She and Callum seemed to have set an example of marriage between the clans. Duff sidled up to kiss Flossie's cheek. Flossie was round with her first child and glowed with the same contentment Mhairi saw in her own eyes when she sat before the mirror up in the tower room.
"Life is good," Callum said softly from beside her. "Thank ye for my son."
"Och, he was nae trouble." That wasn't quite true, but William’s arrival four days ago had been much easier than Grainne's.
"Kiss me, beloved," Callum said.
She glanced up at him, shocked. "In front of everybody?"
His rich brown eyes were bright with devilry familiar since he'd abducted her. "Aye."
Mhairi smiled back with a touch of devilry of her own. She rose on her toes and placed a quick peck on his lips. "There."
"Och, is that the best ye can do?"
"Ye ken the answer to that."
He laughed and twined one arm around her much reduced waist. She’d felt like a whale by the time William decided to arrive. "I need reminding, lassie."
This kiss lasted longer, and she was blushing by the time he released her. "For shame, Callum."
"Grandda, why do Mamma and Da kiss all the time?" Grainne asked in a penetrating voice.
The question provoked a ripple of laughter from the crowd, a crowd observing the laird and his lady with fond indulgence.
William Drummond gave his granddaughter a doting smile that reminded Mhairi of her girlhood. "Because they love each other, my bonny."
Mhairi regarded her father in shock. Good heavens. Had he really said that? Perhaps there might be a chance that he could learn to like Callum.
"Love makes people silly," Grainne said in disgust.
Callum released Mhairi and held out his arms for his daughter. "Och, sweetheart, that would be a pity when I love ye more than I love our Jean's shortbread. Now come and give your old da a kiss, and we'll go inside and have a party."
Grainne giggled and darted up the steps where her father picked her up. "I love ye, too, Da," she said, pressing her lips to his cheek. "Will ye dance with me at the party?"
"Och, ye will be my first partner, my wee bluebell."
"And then he’s all mine," Mhairi said, her voice thick with overpowering love.
Callum was right. Life was good, and love lay at the root of all their blessings. She loved her kin and her father, and she adored her children. And overarching all those other powerful loves was her abiding love for the remarkable man she'd married.
Callum looked over their daughter’s ruffled dark head and gave her a smile that told her she was his darling. "Aye, all yours forever, mo chridhe. You're the Lady of Achnasheen and the lady of my heart. I praise the day ye agreed to wed me."
"I fought ye so hard." These days, she had difficulty remembering why.
"Och, ye were just making me work to win you." A hint of teasing touched his smile. "The greatest prizes dinnae fall into a laddie's lap just for the asking."
"I’m verra glad ye did ask, my braw Highlander."
"And I’m verra glad ye said yes," he murmured for her ears alone. "Because you’re the answer to all my dearest dreams, Bonny Mhairi Mackinnon."
***
I hope you’ve had a wonderful time visiting the world of The Lairds Most Likely. If you’ve missed out on them, the first three books in the series are The Laird’s Willful Lass, The Laird’s Christmas Kiss, and The Highlander’s Lost Lady. Continue reading for an introduction to all three stories, and a short excerpt from The Highlander’s Lost Lady.
The Laird's Willful Lass: The Lairds Most Likely Book One
An untamed man as immovable as a Highland mountain…