Land of My Dreams

by Norma Gail

  Overnight, Kieran’s temperature spiked to 39.5° Celsius, and he lapsed into a stupor. Dr. Wallace entered the ICU with the chart in his hand, his eyes narrow as he studied it. “I need to examine the wound.”

  Bonny’s stomach knotted at the grim look on his face, watching while he poked and prodded at the wound. “How bad are you hurting?” Aroused by the painful exam, Kieran grimaced.

  Dr. Wallace sat on the edge of the bed. “The blood tests show a marked increase in white blood cells—signaling an infection.”

  A CT scan confirmed the presence of an abscess, and they began new intravenous antibiotics.

  Bonny sat beside him, wiping his forehead with a cool cloth. “Kieran, you have to fight this so we can be married.”

  His lips moved, and she bent over him, picking out the words, “Mo gràdh.”

  Right before he went into surgery, Sheriff MacFadyen called. “We caught the poacher on MacDonell land, butchering another stag. He’s a local troublemaker who has been in jail numerous times, Brennan Adair. This time he’ll have attempted murder added to his record.”

  “Brennan Adair?” Bonny turned to Janet, whose face reflected her thoughts. “Constable, see if he has a sister named Deirdre who attends Fort William Christian College? We’ve both had problems with her in the past.”

  Bonny roused from sleep to find two nurses bending over Kieran. Uncurling from the chair, she was appalled at the change which had come over him in the two hours since she fell asleep.

  “His heart rate is weak and thready, and his respirations are becoming labored.” One nurse drew blood while the other checked the IV and peeked under the bandage. “Oooh, I found the source of that odor. The wound is draining.”

  “Is that good?” Bonny peered around her to see for herself. One look told her it wasn’t.

  “No. Mairead, call Dr. Wallace and get those blood cultures sent to the lab STAT.” She peeled off her gloves and washed her hands. “He’ll probably take him back to surgery. His temp is 40.3°. We expected it to be falling by now.”

  Bonny did the conversion to Fahrenheit on her phone: 104.3 degrees. Within the hour, he was in surgery.

  By morning, his temperature was down, but his pasty white skin with dark circles around his eyes and shallow breathing frightened her. Maggie and Hamish made certain someone was with her all the time, forcing her to eat small bits of things, and trying to take her into the hall for walks. She refused to leave his side, always listening for the change in breathing she remembered all too well.

  “Nic-chridhe,” Hamish took her arm and coaxed her toward the door. “Walk with me while Maggie stays with him.”

  She let him lead her out of the ICU. The big hand on her back was so like his son’s. “I believe he’ll recover, but you’ll be sick if you don’t take care. He will need you once he’s home, so you must eat and rest.”

  “I won’t leave. He’s all I have, Hamish.” She dabbed her eyes with a worn tissue.

  “With the abscess drained, he should start improving. No matter what, you have Maggie and me. You’re not alone.” The big hand began to work at a knot in her neck.

  “You have God, mo nighean. If He leaves you with no one and nothing, you still have God, and therefore, you have hope. Kieran came to believe that after he returned from America. You must believe it also. He would want you to.” He took a handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to her.

  She nodded as they re-entered their small world. The wise and loving words from Hamish changed something within her heart. If Kieran had accepted losing her to Adam, she must accept losing him to God.

  Dr. Wallace was smiling as he walked into Kieran’s hospital room a week later. “The infection has cleared up. The wound is healing. You can go home and get ready for that wedding.”

  “That is the best news I’ve heard in a long time.” Bonny leaped from her chair to kiss Kieran and hug the doctor.

  Kieran held his hand out. “David, thank you. I owe you my life.”

  “I did my job. Bonny is the one responsible for your life, and I can’t think of anyone better to owe it to. I don’t know many women with the courage, much less the skill, to do what she did.”

  Kieran held her hand against his cheek. “God has given me far more than I deserve. You’ll come down to Beauly for the wedding, won’t you?”

  David stopped with his hand on the door frame. “I wouldn’t miss it. Thank you. Bonny, keep an eye on him. Nothing strenuous.”

  “Will I be better by the wedding?”

