"Aye," Cam murmured and then grinned and added, "That or I was her favorite, Douglas her second favorite, and Aiden a pain in the arse she was happy to be rid of."
"You are awful," Jo said on a laugh, lightly slapping his belly with one of the hands clasping him there.
Her laugh definitely wasn't that of a boy. It was high and tinkling. He liked it, Cam thought, glancing down again at the hands splayed on his stomach. They rested low, just inches above--
"I gather Douglas is your favorite brother then?" Jo asked, interrupting his thoughts.
Cam shrugged. "We are closer in age, but . . ."
"But?" she queried when he paused.
"We have little in common," he admitted quietly and then explained, "Douglas is terribly serious and grim all the time, while I am not."
"Hmm," she murmured, shifting against his back. " 'Tis usually the other way around. The eldest is usually more serious and the middle child less so."
"Aye, and that is how it was when we were growing up," Cam admitted.
"What happened?" Jo asked. "When did that change?"
Cam squinted thoughtfully as he considered the question. He'd never really troubled himself to work that out. Now he did and wasn't sure he liked the answer to her question, but she was waiting for one, so, sighing heavily, he admitted, "After me wife's death."
"Ah," she murmured.
"Ah?" he asked, stiffening. "Ah what?"
He felt her shrug against his back again. "Tragedy often changes people."
Cam grunted, but felt dissatisfied, both with her words and the realization he'd just had. While growing up he had always taken his responsibilities and charges seriously. It had been hammered into him that he should, and so he'd been dutiful about everything, performing every task required of him . . . until his wife, Lacey, had died.
Like him, Lacey had taken her duties seriously and had done all she was expected to without fail. Their marriage had been arranged while they'd both still been in swaddling. When their parents decided that it was time for that marriage to take place, they'd both accepted and gone into it without fuss or ado despite their being complete strangers. Lacey had dutifully welcomed him to her bed, if not eagerly, then with calm acceptance. She'd even got with child quickly, as was expected and carried the child without complaint right up until the day it had killed her. And that was when Cam had begun to throw off the shackles of duty.
"What are your parents like?"
Cam shook off his thoughts at that question and considered how to respond. "Me mother loves and frets o'er us all. She's a good woman."
"And your father?"
"He dotes on me mother. We all do," Cam answered and then urged his horse off the road, onto a barely visible trail through the woods.
"Are we stopping?" Jo asked and he could feel her shifting behind him, her chest sliding against his back as she looked around.
"Aye. 'Twill be dark soon, and I ken a good spot to stop just off the road. I ha'e camped there on other trips."
"Oh," she said and relaxed against him, her hands slipping a little lower at his waist.
Cam knew it was an unconscious move on her part. She probably wasn't aware her hands had dropped a bit, and certainly it wasn't as if they were anywhere they shouldn't be. He wasn't even sure why he was so aware of their position. He liked the girl, had liked her when he'd thought she was a boy too, but he wasn't attracted to her. At least he didn't think he was. True she smelled nice, he liked her laugh and he enjoyed talking to her, but he didn't even know what she looked like under all those bruises, so he couldn't be lusting after her. Could he?
" 'Tis beautiful," Jo breathed as they broke out of the woods and into a clearing.
"Aye," Cam agreed but with appreciation rather than the wonder she was experiencing. He'd been here before after all. But it was a truly beautiful spot. The trees had been cleared away as if someone had planned to build here. In the absence of trees, a field of knee high grass and wildflowers had grown and it was all beside a lovely waterfall that the river flowed over before meandering away toward the south.
Once they reached the center of the clearing, Cam brought his mount to a halt and then twisted just a bit, ignoring the pain it caused and held his hand and lower arm out to Jo. He didn't have to say a word, she took his hand with one, and grabbed his forearm with the other and then held on as she swung herself off the horse and to the ground.
"Thank you," she said with a nod and then turned to walk toward the water's edge as he dismounted.
