Page 95 of Once upon a Summer Night

“Mmm?”

“Thank you.”

In response, he pulled her even closer to him.

Gwen carefully plaitedEllie’s damp hair. The soothing motion made Ellie sleepy, but as she had already proven to herself earlier, once she lay down in the bed, sleep would elude her, and the sounds and smells of battle would start up her shakes again.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Gwen ventured.

“No.”

Gwen continued to braid, slowly and methodically. When she finished, she unraveled it and began anew.

She’d been braiding Ellie’s hair in the same manner for over an hour.

The fire was still going strong in their shared chamber, and the bolt was securely in place. It was a cozy and safe space for them to rest their heads while they awaited Reilly’s return; when he got there, Colin would bring them back to their time.

Colin, she knew, was standing right outside the door.

Gwen dragged her fingers through the dark locks,separating the heavy strands into three sections. “I’m sorry this happened, Ellie. I’m sorry I wanted to go for a walk.”

Ellie twisted around to Gwen, her face horrified. “Oh, Gwennie, this wasn’t your fault. This isn’t anyone’s fault. It just happened. Though I’m grateful that Colin’s going to take us home, I’m adopting the all’s-well-that-ends-well attitude.”

Gwen snorted, but her eyes filled with tears. “I don’t know anything about medieval times, Ellie, but I do know that if anything had happened to you…what that man might’ve done to you…I would never have forgiven myself!”

Ellie leapt up and hugged her hard. “Stop it thisinstant, Gwendolyn. Nothing happened. I’m fine. You’re fine. We’re both fine.”

“Yeah, five hundred years in the past,” she sniffled. “That’s justfine.”

Ellie sank onto the bed with a defeated sigh. “I can’t wait to get back to my flat. I want to bury myself in my bookstore and not come out for years. You know what I mean?”

Gwen joined her and motioned for her to turn around again. She picked up Ellie’s hair and started threading the sections again. “I do. But there’s something reassuring about having a warrior sleep outside your door at night. Colin hasn’t moved from the hallway since he carried you in, and when the laird suggested he take his rest in his chamber, Colin nearly drew his sword.”

Ellie cast her eyes down to the luxurious quilt on their bed and traced the intricate stitching with the tip of her finger. “He feels responsible.”

“I could see that. Another guard switched places with him, because Laird MacWilliam called him over,” Gwen told her.

“That guard didn’t do a very good job of keeping an eye on me.”

Gwen’s hands faltered in Ellie’s hair. “The man is dead.”

Ellie swallowed hard. “Oh.” She drew a shaky breath. “Itcould’ve been Colin.”

“But it wasn’t. Colin was an avenging angel, El. I’ve never seen anything like it. When the guard was found dead, and you weren’t anywhere to be found, dozens of MacWilliam guards surrounded all of us, and the music stopped. Colin didn’t say a word; he just listened to the entire story as it was told to him, and then he asked the laird something in Gaelic. The laird gave some sort of order, then Colin started barking out Gaelic words left and right. There was so much commotion, but he was so fully in control.” Gwen carefully unbraided Ellie’s hair again. "I’ve never seen such fierce determination. He commanded an army to save you.”

Ellie’s shoulders drooped even lower. “I’m so grateful he did.”

“You’ve chosen a good man to love.”

Ellie covered her face with her hands. “Oh, Gwennie. You know how there’s a point when you realize that something isn’t what you hope it to be?”

Gwen’s fingers stilled.

“He made it so clear that there’s nothing between us. But then he charges in on a white horse, and saves me.”

Gwen’s fingers resumed their work, though she remained silent.

Ellie barked out a hollow laugh. “He claimed me as his wife. I know it was a scare tactic to use with O’Connell, I really do. But he said it with such conviction! And he told me he died a thousand deaths when he realized I was gone.” Ellie furiously wiped away a tear. “In fact, that was the second time he told me such a thing. But, oh, his face, Gwen. The possessiveness, and the intensity with which he fought for me.” She stifled a sob. “He had me close my eyes so I wouldn’t see the dead bodies. But I smelled them. And he somehow knew that, and he pressed my face into his chest.”

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