Page 111 of Only a Breath Away

He chuckled and took my hand, holding it on the armrests between us.

I turned my head to watch his face as he looked out over the lake. “I love you.”

“I love ye as well, twas a long time that I was in the past, I ken ye dinna feel the length of time as chronically as I did, yers was more acute.”

“Nice science words.”

“Thank ye. I heard Emma use them and I thought they worked for time travel. Ye and I were away from each other for a few days, ye believed I might be dead, yer time and loss was acute, I was gone for months, I kent ye were alive, I just had tae get back tae ye, I had tae work the problem, my time and loss was chronic and ongoing.”

“Are you always the one looking, I’m the one who is lost?”

He smiled. “Generally speaking.”

“You’re always rescuing the lost.” I sighed. “Like, case in point, your dog, I’m still conflicted about the dog.”

“Aye, and I want ye tae ken, Kaitlyn, I understand yer feelings on this, I ken tis nae sensible tae want tae rescue a dog.” He looked down, shaking his head. “I daena ken why I hae tae do this… but I hae tae go get him. I feel it in m’heart, that I must get him.”

He drew in a deep breath. “When Archie came tae the past, as a grown man, he remembered Haggis. The love between them was palpable. Archie had grown up with Haggis in his life and they played and frolicked with each other. Twas a sight tae behold. I am doin’ this for Archie, the bairns are supposed tae grow up with Haggis, tis how it goes.”

He turned his head to address me directly, “I need yer help in it, mo reul-iuil, ye ken. I need ye tae tell the kids that I am doin’ it out of a sense of responsibility, nae because I am putting them second, or because I dinna love them enough, but because I hae tae. He lives in the past, but he is supposed tae be here, I ken it.”

I felt a little like tears were going to well up, but I swallowed them down and blinked them back. “That’s beautiful, my love, you’re doing it for Archie.”

“Aye, and Fraoch will go with me… he will be there tae help.”

He added, “I just need... I daena want the bairns tae think I’m crazy, or a madman, or…”

“That bothered you earlier?”

“Aye, I ken how it looks, but I need ye tae pretend like I am wise in doing it.” He raised his chin and smiled. “Pretend like ye support me in it, because ye are a good little wife.”

I groaned, “You are the worst, did you really just call me a ‘good little wife’?”

“I am teasing, but what did ye expect? I am a madman, I just called m’wife a good little wife.”

“I’m going to have to do something epic to make myself seem like a badass again.”

He tilted his head back, “Ye ken ye just got me out of the thirteenth century? We were in a castle, another king’s castle, and I was verra wounded. Ye managed tae help me out of it tae the clearing tae jump. I daena think ye are givin’ yerself enough credit. Ye are a plenty big and terrible arse.” He chuckled. “Also, if ye can convince everyone that I am nae on the errand of a madman ye will be a terrible arse as well, tis goin’ tae be a hard sell.”

“You don’t seem entirely convinced.”

“Well, mo ghradh, tis because I am nae doin’ it with m’mind; tis m’heart that is leading.”

“I suppose it often leads you well.”

“Name a time it haena.”

“I can’t think of a time, and so I’m going to follow your lead with my heart too.”

“Thank ye, mo reul-iuil.”

“You’re going to go get Haggis for Archie?”

“Aye, the boy needs his dog.”

“See, my love, when you put it that way it doesn’t sound mad at all.”

“I ken, I am the sanest person in the world.”

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