Some Like It Scot (28 page)

She looked up then, and her eyes went wide. Whatever she'd been about to say was lost as she gasped and scrambled fully off him, all the way to the foot of the bed.

He immediately sat up and reached for her. “What's wrong? Katie?”

She pointed at the headboard, then swung around as she took in the entire bed, all four posts, then the headboard again. “It was here.”

“What was here?”

“My first vision. It was us. I mean the current us.” She waved a hand. “You know what I mean. You and I were entwined, right here, on this bed. When you rolled off, it was you,
you
. Not otherworld you. And it was me. We were here.
Here
, Graham. Right
here
. How old is this bed?”

“I had it made. From other family pieces, but it's new in my lifetime. Not even a decade old.”

“Hunh.” She kept studying the headboard, then finally closed her eyes. “So wild,” she murmured. “But maybe”—she looked at him again—“maybe that's why there was no hint of that other world. Because we were fulfilling—” She waved a hand, at a loss for the right words. “We did what we were supposed to do.”

Graham couldn't help it, he grinned. “Well, if that's the case, then I wish we'd traveled there a lot more often.”

She swatted at his leg, but she laughed, too.

He lay there thinking she had absolutely no concerns about sitting there, quite casually and stunningly naked, as they laughed and talked about things that others would have been carted away to the nutbin for even thinking. Felt perfectly natural.

“Why are you grinning?” she asked, smiling, completely unaffected by their current circumstance.

“Because I'm happy,” he said, and realized the truth of it. “I've felt like I've led a blessed life, because I was given a clear purpose, and a path that would help people. Not everyone gets that.”

“Yes,” she said, softly, “I know.”

“I didnae mean—”

“No, I know that,” she said. “But I also know, from personal experience, that you're very, very right. It's lovely, beautiful even, that you see it exactly as you do. I have such respect for that. I hope I figure out the same path for myself. It's good to see it in front of you. That helps, you know? It's out there in front of me somewhere. I just have to find it.”

“See, that's just it,” he said. “I am blessed.” He sat up, took her arms, and pulled her gently down on top of him, until they were laying fully back on the bed again. “But it wasn't until I met you, that I understood what it was to be happy. Truly happy.”

She beamed a smile so bright and so…well, charming came to mind. He was pretty sure he'd just made her blush. “I'm glad,” she said. “In fact, that might be the best accomplishment I've achieved so far.” She leaned in, kissed him soundly, and sat up. “I have a long way to go yet, but thank you.”

“For?” he asked, pulling her back down.

“For giving me such a lovely place to start.”

He smiled then, and pulled her in for another kiss. It had been all hunger and blatant seduction before. It was no longer about assuaging sexual need. I was about communicating a different need entirely. As they kissed, the union, slow and sweet, was every bit as intimate, if not more so.

When she finally lifted her head, she kissed the tip of his nose, then the scar on his chin.

“What was that for?” he asked, his voice a pleasant rumble. He felt so completely and perfectly sated, on every level a man could feel it, he could happily have ascended to heaven right then and feel like he'd lived a full life.

“Because I could,” she said, “which makes
me
incredibly happy.”

He smiled, and tucked her closely against him as pleasure warred with fatigue. It was a pleasant, comfortable languor. He rolled them a little, so they could nestle better amongst the pillows. A little sleep would be wonderful. When they awoke they'd shower, find something to eat—if he had anything edible—before he went into town to talk to Roan and Shay. He suddenly remembered something else. “Hey,” he said, kissing her temple as he let his body fully relax and the urge to sleep take over.

“Hmm,” she said, already drowsily drifting off.

“Why did you ask? About the number of days.”

“Mmm, that,” she said, and he could feel her smiling against his chest. She slipped her arm around his waist, and tucked her leg between his, curling her foot around his calf. “Because that's how many days I have to get you to agree to marry me.”

“W
ait a minute,” Roan said as he paced. “You bring the most delightful, beautiful creature ever to grace our shores home with you…and she just happens to be—because you are the luckiest son of a bitch alive—the one woman in all of Christendom who will fulfill the Marriage Pact…and you dinnae want to marry her?” He spun on his heel and reached out toward Shay. “Does that make any sense to you?”

“I've no' had the chance to make her lovely acquaintance, but, on the surface, no.” Shay looked squarely at Graham. “No, I'm afraid it doesn't.”

