All the Wrong Reasons

Part 41

Chapter 41

“Do you know where we are?” she whispered.

He tilted his head towards her and smiled. “Why are you speaking that way?  There is no one around.”

“You never know,” she huffed in mock irritation.

“Cassie, your father will get the ransom note, and the prince will assure him that I left to the village to find any leads.  Ashmore will not come after you.”

“You do not know that, Colin.  Will may have a hard time convincing him, and what if someone saw us leave?”

He trotted Dread closer to her.  “You were so worried that you did not realize what I just called you.”

Confusion crossed her face.  Colin knew she was looking back, trying to remember every word that they had said. 

“What?”

“Cassie,” he said with a smile, “I called you Cassie and you did not even berate me.”

Glancing over at him, she left a tiny smile cross her features and shrugged.  “I learned that my past does not affect my future, even if it made me what I am today.”

“Great way to think of it,” he mumbled.  He wished he could look at his life as she did hers.  It took a strong person to look back at the hard times and admit that it just made them who they were today.  Looking back on his life, he wanted to do the same as her.  He wanted to put his hardships into a pile and tell himself that they made him stronger; they made him who he was.  Could he do that though?  Could he let go of the past that easily?  Glancing over at his future wife, he nodded.  He could but his past behind him, only if it meant that his future would be with her.

“Colin!”

He snapped his head towards her.  She must have been attempting to get his attention for quite some time because she was staring at him with frustration clear on her face.

“Yes?” he asked with a sheepish smile.

Her face cleared.  “Sorry, I wanted to know what direction we take.”

The path way forked into a nice V.  To the left, was what he was almost sure the cabin would be, while, to the right, it would lead further into the village.  Thinking back to Will’s plans for the two of them, he nodded towards the left.  Colin could admit that he did not trust the man fully, but he had Cassie’s best interest at heart.  Will would never do anything to harm the girl he considered his family.

He motioned for her to precede him, and she did so happily.  The sun had begun to set, casting shadows in the woods.  Would anyone be lurking there?  Would anyone care that Colin and Cassie were running away?  Ashmore had his letter to satisfy him for the time being, and they would only stay in the cabin long enough to meet up with Will.  After that, they would be on their way to the nearest chapel, to marry.  This time, they would do it right.

Slipping his hand into his pocket, he pulled out the ring his mother had given him long ago.  He still remembered the exact words she had told him as a little boy.  Her brown eyes had crinkled at the edges; her dark hair only had a few strands of grey.  His mother was still beautiful as when she was a maiden.  Inner beauty like the one she possessed never went away.  Leaning down, she had looked him directly in the eyes with the most serious expression he had ever seen on her face.

Reaching out to his open palm, she placed the ring in his hand.  “Remember this, Colin; only give this to the woman that you love, never to a person with whom you settled.  It was your grandmothers.”