“Aye, you’ll have to visit Scottie to get more,” Brendan suggested.
Colin frowned. “He won’t give me any more. I just got four jugs from him. We used three for Bonnie’s celebration. Just look at them, they drank an entire jug amongst the three of them. Hell, they should be tipsy for the next week. That brew is quite potent.”
Brendan laughed. “They don’t even know we’re here. Let’s get them off the floor, shall we?” He approached his wife, and his brothers went to their wives. When the women finally looked up and saw them, they broke out in fits of laughter and rolled around on the floor.
“They’re out of control,” Colin said with disgust.
Brendan nodded as he leaned down to lift Katie in his arms. Her head lobbed a few times before she let it fall on his shoulder.
“Sweetheart, you’re in for a pounder.”
“Brendan, put me down, I can walk.”
“Nay, you can’t. You’ll kill yourself walking to our cottage.”
She giggled, then smacked his cheek with her lips. “Don’t you have faith in me?”
“Not at the moment, love.”
Katie grinned a sideways smile, putting her arms around his neck, and held him too tightly. He pulled her hands loose, and patted them to keep her from putting them back. Her womanly scent couldn’t override the smell of the brew, and his grin widened. Brendan reached the cottage at last and gently set her on the bed. Trixie jumped up, but he shooed her away.
As he went about lighting the hearth and candles, he heard her giggling. When he finally reached the bed, he was unclothed and was ready to join her. He lay on his stomach watching her, her hair had come undone from its ties and tresses strewn about her face. She blew a tendril away and giggled again.
“Ah, love, you’re no good to me now, not in your condition. You better sleep it off.” Brendan rolled over and kicked the covers aside.
Kate rose and removed her clothing. She paraded around the room naked, and he watched her bare bottom, thinking he might swallow his tongue. A groan escaped him. She blew out several candles, most taking more than one attempt and then marched back to bed. Kate crawled over him and straddled his hips.
“Husband,” she said proudly, when she leaned her head against his chest. “I dreamt about you for the longest time. I didn’t know why you always looked at me so sternly, but now I know why.” Katie trailed her hands along his chest, distracting him. “I’ll always love you.”
“Katie, you don’t know what you are saying. You have had too much brew.”
She scoffed at him. “Nay, I really do love you, Brendan. You’re my own gentle warrior.” She closed her eyes and he felt her breath tickle his skin when she sighed.
“I love you too, Katie.” He caressed her bare bottom. “Did you hear me, Katie?” He smiled in the dark, realizing his drunken wife had fallen asleep. Brendan shifted her legs and sighed himself. Instead of pleasuring his wife as he’d intended, he listened to her light snore.
His last thought before surrendering to his slumber, Angus Barclay would definitely have warred with the MacKinnons if he’d truly known what he lost.
Epilogue
MacKinnon Land, Highlands
August 1224
The rope was positioned in a six-foot circle, the four candles pointed in the cardinal directions. Her hands folded over her large abdomen. The vision cleared when Kate closed her eyes and focused on it. She could see his face unequivocally, the boy had dark hair, and his gray eyes twinkled with mischief. She smiled broadly, trying to memorize his face, his manner, and traits. Suddenly, she felt a light brush against her lips.
“You’re not visualizing another warrior, are you?” Brendan knelt in front of her.
Kate opened her eyes and grinned wickedly. “Oh, aye, I have seen a vision of another warrior.”
“Who?” he demanded irritably.
Kate laughed. “He’s going to be even stronger than you, a fierce warrior with—”
“Who is he? I’ll kill him.”
“He’s not even born yet.” She patted her stomach.
“Oh, you mean my son,” he qualified.
“Aye, of course. Who did you think I was speaking of?” She laughed, because she knew her husband was a bit miffed about the length of her pregnancy.
“Never mind. So you’ve seen a vision of our son?”
“My vision was clear. He’ll be a strong, fine son to be proud of.”
