Page 56 of Kilty By Association
As he stood, Mary smacked him in the jaw with a gooey fist, and—his grin growing—he captured her arm gently. “Seems I’m to be moist at my wedding.”
“Da! Dada!”
His heart swelled, and he nuzzled her sweet-smelling hair. “Aye, sweet. I’m yer da. Or I will be soon.”
He felt Elspeth slip her arm around his waist and rest her head on his shoulder, squishing Mary between them. “Mary’s never kenned anotherDa, Craig. Ye’ll always be her father.”
The thought made his throat tight, and unconsciously he glanced at Robbie, who stood with his hands behind his back, his expression screwed into a look of uncertainty.
“Lad?”
Robbie swallowed, then met his eyes. “If I got to choose which father I wanted, I’d…” His gaze dropped to Craig’s chest. “I’d choose ye.”
Holy Mother of God.
Craig realized there were tears pricking at his eyes. “If I hadto—to choose a son, Robbie…” He swallowed. “I’d choose ye. I love ye, lad.”
When Robbie looked back up, his eyes were bright with tears, but he was smiling. “I love ye too, Da.”
Da.
He’d called CraigDa.
It shouldn’t be possible for Craig’s heart to swell further, but it did.
Possibly some sort of medical condition.
“Da!” burbled Mary, hitting him with a spit-covered fist again. “Da!”
At his side, Katharine sniffed haughtily. “Well,I’mcalling him Craig.”
Without missing a beat, Craig shrugged, causing Mary to giggle. “Fair enough. I’ll call yehoneybear.”
The lassie made a gagging sound. “Uuurrrgh. Fine. If ye call me Kat, I’ll call ye Da.”
To avoid another hand-spitting deal, Craig just nodded. “Aright, Kat.”
She rolled her eyes. “Fine,Da.”
“Dadada!” Mary laughed, then smacked Elspeth with the same fist. “Mamamama!”
“Aye, sweet,” Craig agreed, laughing. “Da and Mama and Robbie and Kat and Mary.”
“A family,” Elspeth whispered, beaming up at him.
Craig gathered them all close. “Well, family? Shall we go start our forever?”
And, laughing, they did.
Elspeth feltas if she’d been waiting for this moment forever.
Or at least since they’d left Oliphant Castle.
Her veins thrumming with need, she pulled her newhusband into her chambers and slammed the door shut. Before Craig had fully turned to face her, she’d thrown herself forward, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pulled his lips to hers.
The little noise of surrender he made wasquitesatisfying.
His beard—which he’d newly trimmed—tickled the skin of her cheeks, and she dug her fingers into the hair at the back of his head, trying to drag him closer. His enthusiastic response told her he was as desperate as she was.
