Highland Wolf (Highland Brides, #10)(60)

“Aye,” Kenna agreed, then balling the material up, she handed it to Claray and added with disgust, “Now go make me cousin put his plaid on. I really ha’e no desire to look on his naked arse again . . . or anything else.”

Claray bit back a smile and merely nodded as she took the cloth and moved over to her husband. He and the other men were standing a good twenty feet from where she’d been dressing. They were in a loose circle made up of his uncle, his cousin, Roderick, Hamish, Gilly and Machar. But Conall stood, arms crossed over his chest, in just his shirt, which did not quite cover his dangly bits in front, or the bottom of his arse in back. Claray avoided looking below his waist as she handed him the plaid. She then turned quickly away and walked back to Lady MacKay and Kenna.

“How are you doing, dear?” Conall’s aunt asked, rubbing her back soothingly when Claray stopped beside her.

Claray smiled, recognizing the comforting caress as something she often did to Kenna. “I’m fine. We were lucky.”

“Aye,” Kenna said with a little shudder. “I can hardly believe neither o’ ye were shot through with the arrow. I thought ye’d both died when we heard yer screams, they were that pain-filled and anguished.”

Claray stiffened, her eyes widening, and then felt herself going hot with a blush as she realized what screams Kenna was referring to. She and Conall had only screamed once each, when they’d both found their pleasure that last time. Good Lord, everyone had come running because of how loud she and Conall had been. Not that she was sorry they’d come. They’d needed their help, but how humiliating would it have been if they’d all come running and found them lying in each other’s arms, recovering from the loving?

“Aye. Well, thank goodness they were not shot,” Lady MacKay responded.

Claray nodded and glanced to her, eyes widening and her blush no doubt deepening as she noted the amusement in the older woman’s eyes. Conall’s aunt obviously had a good idea of what had been behind their screams, and that it had nothing to do with the arrow that was shot at them.

“I want guards on Claray.”

She turned sharply at that announcement from Conall, and whirled away just as quickly when she saw he was still on his knees, pleating his plaid. His beautiful bare arse was fully on display as he knelt and leaned over the cloth.

“How many?” Hamish asked, and then suggested, “Three?”

Claray’s eyebrows rose. Three seemed excessive to her. Surely one or two would do?

“Four,” Conall growled, apparently not sharing her opinion. “I want ye to be one o’ them, Hamish. There’s no one I trust more.”

“Thank ye, cousin,” Payton said dryly.

“Ye ken I was no’ including you in that comment,” Conall said with irritation as he finished donning his plaid. “I meant among me men. I trust ye and Roderick like brothers.”

“Good,” Payton said cheerfully. “Then Roderick can help guard ye and I’ll guard wee Claray.”

“The hell ye will,” Conall growled as he stood and straightened his pleats. “Roddy can help guard Claray and ye’ll guard me.”

“If ye insist,” Payton said with a shrug.

Conall nodded with a grunt, finished with his pleats and then lifted his head sharply. “Wait. I do no’ need a guard.”

“Aye, ye do,” Laird MacKay growled. “Or would ye leave yon lass a widow fer yer pride?”

Claray froze like a doe surrounded by wolves when the men all turned their gazes her way and caught her looking and listening. It wasn’t until Payton winked that she had the good sense to quickly whirl away.

“Did ye tell her about the clan members from MacKay?” Payton asked suddenly.

Claray heard Conall curse, and then he was suddenly beside her, clasping her hand and urging her away from his aunt and cousin.

“Wife,” he said once he’d drawn her several feet away and stopped to face her. “Ye ken those worries ye had about clothes and servants and such?”

“Aye,” she said slowly, wondering what that had to do with MacKay clan members.

“Well, ye’ll have servants to help clean up the keep.”

“I will?” Claray asked uncertainly.

“Aye. In fact, some o’ them have already arrived. ’Tis why I came to find ye earlier in the orchards,” he said, and explained, “At least two dozen families, plus another ten single individuals, moved to MacKay for protection after the murders. Their numbers have doubled or mayhap even tripled over the years, and me uncle sent a couple o’ soldiers on ahead to MacKay while yer father was fetching the priest to marry us. They were to ride flat out to MacKay and tell those clan members that I was returning and any who wished to join me should pack up and be ready to move. Then as we were riding past MacKay this morning, he sent a couple more to tell them it was time and escort them here to Deagh Fhortan.” He grimaced now, and admitted, “I came to find ye in the orchard to tell ye they’ve arrived, but are waiting on the other side of the moat until the drawbridge is repaired. Unfortunately, ye were upset when I came to tell ye, and then . . .”

He didn’t have to say what the “and then” was for why he hadn’t told her. She quite vividly recalled what the “and then” had been before the arrow had been loosed on them. The thought made her smile softly for a brief moment, before what he’d said registered and her brain started to pick it over.