Kaitlyn laughed. “I never thought I’d say this, but that’s great. I’m glad she has something to do to keep her busy. Here we were struggling against the idea of you becoming a king and against trusting Lady Mairead and somehow by just embracing the two things, becoming king, and bringing her into your court, you got so much safer. It’s kind of a miracle. And just so we’re clear, Archie lives with us now, here, wherever we are?”
“Och, aye, he daena have another home except for ours.”
Kaitlyn said, “That is...” Her voice trailed off and she held my hand tightly. Then she stood and raised her juice glass. We all held up our beers. She said, “To Magnus, for making our future safer, for making our family larger, and for coming home.”
Everyone said, “Hear hear.”
Sixty - Magnus
As the night grew long, Beaty and Quentin retired tae their own house.
Zach instructed me tae work the intercom system. “You push this button, see? And say, ‘Chef Zach, I need ice cream,’ and I’ll rush out and meet you here in the kitchen. The house is too large to hear you, so don’t forget.”
“I winna forget. I daena want tae deal with yer fury if I made m’own snack at night.”
“Good, as long as we’re clear. It’s been fucking boring here for months and months. No one ever lets me get them stuff, so you know, maybe tonight ask for something because I bought all this ice cream and...”
Emma grabbed his arm, with a laugh. “We get it, you missed him. You want to feel needed. He’ll call you on your little bro phone.”
Zach pretend sniffled. “I just want him to understand how important it is to me.”
She dragged him from the room.
Hayley said, “I get the guest room tonight?”
Kaitlyn said, “Of course, just go there soon. I need to welcome my husband home and we have a young child in our bed.”
“Ugh, that is too much information. Especially since I’ve been months with no, you know, in months, literal months.”
Kaitlyn chuckled. “Can’t believe you’re about to go three hundred years for a booty-call.”
I asked, “What is a booty-call?”
“Sex.”
I joked, “Och, three hundred years? I have been almost three years without a booty-call, and have just traveled almost four hundred years tae get one from m’wife.”
Kaitlyn laughed. “I love that my Highlander is joking about a booty-call, and he is exactly right, nighty-night, Hayley.”
Mistress Hayley said, “All right, I’m going to my room. If you get up for a snack though, call me by intercom. I want some too, and Zach won’t wake up for my late-night snacking needs.”
She kissed us both and retired tae her room.
Kaitlyn cuddled under m’arm and looked up in m’eyes. “I am so glad you’re home.”
“Thank ye for makin’ a home tae come tae. Tis a braw house. I can see we will be verra comfortable here.”
“I want to take you to bed. You are just home from battle, Master Magnus, and you need to get onto your back so I can welcome you home. Also you need to get onto your back because my stomach makes lying on my back uncomfortable.”
“I have just put a wee’un intae our bed.”
“We have a deck, Master Magnus. It’s a private deck looking out over the ocean, and there is a cushioned deck chaise out there — it’s not wide, we can’t get acrobatic, but we can definitely get busy.”
“I like the sound of it.”
She stood and led me tae the stairs.
Sixty-one - Kaitlyn
We snuck past Archie through the doors to the deck.
“Och, we should put a bed out here.”
“I agree, one hundred percent. See, there’s no way anyone can see us. And check out the stars.” We both looked up at the sky, encrusted with tiny stars strewn from one end to the other.
While Magnus gaped at the stars, I slipped my dress off, unfastened my bra and slid off my sandals. Then I looked up at the stars again like I hadn’t done anything unusual.
Magnus chuckled, “The Madame Campbell has lost her clothes. I believe she might be overly wantin’ her husband.” He looked down on me and shook his head, saying, his voice low and deep, “Tis a bonny sight yer wee stomach all round and hopeful.”
He sat down on the side of the chaise and I stood in front of him so he was eye level with my stomach.
Then he looked up at me with a mischievous grin,
“What?”
“Yer breasts, usually the size of a hen’s egg are now—”
“I know, closer to the size of an apple.”
