"Promise me that you'll never hurt me like that again."

No longer able to stop the emotion, tears cascaded down William's face, and in a ragged whisper he said, "I would sooner die a thousand deaths than to ever...ever hurt you again. I promise you, Eleanor, as God is my witness, I will spend the rest of my days loving you like no other man could."

Chapter Forty-One.

"Sorry we're late," Laura said, walking into the house. "There were some spots on the road that still had snow on them."

"No worries, sweetheart. You're here now and that's all that matters," Eleanor said as she pulled her daughter into a hug. "Oh, I'm so glad you decided to take me up on my offer."

"So are we," Laura said, looking over her shoulder at Toni, who seemed intent on staring at the floor.

Pulling out of Laura's arms, Eleanor walked over, and tilting her head to catch Toni's eye, she said, "I hear congratulations are in order." Seeing Toni grin, without thinking, Eleanor gave her a hug, but when she felt the woman stiffen, instead of letting go, she held on tight. Pausing for a moment, Eleanor whispered, "Your mother was a fool to let you go, but I never will. I have two daughters now, and I love them both."

Laura had no idea what her mother had whispered in Toni's ear, but when she saw Toni warmly return the hug, Laura's eyes glistened with emotion.

The embrace ended and the two women parted. For a moment their eyes met and then Eleanor watched as Toni's expression turned blank as she tilted her head to one side. "What's wrong, dear?" Eleanor asked.

Confused and more than slightly amused at the thought that had just run through her head, Toni said, "Oh...um...nothing. You just...you just reminded me of Laura for a moment. That's all."

"Must be the lighting. They say those new bulbs do wonders," Eleanor said with a laugh. "But enough about me. I've been patient long enough. How about you show me that ring my daughter gave you?"

"Oh...oh, of course," Toni said, pulling off her gloves.

Smiling at the sight of the diamond on the woman's hand, Eleanor said, "It's beautiful, Toni. Oh, Laura, it's absolutely stunning. I've honestly never seen a more gorgeous ring."

"Well, you might want to rethink that," Laura said.

"What? Why would you say such a thing?" Eleanor asked, turning around.

"Because Toni decided that I needed one, too."

Quickly glancing back at Toni, Eleanor murmured, "Good girl," under her breath and then rushed to her daughter's side.

Laura's face turned radiant as she pulled off her brown suede gloves, her inner glow becoming brighter as she watched her mother's eyes bulge.

Trying to stay with the style Laura had chosen for her, Toni also purchased an emerald-cut diamond in a yellow-gold band, but while the cuts were identical, the band around Laura's finger held not only the large center stone, but channel-set into the shoulders were six smaller diamonds.

"Oh my," Eleanor said in a breath. Quickly glancing at her daughter, Eleanor turned and looked at Toni. "Oh my."

Looking up from the cutting board as Laura came into the kitchen, Eleanor asked, "All settled in?"

"Yes, and thanks for putting us in the same room."

"Why wouldn't I? I'm assuming Toni's gotten over her issues with being touched, at least by you, that is."

Seeing Laura's face flush scarlet, Eleanor laughed. "Oh, it does a mother's heart good to see she can still embarrass her child on occasion." Noticing the smile on Laura's face seemed to disappear a bit too quickly, Eleanor asked, "What's wrong, dear?"

"Mum, I know that you're okay with my relationship with Toni, but what happens if the rest of the family isn't?"

"What do you mean?"

"I don't want your Christmas ruined because of us."

"The only way my Christmas could be ruined would be if you and Toni weren't here to celebrate it with me."

"But-"

"No buts, Laura. I don't give a damn what the rest of the family thinks about it!"

"Does that include Bill?"

"I've already told your father."

"What? I thought that's why you invited him over here tonight."

"Well, I thought I should warn him-"

"Warn him!"

Startled by Laura's tone, Eleanor looked up and then immediately scowled. "Poor choice of words."

"Was it?"

