There was a brief argument before Mairin shooed Ewan and told him to leave her in peace. Caelen and Alaric each took an arm and all but hauled Ewan from the chamber.

At the doorway, Alaric stopped and glanced back at Keeley. His lips lifted in a half smile and she made herself do the same. Then the three brothers disappeared. Gannon stuck his head in and bowed his head in Mairin’s direction.

“If you have need of anything, I’ll be outside the chamber door.”

Mairin smiled. “Thank you, Gannon.” Then her face promptly spasmed in pain and she issued a grunt as Gannon backed hastily out.

“Ah now, that’s better,” Maddie proclaimed with a satisfied smile. “The birthing chamber is no place for a man. They’re such babies when it comes to a woman’s pain.”

Christina chuckled and Mairin nodded her agreement.

“Ewan wants to be here. ’Tis important to him,” Mairin said softly.

“I’ll make sure he’s here. I told Gannon to tell the others not to let him drink overmuch,” Keeley teased. “You have a ways yet. ’Tis best if you’re comfortable and have as little stress as possible.”

For a few hours the women talked and jested with Mairin. They soothed her through her pains, wiped her brow, and offered her comfort.

“Jesu, ’tis hot in here,” Mairin complained as Christina wiped the sweat from her brow for the tenth time.

“ ’Tis actually quite chilly,” Maddie pointed out. “You’ll not want the babe chilled when he’s pushed from the warmth of his mother.”

“I think ’tis time to remove your gown and have you lie down,” Keeley said. “Your pains are coming close and I’ll need to check to make sure the babe’s positioned correctly.”

“And if he isn’t?” Mairin asked anxiously.

“ ’Tis naught for you to worry over,” Keeley soothed.

They helped Mairin to undress and then made her comfortable on clean linens. Mairin was a slight lass, but her hips weren’t narrow, much to Keeley’s relief. If the babe wasn’t overlarge, she shouldn’t have difficulty with the birthing.

A half hour later, the pains were nearly constant and Keeley looked up from her position between Mairin’s legs. “Go fetch the laird,” she said quietly. “ ’Tis nearly time.”

Christina’s eyes widened. “I’ll go,” she blurted, and was out the door before Maddie or Keeley could respond.

Not even a minute later, the laird burst into the room, his gaze fastened on Mairin. He knelt by the bed and gathered her hand in his.

“Are you all right, sweeting?” he asked anxiously. “Does it hurt overmuch?”

“Nay, not at all,” Mairin said through gritted teeth. “It hurts like the fires of hell!”

“I see the head!” Keeley exclaimed. “With your next pain, I want you to take in your breath, hold it, and then push. Not too hard, just a steady, firm push.”

Mairin nodded and gripped Ewan’s hand harder.

“Oh!” Mairin began.

“Aye, that’s it,” Keeley encouraged.

When Mairin’s breath escaped and she deflated against the bed, Keeley looked up. “Rest now and wait for the next. You’ll do the same thing all over again.”

“ ’Tis insane,” Ewan muttered. “Why isn’t the babe here yet?”

Maddie rolled her eyes. “Just like a man. He shows up and expects all to be done.”

For the next several minutes, Mairin and Keeley worked together. She breathed when Keeley told her and pushed when instructed. The head eased forward and slipped into Keeley’s waiting hands.

“This is it, Mairin!” Keeley said excitedly. “One more push and ’twill be done.”

Mairin roused herself and with Ewan holding her up, she gathered in her breath and bore down, her eyes closed in concentration.

The babe slipped into Keeley’s waiting hands, all gooey and warm and blessedly alive.

“ ’Tis a lass!” Keeley exclaimed. “You have a daughter, Mairin!”

Tears gathered in Mairin’s eyes, and even the laird’s were suspiciously wet as he gazed down at his wife.

“A daughter,” he said hoarsely.

Keeley set about cutting and securing the cord. Then she quickly cleaned the baby and its small cry echoed over the quiet room.