“Nae,” his eyes twinkled, “now they are closer in size tae a cow’s udder. You will need tae have much bigger undergarmies.”
I groaned. “Magnus Campbell, I am naked before you and you’re going to compare my breasts to cow udders?”
He ginned. “I am only havin’ some fun, ye are beautiful, mo reul-iuil.”
“Get to your back, Highlander.” He lay back on the chaise and I worked the button on his pants. “Wow,” I teased, “you’ve grown bigger too, or are you just happy to see me?”
“Och, I have a present for ye in m’pocket.” I stood up while he fished it out and passed me a small jewelry box.
“You didn't need to, Magnus, you brought me a horse. You came home.”
He leaned up on one arm, still fully clothed.
I was completely naked, pregnant, round in lots of ways, and on display.
“Open it, mo reul-iuil, tis nae much, just...”
I pried open the lid. “Oh.” Inside was a beautiful gold locket on a delicate chain. Oh.
The locket was an oval shape, and on the outside was a beautiful pattern, a Scottish knot, around a heart. Inside on the left was a photo of Magnus, one where he was laughing, the crinkle in the corner of his eyes, prominent.
He said, “I thought ye might put another photo, maybe of Archie if ye wanted tae.”
I had tears streaming, naked and crying. “I do want to, I’ll put a photo of both our bairn there. We’ll photograph Archie holding the baby and...” I wiped my tears, closed the box, and clutched it to my chest. “I didn’t get you anything.”
“Och, ye are sayin’ this tae me, while ye are growin’ a bairn? In a house ye bought for me and are callin’ Castle Campbell? I think tis enough.”
I blew out a breath of air. “God, I want you so bad.”
His eyes twinkled and he scrambled to hurriedly unbutton his pants.
I joked, “Faster faster.”
He said, “I am out of practice on undressin’.” I helped him pull his pants down and we tossed them aside.
“Tis okay, we winna hurt the bairn?”
“No, you aren’t that big.” I pulled his shirt off over his head.
“Och, hae ye seen me? I’m massive.”
I giggled, “Oh yes, I’m seeing you. But still, it’s perfectly safe.”
I slowly climbed onto him, and even slower settled onto him. I was mindful of his healing wound, but not minding the lack of all the playing, this was a ‘welcome home’, and an, ‘it’s been a long time,’ and an especially necessary, ‘I needed you’ kind of sex — we got to the business of it before we even kissed, which was kind of hot, to be astride and looking down on him, taking in the hotness of him, watching his eyes appreciate me against the dark sky on the deck of our Florida home.
Then sinking down more with a low moan and breathing him in, the scent I had missed, that warmth and comfort against his skin, and collapsing on him and nestling, his arms around, while we moved, in and out and the sweat of exertion between us, and the heat of a high summer night, wet and sticky and lovely, oh so fucking lovely — god, I love you.
Aye, I love ye too.
Afterwards, we snuck into the bedroom, put on our pajamas, and climbed into bed. Magnus on one side of his son, I on the other, curled facing each other, looking at Archie in the muted darkness of a moonlit night in our room where, again, I never liked
to pull the shades, preferring the open starlit sky on a night like this.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever been this happy.”
“Tis a joyous day, tis nae improvin’ on it. But...” He smiled. “Let’s see if we can make it even more.”
He jumped from the bed and strode tae the intercom and pushed the button. “Chef Zach, tis me, Magnus, I am needin’ an ice cream feast for all of us.”
I giggled, “All of us?”
“I am wakin’ everybody up. Tis m’first night home. They have had two hours tae sleep. We will eat ice cream and then go tae the beach for a walk, perhaps Madame Beaty will play the pipes for us on the sand.”
“That might be too loud for one-thirty in the morning, but the rest of it sounds perfect.”
He lifted Archie gently from the bed. Archie clutched his shoulder, “Da?”
“We are havin’ a treat, wee’un, in the middle of the night.”
