Redeeming Vows by Catherine Bybee Page B

water.”
    Tara rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right. Like no one would notice that.”
    Still, the thought had merit. From her sister’s expression, Liz knew Tara considered how her husband’s gift might aide her in a warm bath.
    Up ahead, Simon rode alongside Cian. Lizzy’s son appeared asleep in the saddle, a term she’d only heard of in old westerns until she’d nodded off herself after the first night on the road . Now she knew a person could actually sleep while riding a horse. Not a peaceful sleep, but a few minutes of shut-eye helped break up the day and rejuvenated 91

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    what the night neglected.
    It was crazy how she no longer stressed when her son rode a horse or lifted the sword he had strapped to his waist. And to think she balked at a pocketknife back when they’d lived in California.
    Simon’s head jerked up, as though he’d awakened suddenly. His gaze shifted above him where Ian’s falcon soared. Even from her distance, Liz noticed Simon’s shoulders stiffen.
    He turned in his seat and met her eyes over the riders separating them.
    Mom, his voice sounded in her head. Someone’s coming up ahead.
    Just then, the falcon squawked. Ian’s eyes shot to his flying weapon.
    Grainna?
    I don’t know.
    Liz watched as Simon attempted to get inside the falcon’s head and see through the bird’s eyes.
    What do you see? she quizzed him.
    Riders, oh geeze. I can’t hold on. They have swords like us. Lots of men.
    “Dammit.”
    “What’s wrong?” Tara asked, unaware of her silent conversation with Simon.
    Liz glanced over her shoulder, noticed Gregor riding up alongside them, and thought better of voicing her concerns. “I, ah, need to use the little girl’s room.”
    “Again? We stopped less than an hour ago.”
    Gregor rode ahead, unconcerned with their conversation.
    “Tell Duncan to stop us,” Liz told Tara in a hushed whisper. “Simon sees people ahead.”
    Tara’s eyes grew large, her eyes focused toward the beginning of the caravan. After a few silent moments, Duncan glanced over his shoulder then up again to the falcon flying. Duncan said something to 92

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    Fin, who quickly rounded his horse and drew up beside Liz and Tara.
    “How are ye faring?” he said in a voice loud enough for the surrounding men to hear them.
    Tara took the lead and cradled an arm around Briac’s sleeping frame. “I need to change my son, Finlay. Can we stop for a short time so I can see to his needs?”
    Liz jumped in to be sure they had more than a few minutes to assess what lay ahead. “I could use a break, seems the sun is wearing on me.” As if that were possible. The sun barely peeked beyond the clouds and the mist had hardly lifted from the land since they woke. Still, Fin understood and signaled for the caravan to stop.
    Within seconds, Simon stood beside his horse, Ian drew up alongside him, and both spoke with their heads close together. Tara ducked into the wagon with the ruse of changing her son. Several knights took the opportunity to dismount and see to their needs.
    “Someone is coming,” Simon told Ian.
    “What color do you see on their flags?”
    Simon shook his head. “I can’t tell.”
    “How many men? Do you see women?” Fin asked.
    “I think so. There’s a lot of riders.”
    Simon shot his gaze back and forth between Ian and Fin, his feet shuffled beneath him. “I can see better for myself. When I look through the falcon the colors aren’t as clear.”
    Liz stepped forward. “That could be dangerous.”
    Fin was shaking his head, too.
    “I’ll just reach the top of the trees to see if they are a traveling party like us or…something else.”
    Ian let a rare smile slip from his lips. His hand clasped Simon’s shoulder. “You would be in far more danger to be in the middle of a battle.”
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    Liz tilted her head back and noted the height of the trees. Her stomach started to turn. Simon had changed into a bird twice since the day at