Page 89 of In Search of a Husband
“Elspeth MacInnes, I swear upon all the stars in the sky,” Finn declared, “if ye say that again, I’ll?—”
“Ye’ll what?” she challenged, winking at Kate. “Go on.”
Kate pushed through the crowd and saluted Archie behind the bar, before slipping behind herself to head to the kitchen. Gabriel followed, as did Finn and Elsie.
“Go enjoy the party, I will only be a mo?—”
Kate froze in the doorway to the kitchen, her heart hammering against her chest.
Her mind tumbled into a messy, knotted ball of words before she stammered, “Wh-what’s this?”
“That would be a new stove,” Elsie announced, coming to stand next to Kate with crossed arms. “Straight off the boat this morning.”
“This morning?”
“Ye need a stove to bake with. It’s verra modern. Everything cooks more evenly than if ye used the hearth.”
Tears welled in her eyes.
A stove. To bake with.
A business to help run.
New gowns to play hostess in.
And the bloody fool hadn’t won the caber toss today.
“It will help on busy days like today,” Gabriel said behind her shoulder. She resisted the urge to throw her arms around his neck, but in the moment, that was all she wished.
And for him to ask her, properly, to stay.
Not demand it.
Too many men had done that, shaping her life on their whims, leaving her to face the consequences.
“What do ye think?” Finn asked.
“Oh.” She clasped her hands together. “It’s a lovely stove.”
“Will ye bake with it?” Gabriel asked.
“I’ll need to learn how, but I… yes. Of course. Look how fine it looks in this kitchen.”
“I told ye she would like it,” grumbled Elsie.
Kate scrunched her nose at her new friend, half embarrassed and more thankful.
“Fine, verra well, verra well,” Finn declared, clapping his hands together. “That’s settled. I believe it’s time to celebrate properly.”
“Celebrate my brother’s loss to Duncan McQuarrie?”
“It was a verra tall caber.” Gabriel frowned. “And I’m out of practice.”
“Did you used to go about tossing logs around in between running whisky?” Kate asked, giggling. “You probably grumbled about it the whole time.”
He winked at her. “I’ll just have to toss ye over my shoulder for more practice.”
“Ah,” Elsie said, standing between Kate and Gabriel. “There will be no more tossing young unwed lasses over yer shoulder, Gabriel MacInnes. I will be forced to act as chaperone.”