Brendan touched her stomach and kissed her cheek. “When are you going to birth him, Katie? I’m tired of waiting.”
Kate giggled. “Soon, I suppose it won’t be much longer, but he’ll come when he’s ready. Let’s get some rest.” She wouldn’t tell him she’d been having contractions on and off for two days. Brendan would probably have forced her to bed. Kate would rather go about her routine, and keep busy. Likely, Brendan would become worried and she didn’t want him to be concerned.
He helped her to her feet, placed the rope and candles on the table, and joined her on the bed. He watched her settle to sleep, and Kate knew he was apprehensive about the birthing. He didn’t seem to be able to sleep, and looked about the room. She sighed, wishing he would relax, but knew that wasn’t his nature. She stared at the herbs near the hearth, drying, and the bowls of concoctions she’d made to assist Jinny, because of all the recent illnesses.
During the night, Kate sat up and declared in a calm voice that she was about to have their baby. She nudged his shoulder and told him to fetch Jinny.
Brendan ran out of their cottage naked, then realized he hadn’t dressed. He returned a minute later and hastily put his tartan around him, kissed her, and said he’d return quickly.
*****
Brendan, worn-out by lack of sleep and worrying, paced outside their cottage for hours waiting for word. He grinned sheepishly at Colin’s green coloring.
“Brendan, I know you are nervous, but will you stop that pacing? You’re making my head spin.” His brother closed his eyes, forcing himself not to look at him.
“I’m not nervous, just bored. Katie will be fine, won’t she?” He wouldn’t give in to the feeling of hopelessness. “She’s been at for over four hours. I know how long Julianna took, giving you Bonnie and Kevin. I don’t think I can stand the wait.”
Colin pulled himself from the ledge and stood beside him. As he started to speak, the cottage door opened, Brendan dismissed him without a glance. Jinny motioned him forward, and wiped her eyes as she and Julianna left. She appeared to be crying. Women were so sentimental.
Brendan waited until they left before he approached her. “Are you well, Katie?”
“Aye, Brendan, I’m well.”
“And my son?”
“He’s a fit lad, Brendan, strong and healthy.”
Brendan moved to the bedside, and looked down at the bairn fussing in her arms. He took his son, and held him, the babe’s head lobbed. He started screeching.
“Cradle him in your arms,” Kate instructed. “We need to love him and show him much affection.”
Brendan shifted him and looked into his son’s eyes. He couldn’t tell what color they were, but they were light. His head held a few tufts of dark curls.
“He’s a fine lad, Katie, you did well.”
“Me? He looks like you and …” Kate laughed when the baby let out a loud cry, and Brendan quickly handed him back. “… he has your disposition as well.” She smiled, and positioned the babe against her breast.
The only noise that could be heard was the sound of the suckling babe. Brendan watched his wife and son quietly for a moment. “Thank you.”
Kate frowned at him. “You mustn’t thank me, I only did my duty.”
“Now I must do my duty.”
“What’s that?”
“Protect you both with my life, and have a chair made for our son, who will likely be bent on trouble like his mother, and of course, work on begetting a daughter.” He laughed when she pinched his leg.
Kate smiled. “Enjoy y
our son for a while then we’ll see about a daughter.”
“Do you think he’ll like the cliffs?”
“Nay, nay, you mustn’t take him there, promise me.”
Brendan smiled, and knew that he and his son would have to keep it secret. Katie would scold him to no end. Instead of promising her, he kissed her longingly, while caressing his son’s head.
“I promise you, my son won’t have a father like Donald. I will teach him everything and show him how much he’s loved. He’ll be a fine MacKinnon warrior with courage and strength. We should call him Walt. Aye, honoring my real father. I think Walt would like that.”
“He would, Brendan. Very well, we’ll name him Walter. I love you.”
He kissed her again, sealing their pact. “I love you, Katie.” The words seemed to come easier. He smiled. “Now and forever. You’ve given me a son who will have as much valor as you.”
Lass' Valor (The Pith Trilogy) Page 29
