Page 141 of The Empire and the Wolf King

Magnus said, “Twill be hours still, but I dinna want tae wait. I daena like those places.” He grimaced.

Zach said, “The hospital is the only place I’ve known you to be afraid of.”

Magnus said, “Och tis a terrible place, I daena like it at all. Hae ye smelled it? Tis bleak.”

Then he focused on me. “Kaitlyn will call when the bairn is born, so Fraoch and I want tae drive ye tae the bar, ye ready?”

I shook my head. “Perhaps I ought tae go on another day, tis raining and?—”

Fraoch said, “Och nae, Og Lochie, ye canna back out. How many days hae ye been waitin’ for this moment?”

“My whole lifetime.”

“Aye, yer whole lifetime. Ye gonna put it off more?”

“What if she daena like me, what if she daena believe me and daena want tae see me?”

Magnus said, “Then ye will ken she is gone tae ye, but I canna believe that will happen. How could that happen? Ye are Lochinvar! Look at ye, yer hair is the color of fire.”

“Do they like it, ye think?”

“Who?”

“The lasses, I daena think tis regular.”

“Of course they do, or… I daena ken, what do I ken, I am an eighteenth century highlander. All the lasses in Scotland like a ginger man, but we are off topic.”

Zach said, “The lasses will love you, it’s got nothing to do with your hair or your freckles, it’s got to do with the back of your hands and the knees.”

Fraoch said, “Aye, we hae established this.”

I looked at the back of my hands. “I daena understand lasses.”

Zach said, “None of us do. But we just roll with it. You look great, Lochie, go get your girl.”

I gulped. “My girl? I haena even spoken tae her.”

Fraoch said, “Aye, tis time, ye speak tae her and then ye will ken.”

I sat in the back seat of the truck staring out at the rain coming down the windows. The steady thump of the windshield wipers swishing the water off the front window tae the side.

“What if she inna there?”

Magnus said, “Then ye will ask when she will return, and ye will try again on the morrow.”

I met his eyes in the rearview mirror.

“Tis likely if I get her tae listen tae me, she winna believe me.”

Magnus nodded. “Tis likely.”

I muttered, “Och nae,” and went back tae looking out the window.

Fraoch asked, “Dost ye remember her at all? Anything ye can tell her tae help yer case?”

“Tis hard tae ken, because I hae read the letter. I hae been reminded of things, but aye, I can see an image of her skin under my hand.”

Magnus said, “Maybe daena tell her that at first, ye daena want tae scare her.”

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