Sarah chastised as she rose from the bed 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 as 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 as he kissed Mairi on the forehead. He lifted her carefully from his lap and stood, tucking her handily into the crook of his arm. “She still thinks that I’m more fun,” he 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. I think that she was just placating ye,” Quinn teased as 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.
She longed to be alone with Quinn. Having slept wrapped in his strong arms, 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
feelings that she felt when she looked at him? Did it feel like fire course through his veins at the touch of her hand against his skin?
“Aye. No rest for the weary,” Malcolm said as he cast a goading look over his shoulder at Quinn.
“Buggar off,” Quinn said, still focused on entertaining Mairi. “I’ll be out tae help ye in a while. Someone forced me out of bed in the middle of the night and I’m a bit tired 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 November fog.
“Did ye want her?” Quinn asked, his eyes flashing towards Sarah.
“No. She looks 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 her a look of sudden surprise.
Sarah rung her fingers together and bit her lower lip. 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, ken. That’s what Malcolm was saying as he held her and he’s right. Can ye fathom that ye made her?” Quinn said, breaking the silence that had fallen between them.
“I hadn’t really 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. Watching Quinn’s large frame bent over Mairi, his handsome face alight with wonder as he admired the baby sent a rush of warmth 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 seem so comfortable with her,” Sarah said. She found Quinn’s ability to calm Mairi remarkable.
“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 small like this,” Quinn said. “We had always hoped for a sister, but it wasna tae be.”
“It sounds like you had a happy childhood,” Sarah deduced, casting aside her intentions to bear her soul for Quinn.
“Verra happy. We grew up in the country. Our parents had a good-sized farm. Plenty of space for three wild boys tae run amuck,” Quinn laughed.
“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 topic of conversation alone. There were things about her past that she was not ready to reveal.
“It doesna have tae 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 when he felt her hot gaze burn across his flesh. 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. Her heart beat an erratic rhythm as she watched Quinn watch her. Sarah felt an unfamiliar sensation as she looked at Quinn boldly now. 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.
He wanted her too.
Sarah’s heart raced in response to her realization.
“C’mere, lass,” Quinn invited as he held out his hand and beckoned Sarah towards him. “There’s room for the both of ye,” he said warmly.
Sarah heeded his invitation recklessly and walked towards him. 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 of these things. Sarah saw a yearning in his eyes, a desire that shone only for her.
She wanted him.
She wanted to love him and to relish in the joy that they could discover together.
Sarah lowered herself onto his lap and snuggled against his chest, wrapping her arm around Mairi. Her body fit against his perfectly. His firm, muscular frame was the perfect compliment to her lush, feminine curves. Sarah felt as if they had been made to fit together like this, to hold each other just like this.
Quinn’s heart began to beat faster. Holding Sarah so intimately aroused him. She felt so right, so perfect cradled in his arms.
He suddenly realized that he held everything he had ever wanted right in his arms. The dreams that he had long thought to be dead had been rekindled. He kissed Mairi atop her tiny head and then leaned towards Sarah. He placed a chaste kiss on her forehead and inhaled her sweet, feminine scent.
He said a silent prayer as hope began to kindle within him. 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 Four
Quinn had fought his feelings for the lass for over a week now. Despite the fact that he found her achingly attractive and thoroughly enjoyed her strong-willed yet sweet nature, he had tried to hold back his feelings for her. The more time he 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 and like a ray of sunshine in the darkness. She had given him the gift of rekindled hope.
Simply put, Sarah and Mairi made him happy.
He needed them now.
Quinn burst through the door of the small cabin and bumped directly into Sarah. She was dressed in a simple blue gown of Anna’s and had tied back her long black hair into a thick ponytail. She 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 as he looked at her. She was resplendent in her simple, understated beauty. He could no longer deny that he was attracted to her, but he forced these feelings from his mind.
“Are ye leaving?” he asked, worry evident in his voice.
Sarah had Mairi bundled up and had obviously been in the final stages of preparing to leave the small cabin.
“I need some fresh air. I’m going crazy sitting around inside,” Sarah huffed, exasperated by being house-bound.
“Where do ye intend tae 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?” she 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 week old and ye plan tae go fishing?” Quinn chuckled and tried to keep a straight face. He had heard of women acting strangely after child birth and surely, this must be what was going on with Sarah.
“Don’t you laugh at me, Quinn Murray. I’m not used to being idle and this weather is perfect for tro
ut fishing. I thought that I could help out with supper tonight.”
“And ye expect tae be able tae 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 arm in challenge.
“Do ye now?” Quinn scoffed.
“Yes. I do,” Sarah said, raising her eyebrow in return.
Quinn noticed that she was even more beautiful when provoked. An attractive flush had spread over her olive-toned skin and her green-brown eyes sparkled with challenge.
“This I have tae see,” Quinn smiled and before Sarah could protest, he scooped up Mairi and was out the door of the cabin.
..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 next to him. He had 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. He had been interested in accompanying her fishing expedition, but mostly, he had gone with her to ensure that she did not encounter visitors. Sarah’s savage relatives were never far from Quinn’s thoughts.
“Why is your speech so strange?” Sarah asked, 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. Her eyes followed the angular line of his 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 strange.”