"Calm your feathers, Laura. What I was trying to say was that I thought I should inform your father of Toni's...well, her idiosyncrasies, so he didn't walk in here and attempt to shake her hand or, God forbid, try to give her a hug."

Laura's anger disappeared in an instant. "I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking about that."

"Well, I assumed you probably had your hands full with Toni and getting ready for this visit, so I thought the least I could do is take care of your father."

"And did you?"

Images not meant to share with one's daughter filled Eleanor's mind, and as her cheeks began to burn she quickly turned toward the sink without saying a word.

"Mum? Are you okay?"

Pretending not to hear over the running water, several seconds passed before Eleanor turned off the taps.

"Mum?"

"I'm sorry. What?" Eleanor said, turning around.

"You said you talked to Bill. I was just trying to find out what his reaction was."

"Oh, well, as you might expect, he was somewhat surprised, and when he found out Toni had spent some time in prison, he was...well, let's just say he was concerned. But after I told him some of the particulars, he came to the same conclusion that I did. As long as you're happy, he's happy."

Laura narrowed her eyes as she stared back at her mother. "Really?"

"You seem surprised."

"I am."

"Why? Did you assume because of what he did all those years ago that he was some sort of...I don't know, monster?"

"He walked out on you."

"He walked out on us, but it wasn't because he didn't love us, Laura. He was just young and stupid."

"Why do you always defend him?"

"Why do you always defend me?" Toni asked, walking into the room.

"Hiya, sweetheart," Laura chirped. "Doing better?"

Eleanor let out a sigh, noticing that Toni appeared pale and on edge. "Oh my and here I thought you were comfortable around me."

"You're not the reason I'm nervous."

"Meeting William then? Laura's father."

"Meeting anyone actually, but I'll admit being around men is harder," Toni said.

"Mum, maybe you should call him. Tell him-"

"No Laura," Toni said, taking a step in her direction. "This isn't just any man we're talking about. He's your father, and we should meet."

"I know, sweetheart, but we just got here, and if you need more time-"

"You can't protect me from the world. Remember?" Toni said, placing her hands on Laura's shoulders. "We both know I'm going to have issues. It's unavoidable, but your mum did a good thing by inviting him here tonight."

"Yeah?"

"Yes. That way I only have to worry about one new person instead of a group. I do better that way. You know that."

"Yes, I do."

"Then it's settled," Toni said, placing a light kiss on Laura's forehead. "But make sure you've got Abby on speed dial, just in case."

The ringing of the doorbell caused all three women to jump, and as Eleanor headed toward the entry, Laura glanced at Toni one more time. "You ready for this?"

"Ready," Toni said, taking Laura's hand. "I just hope he is."

When Eleanor opened the front door and saw William standing there, her face lit up. She leaned in for a kiss, but then jerked back when she remembered they weren't alone. Apologizing by way of a quick shrug, she ushered him inside, and even though they managed to keep their smiles under control, their eyes twinkled with a merriment that very well may have bested Santa Claus.

"Hello, William," Eleanor said softly. "Remember what I told you."

"Yes, dear," he whispered, placing a large bag on a nearby table. Removing his coat, he draped it over a chair, and as he picked up the bag, Laura came from the kitchen. Smiling, he went over and kissed her on the cheek. "Hello, Laura. I swear you're getting more beautiful every day."

Up until that moment, their meetings had been accidental and almost always wooden. One had never felt he had the right to expect more than cordial, and the other had never been willing to give anything but. So, slightly unsettled by her father's words and actions, it took a second before Laura said, "Um...hi, Bill. You're...you're looking well."

"Fit as a fiddle, as they say," he said, glancing over her shoulder.

The night before, Eleanor had done her best to describe the tall woman standing near the kitchen, but Bill quickly decided that her best apparently needed improvement. She had said Laura's partner was attractive, but the woman with black hair and soulful eyes was much more than that, and while Eleanor had told him that Toni was neither gruff nor butch, William hadn't believed her...but he did now.

