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Craving a Highland Sinner – Extended Epilogue

 

“Can ye help me with the broth?” Alana asked with a huff. It was getting difficult to move around. “When did I get this big? I cannae dae anything I want anymore,” she grumbled and sat back on the chair. She sighed at the relief she got from staying off her legs. She had also been getting lots of backaches lately.

Isla chuckled and poured some soup into a bowl. “Ye should be happy it will soon be over. Ye were nae like this with the twins,” she teased.

Alana rolled her eyes. “They were nae this big nor gave me issues with me body.”

Time passed so quickly, and the pregnancy of that time had resulted in two beautiful girls. She could still remember how happy she had felt in finally being able to see her children. It hadn’t compared to Kai’s happiness. That man had been the proudest father around, always talking about his two lassies. Ever since their birth, he showered lots of love and attention on them.

She had once teased him that they would grow on him and might never leave him. He hadn’t minded and replied, saying he preferred them to know they had someone who loved them most in the world. It would make him sad if his daughters looked to someone else for validation of love. She had understood what he meant. What had happened all those years ago popped up once in a while, and in their various ways, they were trying to avoid a repetition of such.

Here again, four years later, they were expecting another addition to the family. Alana didn’t even know if she was truly eager to see the baby or just wanted relief from how she was feeling. Her first pregnancy didn’t give her many issues, contrary to various pregnancy stories she had heard. She had been the envy of every other expecting mother.

But life got even with her at the second trial. She wished she had taken more time to enjoy it. It only made her wonder if it would be a boy. Their duty was already being cut out for them before birth.

Isla laughed at her words. “It is all part o’ the process. It is the end result that matters, after all.”

“It does have some advantages tae it. My skin feels brighter and food tastes much better.” Alana moaned as she scooped another spoon of broth into her mouth.

She shrugged and took more bread. Maybe she shouldn’t worry about it this time too. She looked up to see Isla watching her with amusement.

“Isnae me fault. The baby wants more,” she defended herself.

Isla chuckled, “Of course. You can have all ye want.”

She rolled her eyes and took a sip of water. “By the way, I have nae seen the twins an’ their faither since I woke up for lunch. Where are they?”

Isla titled her head to the side, “I dinnae know ‘bout—”

Speaking of which, their arrival was announced with a loud squeal, interrupting Isla’s response. Alana turned around to see her beautiful husband with their lassies, one on his shoulder and the other clutching his hand. She smiled at the thought of them being her safe haven, her home. When the one on his shoulder tugged at his hair, Kai made a silly face. They all burst out laughing. They were both adorable and mischievous.

Their names were Catriona and Fiona, named after Alana’s sister and Kai’s mother respectively. The bairns had been a gift to them, and Alana never stopped showing gratitude you to the fates. She got all she had ever wanted. Everything was a blessing. And with another blessing on the way, there was nothing more she could ask for.

Kai dropped the lasses and gave them a final tickle which kept them distracted enough for him to kiss Alana. When they recovered from their laughing fits, they also ran towards the table and planted a kiss on each of her cheeks.

She smiled and patted their heads in adoration.

“What have ye both been up tae?” she asked.

“Faither said he was going tae take us fishing. We have been looking at the tools,” Catriona explained. “I will get me own fishin’ rod, Mama. An’ I will catch many fish,” she squealed in excitement. Unlike her sister, Catriona was always impressed by little things and very eccentric.

“That’s nice tae ken. Maybe I will come along.” She smiled and looked up at Kai.

“Will it hurt the baby?” Fiona asked in worry, always thinking ahead of possible situations.

“Dinnae worry yer little head ‘bout that. Mama an’ the baby are fine,” Kai answered on her behalf. “How ‘bout ye both play in the courtyard?”

The girls didn’t hesitate, and she knew they’d go around forcing everyone to play with them. They were the castle’s princesses. They kissed Alana and dashed out of the great hall.

“An’ how are ye doing this fine afternoon, milady?” Kai asked, drawing her attention back to him. He placed another kiss on her lips. “Ye were sleeping when I came by earlier.”

“Tired but happy now that ye are here,” she whispered with a smile.

“I hope the baby is nae tirin’ ye more than usual,” his voice was laced with worry. He circled his hand over her belly and caressed it.

