Passion of a Scottish Warrior (The MacLomain Series: Later Years Book 4)

by Sky Purington

  “Aye, true enough,” Grant agreed. “Magic can be verra odd indeed.”

  “Nothing says I won’t marry down the line.” Her eyes narrowed on Darach, clearly aggravated by the direction of the conversation. “And you’ll be lucky if it’s to you after this.”

  At least she wasn’t thinking of her illness anymore. Darach shot her a crooked grin, not fazed in the least by her denial. “If not me, then who?”

  “Maybe another MacLomain.”

  “Another?” His eyes went from his cousins to her. “In case you havenae noticed, they’re a wee bit taken.”

  “I wasn’t referring to your cousins.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m sure there are other single MacLomains floating around somewhere.”

  He chuckled. “None like me, lass.”

  “So you say.”

  He winked and eyed her over with purpose. “So I know.”

  “Oh, listen to you two.” Nicole grinned at Jackie. “I didn’t know you had it in you, sweetie. I thought what happened upstairs might’ve been a one-time deal.”

  “Aye, ‘tis certainly something betwixt these two, something powerful that created our mantel.” Adlin was back to grinning. “And allow me to clarify, Jackie. It cannae be just any MacLomain but the one you made the magic with.”

  Darach couldn’t help but toss a few erotic reminders of what they did earlier into her mind. “Aye, magic indeed.”

  The corner of her mouth twitched in amusement. “I’m not marrying you.”

  “I think you might.”

  “Never going to happen.”

  “But ‘twould be verra good if it did,” Adlin said. “And it just so happens we’ve a holy man here this eve.”

  “See, ‘tis meant to be.” Darach grinned and set aside their mugs. “Marry me, lass.”

  “’Twould make me and your Ma verra happy if she would,” Grant said.

  Jackie’s eyes rounded on Grant. “Since when?” She frowned. “And I can only guess what Sheila thinks about this.”

  Grant smiled. “Aye, I think you should marry my son.” He looked over Jackie’s shoulder and pointed. “And if you dinnae believe me about his Ma’s opinion then ask her yourself.”

  They turned as his mother appeared through the crowd, smiling.

  “Ma!” Darach gave her a big hug. “When did you get here?”

  “Hi, sweetheart. A little while ago thanks to Adlin.” She hugged him tight before she pulled back. “I hear you’ve been busy.”

  He kept grinning. “Aye.”

  Her eyes held his as her smile widened. “You look happier than ever despite all you’ve been through.”

  “Aye,” he said. “I am.”

  “Brother?”

  Darach’s eyes shot past his mother to his sister. “Lair!” Laughing, he gave her a big hug and spun her around. “I cannae believe you’re here as well.”

  Lair smiled softly. “Like Ma said, thanks to Adlin.”

  Where he shared his mother’s temperament of being more open and lighthearted, Lair was more like their father with a careful nature and quiet wisdom.

  “Jackie.” His mother embraced her. “So good to see you again.”

  “You as well.”

  Sheila pulled back and took Jackie’s hands. “I take it you’re feeling more awkward than ever right now.”

  “Just a smidge,” Jackie murmured. “But I’m definitely glad to see you.”

  Lair hugged her next before his mother took Jackie’s hand. “Mind if I steal you for a few minutes?”

  “Actually, I’d welcome it.”

  “Great.” His mother led Jackie into the crowd.

  “This is awesome,” Nicole said the minute they left.

  Darach looked at her in question.

  “Do I need to spell it out for you?” Nicole grinned. “Jackie’s totally into you. She’s totally gonna marry you.” She shot Niall a look. “I told you Jackie had a thing for Darach all along. It’s meant to be.”

  “I agree.” Erin nudged Darach. “I’ve never seen her act like this before. What you two have is real.”

  “Act like what exactly?” he said, happier by the moment.

