I grinned. “And the sexiest, I really really like you.”
He said, “How come we hae once again given up our room tae the rest of the family and we are tae sleep in the bunkhouse?”
“We are so considerate we have put our needs to get some booty last.” I said, “Tell me a funny story about being in the past for so long.”
He thought for a moment. “Och, here’s one, we were on the edge of a battlefield and twas rainin’ and verra boring as we waited tae fight and ye ken how Fraoch snores?”
“Boy do I.”
“Fraoch was snorin’ and it got verra high pitched, like a wheeze, so he would breathe in and then make a sound, whhhhhheeeeeeeeee as he exhaled, and after about four times, Haggis whimpered along, ee ee, and I chuckled. And Haggis looked at me with his head cocked and then whenever Fraoch snored, Haggis would whimper again and I would laugh, and then for about five minutes Fraoch would snore, Haggis would whimper and I laughed so hard, trying to stifle the sound — it was growin’ more and more hilarious. It became clear that Haggis, his head cocked tae the side, was tryin’ tae make me laugh.”
He laughed and I laughed too and the laughing, holding hands, talking with my husband, felt so much better. “Ye ever heard of such a thing? A dog bein’ funny on purpose?”
“I have never heard of such a thing, that’s hilarious.”
“Aye, twas.”
I kissed his knuckles and we stared out at the night.
Later we climbed into our separate beds and went to sleep.
* * *
The next morning I did my best to be a supportive good little wife. Over breakfast I asked Magnus what he was going to pack.
He said, “Clothes that fit the time, a tent, some supplies and… dog treats.”
I said, “Perfect, Haggis will want those when you find him.”
He kissed me, a loving wonderful kiss.
* * *
Right after breakfast, Magnus walked Lochinvar and me up through the fields to the family cemetery. It was mind blowing. I hadn’t seen this place in ten years or more. It was familiar and shocking to see a place that I remembered so vividly, yet had totally forgotten. The barn was big and dark and I remembered being afraid of it, so close to a family cemetery. The whole place seemed haunted.
My grandparents weren’t buried here, the last burial had been in the early 1900s, and the spot was so overgrown it was difficult to see that it was a cemetery at all. Magnus explained that he wanted all the weeds and overgrown bushes cut back. Then he swung the door of the barn open and we stepped inside.
I said, with my hands on my hips, “Well, this is a death trap.”
“Aye, there is not a support that will keep it standing in a stiff breeze. Everything needs support.” He raised his brow. “Support is necessary.”
I laughed, “Nice metaphor, for us.”
We closed the door and walked back tae the house.
Hayley and I walked Magnus and Fraoch to the field to say goodbye. He had already said goodbye to the kids. I hadn’t been there to listen, that was between them and we had long ago decided that the kids didn’t need to go to the clearing to see the storm. The storms were too frightening, watching someone disappear was terrifying.
On our walk back to the house Hayley said, “You are holding up surprisingly well, I thought you were upset he was leaving. I’m furious that Fraoch is going for a dog, and I feel like I shouldn’t be the person who is the most emotional about it.”
I said, kicking a pebble from the path in front of me, “I had a long talk with Magnus about it last night. I’m being supportive.”
“You don’t actually think they’re going to find the dog do you?”
“I doubt it, I mean how could they? He didn’t remember the last time he saw the dog. I was in the room and the room was completely different. I think somehow the time bridge left the dog in an alternate universe or some other bizarre scenario, and he’s torn up about it and hopefully Fraoch can talk some sense into him and get him to come home.”
“It’s really dangerous if there’s another king there.”
“Yeah, I hope they don’t get swept up in the idea of winning the kingdom again. No grandiose plans.”
