Page 16 of A Keeper of Time

“That’s it. She’s got Edna.”

Brenna placed a hand on Zeke’s shoulder to get his attention. “I’m going to start dinner, but keep talking. I can hear ye.”

Sara explained everything to Zeke with the help of Jenna. He listened without saying a word.

When she had finished, Zeke said, “We’ve got to call Maggie at the inn. Hopefully she can fix this so you can get back to your families.”

“I’m worried about Edna. What if they can’t find her?” Ashley asked, sounding frantic to Edna’s ears. Jenna put her arms around her friend and squeezed her shoulders.

Zeke stood and paced back and forth in front of his fireplace. “We’ll have to help. I’ll contact Donal and Hamish. We all owe so much to Edna. We can’t just sit by and not do anything at all.”

“Aye. Zeke is right.” Brenna called from the kitchen.

Ashley stood abruptly and took a deep breath before heading into the kitchen, a determined look on her face, “Can I help you with anything?”

Edna relaxed a little. Ashley seemed better now that they had a plan.

“Aye.” Brenna handed Ashley a knife and a cutting board. “Ye can chop.”

“What are you making?”

“Stir fry.”

Ashley’s eyes got big then she laughed. “Wow! You’ve really settled in, haven’t you?” And just like that, the tension in the room seemed to lighten.

Brenna grinned while pulling things from the cupboards and freezer without a pause in the conversation. “I have. I love it here. I’ve learned so much. And Zeke is the best husband.” Soon the rice cooker was going, chicken was defrosting in the microwave, the oven was heating up and there was a box of brownie mix on the counter. Edna couldn’t help but smile, Brenna had really embraced modern conveniences.

“No little ones?” Ashley asked, obviously thinking of her own.

“No’ yet,” she winked at Zeke, “but we’re in nae hurry.”

Ashley chopped onions and peppers, while Brenna chopped broccoli and carrots. “You should see your little niece and nephew.”

“What?” Brenna stopped what she was doing and turned to Ashley. “Zeke, did ye hear that?”

“No. I missed it.”

“We’ve a niece and nephew! Yer sister is sitting right there and she never said a word.”

“Sara? You have a baby?” Zeke’s voice was a mix of excitement about the news and irritation that she hadn’t said anything to him.

“I’m sorry. I was going to share, but I thought I’d do it over dinner. You know, once we get all the hard stuff out of the way and we’re able to enjoy each other’s company.”

“Okay. I understand, I guess,” he teased. “So, tell me about the baby.”

“She’s the best,” Sara gushed. “I wish you could see her. She looks like all the best parts of her Da. She has his hair and eyes. Her name is Lily.”

“I’ll bet she’s got your spunky personality.” Zeke was thrilled for his sister. It was evident from the huge grin on his face. “You’re a mom. I can’t believe it.”

“Tell us about Dougall’s bairn,” Brenna called over the sound of chopping.

“His name is Roban. He’s about the same age as Lily. They were born a week apart. He’s the sweetest little guy.”

Brenna joined them in the living room. “Oh, Zeke, I want to see them.”

An indulgent smile lit his lips. “We just might be able to. Let’s try to get in touch with Maggie and we’ll see if we can.”

Brenna sat down beside him on the sofa while he got out his phone. He placed his hand on her leg.