"Truly?"
He nodded.
Maggie"s bright smile lit her entire face. "Well, then, Braden MacAllister, I will gladly marry you, and have lots of smelly, messy children with you."
Epilogue.
Two months later, Maggie stood in the midst of her wedding celebration with trembling hands. She still couldn"t believe it was real!
All the years she had spent dreaming of this, and none could compare to the reality of it.
Pegeen, Merry and Ceana chattered around her, offering their congratulations.
But Maggie"s attention was focused across the room where Braden stood with his brothers, her brothers, along with Connor and Robby MacDouglas, drinking ale and laughing.
Sin was again dressed as an Englishman and his left arm was no longer bandaged from the burn. If not for the very subtle way he favored it, no one would ever know he"d been injured.
Connor darted between the men as he basked in their patient indulgence of his youthful exuberance.
Ewan stood above them all, his face grim, but every now and again, Maggie caught a twinkle in his eye as he traded insults with Braden or Lochlan, or brushed his hand through Connor"s hair.
And Robby... It was still strange to see him standing with them. No one would ever guess that just a few weeks ago they had all been mortal enemies. She couldn"t fathom the change Ceana and her babe had made in the rough laird. But then love was strange that way.
At this moment, all was right in the world and she was truly grateful for the miracle.
"Oh, Maggie," Pegeen exclaimed. "What beautiful shoes you have."
Maggie looked down to see her left shoe peeking out from beneath the hem of her skirt. The soft black leather slippers with tiny rose blossoms st.i.tched into them had been a wedding gift from Braden.
Smiling, she remembered Braden"s story of Enos and his words about her footwear, as well as her husband"s vow that she would never again own a pair of ugly shoes.
"Thank you," she said to Pegeen.
Braden joined her then. Taking her hand in his, he placed a gentle kiss across her knuckles. "I wondered where you had wandered off to."
"I"ll never be far away," she said. "I can"t afford to be, since there"s no telling whose bed I might find you in."
He laughed. "You know better than that, little blossom. There"s only one woman who can satisfy me.
And speaking of..." he bent and whispered a proposition in her ear that left her cheeks scalding.
"Braden!" she gasped in surprise. "Are you never sated?"
"Never," he said with a devilish gleam in his eyes. "But then, neither are you."
Maggie bit her lip as she glanced around to see if anyone else had heard his words. Luckily not, but in her heart, she knew the truth of it. She was never sated when it came to Braden.
It was then he handed her a small square package wrapped in kidskin. Maggie smiled as she unwrapped it.
Ever since they had returned from MacDouglas lands, Braden had lavished her with more gifts than she could fathom. Silver brooches, gold necklaces, a silver brush for her hair. He"d given her so much that she couldn"t imagine what this newest gift could possibly be.
Frowning, she pulled back the wrapping to find the softest dark green fabric she had ever felt.
"It"s silk," he said in her ear as he pulled her back against his chest and hugged her about the waist.
Resting his chin on her shoulder, he rocked her ever so slightly in his arms. "I"m going to wrap you up in it tonight and devour you."
Her cheeks warmed even more.
Lochlan spoke up from across the room, and immediately everyone grew quiet. "You know, when I first heard my baby brother was traipsing over to MacDouglas lands, I thought he was a dead man for sure.
Never did I expect him to return home to us, let alone actually succeed in stopping the feud. And if someone had told me he would return with a bride... Well, I"m quite sure the devil is currently cursing a blizzard as he tries to find warmth."
Everyone laughed.
Robby raised his tankard toward them. "To Braden MacAllister, the best peacemaker e"er born."
Maggie"s jaw dropped as everyone cheeredBraden"s accomplishment.
Braden laughed and whispered in her ear. "Don"t contradict him, little blossom, not unless you want to start another feud. You and I know the truth."
Maggie turned her head to look at him and smiled. There was a lot more to that comment than Braden had meant.
For the first time, she did know the truth. She loved Braden, he loved her, and he would never leave her as her father had done her mother. And she would never ask more of him than he could give.
There was just one more truth they needed to share. "Braden?" she asked sweetly. "When it comes to children, do you prefer a boy or a girl?"
"As long as it comes with its mother"s fiery spirit and russet hair, I couldn"t care less. Why?"
She stood up on her tiptoes and whispered softly in his ear, "Well, I guess come next summer we"ll know exactly what he or she looks like."
Braden"s entire face lit up at the news. With a triumphant shout, he lifted her up in his arms and kissed her deeply. The crowd carried his shout as they cheered his kiss.
"Long live Braden and Maggie!"
And long live their love.
About this t.i.tle
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