  “Free. Alive. There’s no other way to explain it,” Erin said. “She’s become good at hiding from life. Building barriers. Rehearsing her response to every question asked of her. She was so guarded and isolated from what was real that I was starting to wonder if she’d break out of it before…”

  Erin cleared her throat and shook her head. “Like Rònan did for me in more ways than one, you’re pulling Jackie out of her self-inflicted shell.” Emotion was evident in her voice. “And I’m damn glad to see it.”

  “Aye,” Niall and Rònan said at the same time.

  “She definitely seems to be changing,” Rònan said. “More likable. Her true self. The woman she’s truly supposed to be.”

  When Erin shot him a look, Rònan shrugged. “’Tis true and I told you as much. She wasnae all that approachable before.”

  “Well, she seems verra approachable now.” Niall’s eyes narrowed. “Despite being with your mother.”

  Darach wasn’t surprised to see far too many men hovering near her, eager for her to look their way. Jackie was remarkably beautiful as it was. Yet now with her new glow, she was drawing more men than he would like.

  “You do not need to worry, friend,” Heidrek said, having recently joined them. “Your family is right. Jackie desires you and no one else.”

  He nodded. “Thank you, Heidrek. On many counts.” Curious, he said, “One of which was helping complete this castle. I didnae realize you possessed such magic.”

  “Actually, ‘tis Heidrek’s addition to this castle that will someday make that Viking tapestry a conduit betwixt our people,” Adlin said. “Yet another reason I imagine he’s here.”

  “So it seems.” Darach again nodded his thanks to the Viking. He still wondered at the extent of Heidrek's power but now wasn't the time for more questions.

  “I like Jackie, Brother,” Lair said softly. “She balances ye well.”

  Darach smiled at his sister. “Ye think so?”

  “Aye.” She made a tipping motion with her hand, and a smile ghosted her face. “Yer verra off balance but ‘tis interesting to watch ye both even things out. Something I suspect ye’ll do for years to come.”

  “Years to come,” he murmured, trying to push her illness to the back of his mind.

  “Aye.” Lair squeezed his hand. “Years to come, Brother. If ye but believe it. The power of the mind is forever stronger than that of the body.”

  Their eyes held. Very few were better healers than his sister so he took her words to heart. “Aye, then.”

  “Aye, then,” she repeated and whispered, “Dinnae give up faith.”

  “Oh, here she comes. I wonder how the ‘mom’ talk went,” Nicole said, smiling.

  “Based on her expression, I’d say Sheila smoothed things over.” Erin nudged Darach again. “So don’t mess this up.”

  What did she mean by that? He would have scowled at her if he wasn’t so busy admiring Jackie. He hadn’t meant to propose to her, but yet, he couldn’t help himself. She felt so perfect in his arms. Everything about her drew him. From her body to her mind. And it wasn’t becuase of his dreams or their previous lives. It was simple. He liked her, nay, loved her, for who she was now.

  She was repressed but open. Blunt though she tried to be tactful. Strict, though at heart, playful. Watching her bloom and change was like watching a moth morph into a butterfly. And he wanted to be with her every step of the way. He wanted to know the woman she was and the one she would become. So when the idea of asking her to marry him popped into his head, it felt absolutely right.

  Unquestionably right.

  “Did you just compare me to a moth?” she said into his mind.

  “A moth?” he said innocently as she joined him. “Och, nay. Hearing my thoughts is a tricky thing sometimes. Hard to ken on occasion.”

  �
�Liar,” she whispered aloud.

  Just having her close again made his heart warm. She could deny him all she wanted, but he wasn’t giving up. “Will you marry me?”

  “No.”

  He smiled when her heartbeat increased. She wanted to say yes but was fighting it. More so than ever.

  “Now who’s the liar,” he whispered. “You want it as much as me.”

  “I don’t.”

  “You do.”

  “There’s no point,” she said, but he sensed a change in her since speaking with his mother. “And you know it.”

  “I know no such thing.”

  She was breaking.

  Time to be more persuasive.

