There was something else about being in his arms that she couldn’t quite grasp. It was as if she looked forward to him holding her, being close to him and wondering—Lord help her—she wondered if he would ever kiss her again. Not to mention that her body forever tingled when near him.
“Wintra!” His arm went around her waist, jolting her to a stop.
It took her a moment to focus and when she did, her mouth dropped open. She had been about to walk into a tree. She sighed. Getting lost in her thoughts was not helping her. Of course neither was trudging through the snow and woods for almost three days now.
He turned her around and as soon as he did, she rested her head against his chest. His hand went to cup her neck and he lowered his chin on the top of her head to nestle in her wild curls.
“Are you feeling well?” he asked.
I am now, she thought. What was it about this man that had managed to turn her life completely upside down in a matter of days?
“Wintra?” he asked again anxiously.
“Exhausted, cold, and lost in thought as usual,” she said with a light chuckle.
“Another few hours and we will be there.”
Hours? Could she walk several more hours? It would mean finally being out of the cold and snuggling in a bed with Torr tonight. The thought was enough to give her strength, but also send a tingle through her. And begged to ask the question—what was she getting herself into?
“Then we should keep at it,” she said, eager, yet anxious.
Torr reluctantly stepped away from her. He did not want to. He had found he liked having her in his arms. She felt good there, tucked snug against him.
He reached for her hand, taking firm hold of it. “I’m going to hold on to you so that you don’t run into any more trees.”
Wintra smiled. “I need to stay focused.”
“It would be a good idea,” he said as he tugged her hand so that she moved closer alongside him as they walked. “What keeps you deep in your thoughts?”
She was surprised by his question. No one had ever asked her that. They simply assumed that she drifted off without rhythm or reason. That was far from the truth, and for the first time she was able to admit aloud, “Loneliness.”
Torr turned, surprised at her response. “You had an abbey full of nuns to talk with, and what of travelers who stopped?”
“I was not allowed to speak to any of the travelers unless approved by the nuns. And the nuns lead a very restrictive life. Chores, prayers, and caring for those who sought refuge at the abbey take up most of their day. I learned fast enough that my inquisitive nature would not be tolerated. So I had no choice but to seek my own thoughts.”
“You can speak to me about anything, any time” Torr said unable to imagine having no one to talk with. There had always been someone to speak with, family or friends. He had never felt lonely. Actually, there had been moments when he wished he had time alone.
“You may regret offering that,” Wintra said with a laugh. “You never know what I might talk about.”
“As I said, anything, any time.”
Would she truly be able to speak with him about anything? The idea was tempting, very tempting. She would have started there and then, curious to learn more about him, but the effort it took to trudge through the snow made it difficult to keep a steady conversation going.
They soon settled into a comfortable silence, and it wasn’t until hours later that they reached the croft. Wintra was never so happy to look down from a slight rise to the cottage below. It appeared a sound structure, the door firmly in place and the shutters as well. It reminded her of the croft where she had been born and had spent the first nine years of her life. Years she would forever cherish in her heart and memory, for it was then she had been the happiest.
Torr released her hand once they reached the cottage door to clear away the several inches of snow in front. Then he opened it and stuck his head in first before turning, stepping back, and allowing her to enter.
The only light came from the open door and the late afternoon shadows were already beginning to claim that.
“There is wood by the fireplace,” she said spotting logs in a basket.
“And a good size bundle out here.” Torr brushed off snow from a wood stack by the door. “I will get a fire started with the dry wood, and then bring some logs in to dry.”
While he set to work, Wintra opened the shutters on the lone window so that they would have more light, and she could have a better look at the place. There was a small table and two chairs against one wall, a couple of buckets sat empty beside the fireplace, and some baskets lay scattered about. A roughhewn bed with a mattress that needed fresh stuffing was pushed against another wall. It appeared as if the occupants had taken most essentials with them.