“There is naething I can do ‘bout it,” she replied. “It will all soon be over.”

Kai crouched and kissed her stomach. “I cannae wait tae meet him.”

She caressed his scalp and chuckled. “One would have thought ye would be kept busy with the twins. Is it nae too early tae start going on fishing trips?”

Kai settled on the chair beside her. “The earlier the better. I want tae have lots o’ memories with them as well as pass down many practices my faither thought me.”

Alana looked at Kai in adoration. He was the most sensitive and loving father she had met in her life. Perhaps it was because he came from a similar background, but he now knew more and was eager to learn. Despite everything, she knew he was acting this way because of one fear.

“Ye are different, Kai,” she said softly to get his attention. “I ken ye are doing all this tae try tae make up for all that went wrong in the past but ye will nae make such mistakes. I love ye this way, an’ I ken the girls dae as well. Dinnae worry tae much ‘bout probabilities.”

“I am glad that I will always have ye by me side,” he breathed, kissing her temple.

“Always,” Alana promised.

“I cannae wait tae see how the bairn will be,” Isla chipped in. She was smiling at them. “Looking at how everything is, I wouldnae be surprised if the bairn will have a temper calmer than the twins.”

Alana and Kai shared a glance and chorused, “We shall see.”

Alana smiled as she rubbed her stomach. She had a suspicion that this bairn would not be calmer. But it would all be revealed soon.

And two months later, the heir to the MacAdam lairdship was born: Ian Maverick MacAdam. It was the start of another adventure.

The End.


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Married to a Highland Brute – Extended Epilogue

 

There had been no sign of rebuttal from Lords Bennett and Turner for more than six weeks.

The only news that had reached the keep was Bennett’s return to England. The tale went that he had suffered heartbreak at the hands of Turner’s daughters and sought a new start in his father’s old manor in York.

Life was peaceful in the Highlands, and Nora relished every moment of it. She spent most of her days with her family and most of her nights in Jonan’s bed.

That morning, however, Jonan had gotten out of bed early to head to a council meeting.

I should not be tired, Nora worried, before summoning all her strength and getting out of bed. Her neck and back hurt, but she forced herself to get out of bed.

I must have slept the wrong way.

After changing into fresh clothes, she headed downstairs.

“I did not want to wake you. You looked like you needed the sleep,” Amelia said with care.

Nora gave her sister a friendly smile. Amelia had decided to stay in the keep and become a permanent member of the clan. The villagers had accepted her because of their love for Nora, whom they had been quick to forgive.

Amelia let go of Leah and dashed into the arms of Nora.

“Are you alright?” Amelia asked her sister when she saw Nora almost lose her footing. “Are you late to bleed this month, sister?” she added quietly.

“No, I feel tired,” Nora said, holding back a yawn. Her mind struggled to make sense of her sister’s words.

“Hmm, are you certain it is tiredness?” Amelia asked with a suspicious look.

Why is she worrying over me so? “Yes,” Nora answered defensively.

“Then I must be mistaken,” Amelia apologized.

Nora went into her garden, as had become her habit, and picked up some new cucumbers and onions for breakfast with Leah’s help.

“Good morniin’, milady,” Callan said as Nora entered the keep.

“Good day, Callan” Nora said as she placed a basket of fresh produce in the center of the kitchen counter.

“Lady Amelia,” Callan said next, smiling proudly as he stole glances at her.

“Would ye like to accompany me on a ride, Lady Amelia?” Callan inquired, as he had done every morning for the previous two weeks.

“Certainly,” Amelia replied gleefully.

Amelia had a knowing look on her face that caught Nora’s eye that morning. She could tell her sister wanted to send her a message without saying anything in front of Callan.

When Leah arrived, Nora immediately asked, “Is there something wrong with my face?”

“Nae,” the youngster replied with an exaggerated shrug.

Nora was still bothered by her sister’s worry.  “Are you late to bleed?”

When was the last time I bled?

Nora suddenly felt alarmed for she couldn’t recall.

Where is Jonan? Since Callan was here…Jonan could not have gone for a council meeting.

She began to worry.

“Would you lie to me, Mae, if I asked you a question you might feel odd answering?” Nora asked.

Mae’s brow furrowed immediately. She looked at her knowingly. “Would you accompany me, milady?”

