“Nay, I’ll kiss her again.” And he did, laughing as he pushed Greylen back. “Ah, Gwen, I missed you.”

“I missed you, too, Gavin.”

“Enough of your love-play with my wife,” Greylen demanded. “And you, Gwendolyn, for God’s sake hold yourself back!”

“You’re well, Gwen?” Gavin asked as he held her slightly away. His eyes widened when he noticed her expanding belly and he reached out to cover her stomach. “When?” he asked.

“Late spring,” she answered with a smile. “You’ll be our child’s godfather, won’t you?”

“I’d be honored.”

“You’ve fondled my wife long enough. Now go find Isabelle, she’s most likely crying on a bench behind the keep.”

Gavin pulled Gwen into another embrace before doing the same to Greylen. Then he ran toward the side of the keep.

His breath caught when at last he saw Isabelle. She sat on a bench, her back to him as she looked to the sea. She wore a cloak similar to Gwen’s, the hood about her neck, and her blond hair a mass of disarray from the incoming winds.

He stood behind her and called her name. She must not have believed ’twas him, for she placed her face in her hands and wept. He sat on the bench, his legs bent over the opposite side of hers. “Isabelle?” he said again, placing his hand on her shoulder. She slowly lifted her head, reaching out so cautiously, as if she feared her touch would make him disappear.

“Gavin, oh, Gavin,” she cried.

Her hands wrapped around his neck as he held her windburned cheeks. Then he kissed her. She robbed him of his senses, and ’twas long minutes before he pulled away. He wiped at her tears, having to kiss her again before he could speak.

“We’ll marry tonight, Isabelle. Say you’ll have me, Bella.”

“I am only yours, Gavin. I’d have no other.”

Gavin and Isabelle were married that evening, surrounded by family, Anna, and Greylen’s inner circle of men.

Since they only had hours to prepare, Gwen asked Isabelle if she’d like to borrow her wedding gown. Isabelle happily accepted and Anna worked for the rest of the afternoon, letting out the seams to accommodate Isabelle’s slender but more curvaceous form. Gwen chose a burgundy velvet dress. It fit snugly, revealing the outline of her expanding belly and a fair amount of cleavage. Pregnancy, of course had its perks. The men dressed the same as they had for Greylen and Gwen’s wedding. Beige shirts, black breeches, and tall, polished black boots. Gavin’s shirt was white this time, just as Greylen had worn.