All the while she was weeping, she was telling him she wasn't going to be a worry and now that she was safe in the wilderness, he really could leave if he wanted to.
He let her ramble. Long minutes passed before she gained control of her emotions. He didn't have a handkerchief with him, but he guessed it didn't matter. She used his shirt to dry her tears.
Taylor leaned against Lucas and considered the problems that were still facing her. Would Malcolm send men all the way to Redemption? She didn't have an answer and put the question to her husband.
"If he offers enough money, they'll come."
"I could go up into the mountains," she whispered.
"Listen to me," he ordered. He was careful to keep his voice calm and soothing. He could feel her panic taking hold again. She'd gone rigid in his arms. Her voice was shaking again as well. He wanted her to stay reasonable. "You're through running."
"He's their guardian," she cried out.
"In England," he reminded her. "Not here."
She pushed herself away from him and looked up into his eyes. "Meaning?"
"We're going to do exactly what he did," he told her. "We'll petition our court for legal custody. Their father was American," he added. "And it was apparent he wanted his daughters raised here. They were living in Boston when he died."
Taylor couldn't let go of her worry. "Will the authorities here honor a claim made in England?"
"Not if we've secured our own claim," he assured her.
"Don't use Lewis," she blurted out. "He doesn't understand the law."
"How did you figure that out so quickly?" he asked.
"I spoke to him about another legal matter this afternoon," she explained.
Before he could ask her to be more specific, she turned his attention. "I want to thank you for your help, Lucas. I know I've turned your life upside down…"
He didn't let her finish. "Don't thank me yet, Taylor. You're going to listen to what I have to say first. Then you can decide if you still want to thank me."
She agreed with a nod. She was still feeling incredibly relieved because Lucas was going to help her fight her legal battles against Malcolm. She could barely keep from smiling. Her husband sounded serious. His voice had taken on a hard edge, but she wasn't bothered by it.
"I'll be happy to listen to you," she said. And then I'll thank you once again, she silently added.
"I want you to understand how things are going to be from now on," he announced. "You could drive a man right out of his mind. You know that?"
She shook her head. He frowned. "You've driven me to distraction these past weeks. I'm still having trouble believing you actually dragged three children and a pregnant woman halfway across the country."
She felt the immediate need to defend herself. "I didn't drag Victoria. She wanted to come with me."
"Do you always think you know what's best for everyone else?"
He'd nailed her flaw right on the head. "I sometimes think I do," she admitted. "But I try-"
"Don't interrupt me," he snapped. "And listen carefully. You don't know what's best for me. Got that?"
She quickly nodded.
"Did you go and see Lewis about a divorce?"
She was astonished by the question. "No, of course not. Why would you think such a thing?"
"You said you went to see him about a legal matter. Damn it, Taylor, what else was I supposed to think?"
"I don't want a divorce," she whispered.
"You're not getting one," he snapped. "Answer another question for me. Did you decide to leave Cincinnati before or after you received the wire?"
"I was getting ready to leave before the wire came."
She didn't understand what was behind his motive in asking the question, but it was obviously terribly important to him.
Lucas's heart was thundering inside his chest. He was trying desperately not to ask her the one question that had plagued him night and day on his journey to get to her. The longer he looked at her, the harder it became to keep the words locked inside. He was aching with his need.
He was so damned tired of standing on the outside of life. He wanted a home, a family, and most of all, he wanted Taylor. He didn't want to live without her. She was everything he'd always believed he could never have and certainly didn't deserve. Yet she was here, standing just a few feet away, and all he had to do was reach out for her and he knew he could have it all.
The reasons had to be right, however. He didn't want a wife who was beholden to him. He didn't need her appreciation. He needed her love.
"Why did you run away from me?"
Her gaze flew to his. She saw the vulnerability in his expression and was astonished by it. "Is that what you thought? That I was running away from you? These mountains are your home. I wanted to be as close to you as possible. I knew you wouldn't bring me here. You told me it wasn't a fit place for a lady. But this is where your heart is, where you belong. Oh, Lucas, don't you understand. I was coming home."
She couldn't tell if she'd convinced him she was telling the truth or not. His expression became guarded. He wasn't giving anything away now.
"I took so much away from you," she admitted. Her voice shook over the guilt she was feeling. "You valued your independence and your freedom, and like a thief in the night, I stole both away from you. I ruined your life. I knew you wouldn't leave me alone to raise the children. You're too honorable. I didn't want to take all your dreams away."
"Do you honestly believe I would have allowed you to do anything I didn't want you to do?"
"You weren't given a choice," she cried out. "A man should be able to follow his dreams."
"So you came to my mountains?"
She nodded. "I thought we could live the way Daniel Boone and his wife lived. He left her for years at a time, and in all the stories I read, it was mentioned again and again that he would bring meat to her. I also read that she was very content."
"You really expected us to live like that?" His voice was incredulous.
She suddenly felt like a fool. "It sounded perfectly reasonable to me for a while," she admitted. "But I have had time to reevaluate. I, too, did a lot of thinking on the journey here. I hope I even grew up a little. I learned something interesting," she continued. "You can't always believe what you read in books. Just because it's written down doesn't mean it's true."
The smile caught Lucas by surprise. Taylor sounded as though she was telling him something that was going to stun him.
"Cats aren't supposed to like water. I read they were afraid to get wet. The cat who tried to pounce on Victoria apparently didn't know he was supposed to be afraid. And now I think that perhaps, if Mrs. Boone had truly loved her husband the way I love you, she wouldn't have been content when he left her. She must have been miserable. I know I was when you left for Chicago. I couldn't stop thinking about you."
"Look at me," he commanded. "Give me the words again." And let me start living.
"I was miserable," she cried out.
He thought those were the sweetest, most magical words he'd ever heard. His laughter echoed through the stillness. The sound was filled with joy. He suddenly was whole again and free.
She hadn't expected Lucas to be amused. Hearing him laugh after confessing her misery devastated her. He reached for her then, but she backed away from him. He was much quicker than she was, however. He grabbed hold of her hand and held tight. She struggled to pull free, but he wouldn't let go.
They stood at arm's length now. She finally quit trying to peel his hand away from hers and frowned up at him.