Archie looked across Magnus’s shoulder at me. He put his arms out and reached for me, and Magnus passed him into my arms.
Sixty-two - Magnus
In the darkened kitchen, Chef Zach was already preparin’ the bowls. I used the intercom tae bring Hayley and Quentin and Beaty tae the kitchen as well, with a great deal of jokin’ about how tired they were and a bit of grumblin’ about havin’ their sleep interrupted, but they all understood m’need — tae be surrounded by them, tae be happy and at peace.
Soon enough we were all eatin’, and then the bairn had fallen asleep again, so the rest of us traipsed out tae the end of the boardwalk and down the steps tae put our feet in the sand. We walked out to the edge of the ocean and warm water lapped our toes.
I hugged Kaitlyn tae me and enjoyed the moment, warm and safe, a high sky, a beautiful beach, a full stomach, bairn tae protect, and Kaitlyn in my arms.
After a minute of quiet, Hayley said, looking up at the sky, “Ugh, all this love stuff, you guys are the worst.” Then she added, “...completely unrelated. I think I’m going to leave first thing tomorrow. I mean, I’ve been packed for ages. I should just go, right? I should do it before it’s too late.”
“Aye, tis a fragile thing, life, ye need tae jump if ye are going tae, Mistress Hayley.”
“Yeah, right Mags, I’m going to jump.”
The end… for now.
But isn’t there one more thing…
Hayley - Scotland, 1704
I woke up lying in the dirt of the familiar Scottish clearing. My eyes opened on dirt, leaves, detritus, and then a foot beyond, boots, loose leather reins, higher — rough hands holding the reins loosely, and then bare knees crouching beside me, kilt draping over them.
I moaned, every bone, muscle, sinew was in agony.
I turned my head just enough to look up at the face that was crouched beside me.
“Fraoch?”
“Aye, Madame Hayley.”
He was looking down on me, his eyes concerned. “Ye have returned?”
“Yes,” I brushed hair from my face. “I came back.”
“Och.” His hands fiddled with the loose rein. He added, “I daena understand what ye mean with returnin’ alone.”
I pulled myself up to sitting, arms wrapped around my knees, surrounded by bags and boxes, gifts and packages for Magnus and Kaitlyn’s family. “Funny thing, Fraoch, I’m not married.”
His brow drew further down.
“And I kind of thought I might come back to rescue you.”
He grinned, a cocky look spread across his face. “Madame Hayley wanted tae come back tae rescue Fraoch MacDonald, from what danger are ye goin’ tae rescue me?”
“From being alone, Fraoch.”
“Och,” he said simply, watching my face.
“This is where you should say something amazing to mean I didn’t just do something really really stupid. Because you’re kind of acting like I’m being really really stupid.”
“What should I say?”
I groaned. “Like that you are...”
He shook his head so I faltered. “What?”
Then he spoke. “Madame Hayley, I haena had peace in my head or m’heart since ye arrived. I wish I had spoken tae ye on it, but twas nae m’place tae tell ye, as ye were married, and — I dinna want ye tae leave.”
“I’m sorry I did, but I came back as soon—”
“Lizbeth and Madame Greer have found me a wife, Madame Hayley.”
“Oh, you are married?”
“Nae, but they are setting tae the plannin’ on it. I have spent the afternoon discussin’ with her father.”
“Oh.”
We both sat quietly for a moment.
“This is complicated huh?”
“Aye, tis.”
“You’re already rescued?”
He chuckled. “I am verra glad tae see ye, Madame Hayley, I...”
I rested my cheek on my knees, waiting for him to finish but instead he seemed unable to.
I nodded, “I’m glad to see you too.”
The End
Thank You
There are more chapters in Magnus and Kaitlyn’s story and in Fraoch and Hayley’s story as well…
(book 10 tentatively titled: The King and the Highlander)
If you need help getting through the pauses before the next books, there is a FB group here: Kaitlyn and the Highlander Group
Thank you for taking the time to read this book. The world is full of entertainment and I appreciate that you chose to spend some time with Magnus and Kaitlyn. I fell in love with Magnus when I was writing him, and I hope you fell in love a little bit too.
