The Highlander's Secret(64)
His wife’s eyes twinkled when he came near to her and she teased him, saying, “Good morrow, Alan. I dinnae see ye when ye left this morning.”
He grinned and leaned down to kiss her on the lips. “I’m sorry, Jain. I dinnae want to bother ye in the wee hours. I ken how difficult the mornings are in yer condition.”
She scoffed, reaching up to scratch the stubble of his beard. “I’m only pregnant, not an invalid. Ye could have said goodbye to me at least.”
Ragnar chuckled, listening to them quarrel. “Don’t be so hard on him, Jain. I asked Alan to get there early so we could get finished with the building before the storm, he was only trying to help.”
Jain laughed while standing up and using the table to support her weight. “Then it’s ye I should be angry at!”
When she stood, the folds of her billowing tunic exposed the gentle curve of her growing belly. Alan placed his arm around her to give extra support and kissed her on the forehead. “Dinnae be angry with anyone, my dear. It’s important that we think about the needs of our community. Now there is one more structure added to the settlement.”
She nodded. “I understand. It’s just difficult not seeing ye as often.”
Ragnar smiled. “Well, come spring you’ll have another little one to keep you company. I’ll admit that I’m looking forward to meeting my little niece or nephew.”
Her eyes twinkled when she looked up at him and rested her hand against her belly. “If it’s a boy I was going to name him Erik after our father.”
The Earl of their settlement nodded. “That’s a fine tribute to his memory.”
“As soon as I’m on the mend and spring has come, we can talk about what happens next.”
“What about yer dreams of travel?” Alan prodded. “There were so many things ye wanted to see and do.”
She took him by the hand and smiled. “That’s true, but it wouldn’t be the same without my husband. We can have our own adventures later. I cannae imagine anything better.”
He kissed her softy on the lips and pulled away with a smile. “Neither can I. We’ve seen enough war to last a lifetime, hopefully with the changes being made we can look forward to a time fer peace that will last fer generations to come.”
Alan placed his hand on top of hers as it cradled their unborn child.
“Aye, my love. That truly would be an adventure and it’s one I look forward to having.”
About Jennifer Siddoway
Jennifer is an author from Tallahassee, Florida with Duncurra LLC.
After receiving a degree in theatre from BYU and working as a scenic artist for twelve years, she changed careers to do what she really loves—writing. Jennifer believes that part of her job as an artist and story teller is to create a narrative that explores a fresh perspective and leaves the audience thinking.
When she’s not busy writing or burying her nose in a book, Jennifer enjoys doing medieval reenactment with her husband and two children.