“Where to?” she asked.

“To see a physician in the village…” Mae responded. She clearly did not want to say anything that she was unsure of. “I wonder if… maybe…” Mae let her words trail off and returned her attention to Nora’s stomach.

Nora’s hand moved over her stomach as she pondered the meaning. Am I with child?

She and Jonan had discussed having a child together. Nonetheless, the thought caught her off guard.

“How long has it been since I bled?” Nora inquired, hoping Mae would remember. “Do you remember?”

“Not exactly, milady. But I have nae heard ye speak of it in near two moons.”

Two months!

“Nora!” she suddenly heard her name called from outside.

Jonan! She dashed out to meet him, who was galloping his horse towards her.

Nora was in his arms faster than she expected, he was panting for air and seemed restless; something made him happy, she could tell.

She drew back and nervously placed a hand on her stomach.

“What’s the matter?” he asked, placing his hand on hers. “Are you still feeling unwell?”

“Well… Mae suggested I go see the physician,” she told him, not knowing what to say.

“I have just ridden from the physician’s. I asked whether he would ride up later, to check on ye,” he told her, sheepishly. He then lowered his gaze. “But he wonders…”

“Yes…?”

Jonan smiled. “He asked me the last time that ye bled.”

Nora sucked in a breath. “Could it mean…?”

Nora’s eyes widened as she raised her gaze to meet his.

Jonan wrapped his arms around her again, lifting her off the ground. Looking down at his face, she could tell he was overjoyed that she was carrying his child.

“You will make such a wonderful father again, much better than mine ever was,” she told him, and he responded with a deep kiss.

“Ye will make the best mother to our child,” he said to her before easing her back onto her feet.

“Should we tell Leah and Amelia now?” she inquired as Jonan led her back into the keep.

“Nae, let us check with the physician first, to be sure. But from now on, just in case, I shall do all ye need,” Jonan said, and Nora laughed.

He would go to any length for her.

He’d proven it time and time again.

Later that evening, Nora noticed a familiar path rush past the moving carriage.

“Jonan,” Nora inquired suspiciously from the carriage. She wondered if he still had the same devilish smile he had earlier when he had asked her to accompany him somewhere.

Jonan jumped down from the carriage to hold the door open for his wife. The chilly night breeze caressed Nora’s cheeks. She immediately melted into Jonan for warmth, and he had plenty to offer her.

They walked together along the loch’s shore. Nora smiled as she remembered their first kiss and felt her skin tingle.

“This is where it all started,” Jonan said, staring into the darkness beyond the loch. “This is where I first loved ye,” he breathed and Nora’s heart warmed.

“I will always love ye and our child as long as the loch exists,” he assured her. “And my love shall be as vast and endless as the loch’s water,” he promised.

He loves me.

“I love you ‘till the end,” Nora breathed.

The End.

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The Secret of a Highland Rebel – Extended Epilogue

 

One year later

Bevin sat in the sunroom with Louisa, sipping a cup of tea. She’d been married to Keenan for a year now, and life had been beautiful and blissful since then. He had kept his promise to her, constantly demonstrating his love for her in small and large gestures. She also made certain to reciprocate his efforts so that he would never feel unloved.

The Athol clan was doing outstandingly well. Keenan had made it his mission to restore the clan to its former glory and then gone above and beyond, introducing new ideas he was certain would benefit the people’s growth.

Keenan was unlike any other Laird. He made sure that he listened to people who had complaints — that he was physically available. He was always working with them, going out to join them during the planting season and assisting them in building silos and digging wells to prevent fires around farm areas and provide more water sources.

He was still the same person he was before becoming Laird. He made certain that Athol had many allies by attending meetings with other Lairds himself rather than sending others in his place. He was excellent with people. He proved to be physically and mentally strong, and people preferred to work with him rather than oppose him.

He trained new guards and soldiers, incorporating techniques he had learned on the street and from the many masters he had served under, and their military strength more than doubled. His soldiers were regarded as the best in the villages and clans that surrounded them.

He had Mr. Balfour by his side, which aided him in his mission. The merchant, who had connections with other merchants, assisted in bringing good trade to Athol, causing other villages to turn to them for goods they required.

