Page 29 of Plaid Attitude
When he moved up beside her and bent to help arrange the paints, she inhaled his scent and had to squeeze her thighs together to tamp down the instinctive aroused response. Even now—even after the confusing things he’d said yesterday—she wanted to kiss him.
Neededto kiss him.
“I suppose we could claim that by boiling them, we’re peeling the shell off whole, which represents the empty tomb?”
She glanced sidelong at him. “That’s remarkably insightful.”
“I’m an insightful man.”
Coira straightened and folded her arms. “Aright. Explain the bunnies then.”
He grinned. “Ye ken what bunnies get up to when our backs are turned. They’re always making new bunnies.” He held up both hands, palms up. “Mama bunny, papa bunny.” Then he brought his hands together as if in prayer. “Baby bunnies. New life.”
“Plus, they’re adorable.”
His nose wrinkled. “Aye, but Bessetta had a clutch a few years ago, so I can say as cute as they may be, the smell of rabbit shite never leaves ye.”
It was amazing how, even now, even with the uncertainty of his message yesterday, he could make her laugh.
“Aright, ye’ve explained the significance of the egg hunt and the bunnies at Easter time, but why are theychocolate?”
“What’s chocolate?” he asked, just as the first of the clan’s rambunctious bairns came running back to decorate their eggs.
The day blurred after that, the hours running together as Coira organized and helped and arranged and yelled good-naturedly as she cleaned donkey shite from her boots and threatened to eat Bill the Ass. Since she’d planned most of the events Mother had requested, everyone turned to her, and by the time the clan piled indoors for the feast, her throat was raw from talking and her shoulders ached.
As they stood at the double doors, greeting friends and family and ushering them inside, she heard her name being called.
“Lady Coira, a moment of yer time?”
A moment of yer time, a moment of yer time. The problem was, those moments added up to hours and years. Still, she was glad to have the chance to help.
“Aye?” she asked, turning to find Craig standing with Ellis and Samuel. All three were Oliphant warriors, and the two younger ones had grown in talent and ability during the last year, with Craig’s help. The older man jerked his chin to them.
“Go on in, I’ll join ye. I just need to talk to my cousin about something.”
The large blacksmith was uncharacteristically somber, so Coira’s attention was piqued. She glanced over her shoulder to see Doughall shooing the last of the bairns toward the castle, then settled her hands on her hips and gave her cousin her full attention.
Thanks to their great-something-grandfather’s habit of siring sons—andtwinsons at that!—there were quite a few Oliphant cousins floating around the Castle these days. Craig was one of the most handsome, everyone agreed, with shoulders wide enough to carry an ox.
They weren’t the kind of shoulders thatshefound attractive, though.
Tamping down thoughts of Doughall, she nodded. “Aye, Craig, I’m listening.”
“I ken today ye’re busy, but…” He ran his hand through his hair, and looked a bit sheepish. “I’m here to ask yer permission to go to Scone.”
Her brows rose. “For a visit?”
“For good. I’ve been speaking with Barclay and Brodie, and…” He took a deep breath, then straightened. “I want to go to Scone to see if the King will accept me as one of his Hunters.”
Her breath burst from her in a half-laugh, half-surprised gasp. “What?”
His expression turned mulish. “’Tis no’ so unbelievable!” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder toward the castle. “And now that Samuel and Ellis understand the workings of the forge, I’ll no’ be leaving the Oliphants without a blacksmith! I can handle a sword as well as any other man, and—”
“Nay, nay, Craig, peace!” Coira was patting the air in front of her with little conciliatory gestures. “I didnae laugh at the idea of ye as a Hunter, I was just surprised. For truth, yearea skilled warrior, and I’m certain the King could use ye. I just didnae expect ye to be leaving us.”
Her cousin’s lips twitched ruefully and he rubbed the back of his neck, as if embarrassed by the outburst. “Och, well…I’m no’ as good as Barclay or Evander. I ken yer brothers-in-law, the other Hunters, but I’ve no’ trained against them. I was able to beat Evander a time or two, when he visited last year. But Barclay says Iamgood, and the King might no’ take me as a Hunter, but I’d like to try. I think I can serve him well.”
“Aye…” She swallowed, strangely proud of her cousin. “Aye, and ye’d be making the world a better place, too. When do ye think ye’d be leaving?”