“And!” Roan went on, fully revved, “He wants the citizenry to vote down our most traditional of all laws. It's akin to asking them to vote down one of the Ten Commandments. You dinnae have to do it, because
she's right here on our island
!”

“I want it repealed because it's wrong—even if I were to marry Katie—or anyone else,” he added, trying not to fan those flames. He was already feeling pretty roasted himself. Reeling right over the spit, in fact, from what Katie had said to him right before she dropped into the sleep of the dead. In fact, she was still lights out to the world when he'd left to come down to see Roan and Shay.

He had left a note.

“I want the opportunity, and should be afforded one, to marry whomever I choose.”

“But, it could be Katie.” Spoken, surprisingly, by Shay.

He looked to his other, calmer friend. “That's not the point. It could be anyone.”

“It's entirely the point. Because I will tell you, you haven't a hope in hell of getting this thing voted down. If you think no one is going to know who she is or what her role here could be, you're even more daft than you're being right now.”

“What I dinnae understand, is why ye still want to change things,” Roan said. “Pursue the easy solution.”

Graham swung his head in Roan's direction. “I beg your pardon.”

Roan immediately lifted his hands up, but shot a saucy wink in Shay's direction. “See? He's protective as all bloody hell. Jealous, too. Hardly said two words on the drive out. Clearly concerned that I might win her over with my charming wit and easy laugh.”

“Clearly concerned that if you're no' careful, you'll have a few less teeth to keep gleaming white,” Graham responded.

Shay quickly resumed his no nonsense counsel. “Loathe as I am to agree with him when he's being a horse's arse, he does have a point.”

“Aye, right on top of his little, narrow head.”

“Ye're protective of her, Graham,” Shay said, like it explained everything.

“She's here as my guest, of course I'm going to protect her.” He scowled at Roan. “Clearly she'll be in need of it.”

“Now, now,” Roan said, totally unfazed by Graham's mood.

“If she's someone you have any feelings for,” Shay said, “then that's far more than others in your position have been fortunate enough to have in the beginning. If there is room for growth there, then hallelujah. But, regardless of that, she's here. Let's make her our offer—”

“I've seen how she looks at him, Shay,” Roan said. “You willnae be needing to draw up any documents. I've a feeling she won't be demanding much more than singular access to our idiot friend here. Though the why of it has me completely baffled.”

“Do ye no' see that this is about more than the restrictions being placed on me? It would remove the issue from ever being a problem, again.”

“That's just it,” Shay said, quite seriously. “You're the only one who thinks it's a problem.”

Graham opened his mouth to argue, then shut it again. He wasn't sure how to argue that one. He finally sank into one of the chairs in front of Roan's desk. “Bring me up to date on our friend, Iain,” he said, opting to change the subject until he could better determine how to get them to understand his desire. “I can tell ye, I spoke with Malvy, and he has nothing good to say about him.”

“He doesnae belong here,” Shay said. “I'm the one who believes in inclusion, so—”

“Malvy said almost the exact same thing.” Graham wasn't anxious to bring Katie back into the discussion, but his need to get some feedback outweighed his common sense. It was a running theme with him where she was concerned, but apparently this time wasn't going to be any different. “Roan, you've met Katie. Your own personal feelings aside, do you think she'll meet the same kind of resistance that Iain is meeting? Or is that no' the case with him?” He looked to Shay. “Are your feelings typical of the masses?”

Roan responded first. “Initially, and please keep your fist out of my pretty face when I say this, I'd imagine members of the opposite sex in either case will be fairly predisposed to think favorably of their candidate.”

Graham looked to Shay again. “Is Iain finding favor with the women here?”

Shay lifted a shoulder in an unenthusiastic shrug. “I'd like to say otherwise, but he is turning a head or two.”

“It's more than one or two,” Roan put in. “But ye'd have an equal shot in that race.”

“I dinnae want a race,” Graham barked, then immediately waved his hand. “I'm sorry. Why doesn't anyone see this for the insanity it is? I am next in line, I've devoted my whole life to this, willingly and with great love. Why must I compromise the rest of my life? And why is anyone willing to even consider allowing Iain to gain a toehold?” He stood. “I understand about your feelings on the abolishment, but I'm calling a council. Shay, post the banns. Day after tomorrow. I might not have any luck in getting anyone to change their mind, but I'm going to speak my own. So when they move forward with this silly contest, and I refuse to play, they'll know well in advance what their choice will be bringing them.” He walked to the door. “And it's no' going to be me.”