  Bonny turned bright red, and David chuckled out loud. “You’ll be fine. The pain will let you know if you overdo anything. A long rest in the US should do you good.”

  As David walked out, Kieran turned to Bonny, who was still a lovely shade of pink. “How many days until the wedding? I’ve lost track of time.”

  “Kari and Dan arrive two weeks from today. The wedding is a week later. Thanks to Eleanor, Bridget, and Kathleen, with some help from Janet and Agnes, everything is ready. I couldn’t have done it better myself.”

  “The only thing I need is you. I’ll be fine by then. He’s not talking to some office worker. I work hard every day of my life. I’ll heal fast.”

  Bonny cupped his face in her cool, soft hands. “You’ll be careful. I’ll see to that.”

  She bent down, her kiss making three weeks seem like forever.

  “I am a very blessed man. A wife that will take the risk you did to save me is something I never expected to find. Do you remember when Eleanor thought you were too small and delicate for a sheep farmer’s wife?”

  “Hmmm.” She gave him another soft kiss. “I guess I proved her wrong. The only thing in my mind was that no one was going to take you from me.”

  “Did they find out if this Brennan Adair is related to Deirdre?”

  Bonny sat on the edge of the bed, cradling his hand between her own. “He’s her brother, but it gets even weirder. Brennan Adair is Brennan Grant, your hired hand.”

  Memories of footprints, sounds in the bushes, the sight of someone disappearing into the woods played through his mind. “He was spying on us. You know, I had dinner with her when I returned from Albuquerque alone. I was miserable. She was flirty and presumptuous. She would have had me married before the evening was over if I hadn’t told her that I made a mistake and would remain alone.”

  “You never told me that.”

  “It was the loneliness, but when it came right down to it, I couldn’t stand the thought of there ever being anyone but you.”

  “She’s disappeared, Kieran. No one knows where she is. They do want to question her.” She settled herself against his shoulder, the bright curls brushing his chin smelling so sweet and fresh.

  “Brennan was in an old bothy in Greenfield one day, before you ever came to the farm. He was asking a lot about the Greenfield MacDonells. Deirdre told me her mother was a Greenfield MacDonell. They’re up to something.”

  “You mean you think she’ll come back?” He couldn’t miss the worried quiver in her voice.

  “I have no idea, but after this, I know that the two of us can defend our home. No man ever dreamed of a more perfect help-meet.” He kissed the top of her head.

  “I’m not going to worry. God has surmounted every obstacle that has come against us. Prayer will always be our first line of defense.”

  “Amen to that, now go talk to the nurses and see about getting me home.”

  Chapter Thirty-eight: Golden Bands

  The night was still and perfect. A full moon shone in the cloudless sky, lighting their way to the gazebo where they sat holding hands, lost in private dreams.

  Kieran still tired easily, so instead of a trip to Skye, they planned to rest at the farm for three weeks before heading to America for a quiet month at Bonny’s house.

  He drew her close, savoring the sweet smell of her hair and her warmth against his chest. “One more night, mo gràdh. I can’t wait. There were so many times when I thought you would never be mi
ne. Who would have thought we would both almost die?”

  Bonny sniffled. “I was so afraid I would lose you.”

  He took her hand, examining it in the moonlight. “When I helped you with your flat tire, your hands looked so small and delicate they reminded me of my mother’s china. When Kari took me to see you in ICU, I was afraid to touch you. You looked so fragile.”

  She reached up, touching his cheeks. “Kieran, you’re crying.”

  “It’s the happiness overflowing. I don’t plan to ever spend a day away from you after tomorrow. Whatever we do, we’ll do it together. Kiss me, Bonny.”

  She tasted like summer sunshine, mountains, and wildflowers, and she was his.

  “I know a little bit of what our life will be like, but I have no idea how it will feel to be your wife. Does it sound strange to say I don’t regret what we’ve been through because of how we’ve changed and grown?”

  It was getting cold, but once they went back to the inn, his mother would make certain he didn’t catch a glimpse of her until she started down the aisle. “No, it’s not strange. We’re so much stronger than before.”

