by Matie Cole
“Well, that is something that you shall never have to worry about again.”
Maisie lifted up on to her tip toes and kissed her hero once more, loving the way that his lips felt pressed against hers. His hands began to explore the contours of her body. Bryson had been tired throughout the day as well because it had been something of a rollercoaster, but not any longer. Not with this beautiful woman in his arms, he was far more awake than he had ever been. He had his angel back, life was perfect. And the night was about to get even better because her breathing was becoming labored...
“I love you,” he whispered as he peeled her dress off of her gorgeously milky shoulders. “So much.”
The dress tumbled to the ground, leaving Maisie with nothing else on. She had wanted to feel free during the ceremony and fully herself. This had done that for her. But seeing the delighted smirk on her husband’s face, she now realized that no underwear had a secondary benefit as well.
“Oh wow, I really am so lucky.” He pulled her back to him, loving every peak and dip of her curves. Her naked body pressed up against him was intoxicating. He could not get enough of her. “You are beautiful.”
“Well, you are not so bad yourself, my handsome hero,” she teased back. “But you are wearing far too much. I would like to see all of you. I do not think it fair to spend my wedding night naked and alone.”
With those seductive words, Bryson was on fire. He watched in awe at the wonderful woman that Maisie had become, he could see a change within her now that she knew herself fully. He loved it. As she walked away from him backwards, keeping her eyes fixed up on him the entire time, his heart pounded vigorously against his chest. She slid back on to the bed sheets and indicated for him to take off his clothing.
He was not a self-conscious man, and he knew that he did not have to be in front of Maisie. She had fought to the death to be back with him and she loved him, every part of him. Still, there was a little bit of nervous excitement as he stripped himself down. The intensity of her exploring gaze up on him was a lot for him to handle. She was not shy about wanting to see every single part of him.
He gazed up on her just as intensely as he took everything off of his body. He had dressed himself so carefully before, wanting to look his absolute best for his bride, but as it turned out, all she wanted was him with nothing on. He loved that about her. She was just as cheeky as him.
“Well, you are a sight to behold,” she declared as soon as he was naked. “I think I might need you over here with me because I already miss the feel of your body next to mine. I want you to hold me.”
Bryson did exactly as Maisie commanded, noting to himself that this was the first time their bodies would connect with him not calling her Rosalyn. Not that it made as much difference as he thought it might. She was still his angel, and still incredibly familiar to him. He knew her in a very intimate and beautiful way and that was not going to change, whatever name he ended up calling her. A name did not express the sheer essence of his wife, and that was what he loved about her most of all.
He could not get enough of Maisie’s body. His lips, his tongue, his fingers, all explored every part of her just as she was doing the same to him. It was deeply passionate and romantic. The intense love that they felt for one another shone through with every single second. Each moment they were connected to one another was more intense than the last. They could feel the rush coursing through their bodies, the passion bursting and about to explode. They could not get enough of one another and felt equally like this sensation would never end. As they took one another to the peak of the mountain, just before they tumbled over and fell into the abyss of pleasure, the love swelled and grew between one another.
Their marriage was destiny, it was meant to be, they were sure of it. This powerful chemistry and love did not come from nothing. It would last forever as well, they knew it with certainty. Nothing was ever going to come between them now. Nothing could wreck the wonder that they had become together.
And if there was a child on the way, or one about to come soon, then that would only make all of this even better. It would be something else that sealed them together for the rest of their lives.
“Laird MacGregor?” June’s worried voice broke through the bedroom, waking him up from the most delightful slumber that he had ever experienced. It turned out that waking up with the love of his life beside him could do wonders for his mood. He did not want to leave the bed at all, but this sounded urgent.
“Yes, June?” he called back, trying to be loud enough for her to hear him without waking up Maisie.
“I hate to disturb you this early in the morning. But Maisie has a visitor. Someone who says that it is important. I did not think that you would want to deal with anyone after what happened yesterday, but he will not take no for an answer. I think it might be better if you get rid of him.”
After what happened the day before, this put Bryson on edge. He did not like the idea of anyone else coming near Maisie, trying to take her away again, so without waking her, he slipped out of the bed and hurriedly got himself dressed in preparation for another confrontation. He could not understand why people from her past would not simply leave her alone. What could someone else want with her? If this was someone else after money that had belonged to her father, then there would be trouble.
“You did the right thing in coming to me,” Bryson reassured June. “This is a situation that we must put an end to, once and for all. Was there any mention of Lauren and Ray? The people who arrived yesterday?”
“There was no mention of anyone,” June admitted as she hurried behind Bryson. “I could not get any information from him. I was not sure how hard you would want me to push him.”
“No, not at all, you must not put yourself in danger.” Bryson’s fists balled up by his side in anger. “I will put an end to this once and for all. Maisie is staying here with us. She has made her decision.”
