Page 101 of Trapped with her Highland Villain
“A wonderful idea,” Valerie agreed, pouncing on a jug of wine. She snatched up four goblets, handing one to each. “But before we do that—and before ye tell us of this old diary of Da’s—I propose a toast.”
She poured out a generous goblet for each, and each woman dutifully raised her glass.
“To Da,” said Lily, smiling tearfully.
“To Ma,” Brigid added.
“To our husbands, and husbands-to-be,” Valerie added, laughing.
“To all the children we have and will make,” Brigid smiled.
Megan paused for a moment, glancing around at her sisters’ bright, smiling faces. A bittersweet pang tightened in her chest, and she gave a soft smile. They were happy, all of them. Their futures were bright. Still, mourning a happy past was not a crime. Their lives had all changed, and there was no going back.
We can only go forward.
“To us,” she murmured. “To the Blackwood sisters.”
The four sisters clinked their glasses together and drank deeply.
“Have ye been at the wine, me darling wife?” Ryder whispered.
“Why, do I seem drunk?” Megan shot back with a grin.
“Nae at all. But there is a wee bit of red wine on yer lower lip. If we were nae in the process of gettin’ married here in the Great Hall in front of God and everybody, I might kiss it away.”
Megan reddened, hiding a smile.
The Great Hall was packed with people, all craning their necks to get a good look at Laird MacCulloch and the woman who wasalmostLady MacCulloch. The priest was still intoning, but soon they would say their vows, and the marriage would be official.
In the meantime, Megan was content to stand facing Ryder, her hands wrapped warmly in his.
I’m happy,she thought, biting back a smile.I never thought I could be so happy.
She knew that her sisters and their husbands were in the audience, beaming up at her. Flora and Ewan were there too, arms wrapped around each other. Alaina and Sophie stood on the platform. A twist of blue flowers, picked by Sophie and cunningly woven together by Alaina, was pinned to Megan’s shoulder.
It was the nicest wedding gift she could have hoped for, because it meant something. Sophie had been a flower girl, of course. She had insisted, taking a basket of petals to scatter along the aisle for Megan to walk upon. She insisted that Alaina join in, too. Frankly, Megan did not think she’d have wanted it any other way.
“I was wonderin’,” Ryder continued, leaning forward with a glint in his eye, “whether ye and I might find time to sneak away before the feast begins.”
Heat curled in Megan’s gut. With the preparations for the wedding filling their time—to say nothing of countless important guests and the business of appointing a new Laird MacAdair—they had only had the chance to share each other’s bed on a handful of occasions.
That, in Megan’s opinion, was a terrible shame and would hopefully be remedied soon.
“I am sure we could,” she answered demurely, ruining the effect by flashing a wide, toothy smile.
“Those blue eyes of yers are beautiful, me love, but I’ve been wonderin’ whether we might like to try coverin’ them up.”
She tilted her head. “What do ye mean?”
He gave a slow, hungry smile. “Well, sometimes it is every bit as excitin’naeto see what is goin’ on as it is to see it. If ye catch me drift. And the last time I ordered ye to close yer eyes…”
“I didnae peep!”
“Nay, but ye weretempted, and I didnae do half of the things I was dyin’ to do. Just a wee suggestion, lass.”
She bit her lip, glancing apprehensively at the priest. Fortunately, the man was wrapped up in his own spiel and did not seem to have noticed.
“That sounds exceptionally intriguin’,” she whispered.
“I hope it will be,” he murmured. “I love ye, Megan Blackwood. I hope ye ken that.”
“Aye, I ken it. And for what it’s worth, Ryder, prickly wee thing that ye are, I love ye too.”
He winked. “Oh, I’m countin’ on it.”
The End?
