He gently kissed her lips. "I thought of nothing but you too. I am so happy you are alive. You scared the hell out of us."
"I promise I will never do that again. I thought I could protect myself as good as any man...I was daft."
It made him laugh. "Aye, you were. Are you more sensible now?"
"Nay."
"Why not?"
"You have not yet kissed me."
He looked deep into her eyes. "I love you, Rachel. I will love only you until the day I die." Then he kissed her, softly at first until he felt her tighten her hold, and then he kissed her the way he dreamed of kissing her from the first time he noticed her.
They held each other for a very long time and kissed again. Then he remembered there was a war and he needed to get back.
But Rachel spotted a pond and wanted to bathe. She didn't want her mother to see her all dirty. "But you will not look, will you?"
"I will not look until our wedding night."
"Good."
When he turned his back, he smiled and wondered if she realized she had just agreed to marry him.
She realized. Her smile was even wider than his and she could hardly contain her excitement. She hurried to strip down, walk into the water neck deep, wash her face, then her hair and get out. She shook the dirt out of her clothes and dressed again.
Her hair was wet, but he didn't mind when she came around and went back into his arms.
She laid her head on his chest and suddenly got serious. "Do not die in this war, Connor. I do not want to live without you."
"I will not die."
It was another hour before they turned up the road to the Cameron hold and saw Catherin and Anna sitting with Kevin's sons in the grass outside. Rachel moved her horse close to Connor's and let him lift her into his lap. She kissed him passionately, held him tight for a long moment, and then slid down. Then she started to run and didn't stop until she was in her mother's arms. When she looked back, her eyes were glued to Connor's until he turned and rode away, taking her horse with him.