Page 86 of In Search of a Husband
She halted, dragging him to a stop. “Do you?”
He peered down at her. “When I wake in the morning,” he said quietly, “ye’re the first thing I think about. And I canna find the end of it. It’s like a string, following me around all day until I can touch ye, kiss ye… be with ye, Kate.”
Kate’s eyes slanted, heavy with desire as she slowly grazed her thumb back and forth over the back of his, matching the steady drumming beat of his heart in his ears.
“That was a kind thing for you to say, Gabe.”
“Nae, no’ kind. It’s the damn truth.”
“And you don’t wish it to be?”
“Doesna much matter now. It’s too late.”
“For what?”
“Gabriel MacInnes!” bellowed James MacCreary through the crowd. “Realized it was time to come home, I see.”
The man’s silver hair stood on end, deep laugh lines carved into his square-set face. Gabriel had learned to track stags from James, spending many an afternoon at the MacCreary cottage as he grew after his father passed.
“It’s about time,” Mrs. MacCreary called out, stepping out from behind her husband.
Kate dropped his hand and moved aside, the loss of her touch stinging.
Mrs. MacCreary, round and petite, threw her arms around Gabriel. “All this time and no’ a letter.”
“I wrote only this spring.”
“No’ enough, lad.” James crossed his arms, glancing between Gabriel and Kate. “When we didna hear back from ye about Tavish…”
“Allow me to introduce Miss Katherine Bancroft.”
“Are ye two…” Mrs. MacCreary asked, clutching her hands together as if she were about to squeal.
“I am helping with the inn, ma’am.”
Gabriel didn’t miss the flash of disappointment in the woman’s green eyes.
“Ye’ll need to see it. She’s done a grand job helping me open in time for the festival. There was a lot of damage from the fire.”
“Yes, please come by this evening. There’ll be plenty of live music and food.”
The bagpipes began again, and the crowd was mulling about, growing restless. It had been nearly an hour after the hill race.
“We will be there, no doubt. It’s lovely to see ye again, Gabriel. We’re glad ye’re home here with us, and the girls now, too.”
“And Elsie,” Gabriel added.
Mrs. MacCreary grinned. “It has been far too long since I laid eyes on Elsie, sneaking off to Edinburugh like she did. I must find her.”
“Find the hand pies,” Kate said with a laugh. “Little Maisie was on a mission.”
“Verra well,” James said. He offered his arm to his wife, and she hooked her hand through, not so subtly peeking between Gabriel and Kate once more.
Kate stood off to the side, a smile on her face, clutching her hands in front of her. But Gabriel could tell she was nervous.
Once the MacCrearys left, he reached for her hand again, but she threw it off. “Not here,” she hissed. “Too many people will see.”
“I dinna care if they see, Kate.”