“Then what do you plan to do?” Shay asked.

Graham turned back. “I haven't a clue. But I'm no' devoting my life to a group of people who have such little respect for mine. Who knows, maybe I'll head back to Annapolis with Katie.”

“You wouldn't,” Roan said, truly stunned.

“Have ye no' heard anything I've said? I'm not toying with this. I've never been more sincere.”

“I dinnae think the people see it as such a live-or-die issue,” Shay said. “To them it's exciting, something to gossip about. It appeals to their romantic side.”

“Romantic? What in the hell is romantic about this?”

“When they find out you're back with an eligible McAuley staying under your roof, it will only gain more momentum,” Roan said.

“It's human drama, Graham,” Shay said. “And it ends with a wedding. I dinnae think they see the greater picture as you do. The fact that there might be a real romance is secondary to the historic romance of the situation.”

“Oh, there's romance.”

Graham looked at Roan. “Iain?”

“No, you idiot. You.”

“I told ye—”

Roan laughed. “You can keep telling me, mate, until you cease to draw breath. But I've seen the two of you.” He looked at Shay and mouthed, “
Romance
,” then made a sign with his hands showing it was a big one.

Shay turned to Graham and said, “Why did you want to know if we'd accept Katie?”

Graham didn't answer that directly. Instead, he looked between his two friends. “I wanted your support in this,” he said.

“I know,” Shay said, “and we'd be behind you. We are behind you. But we dinnae want ye wasting time. You're bucking four hundred years of tradition, with the answer to the Marriage Pact sleeping under your roof.” He held up his hand to stop Graham's reply. “With the contract, if needed. I'm no' saying just because she's here, she's willing.”

“She's willing,” Roan muttered.

When Graham shot him a quelling look, he didn't back down. “You know, I understand about the sacrifice, about wanting to lead your own life. Aye, ye do enough for the people here, and they revere you for it. But not a single person on this island, most especially those of us who would be happy to find any port in a very lonely storm, are going to feel sorry for you. You have her. I don't care how it happened, or why you found her. But you did. Why don't you stop focusing on how wrong this stupid law is, and start focusing on what's standing right in front of ye.”

Graham ducked his head, wishing like hell Roan's argument didn't move him. But it did. He looked to Shay. “How long?” he asked.

“Thirty-six days.”

“I meant until we could legally part ways—if we married.”

Roan swore under his breath and sat down behind his desk. He swung his chair around so it faced the window, folded his arms, and propped his feet up on the printer stand.

Graham kept his attention on Shay.

“It doesnae say. I suppose you could do it at any time. But you'll lose the faith of your people if ye don't at least give it a try.”

“I won't stop working for what's best for all of us. Whether I'm married or not isn't going to make any difference in that.”

“It's not all about healthy crops, Graham,” Roan stated flatly.

“It's about hope,” Shay added.

“That's what healthy crops give us,” Graham said.

“What I'm trying to get through your thick skull is that without love, we don't care if we have prosperity. What's the point?” Roan said.

“Which is why this is so ludicrous. No one cares about love, just about the wedding. It's a hollow victory.”

“Not one couple has ever split up. That's the history of the Marriage Pact. They believe in it. They think if love isn't there in the beginning, it grows. Four hundred years, Graham. Not one split. That's hope.”

“That's romance,” Roan added.

“If they think Iain can give them that, then the rest, everything else I've worked for, is meaningless?”

“No, of course not,” Roan said. “They'll root for ye. They'll want it to be ye. But if it's no', then they'll take it as a sign that it's time for a change.”

“And just like that, they'll blindly follow some bloke who's never set foot on the island until three days ago.”

“They'll take the leap of faith. It's—”

“Tradition, I hear you. I guess I just dinnae understand—”

“That's because ye work in a lab with mathematical equations all day,” Roan said. “Not all things are linear, with a calculable solution at the end. We've managed to survive over four centuries doing it this way, and taking those leaps when they come along. Maybe ye're the one who has to have faith in them. In their beliefs.”

“And if doing that means the end to Kinloch?”

“Then it was a good run,” Roan said.

Graham shook his head. “Fine.” He looked to Shay. “Put the notice out. Joint clan council. Two days from now. In the village square.”

He walked out and closed the door behind him.