Page 21 of A Thistle Beyond Time
Dylan nodded. “Okay. I’ll take care of it.”
Jenna headed towards the stairwell. “I’m going to go upstairs and try to take a nap. My head still hurts, after last night.”
“No worries. I’ll handle everything down here,” Dylan reassured her.
* * *
Cormac watched as Jenna made her way up the stairs. He wished there was something he could do, to win her trust. He knew she had just been through a terrible experience with her ex-husband and he could see the pain etched on her face whenever Jonathan’s name came up in conversation. While he was more than capable of protecting her, Cormac could tell she wasn’t going to let anyone else take care of her. Particularly him. He would have to work on that. She needed him, even if she was unaware of it.
“Cormac, let’s go check out the pool,” Dylan suggested, once Jenna disappeared.
“Aye.”
They went out through the floor to ceiling doors, which folded open, exposing the entire back of the house. Cormac couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw the pool. “What is this?”
“It’s a swimming pool,” Dylan answered.
Cormac bent down and put his hand in the water. “’Tis warm,” he announced, surprised.
“It’s heated. Nice, huh?”
“The water is so verra clear.” Cormac touched the outside wall of the pool. “I’ve never seen anything like it. Ye have yer own wee loch.”
Dylan grinned. “It’s a man-made loch. You’ll have to go for a swim later.”
“Aye. I’d like that.”
Dylan showed him around the house, which was filled with the most wondrous items. The kitchen fascinated Cormac. At three times the size of the verra nice kitchen at the other house, which he’d not had the time to explore, this one opened into the rest of the house. The ceilings were vaulted, giving the whole first floor a feeling of spaciousness. He loved the box Dylan called arefrigerator. It kept everything so verra cold. He knew his sister Irene would love it. The cooking was not done in an overlarge fireplace like it was back home, but in an oven and atop a stove. Water came out of a faucet – already hot, or cold. Cormac wondered where it came from. Did they have a well? He could spend all day trying to understand all of these things he had never seen before. Dylan was most helpful and answered most of his questions, but there were some things even Dylan didn’t know. Jenna had so far refused to answer any of his questions, saying that he knew very well what everything was and to stop pretending he was from a time in the past. Cormac chuckled, thinking about her. He’d convince her yet. It was just a matter of time.
* * *
The doorbell started ringing at about 6 p.m. as Jenna and Dylan’s married friends began to arrive with their babies and small children. The plan was for them to enjoy some time at the party and then be heading home before the rowdier crowd arrived at around 9 p.m.
The children were all enamored with Cormac. They seemed to think he was a giant, and they all stood and stared up at him. To put them at ease, he squatted down to their level and introduced himself. Jenna thought his Scottish accent made him seem all the more magical in their eyes and before long he had children crawling all over him. Cormac had become the perfect baby sitter.
“Where did you find him?” Jenna’s friend Emily asked, with an envious look in her eyes.
“On the Marina Green,” Jenna honestly offered.
“He’s a keeper. Look at him, with those kids.”
Jenna couldn’t help but smile as she watched Cormac with the children. He even had Emily’s baby boy tucked into his side. The kids were climbing over him, as if he was a jungle gym. He didn’t seem bothered by it at all and in fact, encouraged their play. He took the children out to the barbecue area en masse and saw that they were fed, and then sat and told them stories about faeries and magical beings in the Scottish highlands. They were fascinated and their parents were happy beyond belief to have some uninterrupted time to chat with their friends.
“Are you okay, MacBayne,” Jenna questioned at one stage. “I can see that you’re a hit with the children, but if you need a break, I’d be happy to take over.”
“I’m fine, lass. I miss my sister’s children back home and these bairns are easing my heart a bit.”
“Auntie Jenna,” called a little tow-headed boy.
“Yes, James, what would you like?”
“Auntie Jenna, I like the big man,” James said.
“His name is Cormac and I’m happy you like him.” Jenna smiled warmly at the boy.
“Will he be here next time we come visit?” the boy asked.
“I don’t think so. He lives in another country, very far away,” Jenna answered.