The man did not look like a threat as Bryson laid his eyes upon him. He did not have the same aura of evil as Ray and Lauren, but that did not mean he could be trusted. Bryson would not let his guard down.
“I will not allow you to see my wife,” Bryson began, potentially a little too aggressively, but he needed this stranger to know exactly where he stood. “Not until I know what you are doing here.”
“I understand that.” The man smiled back. It was a friendly smile that disarmed Bryson a little. “I am happy to explain to you why I am here, especially if you are the husband of lovely Maisie Ferguson.”
“Right... I see...” This was a much nicer reception than Bryson had been expecting. “So, please come through to the grand hall with me and we can have a conversation in there. Please, June, would you request some beverages from the kitchen for me. I would not like our guest to be thirsty.”
June nodded nervously, not quite sure what that comment meant. Would this be another bloodbath type of day where an increasing number of enemies were made, or would it be something much more pleasant for a change? They all needed to keep up the nice, happy spirit really.
As soon as she vanished, Bryson turned back to the man and waited for him to begin explaining.
“You see, Maisie’s father, Duncan Ferguson, had a dying wish,” the man began. “And it was all documented, but not discovered until Lauren, his wife, went missing, and we were informed of her betrayal and subsequent death. That is the moment people began to sort out his things. He has left a fortune to his daughter, money and treasure that he saved up throughout his lifetime to ensure that she could have a good life. It is only right that she be given the money. Whether she live here or at home.”
“How are things at home?” Bryson immediately needed to know. “Are you in a time of turmoil?”
“We have been, but things are looking up. Now that Lauren and Ray are no longer in charge of anything, we can arrange for a good leader, for someone worthy of the role. Someone more like Duncan.”
“You have someone in mind?” Bryson cocked
his head to one side kindly. He had climbed down from his horse of anger very quickly. This man made him care. “Someone who you think can do this?”
“Yes, I think that we are going to be fine. But I have the fortune with me. I would like to hand it over to Maisie directly, if I may. I would like to explain to her that no one believes that she would ever do that to her own father. We never did believe it. She has always been more trustworthy than Lauren...”
“What is happening here?” As if she could sense herself being spoken about, Maisie appeared in the meeting room. “I know you... oh, my goodness, you are Jamie. How wonderful to see you!”
Bryson took a back seat as he allowed Maisie and Jamie to catch up. Now that he knew he had nothing to worry about, he was happy for them to talk. Of course, as he suspected, Maisie did not want to take the fortune easily, she wanted the clan to use it to help themselves recover from what Lauren and Ray did to them, but Jamie insisted that they had enough and this was Duncan’s wishes. Bryson knew that Maisie would not use it to help herself though, she would do good with the money, she would use it to help others, and he would be with her every step of the way. Whatever his angel wanted. She was perfect and beautiful, sweet to the core, and he loved her entirely. Their life together was going to be amazing, he just knew it.
Epilogue
Nine months later...
“I have forgotten all about the pain already,” Maisie declared as she looked into the depths of her son’s beautiful eyes. “It is all worth it to hold this wonderful little man in my arms. He really is everything.”
The closer that Maisie got to the end of her pregnancy, the more worried she became. A lot of women had died in childbirth, including Anice’s mother and her own. She was scared that the same might happen to her, but it had not. She had gotten lucky once more and she was allowed to experience her happiness.
“Can you believe that this little boy is mine?” Tears flooded her eyes. Happy emotional tears. “I cannot believe it. I could not be happier than I am right now. Just look at his beautiful face.”
He was the perfect mix of both Maisie and Bryson. Just moments old, he already inhabited a lot of their features. Maisie’s heart was warmer and bigger than it had ever been before. She had not needed to make more room inside her heart for her boy, instead her heart had grown tenfold.
“He really is perfect,” Bryson agreed, almost as emotional as his wife. “But I can believe that he came from you. You have always been angelic, and our little boy is the same.” Bryson stroked his head softly, allowing eons of love to wash through him. “What are we going to call our baby boy? We did not decide.”
“I would like to name him after my father, if that is alright with you?” Maisie asked him. “I would like to honor my father. Keep him going because he deserves to live on, whereas the ones who took away his life do not. They are the ones that should be forgotten, should fade away in history...”
Maisie and Bryson never spoke of Lauren and Ray anymore, they did not mention their names because they were moving ever forwards with their lives, but the memories lived on. Particularly in Maisie. She would never forget because she did not want to forget anything. But they were not honored ever.
“Duncan,” Bryson agreed. “I love that name. It suits our little man very much.”
“You really like it?” Maisie was delighted. “You are not just saying that to please me?”
Bryson tossed his head back and laughed. “Of course, I am not just saying it. If it was a name that I really did not like, then I would let you know. But I love it. I think it fits his little face well.”
Right at that moment, Maisie, Bryson, and little Duncan were interrupted by a very excitable big sister bursting into the room. Anice had tried her hardest to be patient, but she could not hold back any longer. It had taken forever for the baby to be born and she needed to spend every second with him that she could.
