Julie Garwood - Saving Grace

She let out a little sigh. MacBain heard the sound and turned to look down at her. She smiled weakly up at him.

It was MacBain's turn to answer the priest's questions. He started with his name and title.

He was called Gabriel.

God had given her a sign. Johanna's eyes widened, and she thought her mouth might have dropped open.

She was quick to regain control of her emotions. Her thoughts weren't controlled, though. They raced with questions. Had his mother deliberately named him after the highest of angels, the most esteemed in God's love? Johanna remembered her religion lessons well about the archangel. He was known as the protector of women and children. She remembered the wonderful stories passed down through the generations from mother to child about the most magnificent of all the angels. Her own mother had told her Gabriel would always watch out for her. He was her own special archangel and was to be called upon for aid in the dead of night when nightmares came creeping into her dreams. The archangel was the champion of the innocents and the avenger of evil.

She shook her head. She was being overly romantic, that was all. There wasn't anything symbolic about her husband's name. His mother had probably been in a fanciful mood when he was born. There was also the possibility he was named after a relative, too.

She couldn't convince herself. Lack of sleep made her easy prey for such foolish thoughts, she supposed. Still, she had prayed for a miracle last night, and just minutes before she'd wished for a sign of some sort to let her know everything was going to be all right.

Johanna had seen a drawing a holy man had made in charcoal of Gabriel. She still remembered every detail of the rendering. The archangel had been depicted as a giant warrior with a gleaming sword in his hand. He had wings.

The man standing beside her didn't have wings, but he was certainly a giant warrior with his sword at his side.

And his name was Gabriel. Had God answered her prayer after all?

His mama should have named him Lucifer. Johanna came to that conclusion by the end of the day. Barbarian or Savage would have been suitable alternative names, she thought to herself. Her husband had the devil inside him with his arrogant, high-handed orders. The man was also completely devoid of all civilized manners.

Didn't he know it wasn't polite to fight on his wedding day?

Oh, Gabriel started out pleasant enough. As soon as Father MacKechnie gave the final blessing and the mass was over, her new husband turned her to face him. He was handed a beautiful multicolored plaid. It matched the one he was wearing. He draped the long, narrow cloth over her right shoulder. A second plaid made with different tones was draped over her left shoulder. The first, her husband explained, was the MacBain plaid; the second, the Maclaurin. He waited until she nodded understanding, then pulled her into his arms and kissed the breath right out of her.

She had expected only a quick peck. She got ravaged. MacBain's mouth was hard and hot. The heat the passionate kiss sparked made her cheeks turn pink. She considered pulling away, then gave up the idea. The kiss became so consuming, she didn't have the strength or the inclination.

The laughter in the background finally caught Gabriel's attention. He abruptly ended the kiss, nodded with satisfaction when he saw the bemused expression on his bride's face, and then turned his attention to the priest.

She wasn't as quick to recover. She sagged into her husband's side.

Father MacKechnie hurried around the side of the altar to give his congratulations. "Well now, that was a fine wedding ceremony," he announced.

Alex wiggled his way between his father and Johanna. She felt him tugging on her skirts and smiled at the child.

The priest drew her attention again with a snort of laughter. "For a minute there, I didn't believe we'd get it done."

Both her husband and the priest looked at Johanna. She smiled back. "I never doubted," she remarked. "Once I make up my mind to do something, I get it done."

Neither man looked as though he believed the boast. The priest pulled Alex away from Johanna's skirts and moved him to stand on his father's left. "Shall we begin the receiving line?" he suggested. "The clan will want to come forward to offer their good wishes."

Gabriel continued to stare at his bride. He acted as though he wanted to tell her something but couldn't get the words out.

"Did you wish to say something to me, Gabriel?"

"Don't call me that. I dislike the name."

"But it's a fine name."

He grunted. She tried not to take exception to that rather barbaric sound. "You should be proud to have such a grand name."

