Page 63 of The Highland Heir

Kieran looked to Teague to determine whatshould be done. The war chief only shrugged as if to say he didn’tknow.

“Father?” Kieran whispered only loud enoughto call his attention, but the large blond man turned to look athim. His eyes narrowed on Kieran, and his horse shifted a stepcloser.

Staring at him as he was, waiting for the manto make a movement of battle, Kieran got a better look at the warchief who had married his betrothed. The blond hair had beennoticeable from afar, but this close, Kieran could see the color ofhis eyes. The lightest of blue. Like looking at the sky through apiece of ice.

The same color as the man sitting next tohim, who finally spoke.

“You there, what is your name?” he shouted,though they were not so far away.

The men looked to one another in confusionbefore the man in the middle spoke.

“I am the Campbell laird. This is my brotherDonal, and my war chief and brother Aiden.”

“Aiden?” Rolfe said as he got down from hishorse. As he walked toward them, he removed his helm.

The men gasped as Rolfe walked closer toAiden.

“How old are ye, Aiden?”

Aiden looked to the Campbell laird fordirection. The laird nodded.

“I am likely five and twenty.”

“Likely? Why do you not know?” Rolfesnapped.

The Campbell laird took over when it seemedAiden wasn’t going to.

“Aiden was found wandering in this very fieldwhen he was maybe four summers. My father raised him with mybrother and myself as one of his own.”

Kieran suffered a wave of dizziness as hemade the same calculations he guessed his father had made.

“Do ye have a scar here?” Rolfe demanded,pointing to his forearm just below his elbow. “And a mark, nay, twofreckles on the back of your neck? One bigger on the right?”

“Father,” Kieran called as the Campbell menlooked at him as if he were mad. But Rolfe didn’t pay him anyattention.

“Show me. Show me your arm and the back ofyour neck.”

Again, Aiden looked to his laird, whonodded.

Rolling back the cuff to his shirt, he heldout his arm, which had a scar in the very place Rolfe had inquired.When Aiden saw it, he seemed surprised.

Kieran knew well how a warrior bore manyscars. It wasn’t feasible to keep track of them all.

He then twisted and pulled down the back ofhis shirt, and from where Kieran sat on his horse, he could wellsee two dark marks. One bigger to the right of the other.

“Brody,” Rolfe whispered. “My son. I’ve foundye.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

When Ella and her aunt entered BalnagownCastle, Uncle William came to greet her. Right away, Arran was byher side, offering to escort her to the high table to take the seatnext to his.

“It is a shame you only see to join us whenwe have guests, sister,” William said to Jenny, who gave him ashove in the way brothers and sisters do.

“I was hoping you would come for a visitsoon,” Arran said quietly beside Ella, his gray-blue eyes studyingher. “I asked after you with your aunt.”

“She told me.”

“Can I hope that is the reason you returnedso soon?”