Needed By The Highlander - Rebecca Preston Page 0,156
about the bad man who’d kidnapped him and how brave he’d had to be to survive.
“I could’ve fought him,” he said brightly. “I could have grabbed a stick and stabbed his eyes out! But I didn’t, because I wanted to be smart. I knew you and Helen would come save me,” he added, gazing up at his father with adoration in his eyes — and Helen smiled, delighted to be part of the rescue effort, pleased that he had thought of her, in his hour of need, as someone who would come to his rescue. Of course she was. She’d be that for the rest of his life, if he wanted her to. That was an odd thought… but a true one, she realized. Whatever strange path her life was following, she was happy she was here… and here was where she wanted to stay.
Eamon’s yawns got too big to ignore, and finally, Niall lifted him gently in his arms and carried him into bed. Mutely, he reached out to Helen over his father’s shoulder, and she grinned, jumping up to follow them in, feeling honored to be part of the bedtime ritual.
“G’night, Da. G’night, Helen. Thanks for coming to get me from the bad man,” he mumbled, already mostly asleep.
As thanks went, it wasn’t much — but it was probably the most touching thing she’d ever heard. She beamed up at Niall, almost moved to tears by the little boy’s trust. He smiled down at her as they left the room, a look of peace on his face that made her almost as happy as finding Eamon safe and sound.
“He adores you,” Niall said simply, spreading his hands. “I’ve never seen him so close with anyone. Not since his mother.”
She took a deep breath. “Niall, I can’t be his mother. I know that, you know that… but I want to be part of his life. I adore him. And if there’s room for someone like me — not a mother, but someone he can trust, someone who’ll always look after him, who he can always come to for help or advice, someone who’ll always be on his case about looking after himself…”
Niall was laughing.
“What?”
“You’re describing a mother,” he said gently, reaching out to touch the side of her face with incredible care. Her skin tingled with his touch, and she caught her breath, surprised again by the intensity of her feelings for him. “Helen… I know you’re not Erin. Nor would I want you to be. I loved my wife. But she’s gone… and I’m not looking to replace her in any way. That doesn’t mean I can’t love you.”
She reeled at that, ready for a rush of paranoia and fear at the sound of that word… but nothing came. Shocked by her own resilience, she looked up at him, almost holding her breath in anticipation of what he was about to say.
“I do, you know,” he said simply. “Love you. I think I’ve loved you since we met. Since I pulled you out of the Loch. Somehow, I just… I just knew who you were. How brave you were, how intelligent, how interesting…”
She was blushing again, and he chuckled, his fingertips tracing the redness on her cheeks. “Niall…” she said softly, her voice hoarse with feeling. Helen bit her lip, trying to reach inside herself for the courage she needed. She remembered what her friends had told her, the excellent advice they’d given her. Be honest. Be true to yourself. Say what you want. “Niall, I love you too.”
A broad, wondrous smile broke out across his face, and he gazed down at her, overcome. “You do?”
“I do,” she said simply. “I love you. I love this place, I love the Keep and its people, I even love sailing. Why would I want to go back home, when I could be here instead?”
“Even if you were given the choice?” he asked, his voice strained. “Even if you could go home — you’d chose this place? Chose me? Chose us?”
“A thousand times over,” she whispered. And then she was in his arms, and he was holding her close, kissing her with an intensity that sent her whole body shivering. She returned the kiss, feeling unbelievably happy. The relief of finding Eamon alive and well, the relief of defeating the Kelpies and ensuring the safety and survival of the folk of the Castle as well as the village… it was all rushing around in her body. Add to that the knowledge