Page 22 of Long Live the King

James got the check and paid for our drinks.

And we divided up, Quentin driving Zach, Emma, and James home. Magnus and I waited with Fraoch and Hayley in the truck parked a few spots down. We had a view of the front of the Palace Saloon, even with the fog rolling in off the river.

There were park benches, a lone tree sprouting up beside the sidewalk, and Lochie sat on a wall, his feet on the bench, his elbows on his knees, nervously watching the door.

Hayley joked, “Our boy is growing up.”

Magnus and I were sitting in the back seat of his truck, he held my hand on his knee. I said, “I can’t believe he was going to ask to speak to her father — we need to give himwaymore instructions. Is that how he thought they were going to date?” I said to Fraoch, “I’m glad you convinced him to talk to her.”

Magnus said, “I forgot tae tell him something.” He climbed from the truck and approached Lochie, stood beside him and they talked for a few moments, mostly Magnus speaking, with Lochie nodding.

Magnus returned to the truck, climbed in, and took up my hand again.

“What did you say?”

“I reminded him he shouldna brag about killin’ in the arena, or that I am a king, that he needed tae act as if he is from this time and tae not tell her about time travel.”

My eyes went wide. “Oh no, would he do that?”

“Aye, it came tae me that he would try tae win her by tellin’ her he fought in the arena, and he was plannin’ tae — when I told him ‘nae’ he asked, ‘Then what will we talk about?’ I told him he ought tae think of somethin’.”

Fraoch groaned and opened his door.

Magnus said, “Where are ye goin’?”

“Tae go give him some ideas. He canna think on this himself or he will be talking about cookies or video games the entire time. He will be lost.” He strode over and spoke to Lochie at length.

When Fraoch returned to the front seat, Hayley asked, “What did you tell him?”

“I told him tae ask her questions, tae listen more than he speaks, and if she asks him about himself tae tell her about living in Maine with all of us, and when she asks about Scotland tae tell her about the landscape and how much he likes fishing and hunting. Lassies love it when men speak about how they will provide for them.”

Hayley sighed. “You are almost completely correct, my love.”

“I ken I am, I won ye over by feedin’ ye, tis the one truth of the world, practiced through the centuries. I will provide ye food. Tis what love is, tis romantic.”

We went back to watching Lochie, his shirt stretched across his shoulders, rounded as he hunched, his red curls on his collar, his knee jiggling from nervousness, waiting.

CHAPTER 6 - LOCHINVAR

CENTRE STREET - IN FRONT OF THE PALACE SALOON

Finally the door opened, Ash came out, and called over her shoulder, “See ya later, Don!”

I stood as she walked up. She had a bonny smile that lit up the night. I looked down on her, she was verra beautiful, makin’ it difficult tae ken what tae say.

She said, “You waited for me, I wasn’t sure you would.”

“Aye, I waited, I said I would.”

“Cool, cool.” She nodded looking up intae m’eyes, renderin’ me speechless, still.

There was a long awkward pause then she said, “So was that group of people, your um... family?”

“Aye, Magnus and Fraoch are m’brothers. We are all in the same clan.”

Her eyes squinted. Then she said, “I heard he was really rich.”

“He is a ki— a laird, aye, he has a great deal of wealth and much land, aye.”

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