Brody slept all night with Gwen cuddled up against his chest. After he had confronted her with the truth about her family last night, he thought he needed to give her time to accept it all. But he still planned on asking her to marry him, and he wanted to do it before her father showed up. Marrying her felt like the right thing to do.
She awoke a few minutes after him. Stretching and yawning, she reminded him of a cute little kitten waking from a nap.
“Sleep well?” he asked, running his hand up and down her back.
“Aye. And you?” She wiped the sleep out of her eyes with the back of her hand.
“Sure.” After collapsing from sheer exhaustion, he had slept most of the night. But when he awoke in the dark with Gwen pressed up against his body, there was no more sleeping. He wanted her badly, however, there was no way he’d take her until they were married. She deserved better than a romp in bed with a pirate before they’d taken their vows. She might act and dress like a lad but all he wanted to do was treat her like a lady.
“Brody?” Her long lashes blinked. “Is something troubling you?”
“Nay. Not really.”
“Oh, my.” She sat up on the bed. “I was so distraught about my problems, I’ve forgotten about yours. Is your leg hurting?”
“Just a little.”
“Let me take a look.” He took her hand in his to stop her.
“There is something on my mind after all.”
“It’s about your childhood and being taken by pirates, isn’t it? Tell me about it. Please.”
“I already told you. I was an orphan, so I fought off the pirates to make them release Edwin. They took me instead.”
She looked at him in awe. “That was such a noble thing to do for a friend.”
“I had less to lose than Edwin. And I know it sounds strange, but the pirates ended up replacing the family I lost.”
“That’s preposterous. How can you say that? Were these the same pirates that made you walk the plank and tried to drown you at sea?”
“No! Yes. How do you know about that?”
“You made the comment when we arrived about walking the plank. You also said you were a captain, so I just assumed that’s what happened.”
“Well, that’s only partially right. Two pirates managed to escape the dungeon when the former captain – Rowen – put them there. Old Man Muck and Lucky Dog returned and were responsible for what happened to me.”
She laughed. “Are those really their names?”
“They are to us. That’s all anyone has ever called them. Muck and Lucky came back and convinced the crew that Rowen wanted me dumped at sea.”
“Did he?”
“Nay, I’m sure he didn’t. Rowen is a lot like me and was also stolen by pirates at a young age. We were like brothers growing up.”
“He didn’t have siblings, either?”
“On the contrary, he is a triplet. And they happen to be King Edward’s bastards.”
“That’s right,” she said, nodding her head. “I’ve heard of them. They were once referred to as the Demon Thief.”
“I need to find Rowen and talk to him. I’m sure he never gave such an order.”
“You need to find Muck and Lucky.”
“Aye. And when I do, I’ll kill them.”
She jerked backward in surprise. “Spoken like a true pirate.”
That hurt Brody, and she obviously could see it by the expression on his face.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that.” Her hand covered his. “What was it you wanted to talk to me about?”
Brody suddenly started having doubt. Mayhap a marriage between them wasn’t the answer. Although he didn’t start out as a pirate, it was how he ended up. Gwen already had a family of pirates and didn’t need one more in her life. Perhaps he should just let her go.
“I thought we could go for a walk along the shore,” he told her.
“I would like that,” she answered with a smile, looking deeply into his eyes. He almost reached out and kissed her again but stopped with her next words. “Then we can watch for my father.
An hour later, Gwen walked hand in hand along the beach with Brody, feeling more like a girl than she had in a very long time. Her hair was braided, hanging down her back and not covered with a hat. Instead of a tunic and breeches like she usually wore, she had donned one of Marta’s gowns. It was plain, and far from fancy, but it was a dress meant for a woman.
“You look . . . so different,” she said to Brody, almost laughing at seeing him in Edwin’s clothes. Edwin was shorter than Brody, so his sleeves and the legs of the breeches were short. He’d tied his long hair back and covered his head with a hat instead of the red scarf he usually wore. As he walked with a limp, she could tell he was trying to hold back the pain.
