Page 24 of Long Live the King

“Och, aye... of course, I...”

She pulled her phone from her pocket. “What’s your number?”

“Och nae, I daena...”

“You don’t have a phone?”

I said, “I daena hae it on me.”

She dug through her bag, uncapped a pen and wrote upon a small scrap of paper, ‘Ash’ and then a string of numbers. She passed it tae me, saying, “This is my number if you want to call.”

I looked down on the page. “I would like that verra much.” Then thought tae ask, “Do ye work tomorrow? I could come wait for ye again at the same time?”

She said, “I would like that.”

I picked up her hand and bowed over it and kissed her knuckles.

She mumbled. “Wow.”

“I will see ye on the morrow, Mistress Ash.”

“I will see you tomorrow, Lochie.”

She picked up her bag and keys and walked away down the sidewalk tae her car.

I went tae the truck, and climbed in the back beside Kaitlyn, sittin’ with the scrap of paper still in my hand.

She asked, “She gave you her phone number?”

“Aye, she said I might call her, but I was also given permission tae see her on the morrow — here at the same time.”

“Well done, Lochie!”

He grinned. Then his face fell, “I will need a phone.”

“Yep, it seems like time.”

CHAPTER 7 - KAITLYN

HOME - MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT

It was very late when we got home. I crept into Isla’s bedroom, kissed her, tucked her in, and whispered that I was home now. She mumbled, “Good,” and was back to sleep in a moment.

Jack was still sleeping, having completely worn himself out just being around a bouncy house and waterslide that he was too little to use. I pushed his hair back from his forehead and kissed his temple, sniffing in that lovely ‘still a wee bit of baby’ scent, it was glorious.

Archie and Ben were still slumber partying in the living room, but wearying: eyes heavy, lights dimmed, the movie flickering, the volume low, their sleeping bags dotted with spilled popcorn.

I whispered, “Where is everyone?”

Archie said, “Da and Uncle Fraoch went out on the deck with Uncle Lochie.”

Ben said, “My mommy gave them an old phone from the drawer, they’re showing him how to work it.”

I watched out the back windows: Magnus, Fraoch, and Lochie in a circle of deck chairs, their knees almost touching. Magnus holding the phone, they looked like they wereconferring how to put her phone number in. “Funny that Fraoch and Magnus are the ones who are showing him...”

“Mammy, does Uncle Lochie have a girlfriend?”

I smiled, “I think he does, now you mention it. Sort of.”

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