The Wellspring (Kaitlyn and the Highlander #12) - Diana Knightley Page 0,2
photo shoot, Queen Kaitlyn? I would like tae hae a photo of yer family. I hae many photos of the kids, but none with ye and Magnus.”
“Oh.” I exhaled. I hadn’t thought about how many photos existed without us. A whole year of a life I hadn’t been a part of. I shook my head, trying to dislodge the thought. “Yeah, um... A family photoshoot would be amazing. Can we do it tomorrow? I’m hoping Isla will be more and more comfortable with me.”
Isla burst into tears, right then, as if on cue. I tried to console her. Then Emma tried to console her with me helping, until Beaty carried her off to change her diaper and see if she would nap.
I wanted to be that person, but didn’t want to force her, so I was kind of melancholy, and ate my feelings by pouring a bag of chocolate-covered pretzels into a bowl. I marveled at what a glorious thing they were, pointless and extravagant, chocolate on pretzels... Why? But also, delicious—
Fraoch and Hayley brought their lunch plates over and slumped into chairs across from us. Magnus said, “Och, ye are makin’ me hungry again.”
We had just eaten fifty pounds of food.
I leaned back in my chair and patted my stomach. “I might actually be full, finally. Where’d you go, Fraoch?”
“Out in the boat. I kent ye were spendin’ some time at home, Og Maggy, but I would like tae take ye fishin’.”
“How dost ye go?”
“In James’s boat, I ken how tae drive it.” He grinned.
Across Magnus’s face I saw many complicated emotions, but he simply nodded. “I would like ye tae take me out in the boat, but I am nae wantin’ tae go fishin’. I had m’fill of fish in the year I was gone.”
I said, “How about at sunset we go for a boat ride, and then have the amazing dinner Chef Zach is dreaming up for us?” I raised my voice into the kitchen. “Whatcha cooking tonight, Zach?”
He leaned on the kitchen island and waved a wooden spoon at me, the loud sounds of Twenty-One Pilots filling the kitchen behind him. “I just fed you, not twenty minutes ago, you’re already asking for ‘what’s next?’ sheesh, but since you asked, pasta, homemade bread, big ass salad, apple pies with ice cream.”
“Awesome, I’ll try to make room.” I poured the three remaining chocolate covered pretzels into the bag and folded over the top.
Hayley, who had been quietly eating, tossed her sandwich crust to the plate, and pushed it away, wiping her hands on her napkin. She drew in a deep breath and said, “So, let’s talk.”
“Yep, let’s get to it.”
She picked at her napkin and spoke nervously, “First, I want to admit, just so you know, that I am not perfect. Fraoch is not perfect.”
I squinted my eyes.
She added, “I know what I’m about to tell you is going to be hard to hear, but I want to say, you aren’t perfect either. Mags, you were really scary when you were threatening to kill Fraoch, my husband.”
“I ken. I am sorry for it.”
She chewed her lip and nodded. “Fraoch would like to say something, too.”
“I am sorry for nae tellin’ ye that I had been hired tae kill ye. It worried me verra much, tae nae tell ye, but I thought when I got ye from Florida tae London, that I had delivered ye from harm. The man who had approached me, what was his name?”
“Roderick.”
“I thought he was from Florida, and that ye were safe from his intentions. I dinna ken at the time that he could travel tae where or when he wanted tae find ye.”
Magnus said, “If I had kent ye had been hired tae kill me I never would hae trusted ye tae guard the Campbells.”
“I ken. But ye did trust me, and I earned it, I hae been a brother tae ye.”
“Aye, tis true.”
“And ye invited me tae come tae yer home, I hae been livin’ here while ye were away.”
Hayley said, “We want to make sure it’s okay that he’s here, Mags. You invited him before you knew the full story. I have money, a house, I can—”
I said, “That’s not necessary, Hayley, at all. Right Magnus?”
“Tis nae necessary. I am glad ye are here, Fraoch, and that ye helped tae protect m’bairn while I was away, and that ye helped with our rescue. It means a great deal tae me.”
Hayley exhaled in relief. “Okay, that was one part of it.