Both parents were mesmerized at that first sound. They stared in awe as Keeley carefully wrapped the babe in a warm blanket and then laid her at Mairin’s breast.

“She’s beautiful,” Ewan whispered. He kissed Mairin’s sweaty brow and smoothed her hair from her face. “As beautiful as her mother.”

Mairin eased the babe to her nipple and coaxed until the infant weakly latched on and began to suckle.

Tears burned Keeley’s eyes as she watched the utter reverence in Ewan’s eyes. He gathered both wife and daughter in his arms and held them as the babe fed. Neither parent could take their eyes from the delicate little girl in Mairin’s arms.

“You did good, lass,” Maddie whispered as she hugged Keeley. “I’ve never seen a birthing go so smoothly.”

Keeley smiled at her and then motioned for Maddie to help gather the bloodied linens. They worked in silence, loathe to disturb the tender moment between the laird and his family.

They eased their way toward the door when suddenly the laird turned and rose from the bed. He closed the distance between himself and Keeley and stood before her, his eyes bright with relief and joy.

“Thank you. My wife means everything to me. I could not have borne to lose her or our child. You have my everlasting gratitude and ’tis a debt I can never hope to repay.”

Keeley smiled. “I’ll come back to check in on her in just a while.”

Ewan nodded and quickly returned to his wife’s bedside.

When Keeley and Maddie entered the hallway, Caelen, Alaric, and Gannon all pushed away from the wall to face the women.

“ ’Tis done?” Caelen demanded.

Keeley nodded. “The laird has a daughter.”

Alaric smiled. “A daughter. ’Tis fitting, that. She’ll drive him as daft as her mother does.”

Gannon chuckled. “Not to mention the rest of us.”

“And Mairin? All is well with her?” Caelen asked.

Keeley raised an eyebrow. “Why, Caelen, I do believe you have a heart after all. Aye, Mairin is well. Ewan is with the both of them now, and I thought to give them a bit of privacy.”

Caelen scowled and muttered something under his breath, but Keeley could see the relief in his eyes.

“If you’ll excuse us, we must go belowstairs to clean up, and ’tis truth I could use a bit of fresh air,” Keeley said.

Without waiting a response, she walked by the men and went down the stairs, Maddie on her heels.

“Give me the linens,” Maddie directed when they entered the hall. “You go take your fresh air. It’s been an exhausting night for you.”

Keeley offered no argument and headed for the courtyard, eager to feel the coldness on her cheeks. She closed her eyes as soon as the chill hit her. Exhausted to her core, she sank onto the steps. Birthing always scared her. Too many women died while trying to birth a child, and Keeley was determined that it wouldn’t happen with Mairin. She needn’t have worried though. It was one of the easiest births she’d ever attended. Still, relief was so fierce within her that her knees were weak.

So she sat there breathing in deep, steadying breaths.

“Keeley, are you all right?”

She yanked her head around to see Alaric standing in the shadows. Her pulse beat more rapidly as she drank in his appearance. ’Twas funny since it hadn’t been overlong since she’d seen him at all, but still she soaked him in like a parched plant soaked in rain.

“Aye, I’m well,” she murmured.

He took a step forward but stopped a respectable distance from her. “Keeley, I …”

She rose, moved by the discomfort in his voice. She pressed in close and put a finger to his lips. “Nay, don’t say it,” she whispered. “I’ve always known of your destiny—and mine. Yours is a noble one. You should have no regrets. You will be great, Alaric. You’ll be a great laird. I am proud to have called you mine even for so short a time.”

Alaric touched her cheek and then leaned in slowly and pressed a tender kiss to her lips. So sweet and fleeting. Brief. But she felt it to her soul.

“You, too, are great, Keeley McCabe,” he whispered. “My clan is better for having you.”

She leaned into his kiss, tipping her forehead to his. She closed her eyes, savoring the sweet contact. She breathed, allowing him to wash away the fatigue and grief.

