The Wellspring (Kaitlyn and the Highlander #12) - Diana Knightley Page 0,46

queen ye should be used tae havin’ help, because ye are Kaitlyn Campbell ye are capable and daena need help. Ye are only forgettin’ who should be in charge on the morrow.”

“So, forget being a queen, starting tomorrow I’m the motherfucking matriarch?”

“Aye, and I will be there. Hayley will be there.”

I joked, “You’ll be a help, her not so much. It’s part of her charm.”

We sat quietly for a moment then he said, “I hae been havin’ dreams.”

I raised my head off his chest to look down on him. “What kind of dreams?”

“I daena ken how tae describe them. I am at the bottom of a pile of people. All I can see is white. There is searin’ pain and screamin’ in m’ears. And I hae tae push bodies off tae be able tae breathe. When I come up for air I am in a dark night, a forest, it smells of Scotland.”

“That’s weird.”

“Tis. It feels verra real, as if tis a memory and nae a dream.”

“How many times have you had it?”

“Three times.”

“And it’s not a true memory, not something that ever happened before?”

“Nae.”

“What did the bodies, like was it a battle? Like a battle dream?”

“Nae. The searin’ pain makes it seem as if I hae just jumped, but I am under the bodies, and they are strangers. I daena ken what I would do if twas ye and our family.” His face drew down. “But tis chilling, all the same.”

“I imagine it is.”

We sat for a long time, both lost in our own thoughts, until finally I said, “We should go to sleep right? The alarm is set for too early in the morning.”

The next morning we were all abustle at the crack of dawn. Emma called up, “Do you have your passports?”

“Yes!”

“Do you have the tickets?”

“Yes!” I was irritated because I had checked four times already, but just in case I checked again. Yes. Four tickets. Four passports. My lists.

I had been working on them late into the night, because I had needed to scratch off two of our travelers. Logistically it made some things easier, like needing fewer rooms. Now we only needed one bigger car instead of two. But also, Quentin wouldn’t be there for Magnus, he wouldn’t be able to help me and Hayley wrangle the highlanders, and most importantly, I wouldn’t have Beaty to help with the kids.

No babysitter.

But I could do this, it was going to be fine. I put the papers back in my carryon backpack. “Ready, Highlander?”

“Ready.”

He looked nervous but yeah, first time in a plane, it made sense.

We all gathered by the door for Quentin to drive us to the airport. “Sure you don’t want me to come with, Boss?”

“Nae Quentin, stay with Beaty, keep Zach company. We are tae do this on our own. I am unencumbered, nae weapons, nae security guard—”

Quentin said, “Well, you do have the GPS transmitters, right? They’re attached to the bands of your underwear.” He joked, “You are wearing underwear?”

Magnus smiled. “The GPS transmitter is in m’suitcase so I can get through airport security, but I will put it on m’belt once we arrive in Scotland.”

Quentin chuckled. “You didn’t answer my question about underwear.”

“Aye, I am a modern man, I must wear undergarments with m’kilt, tis part of nae being a barbarian, right Fraoch?”

“Aye, ye hae tae wear yer scrap of fabric over yer arse tae be respectable in the New World.”

Hayley laughed. “Only on the plane, that’s all I said. After that, do whatever you want.”

Fraoch joked. “We only hae tae be respectable on the plane, once in Scotland we can be as disreputable as we want. Tis our birthright.”

I laughed.

Magnus listed on his fingers. “I hae on m’undergarmies. I am wearin’ a GPS transmitter. I remembered the bairn and m’wife. I am a modern man with a passport tae fly across the ocean.”

Quentin said, “Don’t forget you’re a king without a guard, be safe, low profile.”

“I ken.” Magnus ran his hand through his hair. He was super sexy right then, hair to mid neck, trimmed beard, strong and big, wearing a dark casual shirt, a Campbell plaid kilt, and boots. A leather belt. Everything looked expensive and he looked hot. He scooped up Isla and pulled our biggest suitcase.

Zach met us downstairs with two coffees to take in the car with us, two milks for the kids and a box of donuts.

“You’re the best.” I hugged and kissed him, then made the rounds of hugging Emma; little Zoe, now big enough