Mairi laughed as she gently patted her sister’s enormously rounded stomach. “Look at me? Look at you. You didn’t tell me you were pregnant again. When are you due?”
Trulie smiled with a weary sigh, rubbing the mound of her swollen middle as though it were a wishing stone. “Any day now my little Chloe will officially become a big sister.”
“Where is she?” Mairi searched among the wide skirts of her sisters.
“I right here.” A shining head covered with dark auburn ringlets pushed out from behind the sea of wool skirts. “Mama, is dis really Maywee from da fire?”
Trulie bent, scooped the smiling tot up into her arms, then smiled as Chloe settled comfortably on her hip and propped one chubby little leg across her protruding stomach. “Yes. This is your Auntie Mairi. She hasfinallycome to see you in person.”
Mairi ignored the way Trulie stressed the wordfinally. Apparently, Trulie was taking lessons in guilt tripping from Granny. “I’m so excited to meet you, Chloe. Can I hold you and give you a hug?”
“Nah.” Chloe shook her head until her glistening curls bounced, then ducked her head beneath her mother’s chin. “Ye ha’ to wait ’til ye know me better. Mama says I shy.”
Mairi held her breath to keep from laughing. Instead, she nodded solemnly and held out her hand. “I understand completely. How about if we just pinky shake for now?”
“Wha’s a pinky shake?” Chloe popped out from under the protection of her mother’s chin, her bright blue eyes sparkling with interest.
Mairi held up her crooked pinky finger and wiggled it. “Loop your pinky with mine.”
Chloe leaned forward and hooked her tiny finger with Mairi’s. “Now what?”
“Now we shake.” Mairi wiggled their hands back and forth until Chloe chortled out a pleased giggle.
“Do dis one.” Chloe squirmed in Trulie’s arms and held out her other pinky.
“You can do that one later. You’re too heavy to hold if you’re going to wiggle.” Trulie slid Chloe down to the step then affectionately swatted her rump. “Why don’t you go and properly greet your Da? You know how sad it makes him if you don’t hug him hello.”
Chloe bounded down the front steps, splitting the air with a high-pitched squeal of some sort of gibberish.
“What is she saying?” Mairi strained to decipher the words as Chloe shouted them over and over.
“It’s the MacKenna battle cry. It’s Gaelic. Well, Chloe’s version of Gaelic. Courtesy of her father.” Trulie waved to Gray, then pointed out Chloe barreling toward him across the courtyard.
Turning to her other smiling sister, Mairi wrapped an arm around Kenna’s thin shoulders. “And how are you?” Mairi was almost afraid to ask because Kenna did not look well at all.
Kenna smiled and patted Mairi’s hand. “I’m fine. I know I look awful, but trust me, I’m fine.” Kenna turned toward the doorway and motioned.
Granny slowly eased out of the shadows, a swaddled bundle in each arm. “I am afraid we must blame these fine lads for the weary appearance of their mother.” Granny nodded at the sleeping baby in the crook of her right arm. “This peaceful boy is Jamie.” Then she turned to the squirming bundle grunting and growling at her left side. “And this bottomless pit is Caedan. He is always hungry.”
“Another set of twins to terrorize the family tree.” Mairi eased Caedan out of Granny’s arm and cuddled him close. Tiny Caedan wriggled and fought his blanket, rootling for a breast.
“Sorry, little one. My faucets are dry.” Mairi held him higher. She couldn’t help but giggle as his tiny face grew redder by the minute and wrinkled into a furious scowl. “Uh-oh. I think someone is getting ready to have a fit.”
“Give him here.” Kenna held out her arms with a heavy sigh. “He’s got his redheaded father’s temper.” She held the growling baby against one shoulder as she pecked a quick kiss to Mairi’s cheek. “I’m going to go feed the bottomless pit. Don’t talk about anything good until I get back.”
A smiling young girl bounced out through the doorway, scurried over to Granny, and scooped the still sleeping Jamie out of her arms. She paused a moment in front of Mairi and held the child out for her to inspect. “Wee Master James is ever the sleepy-eyed angel. We have to wake the boy to get him to eat.”
“I’m sure he’ll outgrow that.” Mairi smoothed a hand across the baby’s velvet head and smiled down into his sleeping face.
“By the by, I be Coira and I tend to the needs of all the Sinclair ladies. After I finish helping Mistress Kenna with the babes, I’ll scurry up to yer chambers and get ye all unpacked and settled.” Coira bobbed with a smile and a quick curtsy then disappeared back into the keep.
“Well?”
Mairi suppressed a shiver as she turned and faced Granny. “Well, what?” Might as well get the ass chewing over with; dreading it was almost as bad as taking it.
“You don’t have a hug for your grandmother?” Granny held her thin arms wide.
A wave of guilt washed over Mairi. Granny might be stubborn and manipulative but when all was said and done, Granny loved her with the ferocity of a Highland storm. Mairi rushed into Granny’s arms.
