She smiled at him. “I made it from a twig an’ a bit o’ leather from the saddlebag,” she told him, then she asked anxiously, “Are ye still sore?” She was dishing the rabbit with the mushrooms and meat juices into a bowl as she spoke, then she handed him some bread to mop up the gravy.
“Still sore,” he replied, “but no’ as bad as before, thank God. I really thought Liam had done for me. I hope I get the chance tae pay him back!” He took the bowl from Greta and began to scoop the food into his mouth, smacking his lips and closing his eyes in appreciation.
Greta watched his face. The meal was not particularly tasty, but it was the best she could do under the circumstances.
“This is wonderful,” Finn remarked, as he scraped the last of the food out of the bowl. Then he looked at her, puzzled. “Where is yers?”
“We only have one bowl,” she told him. “I was nae expectin’ a guest!”
Shocked, Finn handed over the bowl, and Greta dished up for herself, then began to eat, trying not to make a pig of herself since she was ravenously hungry.
They shared the last of Greta’s flagon of ale, then Finn said, “Greta, why did ye come back for me? Ye could have just left me when I told ye tae go.”
She hesitated before answering, and when she did, she busied herself with tidying up the dishes to avoid having to look at him. “I felt that there was somethin’...somethin’ good between us,” she replied. “I knew ye would not kill innocent women an’ children, even if ye are a robber.” She stopped, then looked up at him. “Do ye never feel that way about somebody when ye meet them? After ye helped the bairns at the church, I knew ye could no’ be all bad, an’ when ye let me go, I knew I had been right. No’ only that, I could see that ye were standin’ up for me against Liam. I was right about ye, Finn. Ye are a good man.”
He stared at her in wonder for a moment. “Greta, ye are wrong. I am about the furthest thing from a good man ye could hope to find. I have killed people, an’ I have stolen thousands o’ pounds over the years. I am a worthless human bein’.”
Greta took his hands again and looked straight into the deep blue-gray of his eyes. “I don’t believe that, Finn. I see somethin’ very good in ye. I am no’ wise in the ways o’ the world, but I know a worthwhile person when I see one.”
“Thank ye, Greta,” he said softly. Then he saw tears glittering in her eyes and reflected that it had probably been one of the worst days of her life. She had gone back to find him but instead encountered his vicious brother Liam, who had been about to save her, then hurt him badly. After that, she had somehow managed to get him to safety, treat his wound, set up camp, light a fire, and forage for and cook their food. She was probably in shock.
“Oh, Greta,” he murmured. “Ye have had a bad, bad time, an’ it is a’ my fault. Please forgive me. No, that is too much to ask. Please don’t be angry with me.”
“I am nae angry,” she said wearily. “At least, no’ anymore, an’ I forgive ye gladly. I-I just cannae take anymore today.” She put her hands over her eyes and began to weep.
Finn’s wound was so painful that it was only with an excruciating effort that he managed to reach Greta and pull her into his arms. She felt warm and soft, and she smelled of sweet woman, a scent so intoxicating that under any other circumstances, he would have been thoroughly aroused. However, now she was sobbing against him, her whole body shuddering, and his only instinct was to shelter and comfort her. It was a feeling that was as primal as a stag looking after his does and a lion defending his lionesses. These big males put themselves in the way of danger to look after their mates, and although Greta did not belong to him, so would he.
Greta nestled into the shelter Finn had created for her between his arms and his chest, comforted by his warmth, the firm plane of his chest, and the pressure of his strong arms around her. She felt as though she was in a nest, a place of safety, where she could rest knowing that no harm could come to her. She wept until she had no tears left, then she relaxed, letting her body become limp in his arms.
“Thank ye, Finn,” she murmured. “I am sorry I wet yer shirt.”
She felt the deep rumble of his laugh against her ear. “My shirt will dry, Greta. Don’t worry. Are ye all right?”
She nodded against his chest. “Much better now,” she answered. “How are ye?”
“The pain is still there,” he replied, “but it is no’ so bad. Ye are a very good doctor, Greta.”
She giggled softly. “I am glad ye think so. Now, I think it is time ye slept.” She tried to move out of his arms, but he would not let her go.
“Stay here awhile,” he begged. “Ye are easin’ my pain.”
“Just for a while,” she whispered.
Finn was sitting with his back to a tree, and Greta was between his thighs, feeling dangerously comfortable. It would be so easy to fall asleep.
16
Greta woke up a few hours later as the fire was dying down. She felt cold, not only because of that but because Finn had slumped sideways and was lying on the ground so that she no longer had the shelter of his body to warm her up.
She struggled out of the awkward position she had assumed between his legs and the tree trunk and looked at him for a while to reassure herself that he was still well.
Thankfully, his pulse was still strong, and he was breathing evenly, so she drew a blanket over him and left him while she went to make up the fire with wood she had gathered earlier. When she had finished, the fire was blazing again, and she watched Finn sleep while she soaked up its welcome warmth.
He looked so innocent when he was at rest, she thought, so much like the young men who had courted her what seemed like a hundred years ago. They had been immature and still childlike, but although Finn was a much older man, sleep had erased all the care and worry from his face, and now he looked like one of them.
She smiled at the thought, then she sobered. Her future was uncertain; she had no idea what to do next, but she knew that if she stayed with Finn, there would be a rocky road ahead. She had sensed goodness in him, but he was still an outlaw and would be pursued wherever he went. Greta knew that she had come back for him, not just because he was injured, but because she cared for him. His wound was not very serious and would heal in time by itself, but she could still not bring herself to leave him.
Presently, she realized that Finn’s deep blue eyes were regarding her over the firelight, and she smiled and stood up to go to him. “Good morning,” she said softly. “How did ye sleep?”