Once on his feet, Cam leaned his head against his mount and took a moment to let the pain the action had caused to ease. He then led his mount to a tree on the edge of the clearing and secured the reins to a branch before removing his bag, and Jo's. Setting them aside, he then started to unsaddle the beast, and brushed him down before turning to find the clearing empty. Cam frowned, but then realized that she had probably gone to find a secluded spot to take care of personal business and relaxed.
It had been a long ride. They may not have got far because of the speed at which they'd been forced to travel, but they'd ridden from dawn until now, almost dusk. He needed to drain the dragon as well. Scooping up his bag and Jo's he headed back the way they'd ridden in. He didn't want to risk running into Jo and spoiling her secret after all. Besides, seeing her that way once had been enough. He didn't need another vision of her naked to keep him awake.
JOAN LEANED FORWARD, TOOK A DEEP BREATH and lowered her face into the water again. She would have liked to take a dip to wash off the day's dust, but there was no time for that. Besides, it was still light out. She didn't want to be seen and recognized for the woman she was. The water was nice though, and felt soothing on her swollen face, so when she couldn't hold her breath any longer, she lifted her head, took another breath and dunked her head in the water again. Joan did that three more times before straightening and sitting back on her heels to let the water roll down her face and neck.
It had been a good day, the best of this trip for her so far. It seemed her encounter with Toothless and his gang, while painful, had worked out for the best for her. This was the first day she hadn't been anxious and nervous from sunrise to sunset. Traveling alone, she'd had to be constantly on her guard. That hadn't been the case with Cam. She'd been able to relax a bit today and just enjoy the scenery and conversation. The combination had made the journey much more pleasant, and despite the fact that they had ridden slowly and probably hadn't got much further than she would have on foot, at least her feet and legs didn't ache. And Cam had promised to see her safely to MacKay so the rest of her travels were going to be this easy. All in all, what had started out the worst of days when Toothless and his gang had attacked her, had ended up being quite lucky.
A rustling in the bushes behind her had Joan standing up with surprise and turning around. Her abrupt action must have startled the pheasant she'd apparently heard, because in the next moment one suddenly rose up out of a nearby bush and flew into the branches of the nearest tree. The sight made a slow smile stretch her lips, and this time, the pain was minimal. Her face was still misshapen with swelling and bruising, but it was a little better than it had been. At least it had seemed so in the wavering reflection she'd seen in the river water.
Not that it really mattered at this point, she supposed. It wasn't as if she wanted to appear attractive to Cam or anything. After all, he thought she was a boy. Besides, she'd decided long ago that relationships and men were not for her. Getting mixed up with them was dangerous. She had no desire to die in the birthing bed as she'd seen so many women do. Every one of them had gone screaming, or exhausted from screaming if they lived long enough to push the baby out. Nay. She liked Cam, it was true, and yes he was certainly very attractive, but that was as far as it went.
"And you are such a liar," she muttered under her breath. Joan was more than attracted to the man. She'd sat behind him on horseback all day, her arms around him, her face pressed to his back, smelling the woodsy scent
of him, and enjoying the caress of his soft hair against her cheek as the wind blew it back toward her.
She definitely had an attraction to the man. It had started as she'd nursed him back to health those three days. While he apparently didn't recall it, Cam hadn't been incoherent the entire time, at least he hadn't been unconscious anyway. He'd been feverish but talking even then and she'd found him amusing and intelligent. An opinion that had only grown once his fever broke and he woke up. Their conversations last night and today had merely increased her liking and attraction to him.
Joan supposed that meant she was lucky that he thought she was a boy. At least this way, he wouldn't be interested in a dalliance to pass the time. Not that he probably would anyway, considering how unattractive she was just now. Still, with both those little matters between them he wouldn't be interested and she wouldn't be tempted to do something stupid.
Pushing these thoughts out of her head, she moved over to stand beneath the tree the pheasant had flown to. It had roosted on a branch about fifteen feet up. She peered at it briefly, imagining how good it would taste cooked over an open fire. The thought made her stomach rumble, reminding her that they hadn't eaten since the rabbit the night before. Joan rubbed her stomach and then glanced around her for a good-sized rock. Finding one that would suit, she retrieved a slingshot from the small bag she'd sewn inside the waistline of her braies.