Then he added, “We will take our horses.”
I smiled. “That sounds nice, we’re going to do some riding?”
“Aye. It has been a while.”
We talked for a bit longer, Lochinvar asking, “Ye daena need me on the trip, Magnus?”
“Nae, tis just a visit, a chance tae visit m’family. I can go on m’own.”
He said, “Tis an odd feelin’ tae be at peace.”
“It daena come often but when peace does arrive it begins as shock then slowly turns intae a relief and a blessin’.”
Lochinvar said, “Tis boring.”
Magnus chuckled. “Aye, that as well.”
Ash shook her head. “You think this is boring? We just ate colonial gingerbread and now you’re making plans to take pop rocks to a Scottish castle!”
We all laughed.
I said, “Compared to most of our lives this isdesperatelyboring.”
Slowly one by one everyone left for bed and soon, it was only me and Magnus left. He looked at me and gave me a sad frown. “I am sorry if I seemed quiet, mo reul-iuil, m’mind is full of memories of the land.”
“It’s good that we’ll be returning then, a chance to say goodbye.”
“Aye.”
CHAPTER 5
KAITLYN
EVERYONE IS WHISPERING
When I got up in the morning Magnus was out on the deck with the kids, Jack in his arms, Archie and Isla beside him. A moment that took my breath away — oh how I loved him, them, all of it. I slid open the glass door and he turned to me with a dazzling smile, the crinkle at the corner of his eyes.
“Hello, all the loves of my life.”
Jack put out his chubby wet hands to dive into my arms. “Good morning, baby cakes.” I kissed him then said, “I think I keep asking this, but what are you talking about?”
Isla said, “Nothing. It’s a secret.”
Archie said, “Isla!”
“It is, I didn’t tell her.”
Magnus shook his head. “Och nae.”
I laughed. “It sounds like there’s a secret and it involves me, and it sounds like I can get it out of at least one of the people here if I tried, so instead I will just ask, will I like it?”
Isla nodded, solemnly, “You will like it, Mammy, we are going to?—”
Magnus said, “Isla, wheesht, or it winna be fun.”
She clamped her lips between her teeth and also clapped her hands over her mouth.
I said, “I love surprises and I won’t ask anything else about it.”
