Page 68 of Long Live the King

I asked Zach, “Why is Archie calling Ben ‘Bug Man’, or do I want to know?”

He laughed, “Apparently Ben accidentally ate a bug when we were going down the river.”

I said, “A big bug?”

“Big enough we’re watching to see if he gets super powers.” Zach stood in front of the pantry door. “What goes with sausage?”

I laughed. “Aren’t you supposed to plan the meals?”

Hayley said, “I just eat what you serve.”

Fraoch was outside, checking on security, taking his job seriously. Sophie was sleeping with the baby. James was with us all in the kitchen while Zach cooked, when Hayley asked, “Sowhat do y’all think about Lochie? Fraoch said he thinks they got married last night. Because of some thumb oath.”

I pouted. “I’m worried she’s going to break his heart.”

Emma said, “I was thinking we go down there tonight after dinner and just ‘check in’.”

Zach scoffed. “Check in? Are you going to interfere in his relationship? He’s a grown-assed man!”

Emma said, “Yes, and I know I mother him, but come on, Zachary, he understands almost nothing about the contemporary world and even less about women. He’s like a freaking caveman sometimes. I just want to get a feel for what she’s thinking about him. I want to check in, but not in thebadway.”

James said, “Look, you’re overthinking this. He’s a dude. He gets how to do this. It’s not rocket science. Whether you’re in the sixteenth century or now, you meet a girl and you try to sleep with her as soon as possible while the elders around you try to get you to marry her first. It’s a dance as old as time. He’s not stupid. I don’t think you should interfere, what if you scare her off?”

Emma said, “If she likes him there’s no way I scare her off. If she doesn’t then shouldn’t we know? We could advise him!”

I said, “I agree with Emma, we ought to go check in, see what she’s thinking. We’re not doing it in the bad way, in thegoodway. We can go tonight after dinner. Beaty, will you stay with the kids?”

Beaty said, “Aye, we ought not leave Saddle when she’s new tae the house.”

Zach said, “I’m not going. I’ll stay here, that way when you screw it all up I can deny having any part of it.”

Hayley said, “We don’t need you anyway. This is a girl’s mission.”

James said, “Uh oh, the Campbell Women about to get all up in her business.”

I joked, “It’s what we do.”

Hayley, Emma, and I walked into the Palace Saloon and across the room I saw her, she was wearing a t-shirt with the bar logo on it, and another long khaki cargo skirt, with pull strings up the side, showing off her low boots. Her hair did look like Meg Ryan’s in... really inallher movies.

I said, as we made our way to the table, “She’s so freaking cute.”

Emma said, “Yeah, no wonder he’s smitten.”

Hayley said, “She wears those long cargo skirts to work, he probably sees it as modest and traditional, instead of what we see — pockets.”

Emma and I laughed.

We sat at a table with a different waitress, and ordered a beer, a glass of wine, and Hayley got a nonalcoholic mixed drink. Then as Ash walked by I caught her eye and waved.

Her brow drew down but then she said, “Oh, right, you’re Lochie’s um... family?”

I shook her hand and said, in a way that I hoped would sound cheery and not weird, “I’m his sister-in-law!”

“Right, cool, did you already place an order?”

Our drinks were delivered right then.

She laughed. “Looks like it.” Then she asked, “Did Lochie, um... did he get off on his trip okay?”

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