“Listen to me, husband, and listen well,” she all but shouted at him. “You’ll not die on me. Not after all I did to save your sorry hide. Is this how you show your gratitude? By dying on me after all? ’Tis a disgrace, that’s what it is.”

She framed his face in her hands and leaned farther down.

“You’ll fight, damn it. You’ll not give over this easily. God is not ready for you yet because I am not through with you. You’re going to wake up and you’re going to give me the words I’ve waited on for so long. Telling me you love me on the battlefield as we both lay dying doesn’t count. You’ll give them to me and mean them or so help me I’ll bury you in unconsecrated ground so that you never rest and you’ll be forced to dwell in this keep with me for eternity.”

To her complete surprise, his eyes opened and a smile curved his lips upward. Warmth gleamed in those beautiful green eyes as he stared up at her.

“I love you.”

Tears filled her eyes until she could no longer even see his face. Relief was so sweet and so overwhelming that she couldn’t hold herself up. He gripped her arms and lowered her to his chest as she lay exhausted over him.

“Is that what you woke me for, wife? To beat the words from me? I would have gladly given them to you except you’ve been unconscious the last days and I grew tired of saying them to a woman who couldn’t hear me.”

She pushed herself off his chest and glared down at him. “What? But I thought you hadn’t yet awakened. I thought you were dying. Keeley said you hadn’t yet awakened.”

“Aye, I hadn’t,” he said in an amused voice. “ ’Tis the truth it was late when I took to my bed and I only did so because Gannon threatened to knock me over the head to force me to sleep if I didn’t leave your bedside.”

Weak tears slid down her cheeks. She could barely breathe for the relief beating in her chest. “You weren’t dying. You’re going to be all right. You won’t die.”

“I have no intention of leaving you, lass.”

Then he fixed her with a stern scowl.

“You, however, are not so assured of glowing health. You should not be out of bed. ’Tis the truth you look like you’re but a few steps out of the grave.”

Even as he spoke, he ran trembling hands over her arms and then up to her face.

“How typical that you spring from your deathbed to prevent me from going to mine,” he murmured. “You worried me, lass. The last days have been the longest of my life.”