Lachlan's Heart (The MacCulloughs #2) - Suzan Tisdale Page 0,4

that she cared for him, far more than she felt she had a right to, there was no possible way she could agree to be his wife. No matter how badly she wanted to.

“Ye need a better, finer woman than me,” she said.

“I can think of nae better woman to take as my wife than ye, Keevah.”

She knew him well enough to know that he wouldn’t go down without a fight. Once he made his mind up about something, there was very little chance of getting him to change it. “I am the auld whore, remember?”

A flash of fury erupted behind his dark eyes. “Never say that again,” he told her through gritted teeth. “That was yer past, nae who ye are now. I dunnae care about what ye once were.”

“But ye should care,” she told him, her tone biting.

“Keevah, ye could nae help what happened to ye. Many women are forced into that kind of life through no fault of their own.”

She openly scoffed at him, knowing he was trying to be noble and kind. But he didn’t know the truth. “Ye do nae ken me or why I did what I did. Ye will never understand.”

From his furrowed brow and slitted eyes, she could tell that wasn’t the answer he had expected.

There were many reasons why she’d chosen to take that particular path in her life. No one, not even Lachlan, would ever be able to understand.

He was silent for a long moment. “I dunnae care about the why of it, Keevah. I only ken that I love ye and want ye for my wife.”

She swallowed hard, wishing he would hurry up and leave so that she could spend the rest of her life grieving the loss of his friendship and all that might have been. “And what would ye do the first time a man smiles at me? Will ye be wonderin’ if he is a man from my past? And what if he were?”

A tic was beginning to form in his square jaw. She could tell he hadn’t given that any thought.

Lord above, she didn’t want to hurt him. She didn’t want them to part on bad terms. “Go, Lachlan,” she murmured.

“I will nae go unless I have yer promise that ye will at least think about my proposal,” he said. With his arms crossed over his chest, she knew he wasn’t about to budge without making the promise.

Swallowing hard, she acquiesced, knowing full well she could think about it until the end of time and her answer would never change. “Aye, I will think about it.” ’Twould be impossible for her to think of anything else.

Satisfied, he smiled, looking much relieved with her answer. “I love ye, Keevah. I will be back in a fortnight. Three weeks at most.”

She waited until the door closed behind him before she let the tears fall. Aye, she loved him far more than she ought, but she knew a man like Lachlan MacCullough deserved a better woman than she.

But knowing that hard truth didn’t make the leaving any easier.

As he closed the door behind him, Lachlan couldn’t escape the sensation that he was leaving one life behind in pursuit of another. It damned near cleaved his heart in twain to leave her. He wanted nothing more than to go back inside, toss her over his shoulder, and drag her away, to start their future together now. Resisting that urge, he turned and walked away. He couldn’t and wouldn’t force her into anything. She would have to come to him willingly or not at all.

While she had made the promise to think about his proposal, deep down he knew her answer would be the same the next time he asked.

Slowly, he made his way along the path and made a silent promise to himself. Upon my return, I will somehow convince her to marry me. I will make her see the rightness of our union.

I will win her heart if it is the last thing I do.

Without looking back, he made his way to his waiting men. Taking to his horse, he gave the call to head out.

Ahead, the unknown. Behind him, the only woman he could ever love.

From the little window near her door, Keevah wept as she watched Lachlan walk away.

No matter how much she genuinely wanted to be his wife, she knew that was not her future, nor his. Now that he would be interim chief of a clan, he needed a woman whose past would not