Page 54 of To Tempt Highland Fate
After a time, all of her company drifted away to find their beds, and Maggie tucked Willa in, laying the sleeping baby in the wooden cradle beside her.
“Try to sleep now, lass. If ye need anything at all, ye must call me. I’ll be just down the hall.”
“Thank you, Maggie” she yawned. “Thank you for everything.”
“Ah, lass, ‘twas all my pleasure.”
Willa was determined to stay awake until Drust came back, but her eyes were already closing.
Much later, Drust gingerly opened the door to the room he shared with Willa, with his heart in his throat, and emotion and dread swirling in his mind. He wasn’t ready to face this yet. He had left when Willa needed him… left like the damned coward that he was. He had ridden far out across the moor, farther than he had intended. By the time he returned, darkness had fallen and the castle was quiet. There were no cries of a woman birthing a babe, nor were there happy voices or the squalls of a newborn. Fresh terror had seized him as he made his way to his chamber, even though he thought he had prepared himself for the worst. His hand shook as he reached for the latch.
Taking a deep breath, he pushed the door open and looked toward the bed… where Willa slept peacefully in the candle light, her cheeks glowing with health, and a serene smile curving her lips. His heart melted with love for her. His breath left his body in a spasm of relief. Even so, he went to her and leaned close, feeling her soft breath against his cheek, and watching the rise and fall of her chest. Thank God she was all right! If anything had happened… He was ashamed, down to his very soul, that he had left her alone. He should have been strong enough to stay by her side. Only, to see her in such pain, suchdanger, all because ofhim… it was too much. But he was here now, and he would step up to his responsibilities. He would do his best to be a father, even though the very idea terrified him.
A father.
Was he? Another wave of panic swept through him. Was the babe all right? He had come straight to Willa, with no other thought than whether she lived…
His eyes darted to the cradle next to the bed, where something wrapped in white swaddling began to squirm sleepily. He stood frozen for a moment. It had not seemed real, before. But now there was a baby in the cradle by the bed.His child.
He leaned closer and looked in, and peering up at him with half-closed eyes was a tiny, perfect face. He sucked in a little breath and just stared for a moment, entranced. But then the baby scrunched up its face and made little mewling sounds as if it was about to cry. Looking over to where Willa still slept, and not knowing what else to do, he leaned over and picked up the baby. It was so small and fragile and it smelled like sweet, soft new life. When he held it in his arms it quieted, and Drust felt something tighten in his chest to the point of almost breaking. He knew now that it was love, because Willa has taught him such. He smiled down at the baby, his insides feeling all warm and aching.
“I dinna even ken if yer a lad or a lass, do I?” he said softly.
He carefully sat down in an armchair with the baby on his lap and unwrapped part of the swaddling.
“Och, yer a little lad. A son.My son.”
He bundled the baby back up and cradled him to his chest again, humming softly, brushing his lips over the soft fuzz of dark hair on his son’s head. By whatever miracle this was, he had never felt so happy and at peace in all his life. To think he had tried to deny this life…
Willa watched them through her lowered lashes, not wanting to interrupt the father and son bonding, but feeling the tears well up none the less. Drust had never looked so handsome and she had never loved him more than at this moment, the way his whole face softened and glowed with love as he looked at his son. God how she loved him! Both of them. Her men.
Several months later…
The door to the Hall opened, and Willa turned from where she was arranging flowers in a vase at the high table. Maura and James were coming to visit, and she wanted everything to be just right when they arrived later that afternoon. Drust breezed in, covered in sweat and dust from training with the other men. Maggie was holding the baby, and when he caught site of Drust, he flailed his arms and screeched in excitement. Drust laughed and went to sweep him out of Maggie’s arms, lifting him high over his head, grinning like an idiot at the delighted babyish giggles.
Maggie put her hands on her hips, frowning. “Drust Mac Coinnach! Yer getting dust and dirt all over that bairn! Hand him back to me.” But a corner of her mouth quirked up; when Drust was not otherwise busy, his son was always in his arms. She swore the babe would never learn to crawl at this rate!
“He doesna mind. He’s a wee warrior, and we warriorsliketo be dirty.”
“Ye will give him his next bath then.”
Noticing Willa near the table, he stopped to give her a kiss and a heated look that promised he would deal with her later. Then he headed for the stairs, his son nestled against his chest, one chubby fist reaching for his father’s hair.
“Och, ye wee monster! Dinna pull yer Da’s hair.” He held the baby closer and kissed the top of his downy head.
Maggie sighed. “Nowthatis a beautiful site.”
