Well, forget that! One of us is marrying Kester!
Her.
‘Twas going to be her.
When her free arm broke the surface of the loch, Robena was so surprised she almost stopped kicking. But then Elspeth jerked once more, and she remembered she was desperate for air as well, so she fought her way the last foot upward.
When her chin left the water, she sucked in a giant gulp of air and yanked as hard as she dared on Elspeth.
The lassie’s head broke the surface of the water, but she didn’t inhale. Frantic, Robena tried to force the girl higher, thinking that might help. It did nothing except shove her back under the water, and she came up spluttering, desperate, and confused as hell.
And then a strong pair of arms wrapped around her waist.
“I’ve got ye, lass,” came Kester’s smooth vow. “Ye’re safe.”
She wanted to turn in his arms and throw herself against him and sob helplessly in relief. But of course, she couldn’t, because then stupid Elspeth really would drown.
“I’ve got the lassie,” she gasped, trying to hold Elspeth upright. “She’s no’ breathing!”
“Grab her around the middle and squeeze,” he commanded.
Since he was being obliging by holding her afloat, Robena did as he ordered.
At the same moment she wrapped her arms around the girl’s chest, Kester hooked one arm under her arm and across her chest and began swimming. The jolting movement tightened her hold and—St. Kelsi, thank ye!—the girl jerked and began to retch.
As Kester pulled them both toward the place where the field sloped down to meet the loch, forming a little beach, Robena murmured soothingly to the girl. Elspeth coughed and spluttered, tears mixing with water from her adventure. Robena wanted to shake her and ask her how she could do something so stupid, but instead she promised over and over again that everything would be aright.
And it wasn’t an empty vow. Everything would be aright. Kester had promised.
She felt the moment Kester’s feet hit the bottom, because he was able to haul them mightily toward the shore. Robena heaved, and the lassie ended up on her hands and knees in the shallows, her gown and hair clinging pitifully to her.
St. Kelsi’s eardrum, she’s so young! What kind of Da uses a daughter that way?
But…her own father had decided all of his daughters would marry just to determine the next laird. Nay, their wombs would determine that.
Talk about stupid.
Kester’s arm was around her waist, leading them both out of the shallows. “That was the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen!”
“I ken it!” She was breathing heavily but managed to pull away from him and glare down at Elspeth. “I cannae believe ye’d do something that stupid.”
“No’ her,” growled Kester. “Ye.”
With a gasp, Robena whirled about, splashing water. Kester was standing with his fists on his hips, looking like some sort of avenging angel, with the water glistening across his wide chest and slicking back his hair.
Goodness, he was handsome, wasn’t he? ‘Twas hard to believe there was a lass out there who didn’t want to marry him.
Focus. He just called ye stupid.
Oh, that’s right. She sucked in another offended gasp and began to cough.
“Breathe, lass.” He didn’t sound amused.
“How— Ye think— Me? Ye think I’m stupid?”
There was genuine anger in his blue eyes. “I love ye, Robena!” he roared. “I love ye, and ye deliberately put yerself in danger!”
Her jaw dropped open. “Aye, of course I did!” She stomped toward him, one finger waving at his nose. “And I’ll do it again!”