Had Slatter provided a home for those who found themselves unable to provide for themselves? Had he no home as well? But what of Devin? He was a longtime friend of Slatter’s, which meant they had to have reached maturity together, yet he didn’t make his home here.

“You shouldn’t be out in the cold and snow.”

Willow jumped and when she turned, she found herself in her husband’s arms, a place she found herself enjoying more and more.

“I was just headed to your cottage,” she said. “All is well with Erna so far and I pray it stays that way.”

“Let’s get you inside, I have a question to ask of you.” With his arm firm around her, he headed to his cottage.”

“I have one myself,” she said, though didn’t wait until they reached the cottage. “What were you doing sneaking off with a woman at the market and kissing her?”

Chapter 8

“You saw me kissing someone?” Slatter asked once they entered the cottage.

Willow almost missed the peg she went to hang her cloak on. “Don’t tell me you don’t remember the woman. She certainly looked no stranger to you. And you looked straight at me and smiled. I almost got the feeling you wouldn’t mind if I joined you both.” She wrinkled her nose at the thought. “It was shortly after that that a man called you a whoremonger and I couldn’t believe how fast you got to the other side of the market.” Her brow knitted as she tilted her head in question. “How did you get to the other side so fast?”

Slatter didn’t answer, instead he turned a question on her. “Why didn’t you go with Tarass’s warriors? They would have taken you where you want to go… home.”

“Why did you return for me? Why not let me go and be done with me?” she shot back.

“I suppose I’m not done with you.” Slatter looked as startled as she did by his response and hurried to explain. “I can’t just have you return home without finding out how we can absolve our vows and be husband and wife no more.”

His explanation made perfect sense, or so he told himself. He’d never questioned or needed to convince himself of his decisions until he’d met Willow, and the thought rankled him.

“What of you? What brought you back to me?” he asked and saw her shiver. He turned a chair toward the hearth and took hold of her arm and hurried her to sit. “You need to get warm.”

Your arms would keep me warm. She kept her lips tightly sealed afraid her thought would voice itself. Instead, she hugged herself, rubbing her arms and thinking on what an impact Slatter had made on her life in only a few days. It was sheer foolishness for her to be having such intimate thoughts about him.

When he brought the other chair to place beside her and sat, she knew he would pursue an answer from her.