Page 124 of The Highlander's Kilted Bride
“Normally I would, but circumstances dictate otherwise.”
“Got you in the bollocks, did she? I thought so.”
He couldn’t hold back a laugh. “You are absolutely incorrigible.”
She flopped gracefully down next to him. “Believe me, I understand. I did the same thing to Royal when we were first married. When Angus walked in on us, I reacted as Charlie did.”
“Thank God for small favors. I’d much rather have you walk in on us than Grandda.”
“But weweremarried, I might add,” she said. “What if Lord or Lady Kinloch had walked in on you?”
He shrugged. “I’m assuming we would have been marched off to the nearest parson, which would certainly have made life simpler.”
Ainsley frowned. “Are you actually having trouble persuading Charlie to marry you?”
He scratched his chin. “Well . . . I haven’t gotten around to asking her yet.”
Her frown turned into a fiery glare. “Kade Kendrick, if you are toying with that girl, I will beat you to a bloody pulp. Her clothes were halfway off, for heaven’s sake!”
“Of course I’m going to marry Charlie. But we never seem to get that far in the discussion. She’s as slippery as an eel, that lassie.”
“She didn’t seem to be putting up much resistance when I walked in on you,” she dryly replied.
“If you’d arrived a bit earlier, you would have heard her refer to me as a Highland oaf. I think that what followed was as much of a surprise to her as it was to me.”
“Arguing, were you?” She waggled her eyebrows. “Sometimes a good argument can be quite stimulating.”
“Apparently.”
“What were you arguing about?”
“Sir Leslie Morgan. I want her to steer clear of the bounder. Charlie seemed to think I was questioning her ability to take care of herself.”
“It rather sounds like you were, dear.”
Kade rolled his eyes. “I know she can take care of herself. I know it better than anyone. But Morgan is a dangerous man, and I don’t want her anywhere near him.”
“Then you’d best marry the girl, or at least announce your betrothal. That might be enough to send Sir Leslie on his way.”
“I’d like nothing better. But I’m not sure I understand why she’s so elusive. At times, I can almost imagine she’s toying withme.”
Ainsley pressed a dramatic hand to her forehead. “What a blow to the great Kade Kendrick.”
“Go ahead and have your laugh. Then please give me the benefit of your feminine wisdom so I can get the girl I’ve been waiting for all my life to say yes.”
“Really, it’s a wonder any of the Kendrick men ever found a wife. You’re all so thickheaded. Except for Royal, of course. He fell in love with me instantly.”
“He did, which is an enduring mystery to the rest of us.”
She laughed. “Wretch. All right, here are my words of wisdom: Charlotte is madly in love with you and probably has been since she was a girl. But part of her is convinced that she’s not good enough for you. I also believe she’s having trouble imagining what your future together might look like.”
Kade shook his head in disbelief. “Not good enough? She’s the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. There’s no one like her.”
“She is amazing, and she would make you the perfect wife. For one thing, she would take care of you.” She poked him in the arm. “And you do need taking care of, now and again. You’re not a sickly little boy anymore, Kade, but we all need help sometimes. That would also equalize the situation between you and Charlotte, at least from her point of view.”
He thought about Ainsley’s words for a few moments. “All right, I see your point. But I still don’t understand how Charlie could possibly think she’s not good enough for me. It’s ridiculous.”
“Her entire life, Charlotte has been told that she’s eccentric or even downright odd. Given that, it’s quite astounding that she’s grown up with the degree of self-confidence that she possesses. But somewhere deep down, she’s still not sure about herself. That’s the part you need to reach to assuage her fears.”