“Is it the clothes you’re talking about or the fact I’m limping around like a one-legged pirate?”
She giggled, and that made him smile too. “How about if we sit down so you can rest your leg?”
They made their way to some large rocks jutting out of the water and sat down. Brody took off his shoes and soaked his feet in the sea.
“That looks like fun. I’ll do it too.” She followed suit, kicking her legs and splashing water on both of them.
“Two can play that game,” he told her, kicking his legs as well, managing to get both of them wet.
She held up her hands to block the water from her face, squinting and laughing. “No more,” she said. “I’ve had enough water lately to last me a lifetime.”
“You?” he asked with a chuckle. “And what about me? If I am around water much longer, I swear I’ll turn into a fish.”
“You do that and I’ll turn into a mermaid and lure you off your ship.” She kissed him, and his hands went around her waist. With the sea air in her hair and the waves lapping at her feet, she felt happy and free.
“There you go talking about legends again, Gwen.”
“Oh, I forgot. You don’t believe in them. Sorry.”
“Well . . . mayhap not all of them.”
“What do you mean?”
“That legend of the lovers’ cave might have some truth to it after all.”
“You believe it?” She sat up straight and her eyes opened wide.
“I can’t say I believe anything actually happened there except for the obvious – me being kidnapped.”
“Then why did you mention it?”
“I mentioned it, because ever since I kissed you in the cave, I can’t seem to stop doing it.”
“It is nice, isn’t it?” She bit her bottom lip and peeked up at him through her lashes.
“More than nice, Gwen. It feels right to me. I can’t explain it, but it is as if I’ve always known you. I am comfortable around you.”
“I feel that way, too.”
“I think . . . I’m starting to have feelings for you.”
“You are?” Her breath hitched and her heart picked up a beat. “I also have feelings for you.”
“You are a beautiful young woman who deserves so much more.” His fingers trailed over her cheek.
“What does that mean? More than what?”
“Gwen, I wanted to ask you – I mean, I was thinking mayhap . . . no, it’s probably not a good idea.” He shook his head. “We should just forget about it.”
“Forget about what?” she almost shouted. “You haven’t told me a thing. Spit it out, Brody. What is it you are trying to say?” She kept at it, until Brody finally answered.
“Marry me!” he shouted.
She stopped, too shocked to know how to respond to that. Her silence seemed to make him more apprehensive than before.
“Let’s put our shoes on and walk back to the inn for a bit to eat.” He picked up his shoes, not looking at her at all.
“Yes,” she answered softly, just staring at him and not able to move. Was this really happening?
“Yes?” He looked up, still putting on his shoes. “Yes to walking or eating?”
“To marrying you.”
“Oh.” He dropped a shoe, and his eyes interlocked with hers. “Are you sure? I mean – mayhap it isn’t a good idea after all. What will your father say? And do you really want to marry a pirate?”
She was tired of all his questions. As her heart swelled with emotion, she got that feeling in her chest again. Just like he said, they were meant to be together. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him over and over. His arms closed around her and they both fell back on the rock.
“Easy there,” he told her. “We don’t want to be worn out before the wedding night.”
“Oh, Brody, I’m very excited. I know this is all so fast, but just like you said, I feel as if we’ve known each other forever. Yes, I want to be your wife.”
“Aye, but I don’t think your father will feel the same way.”
“My father.” She sat up, looking out to the sea. “I don’t even know if he’s alive or if he perished in the storm.”
Brody took her hands in his and stared deeply into her eyes. “Gwen, your father might never return.”
“Don’t say that. I’m sure he will. He might be stranded at sea. I wish we could look for him.”
“The mast was broken and the ship damaged.” He shook his head. “I don’t want you to get your hopes up. It was a bad storm.”
“My father is an experienced sailor. I’m sure he survived.”
“I hope you’re right, Gwen. For your sake, I hope you’re right.”