CHAPTER 50
"Just don't say no MacLeod … not without taking time to consider what I am asking." Methos
said in a low voice before they walked in the door to the house.
Duncan didn't reply. He was tired of hearing himself argue with the stubborn fool. Maybe Joe
could find a way to reach him, because he was getting nowhere.
"We're up here." Amanda called down the stairs.
Claudia had Richie measuring every inch of the room Beth had offered. Not only was she
planning to purchase furniture … she was trying to decide between an area rug or wall to wall
carpet.
"You don't mind do you?" Claudia asked Beth, who just smiled and told her whatever she wanted
… was fine.
"Do I want to ask?" Duncan whispered to Amanda as he walked in the door.
"Claudia is going to stay here after her engagement at the concert hall is over … for the holidays."
"And she's got Richie measuring for? …" Adam asked, giving Beth a smile that reached across
the room to caress her.
"Carpeting." Richie grumbled.
Duncan and Adam both smirked, but said nothing.
"Oh look at the time." Claudia gasped. "I have to be at the concert hall in an hour … "
Richie pumped his fist in the air "yes".
"Can I make you a sandwich Claudia?" Beth asked, following her out of the room.
"I can't eat before I play … but thank you … thank you for everything." Claudia said as she
started down the stairs. "Oh … and I'll make sure the tuner calls before he comes by this week
… once he's done with it, we should be able to get a passable sound out of that piano … at least
enough for some holiday music."
Amanda ribbed Richie in the ribs as he started to laugh. Claudia was high strung … but she was
harmless.
Everyone followed her downstairs … everyone but Adam that is, who grabbed Beth around the
waist as she tried to pass him.
"Adam" she laughed as he pulled her across the hall and into his room. "I really should tell her
goodbye."
"Beth says goodbye." He yelled out into the hallway before looking back down at her. "Now you
don't."
"You're terrible, you do know that don't you?" she said, reaching up to wrap her arms around his
neck.
"That's not what you said last night." He reminded, his voice low as he kissed her.
When he broke the kiss, Beth didn't release the hold she had on his neck.
"I missed you this morning."
"I'm sorry … I wanted to be with you when you woke up … but MacLeod needed to see me …"
he explained.
"Promise me something." She said, looking up at him through her lashes.
"Anything I can."
"The next time you have to leave … wake me …."
"But you looked so peaceful … "
"Wake me." She repeated firmly.
He nodded. He knew she probably worried when he wasn't there this morning.
Adam took her hand and led her to sit with him on the bed. "How is it Claudia is going to stay
here?"
"She can't really celebrate the holidays in a hotel … and besides … I thought it would be easier
for you and Duncan and Richie to protect us … make us more centrally located."
Adam agreed. "Smart girl."
"We should probably go downstairs … " Beth said without conviction. "They will probably wonder
…"
"Let them." He replied mischievously. "At least for a few minutes."
Adam reached into the drawer of the nightstand and pulled out a box. "I brought this back from
Paris …" he explained, "But before you open it .. I need to tell you something."
Beth waited, wondering what was so important.
"Last night … after we made love … you told me you loved me …" he began.
"Adam … you don't have to explain … just because I thought it was right for me to tell you how I
felt, doesn't mean you have to feel the same way … love doesn't always work that way …"
"Please … let me finish." He said, putting the box in her hand.
"When I saw this … I knew I had to give it to you." He nodded for her to open it.
Beth gasped. "Oh my God … Adam …" she looked up through misty eyes. "It's …"
"It's a symbol of what you already have …" Adam said as he lifted the delicate chain out of the
box and urged her to turn around so he could put it on her. Beth lifted her hair and tried to blink
back the tears as she gently let her fingers run over the pendant dangling from it.
Adam gently grasped her shoulders and walked her to the mirror above the dresser. There,
resting just below the hollow of her neck, was an intricately designed white gold filigree heart with
tiny diamonds woven throughout. "It's so beautiful … and delicate ..." She said, looking up into
his eyes in the mirror and then turning to throw her arms around him.
"I don't know why it was so hard for me to say last night when I already knew …" Adam said as
he held her close.
"It doesn't matter …" she replied, burrowing as close to him as she could. "In my heart … I knew
how you felt … I didn't have to hear it, because you say it to me every time you look at me."
Tears streamed down her cheeks and made her eyes sparkle even brighter when he lifted her
face to look at him.
"I do love you Beth … with all my heart I love you."
He didn't wait for her to answer, but drew her up in his arms and kissed her tenderly until she
thought she would swoon from the sweetness of it.
