My cheeks flush and I’m keeping my eyes wide open to keep the tears from spilling out. Only my older brother and one of my sisters ever bothered to learn a bit of sign language, and yet every extended relative in the MacTavish clan has clearly been putting in a lot of study.
I’m just pregnant.
The table erupts in screams and cheers, and Hamish nearly vaults over the table to seize me before he realizes this is a positive development.
“Congratulations!” Kenna leans over to hug her fiercely. “How far along?”
“Four months,” Luna’s laughing helplessly. “I know, I know! Collin has just turned one and I’m pregnant already.”
“Well, the MacTavish genes are strong,” Sloan winks, daintily sipping her mimosa.
“No discussion of my brothers’ or my cousin’s reproductive capacity, if you please,” Kenna makes a gagging motion. “Wait. Does that count as extreme nausea in sign language, Arabella?”
“Um, nausea is more like…” I extend my little fingers, brushing them down my chest and gently patting my stomach. “What you did is a little closer to-”
“Haud yer wheesht!” Now, Kenna’s flushing beet red.“No more sex signing at brunch!”
“Well, youdidbring it up,” Sloan says reasonably.
It turns out that it only takes one mimosa to feel comfortable with these women. Sloan and Luna - who are both from the U.S. - are regaling me with what I suspect are highly sanitized versions of their “meet cutes” with their MacTavish men.
“I’m thinking I’m not getting all the details here.”
“Oh yes, little Miss ‘I got kidnapped, got rescued, got shitfaced and then got married in Copenhagen,” Sloan jeers.
“Ye have a point there.” I hold up my hands in defeat, face bright red.
“Backstories aside,” Kenna says, “we wanted ye to have a little time off from the intensity of being Mrs. Logan MacTavish and all the accompanying drama it provides. As ye can see from last night, your man led a full and active life as a fuckboy before finding ye.”
“I think she means fuckboy in the nicest way,” Luna says with a weak smile.
“Oh, he’s my brother. I know he was a fuckboy.” Kenna continues, unperturbed.
“You handled it so well, sister! All the crazy was out in force last night and you stared them all down like aboss,”Sloan says. “I was so impressed, I don’t know if I would have stayed so calm.”
I run my fork through the sauce left from my omelet. “It’s not like I dinnae expect the man to be a virgin when he married me. I mean…lookat him.”
“Yeah.”
“Aye.”
“True that.”
“The full assault on our first big night outwasa wee bit much.” I run my hand down my face, exhausted just at the thought of it. “Kenna and Sloan were my midfielders, aye? The Raging Ginger bearing down and ye stepped right in. I dinnae even want to know about the other two in the hallway.” I grin suddenly. “Someone threw a glass of wine on him somewhere between him leaving to get my coat and returning to the car. I think the Merlot running down his tux was the classic finish.”
Luna sprays out the mouthful of water she was drinking. “Man, oh man…” She blots her chest with her napkin. “Kai’s told me stories, but the Karma truck just ran Logan down and then drove back and forth a couple of times to make sure the skid marks are nice and clear.”
“What? How did we missthis?”Sloan’s pounding on the table and Kenna’s wheezing, holding her stomach.
“I’m not saying he dinnae deserve it,” Kenna says, “because he did. Icantell ye my brother’s a different man now, I’ve not seen him like this before. So attentive. He used to buy girls flowers and jewelry before he made his escape, but for ye? Everything’s changed.”
“How?”
“Well, he’s the one who arranged for the MacTavish Foundation to sponsor last night, because he knewBerlioz's Requiemwas such a loud, resounding symphony. He invited your students and booked out the front row for them.” Sloan smiles, patting my hand. “Something lovely and thoughtful. Something that a man who cared about you would do.”
I remember him standing at the front desk at the Wallace School, charming Lucy with takeout and asking about my kids. How quickly he’s been learning sign language. Watching him brag about me to the Chieftain of the clan and calling reading lips my superpower.
Last night in the shower…