As you all know, reviews are the best social proof a book can have, and I would greatly appreciate your review on this book.
Kaitlyn and the Highlander (Book 1)
Time and Space Between Us (Book 2)
Warrior of My Own (Book 3)
Begin Where We Are (Book 4)
A Missing Entanglement (now a prologue within book 5)
Entangled with You (Book 5)
Magnus and a Love Beyond Words (Book 6)
Under the Same Sky (book 7)
Nothing But Dust (book 8)
Again My Love (book 9)
The King and the Highlander (book 10)
Series Order
Kaitlyn and the Highlander (book 1)
Time and Space Between Us (book 2)
A Warrior of My Own (book 3)
Begin Where We Are (book 4)
A Missing Entanglement (short, optional, between 4&5)
Entangled With You (book 5)
Magnus and a Love Beyond Words (book 6)
Under the Same Sky (book 7)
Nothing but Dust (book 8)
Again My Love (book 9)
Some thoughts and research…
Characters:
Kaitlyn Maude Sheffield - born 1994
Magnus Archibald Caelhin Campbell - born 1681
Lady Mairead (Campbell) Delapointe she is the sister of the Earl of Breadalbane
Hayley Sherman - Kaitlyn’s best friend
Quentin Peters - Magnus’s security guard/colonel in his future army
Beaty Peters - Quentin’s wife. Born in the late 1680s
Zach Greene - The chef
Emma Garcia - Household manager
Baby Ben Greene - born May 15, 2018
Sean Campbell -Magnus’s half-brother
Lizbeth Campbell - Magnus’s half-sister
Sean and Lizbeth are the children born of Lady Mairead and her first husband.
Baby Archie Campbell - born 2382
Bella Florentin - mother of Archie
Colonel Hammond Donahoe
The Earl of Breadalbane - Lady Mairead’s brother
Uncle Archibald (Baldie) Campbell - uncle to Sean and Lizbeth
Tyler Garrison Wilson - Archie’s alter-ego
Grandma Barb
Grandpa Jack
Pablo Picasso - 1881 - 1973
Picasso’s friends - Max Jacob and Guillaume Apollinaire
&nbs
p; Fraoch MacDonald - born in 1714, is aged 26 in 1740 when he meets Magnus is pretending to be a MacLeod
Colonel Hammond - Magnus calls him Hammie, come to find out — cousin.
King Roderick - now just plain Roderick, because Magnus has kicked his arse and sent him into hiding.
The line of kings in the future-future
Donnan the Second - murdered by Kaitlyn Campbell in the year 2381
Samuel - Donnan’s brother. Attempted takeover during the transfer of power between Donnan and Magnus, uncrowned. (Killed in the arena by Magnus.)
Magnus the First - crowned in 2382 shortly before the birth of his son, Archibald Campbell, next in line for the throne.
Roderick the Usurper - son of Samuel. Claimed a right to the throne. Raised an army and overthrew Magnus the First in 2383. Bella is with him. Wait — now that never happened…
Magnus the First
Some Scottish and Gaelic words that appear within the book series:
Chan eil an t-sìde cho math an-diugh 's a bha e an-dé - The weather's not as good today as it was yesterday.
Tha droch shìde ann - The weather is bad.
Dreich - dull and miserable weather
Turadh - a break in the clouds between showers
Solasta - luminous shining (possible nickname)
Splang - flash, spark, sparkle
Mo reul-iuil - my North Star (nickname)
Bidh thu a ‘faileadh mar ghaisgeach - you have the scent of a breeze.
Osna - a sigh
Rionnag - star
Sollier - bright
Ghrian - the sun
Mo ghradh - my own love
Tha thu breagha - you are beautiful
Again My Love (Kaitlyn and the Highlander Book 9) Page 25
