Page 40 of Her Tempting Traitor
“Aye,” her husband agreed gruffly, standing and pulling her with him. “It was Zilly’s idea. We thought, if you know Inverlochy Castle will be yours one day, you’ll take care of it now.”
“And Augustus will still own it one day, since he isyourheir,” Zilphia added, beaming. “A brilliant plan, is it not?”
Slowly,bothhis legs weak and shaking, Cassian pushed himself to his feet, his incredulous gaze darting between the couple. He felt Gus bouncing beside him, and the lad’s small hand slipped into his.
“I…I dinnae understand. Sir Dickie?—”
“UncleDickie,” the other man corrected gruffly. “We’re family. That’s what we’re trying to tell you, lad. You’re family, you and Gus, and you need a place as much as I need to know everything I’ve built will be in good hands, one day.”
“Andweneed to know that you will be here, Cassian,” said Aunt Zilphia softly. “Not just for Augustus, but for us too. We need to know thatyouknow that you belong here.”
Christ.
Holy fooking Christ.
For the first time in almost twelve years—the first time since he’d held his baby son—Cassian felt tears welling in his eyes.You belong here.
He squeezed Gus’s hand tightly, trying to swallow past the lump in his throat…and wondered how in the hell he was supposed to respond to that.
They wanted him.
They wanted tokeephim.
Ye have a place.
Cassian’s knees buckled, his left leg suddenly too weak to support him…but Uncle Dickie was there, wrapping his arms around him in a hug, holding him up. Then Aunt Zilphia joined them. Cassian threw his arms around both of them, feeling Gus pressed against their knot, and buried his head in the older man’s shoulder.
The tears seeped from the corners of his tightly squeezed eyes, but he didn’t care. As Aunt Zilphia blathered on about tradition and family and her mother’s heirloom sapphires, Cassian’s rasped, “Thank ye,” was almost lost.
But when Uncle Dickie patted his back roughly, Cassian knew he’d been heard.
Thank ye.
Not for the promise of riches down the road, but for acceptance.
Love.
Home.
A family.
In one simple gesture, Uncle Dickie and Aunt Zilphia had given him all that.
A place to belong.
A forever.
Struggling for control, Cassian lifted his head…
And met Gabby’s eyes.
She still sat there, her lips pressed together, a handkerchief pressed against her lips, tears streaming from shining eyes. Celebrating silently with them—not intruding, but reveling with them.
Forhim.
And suddenly, Cassian realized what this meant.
As Sir Richard Biggenpans’s heir, he had a place. He had afuture.
