However, it was possible that if Laoghaire’s father didn’t permit her to marry an outlaw like Jamie, and if Jamie needed a wife to collect his share of the MacKenzie rents, he would settle for any suitable woman. Practicality ran deep within Jamie, shaped by his years on the run. Claire understood that his decisions wouldn’t be swayed by sentiment or superficial beauty. But that didn’t mean that sentiment or attraction didn’t exist. The memory of Jamie ardently kissing Laoghaire in the alcove resurfaced in Claire’s mind. "I’ve held women in my arms before,’ his voice echoed in her mind, "and they’ve made my heart pound and my breath come short...’