Page 80 of Refuge for Ailsa

“Nope. I hear her too,” she said with a giggle.

He straightened until he could see Bonnie again. “Uh, thanks?”

“You’re welcome.”

“Yeah. This is pretty amazing,” a stunned Pete said as he stepped into the kitchen. “I didn’t think this place would ever look like anything.”

He spun Ailsa to stand beside him and stood there, feeling ten feet tall. “You never thought your son could make this house a home, but he has. You never thought he’d amount to anything, but he’s an officer of the law, and a damn good one too, according to that tall blond guy out there in the living room who just happens to be his captain. And you never thought he’d have anybody who cared about him.” He drew Ailsa closer to his side. “But he does. I do. I’m happy. The only thing I’d like from either of you is for you to at least pretend you’re happy for me.”

“But we are,” Bonnie insisted.

“Yes. We are,” Pete threw in.

“Good enough. Now, get on back out there before all the deviled eggs are gone. I hear they’re positively wicked,” Tavish said and wiggled his eyebrows. His parents stared at him for just a few seconds before they both started to chuckle and headed back to the food.

Ailsa stepped back in front of Tavish and pressed her hands onto his shoulders. “I’m so proud of you right now.”

“Thank you. And I’m proud of you for all you’ve done around here and how fast you bounced back. I don’t think we’ll get the resort open before fall, but it’ll be ready for next spring.”

“Yep.” She kissed him, and he nipped her lip, then kissed her back. Then he grinned down at her. “Did you see a lady in a blue dress out there?”

“Yes. Who is she?” He spun her toward the door and slapped her butt. Ailsa yelped, “Eeep! What was that for?”

His face hurt from the big grin plastered across it. “You’d better get upstairs to the almost-a-bathroom bathroom and make sure your hair and makeup looks the way you want it to. She’s a photographer and you’re about to be proposed to.”

Ailsa bolted for the door, but she stopped and turned to look at him. “I love you, Tav.”

“And I love you too, beautiful. Go get ready. And for the love of god, act surprised, wouldja?”

He could hear her laughing as she bounded up the stairs, and Tavish was positive he’d never heard a more beautiful sound in his whole life.

* * *

She’d plannedit down to the last detail. At first, Tavish had thought she was crazy, but the farther they got into it, the more excited he seemed to be. The first time she’d shown him what he’d be wearing, he’d balked, but it wasn’t long until he was on board.

It had taken a while to get what she wanted in the music department, but she’d finally managed that too. She’d been very specific on the choices of songs, and the player had rounded up three of his fellow players, plus a drummer, so it would be spectacular.

And so they gathered in the barn on the opposite side of the house and waited as all the guests arrived. It was Maureen’s responsibility to greet the guests and then to let Tavish know when it was time. The drummer was to go in front, followed by the others. Tavish and Maureen would follow, and behind them, Donovan and Ailsa. Magnus and Maeve were next, and the Stewarts behind them. Tavish had been very careful with his clearing and leveling of the path so none of the women would stumble. Toby and Vince had been recruited to open the barn doors, and she’d been tickled at how much fun they’d seemed to have picking out what they’d wear. They’d also be the standard-bearers, which had delighted the two teenage boys to no end. Vince knew to watch for the signal from Maureen, and when he got it…

The doors swung open and the drummer began. As they stepped out of the barn, Toby and Vince fell in side by side carrying the standards, one of the House of Stewart and the other of Clan MacDougal. Behind them, four pipers pressed their drones into service as they proceeded. Ailsa swept her hands down her long, full dress that bore the tartan of their clan, with a laced velvet bodice and white, long full-sleeved blouse underneath. Her hair was braided with flowers and styled demurely, and as they walked along, she was glad she’d chosen the black velvet slippers. They were super comfortable, which would be important before the evening was over. Tavish’s kilt was made of the dress tartan for the Stewart house, the traditional velvet jacket, the white weddingsarkunder it as a gift to him from her, and white kilt hose with garters. She’d made sure he was outfitted in traditional garb, right down to his ornate sporran and thesgian-dubhtucked into the top of the kilt hose on the right, only its stag horn hilt showing. Every other man in the family was dressed in similar style, and the women were too, with their tartans keeping in tradition with their respective clans.

A very gentle breeze was blowing as they made their way toward the house, bagpipes blaringMairi’s Wedding, the drummer keeping time with the deep beat of the traditional Scottish tenor drum, and she could see up ahead the guests standing and craning their necks to glimpse what was coming. When they rounded the end of the house and headed toward the arbor Magnus and Donovan had so lovingly constructed and Maeve and Maureen had joyfully decorated, the entire group of guests rose and began to cheer and clap. It was her day, the day she’d dreamed of, a day that celebrated not only their love but their families’ heritage. She glanced down at theluckenboothpinned to the left breast of her dress and smiled.

And those vows… She’d taken great care with hers, and she was proud of them. But she couldn’t have been more surprised at Tavish’s offering.

“Ailsa, I’ve loved you from the first moment I saw you. When you told the doctor that you were going to marry me, I thought I’d die of happiness. And so today, in front of these witnesses, I pledge to you that my land is your land. My house is your house. My home is your home. My hearth is your hearth. My heart belongs to you, and every one of my days is yours until I draw my last breath. We walk through this realm as one until we walk into the next, hearts still joined. I love you, my bride, my everything, and I’ll do all I can to make sure you feel that every day.”

It took everything she had not to break down right there. He had no idea how much she loved him, and her vows had seemed puny in comparison to his, but he hadn’t seemed to mind. His smile was dazzling, and the hands that held hers were strong. As soon as he slipped the wedding band onto her finger, she knew her life was complete.

There was dancing?oh, god, there was so much dancing! And drinking. And eating. Everyone was laughing and smiling and congratulating them, and the gifts that had been brought were beautiful and appreciated. She threw her bouquet and, no surprise?Maureen caught it. Donovan had already confided in her that he’d bought a ring, so it was just a matter of time until there was another MacDougal and Stewart coupling walking down the aisle.

Maeve, Maureen, and, to Ailsa’s surprise, his mom had all agreed to clean everything up, lock everything up, and make everything secure so they could go ahead and leave. Tavish had booked them a cabin at one of the other resorts on HerringtonLake, and they planned to spend the weekend.

As soon as Tavish got Starlight settled for the night, they got ready for bed, and when they finally fell into the memory foam mattress, Tavish reached in his bag beside the bed and pulled out a little box. “This is your wedding gift from me.”

The presentation box opened to a black velvet jewelry display box inside with a note on top of it:Contains no pearls.“Oh, hahaha,” she said softly with a grin, then pulled out the velvet box and opened it.

Inside it was a bracelet of ice blue opals set in yellow gold, and it had to be one of the most beautiful things she’d ever seen. “Oh, god, Tav, this isgorgeous,” she whispered as she looked at it. “And it looksreallyexpensive.”

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