*Sigh*
Linda Lael Miller's "Two Brothers"
Aislinn crossed the room, sat down on the edge of the bed, and brushed Shay's hair back from his face with a gentle hand, She was smiling, and there was a radiance about her that put a man in mind of a stained-glass window. Tristan made hasty excuse and left, and the doctor was close behind.
Aislinn leaned forward and kissed Shay softly on the forehead. She supposed she might regret such an impulsive action later on, but just then she was too glad that he was alive to care about proprieties. "How do you feel?"
Shay chuckled, a gravelly sound from his throat, and for a moment his pain-filled eyes were alight. "I'm not sure. Do that again, though. I think it helps."
She laughed, but the tears came then, too, in a storm of terrified relief, and though she quickly put a hand to her mouth, it was too late. Shay reached up with one arm and drew her gingerly down onto his chest, where he held her.
"Here, now," he said. "It's over, and I'm all right."
She sobbed. "for now!" she wailed. "Until those men come back - until something like this happens again -"
"Shhh." He kissed her temple. "It was just bad luck, that's all. The circuit judge will come through any day now - he'll put Billy and the old man in prison, where they belong, and everything will settle down. You'll see."
Aislinn raised her head and looked into his eyes. "Nothing is ever that easy," she protested. "Especially not when someone as powerful and rich as Mr. Kyle is involved."
Shay brought her back down, brushed her lips with his own. "Hush," he breathed, and she was, against all reason and rationality, comforted by that simple, silly word. By the warmth of his mouth and the touch of his hands.
*Sigh, I wish that things like this really happened. Jealous of a fairy tale, the story of my life.*
Aislinn crossed the room, sat down on the edge of the bed, and brushed Shay's hair back from his face with a gentle hand, She was smiling, and there was a radiance about her that put a man in mind of a stained-glass window. Tristan made hasty excuse and left, and the doctor was close behind.
Aislinn leaned forward and kissed Shay softly on the forehead. She supposed she might regret such an impulsive action later on, but just then she was too glad that he was alive to care about proprieties. "How do you feel?"
Shay chuckled, a gravelly sound from his throat, and for a moment his pain-filled eyes were alight. "I'm not sure. Do that again, though. I think it helps."
She laughed, but the tears came then, too, in a storm of terrified relief, and though she quickly put a hand to her mouth, it was too late. Shay reached up with one arm and drew her gingerly down onto his chest, where he held her.
"Here, now," he said. "It's over, and I'm all right."
She sobbed. "for now!" she wailed. "Until those men come back - until something like this happens again -"
"Shhh." He kissed her temple. "It was just bad luck, that's all. The circuit judge will come through any day now - he'll put Billy and the old man in prison, where they belong, and everything will settle down. You'll see."
Aislinn raised her head and looked into his eyes. "Nothing is ever that easy," she protested. "Especially not when someone as powerful and rich as Mr. Kyle is involved."
Shay brought her back down, brushed her lips with his own. "Hush," he breathed, and she was, against all reason and rationality, comforted by that simple, silly word. By the warmth of his mouth and the touch of his hands.
*Sigh, I wish that things like this really happened. Jealous of a fairy tale, the story of my life.*