  “All things become beautiful in His time.” Bonny cupped his cheek in her hand. “I promise to never take you for granted.”

  “You will, and I will do the same with you, but I promise to love you more every day.”

  “Tomorrow, our wild, romantic adventure begins a new chapter, my Highland Games hunk. Let’s go inside before you get too cold. I did promise David I would take care of you.” She jumped up, pulling him to his feet.

  “A little cold isn’t going to hurt me.” He stopped before opening the door to hold her one more time before his mother banished him to the other wing of the house. “Oidhche mhath, mo chridhe. Sleep well, my Bonny.”

  She put her arms around his neck, running her fingers through the hair at the back of his neck. Did she know that drove him crazy?

  “When we first met, Janet told me women envied the love you and Bronwyn shared. She said, ‘A love like that is worth waiting for.’ The only thing I need is your love.”

  He stooped to kiss her lips one more time. “And I yours, a beannachd, Bonny.”

  “A beannachd, my love. I’ll see you in church.”

  “Aye, you will.” With one more quick kiss, he headed to his room for the night.

  Dozens of red and white roses filled the church as winter sunlight streamed through the stained glass windows.

  Kari and Janet walked up the aisle as Angus piped “Mairi’s Wedding.”

  The doors opened when he began “The Highland Wedding,” and Kieran beheld his bride. Wearing her grandmother’s ivory lace wedding dress and the veil worn by his great-grandmother, Bonny moved toward him wrapped in an ivory cloud and a cascade of curls, bright against the creamy skin of her neck and shoulders. A more exquisite sight was impossible to imagine.

  Bonny closed her eyes for a moment, longing for her daddy. She took a deep breath, meeting Dan’s eyes with a smile, and gripped his strong arm tighter. He squeezed her hand, and they started down the aisle. She still had a slight limp, and Dan’s prosthesis showed beneath his new MacDermott tartan. She looked up at him, realizing the perfect picture of God’s grace and healing they presented. Added into the equation of grace was her precious Kieran, the giant of a man in the MacDonell tartan beaming from the front of the church as tears flowed down his cheeks without shame.

  She clutched her bouquet of roses and white heather, surprised to find she was shaking. It seemed as if they reached the front in an instant.

  When asked who gave her in marriage, Dan placed her hand in Kieran’s. “Her friends who love her, by the trust placed in them by her father.”

  Kieran’s touch sparked a current of electricity thrilling through her. Meeting his eyes, she knew he felt it too. Their moment had arrived. They spoke their wedding vows in Gaelic as a sign of her complete devotion to her husband and his home, providing a translation for the non-Gaelic speakers.

  Graeme, attired in his own kilt, gave the traditional Scottish Wedding Blessing, “Mile failte dhuit le d’bhreid, Fad do re gun robh thu slan. Moran laithean dhuit is sith, Le d’mhaitheas is le d’ni bhi fas.”

  A thousand welcomes to you with your marriage.

  May you be healthy all your days.

  May you be blessed with long life and peace.

  May you grow old with goodness, and with riches.

  He explained that the obstacles, which they had overcome by God’s grace, had strengthened them and taught them to depend on the Lord. Then, he outlined the Bible’s plan for marriage, quoting scriptures, and giving practical advice on fulfilling the responsibilities of husband and wife.

  With a tight grip on Bonny’s hand, Kieran repeated his vows after Graeme, his deep voice stilling Bonny’s nerves with its steady certainty. “Tha mise Kieran a-nis ‘gad ghabhail-sa Bonny …”

  The tender love, so undeniable in the shining pools of his eyes, held her mesmerized. She spoke her vows to him alone. “Tha mise Bonny a-nis ‘gad ghabhail-sa Kieran …”

  As Graeme pronounced them man and wife, Kieran encircled her in the gentle strength of his arms, their kiss—a tender beginning to their new life.

  In an old Scottish tradition symbolizing Bonny’s acceptance by the clan, Maggie stepped forward, pinning a rosette of MacDonell tartan to her gown with a clan badge of sterling silver. “Welcome, my daughter,” she said, kissing her cheek.

  They walked down the aisle, to the joyous strains of “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring,” their lives entwined for life.