"Just don't say no MacLeod … not without taking time to consider what I am asking." Methos
said in a low voice before they walked in the door to the house.
Duncan didn't reply. He was tired of hearing himself argue with the stubborn fool. Maybe Joe
could find a way to reach him, because he was getting nowhere.
"We're up here." Amanda called down the stairs.
Claudia had Richie measuring every inch of the room Beth had offered. Not only was she
planning to purchase furniture … she was trying to decide between an area rug or wall to wall
carpet.
"You don't mind do you?" Claudia asked Beth, who just smiled and told her whatever she wanted
… was fine.
"Do I want to ask?" Duncan whispered to Amanda as he walked in the door.
"Claudia is going to stay here after her engagement at the concert hall is over … for the holidays."
"And she's got Richie measuring for? …" Adam asked, giving Beth a smile that reached across
the room to caress her.
"Carpeting." Richie grumbled.
Duncan and Adam both smirked, but said nothing.
"Oh look at the time." Claudia gasped. "I have to be at the concert hall in an hour … "
Richie pumped his fist in the air "yes".
"Can I make you a sandwich Claudia?" Beth asked, following her out of the room.
"I can't eat before I play … but thank you … thank you for everything." Claudia said as she
started down the stairs. "Oh … and I'll make sure the tuner calls before he comes by this week
… once he's done with it, we should be able to get a passable sound out of that piano … at least
enough for some holiday music."
Amanda ribbed Richie in the ribs as he started to laugh. Claudia was high strung … but she was
harmless.
Everyone followed her downstairs … everyone but Adam that is, who grabbed Beth around the
waist as she tried to pass him.
"Adam" she laughed as he pulled her across the hall and into his room. "I really should tell her
goodbye."
"Beth says goodbye." He yelled out into the hallway before looking back down at her. "Now you
don't."
"You're terrible, you do know that don't you?" she said, reaching up to wrap her arms around his
neck.
"That's not what you said last night." He reminded, his voice low as he kissed her.
When he broke the kiss, Beth didn't release the hold she had on his neck.
"I missed you this morning."
"I'm sorry … I wanted to be with you when you woke up … but MacLeod needed to see me …"
he explained.
"Promise me something." She said, looking up at him through her lashes.
"Anything I can."
"The next time you have to leave … wake me …."
"But you looked so peaceful … "
"Wake me." She repeated firmly.
He nodded. He knew she probably worried when he wasn't there this morning.
Adam took her hand and led her to sit with him on the bed. "How is it Claudia is going to stay
here?"
"She can't really celebrate the holidays in a hotel … and besides … I thought it would be easier
for you and Duncan and Richie to protect us … make us more centrally located."
Adam agreed. "Smart girl."
"We should probably go downstairs … " Beth said without conviction. "They will probably wonder
…"
"Let them." He replied mischievously. "At least for a few minutes."
Adam reached into the drawer of the nightstand and pulled out a box. "I brought this back from
Paris …" he explained, "But before you open it .. I need to tell you something."
Beth waited, wondering what was so important.
"Last night … after we made love … you told me you loved me …" he began.
"Adam … you don't have to explain … just because I thought it was right for me to tell you how I
felt, doesn't mean you have to feel the same way … love doesn't always work that way …"
"Please … let me finish." He said, putting the box in her hand.
"When I saw this … I knew I had to give it to you." He nodded for her to open it.
Beth gasped. "Oh my God … Adam …" she looked up through misty eyes. "It's …"
"It's a symbol of what you already have …" Adam said as he lifted the delicate chain out of the
box and urged her to turn around so he could put it on her. Beth lifted her hair and tried to blink
back the tears as she gently let her fingers run over the pendant dangling from it.
Adam gently grasped her shoulders and walked her to the mirror above the dresser. There,
resting just below the hollow of her neck, was an intricately designed white gold filigree heart with
tiny diamonds woven throughout. "It's so beautiful … and delicate ..." She said, looking up into
his eyes in the mirror and then turning to throw her arms around him.
"I don't know why it was so hard for me to say last night when I already knew …" Adam said as
he held her close.
"It doesn't matter …" she replied, burrowing as close to him as she could. "In my heart … I knew
how you felt … I didn't have to hear it, because you say it to me every time you look at me."
Tears streamed down her cheeks and made her eyes sparkle even brighter when he lifted her
face to look at him.
"I do love you Beth … with all my heart I love you."
He didn't wait for her to answer, but drew her up in his arms and kissed her tenderly until she
thought she would swoon from the sweetness of it.