Page 56 of A Bridge Through Time
“Awww… You are the sweetest, most thoughtful man I’ve ever known.”
“Come, love. I cannae wait to get there,” Cailin said as he pulled her closer and led her along the top of the bluff. The ocean breeze ruffled their hair and carried the fresh scent of the water to them as they strolled along, wrapped in each other’s arms.
“What will we do when we get there?” She gave him one of ‘those’ looks – the type that had him thinking of her lying naked on the beach, with only him to cover her, and what pleasure they might find with each other.
Cailin growled low in his chest and gritted his teeth. That would have to wait, he reminded himself, and it would be all the better for the waiting. “Ye’ll have to wait and see,” he teased. “It’s a surprise.”
Once they reached their destination, Cailin laid a plaid on the sand for them to sit on. He set out an array of foods, along with some very good wine he’d pilfered from Robert’s stocks. Therewere meat pasties, cheese, fruit and Ashley’s favorite little apple tarts, which he had requested especially for her.
They ate sitting side by side, arms touching in a companionable silence as they watched the waves rolling in to shore. The water was a deep, sapphire blue and the sun shone on it making it sparkle as if the surface was covered with thousands of tiny diamonds. All was quiet, but for the sounds of the waves and the birds.
“Oh, Cailin, this is so perfect,” Ashley sighed, as she rested her head on his shoulder. “You know, I’ve been thinking,” she said quietly.
“And what have ye been thinkin’ of, mo chuisle?” Cailin felt his heart stutter in his chest, even as he lightly spoke the words. He knew Ashley had been thinking long and hard about whether to go back to her time, and he’d feared what her decision would be and that he was about to have his heart broken.
Ashley inhaled a deep breath and he watched her cautiously. “I’ve decided to stay. That is, if you still want me to.”
His breath left his lungs in a relieved rush of air. “I do want ye to. I want ye to stay, more than anything. Do ye really mean it?” he asked. He’d brought Ashley here to surprise her and she had a surprise of her own. “Ashley, love, ye make me so happy. The reason I brought ye here today, was to ask ye to stay here in Breaghacraig with me.”
He watched Ashley as her forehead creased with concern. “Oh! I hope I didn’t ruin your surprise.”
“Nae, nae at all. There was more to the surprise than just that.” He reached into his sporran and pulled out a small velvet pouch, which he handed to Ashley. “I wanted to give ye this.”
“What is it?” she questioned, anticipation shining brightly in her eyes.
“Open it. Ye’ll soon see.”
Ashley opened the bag and gasped when a beautiful pendant spilled out into her hand.
“It’s beautiful,” she said breathlessly.
Cailin gazed down at the pendant in her hand, warmth in his gray eyes. “It belonged to me mother.”
“Your mother? It’s beautiful, are you sure you want me to have it?”
“’Twas given to me, by me mother, to be given to me ladylove. And ye are me ladylove, are ye not?”
Ashley nodded her agreement, staring at the beautiful jewel.
“So, it’s yers now.”
It was so lovely, she couldn’t believe he was choosing to give it to her. An elongated teardrop-shaped pendant, it had an amber center which echoed the shape of the piece itself and was set in gold and surrounded by small round pearls, set in silver.
Cailin took it from her hands and placed it around her neck. The pendant nestled between her breasts and he reached out to touch the skin tenderly where it lay.
“The stone matches yer eyes, love. I wonder now, how me mother knew that I would fall in love with a woman with amber eyes?” He gently took her face in his hands and gave her a kiss that said everything he was thinking and feeling at that moment.
“Ashley, will ye be me wife?”
Tears of joy sprang into her eyes and she threw her arms around him, almost knocking Cailin onto his back.
“Oh, yes, yes! Yes, I will!”
***
As if it had been rehearsed, Ashley noticed Irene, Robert, Lena, Ewan and Cormac, heading their way.
Robert spoke first. “Well, did she say yes, brother?”