  As the bells in the church tower pealed in celebration, one of the toddlers belonging to a member of the church handed Bonny the traditional horseshoe for good luck. Wrapped in a cocoon of happiness, they climbed into the horse-drawn carriage to return to the Inn for the reception and Ceilidh, a traditional evening of Celtic dances and singing.

  As he held her, Bonny whispered in his ear. “Kieran, love, you’re squeezing me so tight, I can’t breathe.”

  “God gave you to me, to protect and care for, my precious jewel. You’re glowing.” He kissed her again, drawing cheers from the people on the street.

  “Because I know nothing but death can ever separate us.”

  Kieran held Bonny tight as they danced the first waltz. “Do you remember this tune?”

  She rested her head on his chest. “‘The Rosebud of Allenvale.’ You requested it at the ball the night you first said you loved me.”

  “The skin on your shoulders felt as soft as rose petals.”

  A man who remembered such small details after such a long time was capable of keeping her heart safe for the rest of their lives. She turned her face up to meet his.

  The celebrating and feasting at Highland weddings lasted long into the evening. They ate the brandy-soaked fruitcake, remembering their first one, and how many turns and twists lay between the two.

  Kieran said, “We’ve come full-circle, love. Nothing will ever part us again.”

  Dan and Kari joined them, Kari creating a stunning sight in the deep red gown. “What a beautiful wedding.”

  “She’s mine forever. How can anything be lovelier?” Standing, he offered his arm to Kari. “Would the matron-of-honor care to dance?”

  “I’d be delighted, if you’re up to it.” He led her onto the dance floor, moving with unusual grace for a man of his size. “I promised three waltzes, one with my wife, one with my mother, and one with Bonny’s dearest friend. I promise to take care of her.”

  Dan took Bonny’s hand. “Hey, Carrot-Top, care to dance?”

  “Of course.” She put her hand on his shoulder as he encircled her waist.

  “We’re not bad for a couple of gimps. Are you happy, Mrs. MacDonell?” Dan asked, as they moved around the floor.

  She leaned her cheek against her friend’s shoulder. “The only thing more perfect would be to have my parents here. We’re not gimps, Danny Boy. We’re walking miracles, along with my handsome husband over
there. What do you suppose he and Kari are discussing with such serious expressions?”

  “My guess is he’s promising to treat you right to avoid the wrath of my wife.” He kissed her cheek as the music stopped. “Be happy, Bonny.”

  Dùghlas and Mairi Cameron strolled up, arm in arm. “This is a lovely wedding, Bonny. Your parents would be so very proud of you and pleased with the man you’ve chosen.”

  Tears filled her eyes, and she wiped them with the lace-edged handkerchief Maggie had insisted she stuff up her sleeve. “Thank you, both.”

  “God bless you, dear.” Mairi kissed her on the cheek, and they walked away.

  She walked over to her husband, who wrapped her in his arms, warm and solid, bestowing a sense of peace and contentment greater than she ever imagined.

  At eight o’clock, the guests assembled to escort Bonny and Kieran to the bridal suite in the tower, where Graeme broke the traditional oatcake over Bonny’s head and passed it around. Following the blessing, they stepped across the threshold into the anteroom of the tower chamber, since Dr. Wallace wouldn’t allow him to lift her. Giving her a quick kiss, he went to the room next door, allowing her to prepare for their first time alone as man and wife.

  Kari unfastened the pearl buttons down the back and helped Bonny out of her wedding dress. “I hope the joy I see in your eyes lasts throughout your life together.”

  Janet hugged her. “If ever a marriage was ordained by God, it’s yours. Your life has taken many detours since we first met, but God fulfilled your dreams. It’s a miracle. A beannachd, Bonny.”

  Tears welled up in Kari’s eyes as Bonny hugged her.

  Bonny opened the door to Kieran’s knock, and he barely closed it before taking her in his arms. She gazed up, feeling him quiver as she laid her hands on his shoulders.

  “Were you listening for them to leave?”

  “Aye, I’ve waited a long time for this night.” She stood before him clad in delicate white lace. “You’re so lovely ...”