"So, are you going to introduce us?" he asked, catching Laura's eye. "Or should I ask your mother to do me the honor?"

Laura flashed a dazzling smile, and then walking over, she took Toni's hand. Giving it a reassuring squeeze, she turned to her father. "Toni, this is my...my father, Bill MacLeod. Bill, this is my fiancee, Toni Vaughn."

Taking Eleanor's warning to heart, Bill didn't move an inch, and almost immediately, an awkward silence fell over the room. Realizing his lack of etiquette might be misinterpreted, Bill's face brightened with every ounce of charm he owned. "Pleased to meet you, Toni."

Toni stared back at the man for a moment. Just as Laura had described, he was tall, nearly Toni's height, and his face was tanned by years in the sun, but what Laura hadn't mentioned was that the gentleman standing with one hand in a pocket and the other holding a large paper sack was, in Toni's eyes, rather dashing. His wavy hair seemed to have a mind of its own, and even at a distance she could see that his eyes were a brilliant green. Matching the emerald in Laura's eyes, the color calmed her nerves, and slowly, she held out her hand. "It's a pleasure, Mr. MacLeod."

After one quick glance at Eleanor to silently get her approval, Bill pulled his hand out of his pocket and extended it to Toni. Tempering his normally firm grip, he was impressed when the one returned was confident and strong, and as they ended their greeting, he held out the bag he had been holding. "Well, I don't know about you, but I could do with a drink after that," he said, making light of the anxiousness that seemed to hang in the air. "How about you?"

Already flustered by the affection he had shown her seconds before, Laura was now dumbstruck. The man she believed meant nothing to her had just filled her heart with pride. In a few seconds, he had managed to break the ice, and with smiles on their faces, she watched as her partner and her parents went to the kitchen to pour themselves a drink. Scratching her head, Laura followed in silence, trying to make sense of the feelings that had just caused goose bumps to appear on her skin.

The rest of the evening moved smoothly, and conversation around the dinner table centered on the upcoming holiday. Eleanor talked about the decorating she wanted to do, and with groans and grins, they tried to plan their week, and when Bill volunteered his services, Eleanor was pleasantly surprised when both Toni and Laura agreed.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I think I need to rest a bit before we have dessert," Eleanor said, pushing out her chair. "How about I clean this up and we all relax for a few?"

"I'll help," Laura chimed in, grabbing her plate, but when Toni began to gather their glasses, Laura shooed her away. "We'll do it. Go get a smoke, and I'll make some coffee."

Enjoying the fact that her partner knew her so well, Toni went to fetch her jacket, and as she was walking to the back door, Eleanor said, "Oh, Toni. I had some work done out there. There's a new switch by the door. Turn it on when you go out."

Toni flipped the toggle and stepped outside to find that the gardens were now awash in low-voltage lighting.

The winter in Scotland had begun with a bang. With two weeks of frigid temperatures and more than an ample amount of snow, as Toni walked across the slate, she was thankful for the addition of the short border lamps. Casting their light over the patio, she could easily make out the shimmering patches of ice as she made her way to the bench. Pulling out her pack of cigarettes, she sat down and looked toward the garden.

Pathway lights had been placed alongside the stepping stones that led to the Japanese maple, and while the red leaves had long since blown away, she could still make out the branches, courtesy of a small spotlight placed at the base of the tree.

Hearing the door open, she turned and watched as Bill stepped outside.

Holding up his pipe, he asked, "Do you mind?"

"No...no, not at all," she said, unconsciously moving farther down the bench.

Standing by the door, Bill packed his pipe, and after fumbling for his lighter, he walked over and sat down. Blocking the breeze with his hand, he puffed on the stem until the tobacco caught fire. Within seconds, the air began to smell of earth and chocolate as the burley smoldered, and taking another puff, he pulled his coat closed. "It's a bit chilly out here tonight, isn't it?"