Epilogue
Horland stopped the wagon at the side of the ruins and Bree gazed out over the river. “It’s beautiful.”
Horland’s breath warmed Bree’s ear. “Beautiful.”
She turned her head and he pierced her with his dark gaze. “Briana,” he whispered hoarsely and kissed her gently at first, then he once again claimed her heart and mind. All else vanished in a haze of emotions, tingles, and hot sensations.
He finished the kiss and putting an arm around her shoulders, waved his other arm in the air. “This is our time and our place.”
“I can’t wait to see what the builders have done inside.”
It had only been two weeks since their wedding, but already Bree felt at home in his company and in his arms.
It was a lovely two weeks, and Bree enjoyed being newly married and the company of their family, especially getting to know her father again.
He had found himself, and they had many memories of her mother to share.
They also found they had the same sense of humor and, sometimes to Horland’s chagrin, laughed at the same things, things he didn’t understand.
Bree or Garlain often had to stop in their mirth to explain to him.
Meanwhile, Uncle Mark and Aunt Di had returned to their present to live with Garrett and Laura, although they were to have another house built close to the east boundary. They didn’t feel right living under the same roof as Garrett and Laura and their growing family. Bree smiled.
Everyone had promised to visit each other as often as they could when they departed to their own times and lives.
Once Horland had told her of his plans for the ruins, she couldn’t wait for them to start their married life and their own family.
Bree stood up from her wagon seat and smiled down at Horland. Horland placed his hands on either side and lifted her down, keeping her body close to his as her feet touched the ground. Her pulse quickened as he gazed hard into her eyes. “I love you,” he said, his voice low in his throat.
Bree rested her head on his shoulder. “I love you more.”
Horland chuckled and lifted her chin. “I think not.” He bent his head and feathered kisses along her jawline. “I am not whole without you by my side.”
“I will always—”
Horland’s mouth closed over hers and stopped any more talk.
“What about me?” Kieri asked, pulling on Bree’s cloak.
Bree and Horland parted with a laugh. They both enclosed the little girl in a three-person hug. “We are not complete without you, my darling,” Horland said.
“That’s true, sweetie,” Bree said. “We love you.”
“And I love you both. Can we go in now?”
“Not yet, little one,” Horland said. “I want to make sure everything is how I ordered.”
Kieri looked at Bree, who grinned. “Exciting, isn’t it?”
Kieri bobbed her head. “It is. Can I go and explore then?”
Horland chuckled. “Yes.”
Kieri ran off along the riverbank. “But stay where we can see you,” Bree called out. “We don’t want to lose you again.”
“I will,” Kieri shouted over her shoulder as she bent and picked up a stone and tossed it into the water.
Bree smiled up at Horland and patted him on the chest. “You go unpack while I teach our daughter a thing or two about stones and water.”
It didn’t take long for Kieri to get the hang of skipping stones over the water, and they were soon competing for how far they could keep the stones afloat.
Bree didn’t have to turn around to know Horland was watching them. From the moment they met, she could sense when his eyes were on her.
“Briana,” he called from the low balcony. “It is time.”
Bree dropped her stone and took Kieri’s hand. “Leave the stones here and we’ll teach Horland later.”
Kieri dropped hers and they made their way to Horland. She was surprised to see he appeared suddenly uncertain.
“This is it,” he said.
“And I can’t wait a moment longer,” Bree said. “Are we going in or what?”
He bent and wrapping one arm around her thighs, he scooped her up and hung her over his shoulder.
She squealed and hit his back. “Not exactly how I pictured being carried over the threshold.”
He picked Kieri up in his other arm and took them inside.
Kieri whooped in delight as Horland slid Bree off his shoulder and turned her around. Her eyes widened at the sight before her and she smacked a hand over her mouth.
The entire great hall had been renovated. A long dining table, big enough to seat their entire family, was set near the wide stairs up to the second-floor balcony.
Chunky wooden chairs and sofas with huge fluffy cushions took up the rest of the space, all centering around a grand lit fireplace.
Intricately carved sideboards sat against the walls and two smaller, cozier couches sat in front of another fireplace, smaller than the first but no less inviting, at the back of the room.
Kieri ran and jumped on the chunky furniture, trying each seat. “They are so soft,” she screeched.
Tears filled Bree’s eyes. The room was a perfect marriage of old and new. “It’s stunning.”
Horland put his arm around her shoulder and she could almost feel his relief. “You are stunning.”
Bree laughed. “What else?”
“The bedroom suites are upstairs, and the kitchen is behind that wall.” He pointed to the wall on the other side of the stairs. At first Bree couldn’t find a door, but then she saw that the beading around the doors hid the handles.
“Come on, Kieri,” Bree shouted, and they both ran around what was once old ruins, seeing everything that had been rebuilt.
HORLAND SAT IN A HUGE highbacked sofa and waited.
He could hear their squeals as they went from room to room and he smiled.
Adopting Kieri as their own was the right thing to do.
Kieri lost her parents to the plague over a year before and, with no other family, had become an orphan of the castle.
While all the staff and the royal family themselves had become her family, they all hoped the child would find new parents who would nurture and love her.
Briana loved her, and Horland was smitten with the child from the first moment they met. He was certain she loved them as much as they did her. I am so fortunate.
His gaze scanned the great hall. Mark and Dianne had helped him decorate, and he had been certain Briana would love it all as much as he did right up until the moment, he brought her inside.
Seeing it for the first time through her eyes had him second-guessing everything.
Were the colors too subdued? Was it modern enough for her? Would she hate it?
Briana’s laughter filled the old castle and his heart leapt. All that he hoped for, all that he longed for was in that laughter.
She ran down the stairs. Her smile radiant as she launched into his arms, throwing them both back against the sofa. “Oh Horland, I love it. I love everything about it.”
Horland chuckled and held her fast to him. “I am glad.”
“Were you worried I wouldn’t?”
He leant back so he could see her face. “I will admit to being apprehensive.”
She kissed his chin. “You have done a wonderful job.”
He glanced at the stairs. “Did you forget something?”
Bree poked out her bottom lip. “Kieri found her room and refused to come out. With the amount of toys there to explore and play with, I doubt we’ll ever see her again.”
His chest tightened at her cute expression. He gently captured her jutting lip in his teeth and covered her mouth with his. She gasped but soon gave up her lip, her mouth and her all to him. He lost himself in her essence. No man could ever be as fortunate as he.
Something plopped onto his lap. His eyes sprang open and for a moment all he could see was a shadow. Briana let out a laugh and his sight cleared. Kieri had come back to them.
“Thank you for my room,” Kieri said.
“My pleasure, daughter.”
Briana placed her head on his shoulder and brought Kieri into a hug.
Horland sighed and wrapped one arm around Briana and the other around Kieri. “This is our time,” he said.
“This is our time,” Briana whispered.
“This is our time,” Kieri echoed.