Chapter 22 #2
The idea that Daniel was prepared to sign away everything he owned to her father in exchange for her safety made her love him even more than she ever thought possible, but she simply couldn’t let him make the biggest mistake of his life. She needed to do something.
Glancing up at her father, she noticed how deep in thought he was because of the proposal that Daniel was dangling in front of his face. Taking the opportunity to shift her body in a different angle ever so subtly, she remembered Daniel’s words. “Distract, defend, attack.”
Taking a deep breath, she counted silently to three, and with all the strength she could muster, she leaped to her feet and headbutted her father square on the chin, making him stumble backwards.
Daniel took the opportunity to leap forward and put himself between Melissa and George, using his body to shield his wife.
“You witch!” George shouted, rubbing his chin as he struggled to get to his feet.
“You will never ever lay hands on Melissa ever again!” Daniel yelled and shoved her behind him.
“We’ll see about that!” George grabbed his gun once more and pointed it straight at Daniel’s chest.
Noticing that the older man was about to pull the trigger, Daniel quickly jumped forward and grabbed his hand, pulling his arm up above their heads.
Melissa felt helpless and terrified as the scene played out before her in slow motion. The man that she loved was locked in a fierce battle with the man whom she had once called Father.
Struggling to gain the upper hand as the older man used his weight as leverage, Daniel gripped his wrists with his free hand and attempted to knock the gun from his grip.
George snarled and cried out in pain as they tumbled over the table and cracked the wood clean in two, still fighting for dominance over the gun.
“Don’t make me hurt you,” Daniel hissed through his gritted teeth as they lay side by side on the splintered remnants of the table. “This doesn’t have to end badly for any of us, you are Melissa’s faither, dammit! Stop doing this!”
George grunted and groaned, trying to point his gun at Daniel, ignoring everything that the Laird was trying to say.
Melissa wished with all of her heart that her father would just give up so that the whole ordeal would be over, but she knew that things would likely not end with both men staying alive.
Daniel quickly lifted his knee and kicked him in the stomach, rendering him unable to move for a few seconds as he quickly retrieved the gun and backed away.
“Not so fast, you bastard!” George shouted and pulled a knife out of his pocket.
Daniel noticed that he wasn’t far enough to dodge George’s attack, and if he did nothing, George was going to stab him right in the chest, so he had no choice but to do exactly what he hadn’t wanted to do. He pointed the gun at George’s chest and pulled the trigger.
Placing her hands over her ears as the shot rang out and filled the cabin with smoke, Melissa took shelter on the ground until she was sure it was safe to open her eyes.
“Daniel, are you all right!?” she asked in a gentle voice as she saw the way her husband was standing over her father’s limp body with the gun pointed at the ground.
She noticed the life leaving her father’s eyes as blood trickled down the corner of his mouth. A strange mixture of relief and sadness filled her body as she watched her father take his last breaths. She convinced herself that she saw a glimmer of regret just as his eyelids fell shut.
“Let’s get out of here,” he said to her as he nodded toward the door. ‘I’ll send someone to fetch yer faither’s body.”
She looked at the lifeless body lying on the ground.
“He deserves a proper burial, even after all of the things he did wrong. Everyone deserves a second chance, even if his is in death,” Daniel said.
“I like that.” Melissa sighed as she took his hand and allowed herself to be led out of the cottage.
Everyone in life deserved a second chance at dignity, even if her father’s came in death. She would ensure that he was laid to rest properly.
“Melissa,” Daniel asked quietly, when they were eventually outside. “Are you all right?” He held her in his arms as she continued to stare over his shoulder.
“I’m just glad this is all over now,” she whispered and buried her face in the crook of his neck, giving in to the exhaustion, fatigue, and emotions from the past day. She cried like she’d never cried before in her life.
“That’s it,” Daniel soothed as he held her tight and stroked her hair. ‘Yer safe now, naething will ever happen to ye again.”
She felt her body giving in as she gripped his torn shirt and hung on for dear life. “I thought I’d never see you again,” she croaked, utterly exhausted.
“Look at me,” Daniel said gently as he placed his hands on either side of her face and tilted her head up. “A team of wild horses couldnae keep me from getting to ye.” He attempted a smile but winced from a gash on the side of his head.
“Are you in a lot of pain?” she asked as she returned the gesture and held his face in her hands.
“I’ll live,” he said and winced again as he laughed. “All I need is some of that delicious cherry jam, an’ I’ll be right as rain in the morning.”
“You’re such an idiot.” She laughed and gently kissed the corner of his mouth, not wanting to cause him any more pain.
“But I’m yer idiot.” He smirked at her.
‘This is true.” Her heart lightened as she gazed into his eyes. “I’ll tell you what, once this is all over and dealt with, I’ll go into the orchard and pick fresh cherries to make you some jam with my own hands. How does that sound?”
“Like I’ve made the best choice in making the woman of me dreams me wife.” He gently leaned in and pressed a tender kiss to her lips, conveying every ounce of longing he’d been feeling since that morning.
Everything in Melissa’s world was beginning to fall into place now that she was back in the arms of the man she loved.