Page 65 of Highland Stars
His thumb stops its caress. “You need to have your eyes checked. Why do you think I came to your table that night at the pub? It wasna because I make a point of seeking outstrangers to talk to. I saw you walk in and couldn’t peel my eyes from ya. With your hair black as night and your moonlight skin, I had to know what colour eyes had been gifted to you. I couldn’t make out the colour that night, but when I finally saw those blue-green irises, I was not disappointed.”
“Really?”
“Aye.” He squeezes me tight, then whispers in my ear, “And you’re just the right size for me to hold on to.”
Holy guacamole.
He continues to hold me close, hand stroking my hair, while he whispers, “But none of that has compared to getting to know you. Your inside is beautiful, and intriguing. Your kindness, and sweet, tender heart calls to me. I want to know you deeply and be the best I can be to have a chance at deserving you.”
I can’t breathe. On top of everything he said about me, he thinks he has to work to deserve me?
“You alright, lass?”
I nod against his chest.
“Have I overwhelmed ya?”
“More like shocked me.” I thought perhaps there was a chance that he had little, baby feelings for me. But this? He’s been marinating on this for a while. The simple yes, I thought hemightsay, was more like an epic confession.
“Hmm …” He releases me and smooths hair away from my face. “It might have been shocking, but it was entirely true.”
I can’t formulate a worthwhile response, much less make a declaration of my own. So I say the first thing that pops into my mind. “Are we going to see the border collies and sheep today?”
He chuckles. “I’ll be ready when you are.”
And I wonder exactly what he means by that.
36
Malcolm
“Thisdoesn’tlooklikea sheep farm,” Makenna says with a grin as we pull into the car park for the Highland Folk Museum.
“Surprise! Rabbie suggested we stop here on the way.” The farm we’ll be visiting later belongs to my cousin, Rabbie, and while I know Makenna will love it there, this museum will likely be the highlight of the day.
“This is amazing! I’d actually wanted to come here but forgot when we were making our plans. Thank you.”
“Aye, of course, lass. I was afraid we wouldn’t see enough old things at the farm today, so, really, we had to come here to make sure you meet your quota.”
Makenna huffs a laugh, and I look over at her after I park.She has the same sparkle in her eyes I’ve seen there all morning. She may not have said anything back to me, but she really didn’t have to. She’s clearly feeling things, and it’s got me feeling like a dog with two tails.
We follow a trail into the open-air museum, passing through the woods dotted with wooden animal carvings, each one drawing excitement from Makenna. After a particularly exuberant display brought on by a wooden pine marten, I take her hand in mine and she stills. She turns, looks down at our hands, then up at me with the bonniest wee smile.
“That’s really nice.”
“Aye. It is.”
We continue into the part of the museum which is like stepping into a Scottish Highland village from the 1700s. We see, and go into, houses built from the materials around them. Wood, stone, grass, and moss. Peat fires, work tools, and kitchen items, make the homes look as if someone lives in them.
“This is amazing,” Makenna says, squeezing my hand. “I’ve been to similar places back home, but they seemed slightly more modern than this. I love it.”
“And here I was, worried you’d hate it.”
After a couple hours of handholding, and every excuse under the sun to touch, we head back to my car. So many times, I’ve looked over at Makenna in awe that this is happening. She did what I never expected her to do and asked about my feelings. I couldn’t be happier she did. I was prepared to give her time, but our time is running short, so I’m glad she jumped when she did.
So, so glad.
We packed up and left the treehouse behind this morning, so for lunch, we had a car picnic with the food we had left over. I hadn’t been able to find any information about gluten-free options near the museum, so I made sure we had enough food to bring with us.