“Is he born yet?” she half screeched. “Do I get to hold him yet? I want to see him...”
The words tumbled away, and she fell into silence as Anice finally laid eyes on her baby brother. She was amazed by how sweet he was, by how tiny and fragile he appeared. She sat quietly beside him, snuggled into Maisie and she stared down at Duncan, her little pulse beating with delight.
“He is so sweet,” she cooed. “I cannot believe how little he is. Is he really that small?”
“He sure is,” Maisie replied, giggling at her innocence. “And his name is Duncan.”
“Like your father.” Anice nodded, proving that she knew more than anyone could have imagined. “I like that. Duncan is a nice name, and you had a nice father, just like me.”
There had been a lot of screaming in the room where Duncan was born not long before. The agony tore through Maisie in a way that scared her to death. She really did think that it was going to kill her. But sitting here holding on to Duncan with one arm and Anice in the other, she knew that she would do it all over again. If her and Bryson decided that they wanted to have more children, she would go through anything for them. Her mother had not left her, she knew that now, she had sacrificed herself to give Maisie a chance to live. Thankfully, it was a life that she was living to the fullest, making the sacrifice worthwhile.
But there was no more screaming in the room now. Nothing but a peaceful quiet as the family sat together, enjoying their moment alone before everyone else in the clan would want to see the baby as well.
“I could stay here in this little room forever,” Maisie said with a little emotional laugh. “It is so wonderful being with you all. I love my little family more than anything else in the world.”
“But the party!” Anice blurted out, before she realized that was supposed to be a secret. “Oops, I mean...”
“It is alright,” Bryson replied with amusement. “I was going to let Maisie know about the party in a moment anyway. We would not want her to be unprepared. The celebration needs her there too.”
“You are holding a party for me?” Maisie was shocked. “Oh but, I do not know if I am ready for that.”
“No one expects you to be the life and soul of the party,” Bryson reminded her. “They just want you there. They want to celebrate you and little Duncan as well. They want you to know that we are all here for you. Raising a child is not always the easiest of tasks, but in this clan, everyone will be there for you.”
Bryson knew that any of his people would do anything for Maisie, not only because they loved her, but because she had ensured that they were all set up for life. None of them were ever going to have to struggle for anything because she had insisted on helping every single one. She had proven herself to be the incredible woman that Bryson knew she would be the moment he spotted her in the forest.
To think that was a day when he had gone for a ride because he was worried about Anice. He was worried about her growing up without a mother. He rationalized it to himself by telling himself that she did not need one because of the clan, and perhaps that was true, but then he had seen his angel in the forest and he knew from that moment on that Anice wanted a mother like Maisie, even if she did not need one.
Fate had him out on his horse, destiny ensured that he found Maisie, and love had kept them together.
“I had a lot of help raising Anice,” he continued. “I would not have been able to do it had I not. And you will get help too, even if you do not think that you need it. They will be there for you.”
Maisie nodded, understanding what he was telling her. “I suppose I should get myself all organised then for the party. I will do my best for the wonderful people around me. I do love them all... although of course the people that I love the most are right here with me in this room.”
Anice glanced up at her and smiled, Bryson stared at her like he always did, like she was the most beautiful woman on the planet, and her baby... well, Duncan was drifting off to sleep so his eyes were fluttering closed. She was more content than she thought possible, and it was perfect.
�
��I am enjoying this party,” Maisie said quietly to June. “I am so grateful for everyone here. The whole clan has been so nice to me. However, childbirth is exhausting. I do not know how much longer I can stay awake. Please, nudge me if I end up drifting off to sleep. I would not like to be rude...”
June laughed and hooked her arm over her best friend’s shoulder. Maisie had given June enough to ensure that she never had to work again, but June loved working with the MacGregor family, so refused to stop. She also wanted to be around as much as possible with baby Duncan. He was adorable.
“If you fall asleep, I shall carry you up to bed myself. I cannot ask Bryson to do it because he has both children cuddled up in his arms. He is the doting daddy right now, so it is up to me.”
Maisie glanced over to where June was pointing to see her family surrounded by her friends. It was the most beautiful sight that she had ever seen. She loved them all so much that she feared her heart might explode under the pressure of it. She did not know that she was capable of so much love.
“I really am lucky, do you not think so?” she murmured sleepily to June. “Being here, I have it all.”
“Well, we are lucky to have you as well,” June reminded her, as she often did. “It is a part of our happy ever after to have you here with us too. We would not be the same without you. The time when you left was a stark reminder of what it was like when you were not around and no one liked it. Not a soul.”
Maisie rested her head on her friend’s shoulder and allowed herself to drift off into just a little micro sleep. She needed an extra surge of energy to get her through the rest of the evening. This perfect evening with the people who had done nothing but welcome her and care for her, even when she was just a stranger to them all. They had changed her, and she had changed them as well, all for the best.
