Highland Harmony: Avelina and Drew (Clan Grant Series Book 8) (23 page)
Read Highland Harmony: Avelina and Drew (Clan Grant Series Book 8) Online
Authors: Keira Montclair
Torrian grinned, “Truly? Uncle Logan?”
Loki squinted at his cousin. “Aye, I wish to be a spy like him. To travel the Highlands. Who do you wish to be like?”
“My da. Aye, my da and Uncle Alex. He’s a legend.”
Loki shrugged. “Aye, you’ll be a laird, like your da. I have no chance at that, so mayhap a spy would be a better fit for me.”
Torrian grasped Loki’s shoulder. “You do not have to be a laird to be legendary.”
Loki waggled his eyebrows at Torrian and grinned.
The following autumn
Once they dismounted their horse outside the stables, Lina helped Drew unhook the warm pouch he had attached to his chest. As soon as he held the material back, the two wee legs sticking out of the bottom wiggled away.
“What is it, wee Elyse? Were you missing your mama?” Drew asked, kissing his daughter’s chubby cheek as soon as he had her unwound.
Lina grabbed the babe out of Drew’s hands. “Nay, you are not fooling me at all, wee one. I know who your favored one is. You are your papa’s lassie, and I know it.” It was a cold autumn, so Lina made sure a hood covered the wee one’s head. The lassie was soon to be half a summer, and she had grown like a weed.
“Are you ready, love?” Lina glanced up at her husband, squeezing his hand as she settled their daughter on her hip.
Drew nodded. “Aye, I am.” He leaned over to kiss his wife’s cheek just as the stable lad came bounding toward them.
“My lord, ‘tis so good to have you home, ‘tis. We’ve all been awaiting your return. Your sire’s been ill, but he’s been asking for you.”
Drew patted the lad’s shoulder and said, “My thanks.”
As they headed toward the great hall in the Menzie keep, Drew’s clan members lined the path to greet them.
“Drew, glad you’ve returned to us.”
“Your wife and daughter sure are bonny lassies.”
“Drew, are you here to stay? Please say you’re home to stay. Your clan needs you.”
Gus, the smithy, strode up to him and clasped his shoulder. “Lad, we’ve all missed you, for sure. But none more than your sire. ‘Tis time for you to come home. They miss you something fierce, and they’ve seen the error of their ways. ‘Tis time to forgive. Your sire is not well.”
Drew nodded and hugged Gus. “Gus, this is my wife, Avelina, and our daughter, wee Elyse. My thanks, Gus. I’ve missed your sage advice.”
They continued onward, moving past all the well-wishers to enter the great hall. His parents did not await them outside, but he had expected as much, for his sire was very ill.
Once inside, he turned toward the hearth. His sire’s chair was very close to the warmth of the fire, and the big man was wrapped in a thick plaid and a fur. Drew’s mother sat in a chair next to him, quietly sobbing, her hands clenched in her lap.
“Mama?” He escorted Lina over to his mother. He leaned down and kissed his mother’s cheek, then tugged her to her feet and wrapped his arms around her as she cried. No words came from her, but he could tell how difficult this was. Now that he had a bairn of his own, he had come to understand his parents a bit more.
“Mama,” he stood back from her and turned her toward Lina. “I’d like you to meet my wife, Avelina. We call her Lina. And this is our daughter, Elyse.”
“Oh, Drew. You have a daughter?” She clutched Lina’s hand and said, “I wish to welcome you to our home. My, but you are a pretty one.” Her eyes settled on Elyse and she gasped. “I have a granddaughter. Arthur, look.” Her eyes met her husband’s. “We have a granddaughter. Isn’t she beautiful?” Elyse giggled and shoved her fist into her mouth.
Drew moved over to his sire. “Papa. How do you fare?”
“Not as well as I once did, but I’m an old man. I still get around, but my one side drags a bit.” Drew noticed his father’s face drooped on one side, and his speech was more deliberate than it had been before, but his sharp gaze was as keen as ever. “Introduce me to your family.”
Drew finished his introductions, then all of them sat down. The kitchen maids stood nearby, awaiting instructions. “Some cheese and bread, please? Mayhap a goblet of ale for me and some wine for my wife?”
Once the maids had left, his father said. “I know I shouldn’t ask this right away, but I must. Have you come home to take over the lairdship as you should? ‘Tis your right and your land. You’re my son. I wish to leave all to you.”
His mother peered up at him. “Everyone is hoping you’ll stay home.”
His father cleared his throat. Drew wondered which of his many mistakes the older man was about to dredge up.
“Son. You were a better leader years ago at twenty summers than I ever was. I never wished to admit it, but ‘struth. All of my guards have been hoping for your return. And I am ready to pass everything on to you. In fact, I see your wee wife is carrying again. It would please me to watch my grandchildren grow and only offer you help when you have need of it.”