  So he took her hand and fell to one knee, his eyes never leaving hers. “There stands a verra good chance many of us will die soon, and you and I are at the top of that list. I dinnae care. And ‘tis clear I didnae care in any life prior.” Darach took her other hand and squeezed. “You’re worth the risk, Jaqueline. I would rather love you and die then turn from this to save myself.” He searched her eyes and meant every word. “Because there would be nothing left to save.”

  “Of me?”

  “No, of me.” He frowned. “Are you not following?”

  “Barely.” She twisted her lip. “You run a little sappy.”

  “Sappy?”

  “Overly emotional,” Niall started but stopped short when Nicole elbowed him.

  “I know what sappy means.” Darach shrugged and squeezed Jackie’s hands again, making no apologies. “When it comes to you, aye, I’m verra sappy.”

  “I can see that.” Her eyes narrowed. “And I’m not a moth.”

  “Not anymore.”

  “There’ll be no marriage in our future,” she confirmed.

  “Aye, there will be.”

  She shook her head. “No.”

  “Aye.”

  “How’s your knee feel?” Her eyes flickered from the floor to him. “The rushes look thin.”

  “My knee is fine,” he said. “I’m a hardened warrior.”

  “That’s used to fighting on his knees?”

  “Aye.” He shook his head, confused. “Nay.”

  She leaned a little closer. “I think all your blood must've rushed from your head to your poor knee because you don’t seem to be thinking clearly.”

  “I’ve never thought more clearly.”

  “Really, Son?” his father murmured, a smile in his voice. “Because you seem to be running a little daft right now.”

  He frowned. “I dinnae ken…”

  “She said, in the future!” Nicole blurted. “Even I caught that.”

  “What does the future have to do with anything,” he started but trailed off as it occurred to him and his eyes shot back to Jackie.

  Right now, they were technically in the past not the future.

  She would marry him here not there.

  A soft smile curled her lips. “A little play on time travel. Get it?”

  She joked. The vixen. But he liked it. Hell, he would probably love the devil himself right now.

  He narrowed his eyes. Two could play at her game.

  “Did you just make a mockery out of my proposal?” He frowned on purpose. “Something so serious?”

  It seemed she had no intention of being baited. “I certainly did.” Her eyes narrowed. “Did you propose down here in front of everyone again and again so that I would feel guilted into saying yes?”

  “I certainly did.”

  Their brows perked at the same time.

  “You’re awful,” she murmured.

  “As are you,” he murmured.

  “I think I might actually love you,” she whispered.

  “Old news,” he said. “So you’ll marry me?”

  “Yes, but I probably shouldn’t make it this easy.”

  “This has been easy?”

  Jackie grinned. “Yup.”

  “You better run, lass,” he growled into her mind as his heart soared. “Because I mean to do all sorts of things to punish you for putting me through this."

  She grinned at his threat. “Did I ever mention I ran track in college?”

  “Nay,” he managed to get out before she darted off.

  “Oh no, you don’t.” He chased after her. “Come here my wee bride!”

  The crowd parted, laughing as he flew after her.

  “You’re not married yet!” Adlin declared and rushed after them with everyone in tow. “Somebody find the holy man!”

  Hoots and hollers echoed as everyone cheered but one voice managed to rise above it all.

  “Oddest damn proposal ever,” Nicole cried. “Love it!”

  Darach didn’t care what happened behind him. Only what happened in front. And that was Jackie. “You’re fast but not that fast.” She didn’t get far before he tossed her over his shoulder and booked it up the stairs. They could marry later. Right now he wanted to celebrate another way entirely.

  She laughed. “Your legs are longer than mine.”

  He laughed as well, curious. “What made you change your mind, lass?”

  They were being pursued so he raced past his chamber.

  “Good advice.”

  “From my Ma?”

  “Yes,” she said. “She’s pretty amazing.”

  “She really is.”

  And God, he was going to thank his mother a thousand times over.

  “Where are we going, Darach?”

  “I have no bloody clue.” He headed up another set of stairs. “The castle is different.”

  “And built by the wizards chasing after us.” She kept chuckling. “So good luck going anywhere they can’t find you.”

  Though he thought he was running to another set of chambers, he wasn’t. They ended up on a wide wall walk with dozens of burning torches. Stars glittered across the sky.

