“Too late!” Elijah called, jogging after him. “I’m already eatin’ the first one!”
“Daenae ye dare!”
Iris watched them play-wrestle over the basket, both of them grinning, and felt warmth bloom in her chest. This, this easy affection, this playfulness between father and son, was what they’d both needed. What they’d fought so hard to achieve.
“Here, Maither!” Codie thrust a honey cake at her triumphantly. “I saved ye one before Faither could eat them all.”
“Me hero.” She accepted it with a smile. “Though I think yer faither was only pretendin’ to steal them all.”
“Was nae,” Elijah said, settling back onto the blanket with his own cake. “I’m a growin’ man. I need me sustenance.”
“Ye’re nae growin’. Ye’re already huge.” Codie giggled at his own joke. “Can I go look for interestin’ rocks now? I promise I’ll stay away from the water.”
“Aye, but daenae wander too far. And if ye hear me call, ye come right back.”
“I will!” He was off like a shot, already scanning the ground for treasures.
"He's become quite the horseman," Iris observed, watching Codie dart across the meadow with the confidence of a boy who'd conquered his fears. "I saw him racin' Thunder across the paddock yesterday with Henry. Laughin' the entire time."
"Aye." Pride warmed Elijah's voice. "Took him a few weeks after the incident to get back on, but once he did, there was nae stoppin' him. Now he rides better than some of me new guards." He smiled. "Last week he asked if he could start learnin' to jump. I told him we'd start with small logs first."
"Jumpin'? Already?" Iris shook her head with amusement. "That boy has nay fear anymore."
"He has plenty of fear. He just doesnae let it stop him now." Elijah's expression softened. "Ye taught him that. Taught both of us that bein' afraid doesnae mean ye cannae be brave."
"Speaking of security," Iris said, "whatever happened with the raiders? Ye mentioned them when we first married—said yer protection was all that kept me parents safe from them."
Elijah's expression darkened slightly. "They tested our borders twice the first month of our marriage. Henry and I rode out with fifty men each time and sent them runnin' back to their own lands with their tails between their legs." His voice held grim satisfaction. "After the second defeat, their laird sent word requestin' a peace treaty. We signed it six months ago. They willnae trouble us again."
"Good," Iris said firmly. "I'd rather nae have to worry about raiders while raisin' our children."
"Ye'll never have to worry about that. I've made certain of it." His hand moved to rest protectively on her shoulder. "This clan is safe, our borders are secure, and our alliances are stronger than ever."
Iris took a bite of her honey cake, savoring the sweetness while watching Codie explore. Beside her, she felt Elijah’s gaze on her profile.
“What?” she asked without looking at him.
“Just watchin’ ye.”
“That’s nae creepy at all.”
“I like watchin’ ye be a maither to him.” His voice was soft, genuine. “The way ye worry about him bein’ too cold or wanderin’ too far or eatin’ enough vegetables at supper. The way ye tuck him in at night and listen to all his stories about dragons and knights. The way ye’ve made him feel safe enough to just be a child.”
Heat crept into her cheeks. “I’m only doing what any maither would do.”
“Nay. Ye’re doing what a good maither does. And that’s nae as common as it should be.” He reached out, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “I love seein’ this side of ye. Love knowin’ that our children will have the kind of mother ye never did.”
“Do ye want more children?” She kept her voice carefully neutral even as her heart began to race.
“Do ye nae want more?” He tilted his head, studying her face. “I thought... well, I’d hoped ye’d want to give Codie siblings eventually.”
“Eventually, aye.” She set down the remainder of her honey cake, her hands suddenly trembling. “Or perhaps... sooner than eventually.”
It took him a moment to process her words. She watched his expression shift from confusion to understanding to something that looked like hope mixed with disbelief.
“Iris.” His voice was rough. “Are ye sayin’ what I think ye’re sayin’?”
“That depends. What do ye think I’m sayin’?”
