“God, I’m so full.” I groaned as I crawled into his lap and settled with my cheek at his collar bone. Then I spread the fluffy blanket over both of us. “Best Christmas ever. Thank you for spending it with me. And for feeding me. That roast was so good.”
Lew chuckled. “You’re welcome, Puppy.” He rested a huge palm on my stomach. “And there’s nowhere else I’d rather be tonight than here with you.”
I don’t want to leave. Just ask me to stay, Lew, please.
We sat like this for a long time while snow fell outside and the string lights we’d wrapped around the tree shed their warm glow over the room.
***
Lew and I spent the days after Christmas helping with the Hogmanay preparations at Lone Fox.
It had been a long time since I’d rung in the new year with someone special, and I basked in the comfort of this foundfamily. We were all so mismatched, yet somehow it didn’t matter.
The long tables we’d pushed together groaned under the weight of all the food SweetPea and his new sous-chef Ægir had prepared for today. He was an acquaintance of Kjartan’s and had got the job while Lew and I had been in Kirkmuir.
His partner, Skye, and their small daughter swayed to an old pub song Maddie’s dad played on his guitar. Every time Ægir’s head poked out of the kitchen, he watched them with so much devotion on his face it made me squeal. This tall, tattooed man figuratively lying at both their feet was too much for my heart.
“He looks at her the way I look at you, Puppy,” Lew muttered in my ear when he cottoned on. “He thinks he’s keeping it together, but it’s written all over his face, isn’t it?”
“Yeah.” I huffed. It was a wonder that Ollie hadn’t realised we were dating yet, or perhaps he didn’twantto see it.
“You look so good, by the way,” Lew added in a low, growling voice.
I straightened my spine and tried to hide my grin.
“Thanks, Lewis.” Ariah had told me about a new thrift shop in Kincardie that I’d checked out the other day. I’d scored a barely used kilt in the Hall tartan.
While Lew got coffee to go for us, I’d dipped into Bell’s Kilts. I didn’t have enough money to get a new sporran, but I’d splurged on cream kilt hose, the long socks you wore with a kilt, flashes to hold them up, and even a sgian-dubh, the small knife you tucked into the hose. My boots weren’t quite right for the outfit, but I’d decided to give it my own spin anyway.
“Noah Bright,” a voice from behind me made Lew and me almost jump apart.
“Laird Hall,” I greeted the Old Fox who leaned heavily on his walking stick and surveyed me.
Don’t bow, Noah.
I’d grown up half scared, half in awe of the man whose human grandmother was related to my dad’s family.
He held out a broad hand covered in sleek black fur and I shook it.
“It’s good to see you back here, and in our family tartan.” Our family? Was he getting sentimental in his old age?
“Thank you, sir.” I almost bowed but caught myself at the last moment. My da had drilled the respect of Ilwyn Hall into both of us. “It’s good to be back here.”
The Old Fox nodded. His bright green eyes swivelled down to the kilt and back up.
“Don’t let me keep the two of you,” he said and clapped his hand to Lew’s enormous bicep. “Sinclair.” He nodded at Lewis and moved on to greet more guests.
See? Even Laird Hall knows we’re an item.
“Okay, that was a little awkward,” I muttered as I pulled Lew towards the buffet to grab some more of the crackers and sheep milk cheese. They wouldn’t have been part of a traditional Hogmanay feast but no complaints from me about their inclusion. Duncan was here and both Fitz and SweetPea were adamant about serving a wide variety of local goods.
“I thought it was very kind. And he’s got a point. You belong here, Noah.”
I stuffed a cracker into my mouth to save myself from having to reply.
The closer it got to midnight, the louder the feast got. Seamus Gallagher who sang along to his guitar barely took a break, and would have kept going if Maddie hadn’t forced him to stop.
“Here, Puppy.” Lew handed me a glass of the Oaken Storm, Lone Fox’s signature whisky. “They’ll light the bonfire in a minute. Want to watch from here or shall we get outside?”