Mr. Balfour maintained his habit of rescuing strays and training them to be experts in various fields. He no longer warned them against using their hearts, but instead reminded them that the brain was a very important tool that they should use.

The old man’s habit appeared to have grown with age and since his reunion with Keenan. He did everything he could to replace Keenan while still holding him in high regard. When he returned from his trips, he always brought some boys with him and trained them to be better, effectively removing them from the streets and ensuring their basic needs were met.

Mr. Balfour chose to settle in Athol after becoming tired of constant travel. He had built a large network with his boys and those he had met over the years, and he no longer needed to leave his house on long trips.

His friendship with the former Laird remained strong. The two of them trained the boys in their different areas of expertise and picking a new spot to travel to every few months. The two would go away for a few weeks at a time, sending letters back and forth about their adventures. They always returned with stories of their explorations and gifts for everyone.

John was no longer tempted to drink, though he did occasionally share a glass with a friend on nights when they decided to stay in and enjoy a quiet evening.

Once Bevin asked him about her mother and he’d made it clear that any mention of her only caused him grief and drove him deeper into the bottle. Bevin had been afraid to ask again because she didn’t want to jeopardize his progress. She was surprised when he smiled and told her about her mother’s shenanigans and all the times she had made him worry.

The night had been filled with so much laughter that Bevin had been moved to tears. She had tried so hard to keep them from falling down her cheeks because her father still felt guilty about how he had treated his daughter, and she wanted the night to end in the same joy it had begun.

She attributed part of his happiness to the merchant and loved him for it. She was grateful to him for the man Keenan had become, but now she loved him with all her heart, just as much as she loved her father. The old men’s mischievous behavior only reinforced that love.

She was grateful for Keenan’s special bond with Mr. Balfour, whom she had come to know as James. It appears that James and her father brought these boys and trained them to be mercenaries in order to ease Keenan’s position. The two frequently dispatched young mercenaries to him, who always joked that his land would soon be overrun with young men.

The merchant had told Keenan that he was their older brother in a way because they all looked up to him as their father. Keenan was glad to train them, glad that he could at least provide them with a stable future as guards.

He would come home from the training ground, clean himself up, and join her in the sunroom or wherever she was at the time to spend quality time with her. She was particularly fond of their amusing exchanges. He was a very busy man, but he showed that he wasn’t too busy to spend time with her.

Keenan appeared just as she was thinking about him, as if she had summoned him with her thoughts, and kissed her cheek, causing her to smile. He smelled like the soap he’d used in his bath, and his hair was still slightly damp.

“How is me lovely wife doing today?” he asked, striking up a conversation. Bevin responded that she was feeling great and that she was glad he could join her. He left their bed before she woke up this morning, telling Louisa to notify her when she awoke that he had been called for an emergency and didn’t want to wake her up to tell her.

“I have been thinking of ye all day,” he said to her. Bevin couldn’t believe that after a year of marriage, he still made her heart skip a beat. Her new friends had told her that once she settled into marriage, her feelings would level out, but she was relieved to know that she still felt the same way she did when she first fell in love with him. It made her so happy that Keenan was feeling the same.

“Louisa, I hope this one has nae talked yer ears off,” he joked, pointing to Bevin, who smacked him lightly on the arm, unable to keep her laughter at bay.

Louisa, who was used to both their antics by now, laughed with them as she said, “Nae me Laird, she has been perfect.”

The two continue to have light conversation, frequently including Louisa, who tried but failed to stay out of their antics. She eventually gave up trying as they laughed and joked.

Keenan told her about his day, including the emergency that had compelled him to leave their bed. A Laird from another clan had had his land flooded and required assistance in dealing with it. Keenan had taken some men provided by James and gone to the Laird’s land before the flood caused any further damage than it had already.

He had advised him to construct an irrigation system that would direct the water to the farmlands instead, and he had stayed with his men to assist the Laird in this endeavor. Bevin was pleased with her husband. He was selfless, always willing to lend a helping hand to others. There was no other man she’d rather be with, and she ensured he knew that.

“I saw yer faither in the study on me way here,” said Keenan suddenly. Bevin looked at him, wondering what he had done or said this time.

