exactly the same. As for the boy’s mouth, it was plumper than Ben’s, and no doubt came from his mama. The thought that Ben made beautiful babies flittered through Kenzie’s mind.
She shook off thoughts of children with the Highlander. They were not useful or helpful at all. “He’s beautiful, Ben. I can see why you were in a rush to come home. And if you don’t mind, I’d love to help you take care of him, help you to get to know him before I leave.”
He smiled, with a look of pure adoration and love toward the boy. “I didn’t know how much I had missed the lad until I saw him again. He was barely weeks old when I left. An action I will regret always, but he’s not gone backward since my departure. If anything, he has only grown stronger. He’ll be a great warrior one day.”
The little baby flinched at something in his dreams, and Kenzie smiled, unable to stop herself from reaching out and touching his soft-as-silk baby cheek. “He’s been cared for well. Your staff are a credit to you.”
“Aye, they are. But I’m filled with shame that it was not only this babe that brought me home but another threat. One that I’ve not told ye of.”
Kenzie already knew of the threat, but she let him tell her himself. If Ben was willing to discuss his life with her, allow her to help him, discuss things that could possibly be troubling him, then she would welcome being his support.
“What was the reason?” she asked.
“Aline’s father, the Laird of Clan Grant visited here while I was away. Her father and Evan, Aline’s brother, made their displeasure at our marriage known from the time of our elopement. In fact, they came here after our marriage and demanded she return with them and forget the error of her ways.” A grin tweaked his lips, and he met Kenzie’s gaze. “She did not. In fact, she gave them a well-deserved set-down and eventually, they came around. Although they’ve never liked me, and vice versa, I will admit, but we respected each other while around Aline.”
Kenzie could just imagine how Highland Scots of this time took the news when their daughters and sons married without consent. Marriages of this time were made usually to form alliances, strengthen clans, and ensure more power in different locales about the land.
“From what I’ve heard, they really wanted Aline to marry Laird Macleod. Did you ever think there was much love between Aline and Aedan? From what Gwen has told me, if he’d married her, it would’ve been out of duty and the keep’s need. Not because he wished to.”
“Aye, the marriage would’ve been a disaster had it gone ahead, and thanks to me and my seductive charms, Aedan was able to marry the woman he loved.”
“Abby is lovely.”
“She is that, and Aedan is a besotted fool when it comes to his twenty-first-century wife. She is kind and honest and mayhap just as smart as you.”
Kenzie chuckled. “How hard was it for you to admit such a thing? Something tells me getting a compliment out of you isn’t the easiest thing.”
“’Tis not,” he said, pulling the blanket up on his son’s chest when it slipped. “But I’ll make an exception with you, for it’s true.” His carefree visage twisted to concern.
“Clan Grant are up to something, and I have to find out what. They stayed here for some time. It doesn’t bode well, and I can’t help but feel they’re warning me to be on guard.”
“You think the Laird Grant will cause problems for you, even though you’re the father of their grandson? You may have married Aline under false pretenses, but it certainly didn’t continue along that same vein. Why do you think he’s still angry at you?” The more Kenzie heard of Clan Grant the more she was positive it was them who rid Scotland of the famous Laird of Ross. It certainly seemed to point toward them, but one really couldn’t be sure in medieval Scotland. Anything was possible, she supposed.
“While I will admit to never being close with the Grants, we were certainly never at odds over anything. I can only assume his residual anger toward me is solely due to Aline’s death. They blame me.”
“Well, they shouldn’t blame you. Anyone can die in childbirth. Hell, women in my time are still passing away, unfortunately. Terrible things happen, and there’s nothing we can do about it. Life is what