The Wellspring (Kaitlyn and the Highlander #12) - Diana Knightley Page 0,38

canna keep track of what has happened, but I am sure the discrepancies arna centered on me. Usually Lady Mairead is in the middle of the trouble.”

I said, “Do you think she might be looping to try to fix something that has gone wrong?”

“Aye. I do.”

I kissed the top of his head and hugged my cheek there. “I’m glad you’re home.”

“Aye, I hae done the hard work of worries and a million meetings, now tis time tae do all the other things.”

Zach laughed, “What is the opposite of meetings? Wait, Finding Nemo, but we already watched it last night…”

I said, “Nightclub dancing: check, we just did that, sort of. Long baths with bubbles: tomorrow. Shark teeth hunting: in the morning. Those are all ‘not meetings.’”

“M’day is planned.”

Emma said, “You can sit beside Isla’s high chair tomorrow while she eats. That’s about as opposite a meeting as possible.”

Fraoch laughed. “She is verra intent on throwin’ food around. I haena seen as big a mess since Auld Man McKinnie at the Là Naomh Anndrais feast.”

Beaty walked into the kitchen then with Mookie following at her heel. “Master Fraoch, what about Auld Man McKinnie?”

“He fell intae a platter of blood sausage and wore it in his beard.”

Beaty giggled. “Och, m’brother Colin told me, ‘Daena look at Auld Man McKinnie when he is eatin’ or twill turn ye from yer food.’”

She plopped down on the floor of the living room and fed a carrot to Mookie, who smacked his mouth, flipping carrot pieces around on his chin.

We watched, grinning. Magnus said, “I will do all of this on the morrow, m’day is planned.”

Zach stretched. “Speaking of, I’m tired, last night we slept on that blasted pull-out sofa. I need to sleep in my own bed.” He gestured comically toward the hall for Emma to follow him.

She joked, “I’m being summoned, we probably have twenty minutes before Zoe wakes up.”

“That’s all I need. Night y’all!”

We laughed as they left.

Magnus asked, “Are ye still enjoyin’ yer time here, Fraoch? I was thinking on it while I was away, wonderin’ where a man is tae call his home. I wondered if ye hae become a Florida man?”

“I would only return tae Scotland if I could hae a boat, and who would give up the food? There is a lot tae love about this place.” Hayley was cuddled on his side, she had her phone out, scrolling through Instagram.

She teased, “You do miss your man cave, I bet.”

“Aye, twas braw, especially once a bonnie lass moved in with me.” They kissed. “I miss the weather and the landscape and the people and the horses and I always kent the rules… oh and the music. Though Madame Beaty does play fine pipes, there is somethin’ special about the music when ye hear it in Scotland.”

Magnus said, “Och, the music. I miss it as well, the notes flowing on the Scottish wind across the highlands leading us in our travels.”

James said, “Man, now y’all are making me miss Scotland too.”

Quentin said, “Really? You do?”

“Aye, wearing a kilt, not ironically? A sword, because I might want to use it for defense? Riding a horse for transportation? I miss it, man do I miss it.”

Quentin asked, “Dude, would you live there?”

“I don’t know, I haven’t tried, but it’s got a draw, right? It’s so braw.” James took a sip of his beer. “When I was riding with the cattle, I had a purpose. It was thrilling, but also like belonging.”

Quentin said, “You’re a popular island contractor, everyone needs you after a storm. You preferred being a cowboy?”

“Shit yeah. Maybe I need to go back…I’m so bored doing this work.”

Quentin said, “Go back? At least wait until summer.”

And that’s how we whiled away the time, talking about eighteenth century Scotland and Magnus and I told them about how it differed from the sixteenth century, more chill, more enlightened. And all that we missed about every past century from the comfort of a heated room, in our comfy chairs, with our continuous drinks and food, in our Florida home.

At just before the crack of dawn, Isla shifted in her crib and I went, bleary eyed and shuffling, to see to her. She held her arms up. I lifted her out and shuffled back to my room, depositing her in the middle of the bed.

I patted her until we all fell back asleep.

Twenty-five - Kaitlyn

Day Five after coming home

She woke up and went right from lying on her side to sitting up and patting my