“He said he was proud of how we handled the clan and our marriage so far. He is glad that both have been going so smoothly.” Bevin was moved by her father’s efforts to be present in her life and grateful that, even though he was no longer Laird, he was still working hard to ensure the clan’s success.

“He said that now all he wanted to make his joy complete was for us tae give him a grandchild,” Keenan laughed. “James asked me the same thing a few nights ago. Maybe we should get tae it now so that we can give them the grandchild that they want so badly,” Keenan joked.

Bevin set the cup she was holding down and exchanged an excited look with Louisa. It had been their topic of discussion today.

I cannae wait tae tell him I am with child.

The End.


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Wrapped in his Highland Sins – Extended Epilogue

 

Two years later

“Edna! I think Tory is calling for you.” Ronin’s voice forced her to turn around and look at her husband and their two kids. Ronin was seated on the grass of the castle grounds with Tory and Tywin, their twin children, while Edna was taking a leisurely walk in the evening breeze. She turned around and walked to where they were sitting and noticed that Tory and Tywin were happily playing with one another and certainly did not need her.

“They look just fine tae me,” Edna replied, and Ronin quickly jerked her down to the ground. She landed on his lap, laughing, and looked at him with love in her eyes.

“Tory didn’t need you, but Tory’s father was missing you very, very much,” Ronin told her as he bent down to kiss her lips. Edna turned to face him completely and held his face lovingly in her hands while deepening the kiss with a fervent passion. Even after two years of marriage, they could never get enough of one another.

“Well, I do believe ye two have yer own bedchamber where ye can kiss one another as much as ye want.” Lachlan’s voice forced them to part and look at him. Edna laughed and moved from Ronin’s lap to sit beside him.
“Why do you always show up at such a bad time?” Ronin asked his friend, and Lachlan laughed good naturedly. Edna loved what these two men shared. Their friendship was a beautiful bond, and Edna enjoyed watching them playfully bicker and argue.

“Out of habit, my laird,” Lachlan said with a smirk and came to sit beside them.

Edna watched how he lovingly kissed both Tywin and Tory and started playing with them. She couldn’t help but feel grateful about the fact that her kids had all the love in the world and would have it forevermore. They had loving parents, Lachlan, and Edna’s mother. Edna did not know when she had gotten so lucky, but most of the time she felt like she had the world at her feet.

“My laird,” she looked up just as a guard showed up to them.

“Yes?” Ronin asked.

“There is a young miss who has shown up at the castle door and is asking for help. She says she is in trouble and needs tae speak with someone from the castle,” the guard explained, and Ronin turned to look at Edna with a confused expression.

“Ye two stay here. I will go and see what this is about,” Lachlan said and stood up at once to go. Neither Ronin nor Edna objected since they knew Lachlan would handle the matter with ease.

Once he was gone, Edna moved closer to Ronin and placed her head on his shoulder as they watched Tory and Tywin play with one another. Edna knew their life would never be a bed of roses. As laird and lady of the clan, they were going to face troubles all their life, but with Ronin beside her, life was always beautiful too. This was all she had ever wanted. This was what she finally had.

The End.


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Saga of a Highland Avenger – Extended Epilogue

 

Four years later

Lorna was shaking her head, hunched forward, hands over her waist, trying to catch her breath. “He’s got a big ol’ mind o’ his own,” she said.

“Hmm, interesting,” said Arran beside her; his eyes laughing. “One could say he reminds me o’ a certain ferocious woman that I know.”

Lorna arched her eyebrows to the sky. “Don’t you dare,” she warned.

Arran threw up his hands in feigned innocence. “Merely an observation,” he protested.

Lorna glared at him. “I’ve no idea who that might be,” she insisted.

“Oh, I’ll give ye a clue alright.” He leaned into her and he looped his arm around her waist; pulling her against him. He dropped his mouth to her ear. “I married her,” he said.

Lorna shivered in response to her husband’s touch. They had been married for nearly four years. One would think that time would have dulled her desire or that it would have faded completely, but time had had the opposite effect on her. Her husband could still make her swoon, melt her body, and make her legs tremble for him with a single touch. She wished she could lean into him, bury her head in the crook of his neck, open her mouth to him and let him kiss her senseless.

But there were far more urgent matters to attend.

