Page 145 of The Empire and the Wolf King

Tell me to trust you. You’ll always rescue me. Find me and make me understand that I married you, and that I love you forever. Even if it doesn’t make sense to either of us.

I don’t know what tomorrow holds, or how the time will shift, but please find me. Tell me that I’m going to be your family. Tell me that you need me. I need you too.

I hope you remember. And when you do, look for me, Lochinvar. I’ll be waiting for you.

With all my heart,

Ash

A tear rolled down her cheek and her chin trembled. “I wrote this to you?”

“Aye, and I wrote this for ye, Ash.” I pulled the letter from her hand and turned it over tae read the other side.

“Tae my wife, Ash, Yggdrasil, the tree of life.”

I said, “I am nae certain if I spelled this right, I am new tae writin’.”

She chuckled, with a tear running down her cheek.

I continued, “I hae loved ye since first we met and ye took me home and served me a peach pie that ye baked just for me, as if ye knew I were comin’. And I am, I am comin’ tae find ye, I promise, daena be afraid. I love ye, Lochinvar.”

I said, “I wish I had made it longer.”

Tears rolled down her face. “It’s perfect, Lochie.”

She took the letter back and read the front and back. Then she clutched it tae her chest. “What do we do now, Lochie? With this information, we are married?”

“Not yet, but aye, ye are m’wife, I am yer husband, we hae made a thumb oath tae each other I think, but that is not enough. We decided tae hae a church wedding, because we love each other a great deal.”

Just then Magnus waved, he had his phone tae his ear. I called over, “Good news?”

“Aye, the bairn has been born! Master Cook and Sophie hae a boy named Junior!”

I grinned. “Och, twas the last bit of the puzzle, we needed all tae be well, and the bairn is born.”

Magnus went tae the bar and said, “Drinks for the bar, on us, we hae a new bairn in our family!”

“That is wonderful news, Lochie, everyone is doing well... everyone but us.”

“Aye, a great deal has been sacrificed.”

I put my hand out and Ash put her hand in mine. We both looked down on it while I stroked the back of her hand, an intimate touch that vibrated with electricity.

She said, “I still don’t believe you. This time travel story makes no sense.”

I shrugged and gave her a sad smile.

“What...?”

“As ye are a stranger, I am tryin’ tae decide if ye are goin’ tae be angry with me when I prove ye wrong.”

She grinned, her nose was pink with weepin’, her dimples were verra bonny.

She said, “Lochie, I don’t know how this happened, but I have a peach pie at home, would you like to come have a slice?”

“Och aye, peach pie is m’favorite, how did ye ken? Tis as if ye baked it just for me.”

“I think I must have — somehow I knew you were coming.”

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