“My thanks to you, Loki, for being my guardian. You are a verra special member of my family, and I will treasure you always.” She hugged him before stepping back.
Alex and Cameron stepped down from the dais while the crowd continued to applaud Loki. The minstrels and musicians came in, and all made ready for dancing.
Some time later, when she was alone, Loki found his way over to her.
“Aye, Loki?”
He struggled for words, but finally said, “I want you to know…I want to say…You were correct before. I did have feelings for you, but not anymore. Well, now I have different feelings. I realize our ties as family are much more important, and I also want you to know that I followed you because you are like my sister, not for any other reason.”
Jennie smiled. “I know. We are family, Loki.”
“I like the Cameron. I will miss you, but I think you chose well, and I wish you much happiness.”
She hugged him and said, “My thanks.”
Directly behind him, three young lassies about his age stood gazing at him in awe. Jennie took a step back, trying not to laugh. Loki turned around to face them, a puzzled expression on his face.
The first lass said, “Loki, you are such a strong guard.”
The second lass said, “Loki, you are so handsome.”
The first two lasses ran away, giggling.
The third lass, a girl with reddish-gold curls and a spattering of freckles across her nose, stepped up to him, took a deep breath, and declared, “Loki Grant, you are the handsomest, most braw warrior I have ever seen. Someday, I’m going to marry you.” She leaned toward him, closed her eyes, and pressed her lips against his.
Jennie did not move, not wanting to ruin Loki’s moment.
When the lass ended the kiss, she whispered, “My name is Arabella, and I promise to love you forever.” She twirled around and ran away.
Loki turned to Jennie, blushing a deep red.
“Verra nice, Loki.” Jennie said, her eyebrows raised. “I think she’s quite bonny.”
Loki broke out into the biggest grin she had ever seen.
“I like her. Someday, I’ll make her my wife.”
Yuletide Angels
Book 9
Chapter Seven
Maddie makes poor decisions, but Loki saves the day again.
“God’s bones, it’s not like she has many choices, Grant. She would take the ravine because ’tis faster,” Logan shouted.
Alex had been arguing with him over which way Mac would have taken Maddie.
“It’s faster, aye, but not nearly as safe. Would Mac have risked it?”
“With Maddie hastening him, I’d say he would have. They would have been here earlier, before this heavy snowfall.”
“The wind is strengthening, and we’ll be in a full storm before long,” Alex said.
Brodie nodded. “We need to cross the ravine before that. We’ll not be able to see where we’re going soon, and it’s a long fall down if we attempt it then.”
Alex nodded, silently cursing his wife’s stubborn nature. Or was it his own stubborn nature that was at fault this time? He’d not explained his reasoning well, instead expecting Maddie to do whatever he said without question. Brenna had warned him once that his ideas were outmoded and daft at times.
