Page 56 of A Plaid Case of Loving Ye
With a chuckle, he pulled her down atop him once more. “Impossible. I’m married to a talented healer, ye ken. She went to great lengths to fix me up…the least I can do is stick around for as long as possible.”
Humming, she kissed him gently on the lips. “I’ll make ye a bargain. Ye promise to do yer best to keep from being injured, and I’ll do my best to patch ye up again if ye are.”
“Deal.” His grin was crooked. “The King has already sent word I’m to be released from my duties as a Hunter, now that MacDonald’s dead, and has given his blessing to us to raise Relic, as well as his word he’ll no’ reveal the lad’s existence to Lady Helen’s father.”
The good news caused her chest to swell. Or mayhap that was some sort of side effect of being in love. “Really? So…he’s ours?”
“Ours, aye.” He kissed her again, soft and long. “And we’ll raise him to be the best big brother to any other bairns God grants us.”
Bairns.
A year ago—amonthago—Nicola would’ve scoffed at the thought of becoming a mother. A mewling, needy human whotook took tookand offered naught in return? Nay, thankyeverramuch, she’d had enough of that with her mother.
But now she’d met Ramsay, now, she had Relic…and she was beginning to understand. Bairns were helpless at first, aye, but they gave more joy and pleasure than she’d ever expected.
“Nicola? Are ye aright, lass? Ye have the strangest look on yer face.”
She blinked, then smiled. “Aye, my love. I was just thinking about the future.”
“A future with me? Putting up with my huge, crazy family?”
She swung a leg over his thighs, pushing herself up until she straddled him. Her palms were braced against his chest and her hair swung down like a curtain around them. His hands found her hips and his thumbs began to trace circles on her skin.
“I was thinking of a future with ye, aye, andourhuge crazy family. And…” She scooted down his body, until the cleft of her arse cradled his growing erection. “And I was thinking mayhap we should get started right now.”
“On what?” His voice sounded hoarse, even as his hands rose to cup her breasts.
She grinned and rocked against him. “On starting ourownhuge family.”
With a groan, he tugged her down to him, and when their lips met, they were both smiling.
Epilogue
Honor?Obey?
Coira snorted softly as she hid her scowl behind a gulp of her ale. She was happy for Nicola—forallher sisters, who’d found love this year—but each wedding ceremony she’d sat through had made her wince. Imagine vowing to obey a man for the rest of her life!
Hah!
“Do stop making that disgusting noise, Coira,” Mother admonished, her chin high as she surveyed the revelers. “’Tis no’ at all ladylike.”
“Neither am I.” Another gulp, becausedamnation, standing around with Mother made one want to drink.
To her surprise, her mother’s grin was a little rueful as she shrugged. “Well, I suppose there’s nae arguing that. At least ye wore a gown to yer sister’s wedding instead of those braies ye wear when ye think I’m no’ looking.”
Cocking a brow, Coira studied the older woman. “I only wear those to spar with the men.”
“Aye, and I suppose that’s useful. But ye’re never going to catch a man’s eye when ye’re busy besting him with blades.”
“And why would I want to catch a man’s eye?” This time her gulp was large enough to make her choke.
Her mother patted her shoulder, as if that would help while Coira was coughing. “If ye continue to insist on being the men’s equal, Coira, ye’re never going to be married.”
“Aye,” she rasped. “That’s the point.”
But Mother just sighed. “I want ye to be happy, dear.”
Straightening once more, Coira shook her head and used her mug to gesture to the dancers. “Ye think something like this—someonelike this—would make me happy?” She didn’t bother to keep the scorn from her voice.
