Galt sighed. 

He knew Silke so well now, he could predict when she would protest and when she would acquiesce almost to a T. He could understand her, to a point. A thief's life was a lonely one as well. Partners were few and far between and for the safety of everyone involved, they would scatter after a job to make certain the group as a whole was safer from the law and reprisals. Hell, half the time Galt had worked with other theives, they had not used their real names. Only Stendan had been a recurring partner, and he could justify that in that both of them were so low in the totem pole no one would miss them if both were snuffed out at once. 

He wished Silke would let her guard down, but one step at a time, he thought. Her agreement to marry was already huge, he needed to give her some time to get used to the role. He wondered how well he would do if she took all responsibilities, however. "I'll have to insist I help some, Silke. I'll let you decide how, but I do need to be able to help for something. It wouldn't look right if I was just watching from the sidelines, even for a wedding." 

She felt wholly warm. A bit too warm. He reached over for some cushions and placed some behind her lower back so she could lean against them, granting a soft buffer between her and an old chair that stood behind her. "Do you think I'll make a good husband?" Galt asked suddenly. 

Weird. He felt himself ask the question even when it hadn't been in his mind a moment before, as if someone else had been speaking. Now that it was out there, though, he was anxious about the answer. He loved Silke and they worked well together, and not in a million years would he back out of the marriage, but would she be disappointed in him after spending years and years together? For once his surpreme confidence was waning. 

Galt leaned back against the same chair, looking into the fire. His arm lightly pressing against hers, they sat so close. He felt the heat of the flames, the light dancing across his handsome visage, igniting his dark hair and eyes into a rich, almost gold coloration. He glanced at his wife-to-be, waiting for her answer patiently.