  A dead end.

  “Och,” he murmured as he lowered her but kept her close. “We’ve nowhere else to go.”

  “Apparently not,” she said softly as her eyes met his. “It seems I’m done running, one way or another.”

  “Aye?” He cupped her cheeks. “Because I’ll keep chasing you if that’s what you need.”

  They both knew what he was talking about. And it had nothing to do with love or proposals. No, it had everything to do with her not wanting him to die because he loved her. If she needed him to keep pursuing while she kept saying no, he would do it until his last breath.

  “No,” she whispered. “It’s time for you to catch me…for us to have this.”

  “Found at last!” Adlin said.

  Darach grinned at her. “I can toss you over my shoulder and head back down.”

  She smiled. “I’m pretty sure no matter where we go, they’ll follow.”

  “Is it true then, Jackie?” William said as he and Robert clambered onto the wall walk with her friends and his family. “Are ye marrying him?”

  “Darach,” he provided.

  “Are ye then, Jackie?” William repeated.

  “I am,” she confirmed.

  William eyed Darach up and down. “Are ye sure, lass?”

  “Definitely,” she said.

  “Och, ‘tis fine that,” Robert exclaimed, a wide smile on his face. “I approve.”

  “Ye would,” William muttered.

  “As should ye,” Robert declared, shoulders back and voice firm. “Darach is a fine and noble Scotsman.”

  William eyed Robert. “Ye would stand up for him then?”

  “I would,” Robert said. “He has been kind to me. More than that, he cares for and would protect Jackie with his life. There is nothing more honorable.”

  “Aye,” William agreed, still contemplating Robert before his eyes turned to Darach. “So ye’ve grown a pair of ballocks and will treat her as ye should?”

  Darach would make no mistakes with the lad this time. He withdrew his sword, knelt on one knee, held out his blade on two spread palms and lowered his head. “Upon my sword, I swear
that I will always protect Jackie, body and soul.”

  He didn’t have to look up to know William was contemplating this carefully. “’Twas not the best display ye showed in the great hall,” he said. “Ye seemed a wee bit…overeager.”

  “He has you pegged,” Jackie said into his mind with a chuckle.

  “Love can make men do foolish things.” His eyes met William’s. “But I can assure ye, great love is always worth it. And a lass like Jackie, more worth it than any.”

  “Ye mean that?”

  “Never more so.”

  Their eyes held for a long moment and he wondered why he knelt before this lad. Why it felt so important. No matter, anyone who stood up for a lass’s honor so well would always be worth kneeling before and respecting.

  “Then ye have my blessing,” William finally said as he backed away.

  “As have ye mine,” Robert said.

  “Then a hug please,” Jackie said as she crouched.

  Robert grinned and flew into her arms. She squeezed him tight and murmured something in his ear before he darted off.

  “I wouldn’t mind one from you too, William,” she said.

  “Och, nay.” William bowed. “Many thanks but ‘twould be unseemly, m’Lady.”

  “Jackie.”

  “Nay.” His eyes went from Darach to Jackie. “Ye are a lady and should be addressed as such.”

  “That’s very sweet of you to say.” She nodded and stood. “Thank you, William.”

  “All right then,” Adlin said as a man with brown robes joined him. “Might we have a wedding then?”

  Darach’s eyes met Jackie’s. “Might we?”

  Their eyes held as she whispered, “Yes.”

  So as the torches dimmed and stars brightened, a scrap of MacLomain tartan was wrapped around their wrists. Though they were the last couple to come together of his generation, they were the first to marry. And while they likely had little time to enjoy it, nothing had ever felt more right when at last the vows were said, and he kissed her.

  Nothing else mattered as he wrapped his arms around Jackie. Not their other lives. Not even the ring that still didn’t glow.

  Just them and this moment in time.

  He heard the congratulations and felt the slaps on the back but nothing really got through as their eyes stayed with one another’s.

  “I want to…” she murmured into his mind, leaving the statement without end.