Chief of which was the taming of the ferocious little boy running ahead of them; tugging on the fabrics that danced over the tops of the nearby stalls, snatching up gloves dangling from stands, grasping for anything and everything, like a fiery bundle of chaos.

Before the shop owners even got the chance to marvel at his boisterousness or shake their heads and laugh at the little boy’s speed and agility – he had run on to the next interest, picking up fruits from baskets and loaves from tables, squealing and giggling heartily all the while.

Lorna untangled from her embrace with her husband. She was shaking her head. Bruce was a delightful handful but he was a handful alright.

“He’s back at it again,” she said. Arran followed her gaze to the little boy bouncing down the street. Shaking his head at her, he laughed, at her. He was enjoying this.

“Nae less than we’re used tae.”

“He’s making trouble.”

“He’s getting tae know his future subjects,” Arran teased.

“He’s snatching up their apples and toys!”

“Out o’ love,” Arran drawled; trying and failing to contain his amusement. His face was ablaze with laughter. “This is love.”

“Easy tae say when it’s nae ye running after him,” she said. “I suppose we ought tae be grateful that the vendors take it in their stride. I dinnae think I’d have the ability tae be as patient as them.”

Arran’s eyes were shining bright with humor but his tone was reassuring. “Oh, yer people love him,” he said to Lorna. He was right, of course.

Each time they had journeyed to the markets in her father’s domain, Bruce had made a spectacle; stopping to speak to anyone who cared to listen to a little boy’s rambling, to watch him skidding down the street clothed in the finest garments a little laird could dream of — and the journeys had been beyond counting.

The vendors and shopkeepers cooed and doted upon him and if he did not stop by their stalls to snatch up something, they almost looked disappointed. Some of them even had their baskets ready and waiting for him, and said, “Anything that pleases yer eye, my laird?” and, “Have at it, my laird!” when he stopped by.

“Yes! This one!” Bruce would say; picking up a miniature horse or an apple or a potato, or a sword cut from wood, and the merchants would exchange amused glances before shaking their heads and laughing.

Lorna rolled her eyes and sighed. “Off I go, yet again,” she said. Her voice revealed her exhaustion but she could not deny a small part of her enjoyed these little journeys through her home.

Arran lifted his hand in playful cheer. “I believe in ye,” he said. She made a face at him, then gathered her gown and ran after Bruce.

She raced after her son, steadying and catching her breath as she reached him. She looped her arms around him, gathering him to her side. He had found his way to the front of a silverware shop and had been smacking a silver spoon against the merchant’s steel table; as if testing its fortitude and strength.

“Forgive us, kind sir” said Lorna as she pulled her son away.

The merchant failed to hide his disappointment as Bruce put his spoon away, albeit reluctantly. “Please, dinnae apologize,” he said, laughing. “Always an honor tae have the young laird visit our streets and judge our goods,” he joked.

Lorna shook her head and laughed. “Certainly one way tae put it,” she said to the merchant then turned to her son. “Let’s go, Bruce. Come on. Up ahead.”

Bruce was already shaking his head, the strong-minded little animal. “Nae, Mama. Nae, I want the spoon.”

“Well, ye cannae have it. I mean it, Bruce.”

“Sure he can,” said the old merchant. He caught himself and then added in a more reverent tone, “That is if ye dinnae mind, my lady.”

Lorna sighed. Oh, well. He had picked many “souvenirs”, as they liked to call them, from all the other stands in their time, and the vendors been more than happy to relinquish their goods. What was one more silver spoon to add to his collection?

The merchant lifted the spoon from his table and handed it to Bruce, who snatched it like a precious little thing, and was already running ahead before Lorna could get her words out. “Bruce! Say thank ye!”

She returned to the merchant, still shaking her head. “I’m so sorry. Thank ye, sir.”

He waved away her gratitude. “Please,” he said. “What greater honor than tae tell people that our good laird’s heir is my most favorite customer?” He laughed and Lorna eased up a little; laughing along.

An arm came over her waist and she turned to see that her husband had caught up to them; pulling her close and kissing her cheek.

“Evening, my laird,” said the old man; bowing a little.

“Evening, good sir. I see my son has bestowed you his patronage,” said Arran, laughing.

“The very best customer, my laird.” The man laughed too.

Arran shook his hand and poured some coins in his palm. The man looked down and gushed his gratitude. “Thank ye, my laird, thank ye, sir.”

