That was it.
That was all she’d been waiting for him to understand.
Moving her hands from his shoulders, she cupped his cheeks. “Ask me now,” she whispered.
Under her palms, his cheeks moved as he grinned, and he knew what she wanted.
“Lara, will ye be my wife? Will ye marry me?”
And the knowledge she finally had the words she’d longed for—for the right reasons!—made her joy bubble up inside her and spill out with a laugh. “Aye! Aye, I’ll marry ye, Alistair!”
She tugged him down to her, sealing her promise with a kiss which left them both breathless and laughing at the same time. She rolled under him, hooking her leg around the back of his knee so he couldn’t escape her.
“Now,” she murmured against his lips, “make love to me.”
“Are ye certain? Ye’re no’ sore?”
She grinned. “Look, Alistair, tomorrow’s yer da’s celebration. I need to be up before dawn to start baking his favorite treats and tarts. We only have a few hours, and if I’m no’ sore and walking funny tomorrow, I’ll no’ feel properly loved. So get on with it!”
Chuckling, he brushed his lips across the skin of her neck. “Yer wish is my command.”
Chapter 12
“A toast!”
The call was met with cheers and laughter from the gathered clan. Alistair, feeling more at ease than he had in years, lifted his own flagon and called out his support.
At the head of the main table, Kiergan waved his hands above his head and—amid much hooting and teasing—managed to hoist himself up on the bench. He lifted his flagon and called for silence. From his perch, he called down his toast.
“Friends, thank ye for joining us tonight to celebrate Laird William Oliphant’s fiftieth year here on this mortal coil! Of course, ‘tisnae like ye had any real choice, did ye, no’ when he ordered us to all show up and bring gifts. Who brought him the goat? ‘Tis my favorite so far!”
The last was called over the laughter from the clan, which began when Da started bellowing about how attendance wasn’t mandatory.
Alistair grinned and draped his arm around Lara’s shoulders. Having her beside him at his family’s table just felt right. Of course, she’d been here for some time, being Nessa’s best friend. But now Lara was beside him, touching him, and ‘twas perfect.
She rested her head against him, and he was happy to take her weight. She’d worked hard today to make this feast a success, and although he’d done what he could, there was no denying he’d also kept her up half the night. And, true to her desire last night, he’d caught her “walking funny” and wincing a few times. He felt guilty about that, aye, but also a little proud.
Especially when she caught him watching and sent him a wink.
“Quiet, ye great louts!” Kiergan hollered from atop his bench. When he got his wish, he continued, “Now, I ken ye all ate more than yer share tonight, but how could we no’? And no’ to brag, but while Cook’s roast hog is delicious, for certes, I got to taste some of Da’s special birthday meal, and let me tell ye, Lara’s fried chicken will likely go down in history as the finest meal Scotland has ever produced!”
Glancing over at Lara, he saw her cheeks reddening. But that didn’t stop him from nudging her to stand when Kiergan flung out a hand.
“Oliphants! Show yer appreciation to Lara and Alistair, who planned this whole bloody celebration!” Kiergan lifted his flagon to his lips, and amid the cheers and calls, his clanmembers did the same. Slowly, Alistair stood and lifted his ale in acknowledgement, afraid he might be flushing as red as Lara.
“And before we allow these two to sit,” Kiergan continued, quieting everyone, “let me be the first to share their good news.” The way he was beaming should’ve told Alistair something was amiss, but he was still surprised when Kiergan bowed his head in Lara’s direction. “My uptight, over-responsible twin has finally gotten around to admitting he’s got time for love. Alistair and Lara have just announced they’ll be married as soon as Father Ambrose can get around to them!”
This time the clan went mad, stomping and yelling and offering lewd suggestions and sweet blessings. Alistair slammed his flagon on the table, pointed at his brother, and roared, “We’ll be married tomorrow, ye clot-heid! Get it right!”
He wasn’t certain if Kiergan could hear him over the noise, but his brother was beaming happily. Then Alistair felt hands on his shoulders, and he turned to find Lara pulling him. As she dragged his lips down to hers, the clan somehow managed to double the volume of their approval.
Alistair wasn’t certain how much time had passed. But when he and Lara finally pulled apart, he was sitting once more, her pulled across his lap, both of them breathing heavily. And Kiergan was standing on the bench, extolling da’s virtues. The clan was roaring with laughter, and Alistair wondered how much he’d missed.
“Aye, to ye, he’s been a wonderful clan chief,” Kiergan was saying. “But to us, he’s merely our father. A man who raised six bastard sons when he didnae have to—and we’re still no’ certain he’s collected them all.” He winked. “Any of ye ken of more Oliphant bastards?” He waited for the laughter to calm down, then continued, “Aye, we ken him as a father. Big, braw, and right most of the time. He could piss farther than any other da, and take a punch without falling over, and the stories of his flatulence was legendary, as far as we were concerned.”
Alistair heard chuckling, and realized his brothers were nodding along to Kiergan’s words. He found himself smiling, remembering so many childhood adventures. He was a different man now, but thanks to the woman in his lap, he once again felt like that lad. The future was opening before him, full of boundless opportunities.
And he wanted to share them all with Lara.
At the head of the table, Kiergan lifted his flagon. “To William Oliphant. Father, friend, and laird. Happy birthday.”
This time the cheering was deafening, and Alistair and Lara joined in.
When Da stood up with his own flagon, the cheers grew even stronger, if possible. When they began to die down, he lifted his ale. “Wait! Wait!” he bellowed. “Ye forgot the best part!”
While the clan wondered what he meant, Da reached down and offered his hand to Moira. The plump housekeeper flushed prettily and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet. She was smiling happily, and so was Lara, when she exchanged a secret smile with Alistair.
“Father, friend, laird,” Da called, “and lover!”
When he kissed Moira, she enthusiastically wrapped her arms around the laird’s neck and kissed him back.
And the clan heartily approved.
Sometime later, after the tables and benches had been pushed back to allow for dancing, Alistair stood beside his twin brother and watched their father spin Moira to the pipe and drum music.
“He looks happy,” Kiergan commented.
“Aye,” drawled Alistair. “It seems Da has finally heard the ghostly drummer.”
Kiergan scoffed, then raised his voice to be heard over the music. “Dinnae tell me ye believe in that nonsense!”