He grunted again. She gave up. "What should I call you?" she asked him, trying to be accommodating.

"Laird," he suggested.

He didn't look like he was jesting with her. She wasn't about to agree with his suggestion. It was ridiculous for a husband and wife to use such formal names. She decided to use diplomacy to gain his cooperation, for she didn't believe defiance would work now.

"But when we're alone?" she asked. "May I call you Gabriel then?"

"No."

"Then what…"

"If you must address me, call me… call me MacBain. Aye, that name will do."

"If I must address you? Have you any idea how arrogant you sound?"

He shrugged. "No, but it's good of you to say I'm arrogant."

"No, it isn't."

He was through discussing the topic. "You were right to include the boy."

Because he'd sounded so gruff and because she was still reacting to the ludicrous suggestion that she call him MacBain, it took a full minute for her to realize he was actually thanking her.

She wasn't certain how to respond. She nodded, then said, "He should have had a proper bath before the ceremony."

MacBain tried not to smile. He really shouldn't let her get away with such open rebukes, but God's truth, he was so pleased to see she had some spirit inside her, he didn't chastise her.

"Next time I'll see that he does."

It didn't take any time at all for his barb to hit. The implication that he would marry again wasn't lost on her.

"You like having the last word, don't you, Laird?"

"Aye, I do," he admitted with a grin.

Alex, his father noticed, was staring up at Johanna with a look of rapture on his face. The priest had moved him to the side for the receiving line, but the boy had already squeezed himself next to Johanna again.

His bride had won over the boy in a matter of minutes. MacBain found himself wondering how long it would take him to win her affections. It was a foolish thought. Why did he care how she felt about him? The marriage had secured him the land, and that was all that mattered.

The soldiers from both clans came forward, one by one, to introduce themselves to Johanna and to give their laird their congratulations. The women came forward next. One young red-haired lady who introduced herself as Leila from the Maclaurin clan handed Johanna a beautiful bouquet of purple and white flowers. She thanked the woman for her gift and thought to add the flowers to the nosegay she'd been gripping in her other hand. When she saw the mess she'd made of the flowers Father MacKechnie had given her, she burst into laughter. The flowers were gone. Had she been holding a bouquet of stems throughout the ceremony?

Alex was fidgety by the time the introductions were finished. The women hurried back and forth across the courtyard with trays of food to put out on the tables the men were assembling. Gabriel was deep in conversation with two Maclaurin soldiers.

Johanna turned to Calum and Keith. "There are six horses in the meadow below," she began.

"One's to be my very own," Alex blurted out.

MacBain heard his son's comment and turned back to look at Johanna. His smile was devilish. "So that is how you won him over," he remarked.

She ignored her husband and kept her attention on the soldiers. "They are my wedding gift to my husband… and Alex," she hastily included. "Will you please send someone to fetch them?"

The soldiers bowed and went to see the task completed. Alex tugged on the hem of Johanna's bliaut to get her attention.

"Did Papa give you a gift?"

His father answered his question. "Nay, I didn't, Alex."

She contradicted him. "Yes, he did, Alex."

"What did he give you?" the little boy asked.

MacBain was also curious to hear what she had to say. She was smiling at Alex.

"He gave me a son."

MacBain was taken aback by her declaration. His son wasn't certain what she'd meant.

"But I'm his son," he declared. He pointed at his chest so she would be sure to understand.

"Yes," Johanna answered.

The boy smiled. "Is a son better than six horses?"

"Of course."

"Better than even a hundred?"

"Yes."

Alex was convinced of his importance. His chest puffed up with pride.

"How old are you?" Johanna asked.

He opened his mouth to answer, then closed it again. From the puzzled look on his face, she assumed he didn't know. She turned to her husband to get her answer. He shrugged. He obviously didn't know either.

She was appalled. "You don't know your son's age?"

"He's young," MacBain answered.

Alex immediately nodded agreement over his father's announcement. "I'm young," he repeated. "Papa, could I go look at the horses?"