It was Arran’s turn to dismiss his gratitude with a wave. “Please. It is the least I can do for the chaos our little Bruce wreaks in these streets.”

“Oh no, sir, we look forward tae it,” the merchant assured him; smiling as he pocketed his money.

“We encourage it,” added a female vendor selling fabric beside him and the other merchants who’d been watching and listening laughed and shook their heads.

“Tis the least we can give back tae a laird who protects and supports his people thus so,” another merchant in the crowd added, and there were murmurs of approval as they laughed and nodded.

Lorna also smiled. Perhaps she had worried for nothing after all, and Bruce’s antics were all in good humor – not that she would start encouraging Bruce but she resolved to leave him alone for the time being. The sight of him running around the flea market, grabbing toys and goods and striking up conversations with the most unlikely of people had turned out to be a blessing for the shopkeepers. They loved him because they loved his father – almost as much as she loved her husband and son.

Lorna turned from the elderly merchant but first she waved him and the rest of them goodbye. “Have a fine journey ahead, milady,” said the merchants.

“Please bring our future laird back soon,” they added as they called after her.

Lorna laughed at that. As if she could possibly hold Bruce back from having his way!

“Oh, he’ll be back,” Arran assured them; a small smile lingering on the corner of his mouth.

They continued walking, past shops filled with swirling gowns and merchants shouting out the prices of their wares. Bruce continued to grab and seize whatever was in his path, while his father continued to dip his hand into his pocket and pay each merchant for each good snatched up and stolen. They laughed and said thank you.

Lorna sighed as she watched everything. It was a happy, satisfied sigh, the only kind she’d let out since starting a family with the man she loved.

Ahead of them, a group of vendors and villagers alike were huddled around the boy as he regaled them with stories about his newest chest of toys, his grandfather’s last birthday, and his favorite uncle Douglas.

Lorna watched her son spread his arms wide, making a face and gesturing as he entertained his audience and they broke into laughter. She realized she was laughing too. “He’s a delight,” she said dreamily.

“When he’s nae being a tyrant,” said Arran as he followed her gaze.

“That we can agree on,” she said and he laughed. “Mischievous like the brither he’s named after,” he added and she smiled. Arran’s eyes were smiling too.

She enjoyed hearing his voice free of pain and anguish as he spoke of his brother. He’d let time and new love heal his broken heart. He’d made it this far and her heart swelled in her chest as she realized her husband had overcome the greatest pain of his life.

She had never loved him more. She added softly, “Strong and handsome, like ye.”

“Beautiful and stubborn, like ye,” he said.

Lorna feigned affront. “Excuse me, sir. I am the softest, meekest little maiden ye’ll ever come across, thank ye very much.”

Arran shook his head at her. “With a very strong mind o’ his own, like ye too,” he added. “His younger brothers and sisters will definitely have an example tae follow.”

“If they’re nae already a larger handful than their big brither,” said Lorna.

“Well, now there’s only one way tae find out,” he replied as he clasped his hand over the small of her back.

She shivered and while she already knew what he was going to say – she asked anyway, “And what would that be?”

“We make more bairns,” he whispered against her cheek and she laughed.

She laughed because she felt lighthearted and joyful. She laughed because it was the perfect time to tell him that she was with child.

She had yet to confirm it with the surgeon but the signs were all there, as they had been with Bruce: the early morning dizziness, the inability to keep a meal down one moment and the overwhelming urge to devour anything she could lay her eyes on the next. She could have delivered the happy news to her gorgeous husband right then, at that moment…

But she decided not to. She would wait until they were in the castle, until they were all alone in their chambers. She would lay down beside him and plant his hand on her bare belly, and she would look in his eyes and say, “I’ve got a little something for ye.”

Then, she would watch him shake with enthused laughter as he lowered his mouth and kissed her belly; kissed her all over.

For now, Lorna leaned into him as they walked side by side. He held her so tightly but tenderly too. He kissed her ear, her cheek. She turned her mouth to him and, despite all the onlookers, she let him kiss her like his kiss was the only thing that mattered in the world.

It was as pure and overwhelming as the first time he had held her and claimed her as his own.

It was as pure and overwhelming as she knew it would always be.

The End.


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