Then she pulled away and steeled herself against the pain in her heart. “I must go now. I must see to Mairin and the new babe’s needs.”

Alaric stroked her hair away from her cheek and then cupped the side of her face in his palm. “I love you. Remember it always.”

She covered his hand with hers and smiled achingly up at him. “Aye, I will.”

Slowly, he pulled away and then stepped back so she could walk by him back into the keep. She went without looking back but felt the wetness on her cheeks before she mounted the first step.

CHAPTER 32

Laird McCabe stood atop the stairs to the courtyard, the tiny bundle of his daughter cradled in his massive arms.

“My daughter!” he proclaimed and held her high.

The gathered clan roared their approval. Swords thrust upward, shields banged, and a resounding cheer echoed over the land.

Ewan cradled her in his arms again, and his expression was so tender and proud that Keeley could barely swallow around the knot in her throat. Maddie smiled broadly beside Keeley and reached over to squeeze Keeley’s hand.

“ ’Tis a wondrous day for the McCabe clan.”

The older woman wiped at her eyes and sniffed noisily even as she offered a loud cheer of her own.

Warmth traveled through Keeley as she realized that the clan’s joy was her own. She was a part of the McCabe clan now. Their triumph was her triumph.

Surely there wasn’t a better feeling. Acceptance. She belonged.

As the cheers died and Ewan returned inside with the babe, the clansmen went back to their duties. Maddie excused herself to the kitchens, and Keeley returned indoors, her intent to check on Mairin’s well-being.

She hummed to herself as she mounted the stairs. The hallway was empty, a surprise since Gannon had become a permanent fixture outside the chambers. It seemed he rotated his duty. It was a great comfort to Keeley. She’d grown used to the gruff warrior and liked his company.

She hadn’t taken more than two steps when a hand snaked out, grabbed her wrist, and she found herself yanked into one of the bedchambers.

Before she could cry out, defend herself, or even process what had happened, her lips were ravaged in a brutal kiss. The chamber door slammed behind her, and her back hit the closed door with enough force to knock the breath from her.

Through her muddled senses she recognized one thing: It was happening again, only this time there was no effort to woo a young, inexperienced girl. Laird McDonald had no care whether he hurt her or not or whether she was willing.

As soon as his lips left her, she opened her mouth to scream only to have his hand clamp over it with bruising force.

“I could not believe my eyes when I saw you here,” he panted. “ ’Twas fate. I always knew you’d belong to me. I’ve waited years for this moment, Keeley. Years. You’ll not say me nay this time.”

Keeley stared in horror at the older laird. He was daft. Mad! He would attack her inside the McCabe keep?

His free hand went to her breast and squeezed painfully. He loosened the hand over her mouth but before she could gather breath to scream, his mouth covered hers again.

With all her might, she jerked her knee into his groin and when he dropped his hands down to clutch himself in agony, she shoved hard. He stumbled back and went down on his arse.

She turned to fumble with the door, desperate to get into the hall. It was locked! She yelled hoarsely just as the laird grabbed her by the hair and threw her across the room.

She landed in a heap on the floor, all the breath knocked painfully from her chest. He stood over her, his eyes glittering with rage. Spittle frothed on his lips and his cheeks were red with exertion.

“You little bitch. You’ll pay for your defiance.”

Her eyes narrowed in fury and she flew at him. She hit him hard and he staggered back, shock reflected on his features. He actually held up his arms to ward her off, but her rage propelled her on.

The slovenly little bastard sickened her. For years she’d viewed him as some demon from hell. Larger than life. Evil. Powerful. She’d lived in fear of him, building him up in her mind to be something he wasn’t.

“You’re a pathetic worm who preys on children,” she hissed.

She balled her fist and swung. Her knuckles exploded in pain as she connected with his nose. Blood splattered and the laird’s head jerked back, his hand flying to his face.