Drew’s shock took him aback. Had his own father just complimented him? And he wished to get to know his grandchildren? Would that not be too painful for him?
His mother smiled at him. “Drew, ‘tis different when they are your grandbairns. Think on it, will you? Would you allow me to hold wee Elyse on my lap?”
“Of course,” Lina answered. “Let me help you get her settled.”
With Lina’s help, Elyse soon sat sideways on her grandmother’s lap. At first, she gave her a serious look, but then she broke into a big smile, two teeth sticking out of her lower gums.
“Papa, if that’s what you want, Lina and I are ready to move here. I miss my clan and I’d like our daughter to get to know her clan members.” His voice cracked with emotion at how far he and Lina had come in such a short time. “We may still travel a few times a year as Lina has a large clan, but we would like to make our home here.”
“The clan has been waiting for you, son. I’ve told them how smart you are, and how you remember everything I’ve taught you…”
As his father talked on, Drew glanced over his mother’s head to catch his wife’s gaze. He shrugged his shoulders, and she nodded, indicating she agreed with him. They had discussed this possibility before they’d arrived, but Drew wanted to be sure he had Lina’s support. He had to admit it felt good to be home, though he would have to get used to hearing his father talk about his good qualities instead of only his bad ones.
Drew only had one more question he needed to ask. He’d struggled with how to go about this exactly, but he had to ask. As he paced the floor, trying to decide how to phrase his question, his mother said, “Drew, your father and I would like you to know something.”
He spun around and waited for her to continue. His mother glanced at his father, who nodded for her to continue. She continued. “We’re verra sorry for the wrong we did you. We’re verra proud of you, and we have deep regrets for the choices we made. ‘Twas wrong of us to waste so many years thinking only of the past. We hope, in time, you can forgive us.”
His father hung his head and added, “I feel the same, son. You have our deepest apologies.”
Drew finally decided how he needed to phrase his question.
“Well, who do you think she looks like? Me, Tomas, or James?” He glanced from his mother to his sire, holding his breath. How he prayed his parents would not think Elyse looked like either of his brothers.
His mother scowled, then peered at his father before staring at the bairn on her lap. “Och, Drew. Nay.”
Drew just stared at her, his heart full of hope and fear, and waited for her to continue.
“She looks like Elyse.”
The End
To Sharron Gunn:
Thanks for being so willing to share all your knowledge about the Scottish and their history. You are a charm, for sure
.
The Clan Grant Series
#1-
RESCUED BY A HIGHLANDER
-Alex and Maddie
#2-
HEALING A HIGHLANDER’S HEART
-Brenna and Quade
#3-
LOVE LETTERS FROM LARGS
- Brodie and Celestina
#4-
JOURNEY TO THE HIGHLANDS
-Robbie and Caralyn
#5-
HIGHLAND SPARKS
-Logan and Gwyneth
#6-
MY DESPERATE HIGHLANDER
-Micheil and Diana
#7-
THE BRIGHTEST STAR IN THE HIGHLANDS
-Jennie and Aedan
#8- HIGHLAND HARMONY-Avelina and Drew
The Summerhill Series- Contemporary Romance
Regency
Thank you so much for reading HIGHLAND HARMONY. I hope you enjoyed Avelina and Drew’s story. Alas, this book finishes the series—for now. I can’t promise I’ll never come back to it, as I think someday I will. But for now, I will be moving on to my new series, and I’ll start with Loki’s story.
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You’ll see how I envision Avelina and Drew, along with Gregor and Gavin.
After Loki’s story, I’ll probably return to write the third in my Summerhill Series. After that, who knows where I’ll go! I must admit I have a wee series about Avelina’s gift churning in my brain, too.
Once again, thank you for all your support.
Happy reading!
Keira Montclair
Keira Montclair is the pen name of an author who lives in Florida with her husband. She loves to write fast-paced, emotional romance, especially with children as secondary characters in her stories.
She has worked as a registered nurse in pediatrics and recovery room nursing. Teaching is another of her loves, as she has taught both high school mathematics and practical nursing.
Now she loves to spend her time writing, but there isn't enough time to write everything she wants! Her Highlander Clan Grant Series is a reader favorite and is a series of eight stand-alone novels. The Summerhill Series is a contemporary romance series set in the beautiful Finger Lakes Region in Western New York. Her third series will be set twenty years after the Clan Grant Series and will focus on the Grant/Ramsay descendants.
You may contact her through her website at
www.keiramontclair.com
. She also has a Facebook account and a twitter account through Keira Montclair. If you send her an email through her website, she promises to respond.
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© 2015 Keira Montclair
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