We laughed.
We finished our drinks and Fraoch and James put their shoulders under Lochinvar’s arms and carried him giggling out to our Jeep.
Quentin ran back inside to tip the bartender extra for the trouble.
CHAPTER 78 - KAITLYN
When we pulled the cars into the driveway and parked them, we climbed out and stood in the moonlight while James and Fraoch deposited Lochinvar on a chair in front of the fire pit. Magnus got a blaze going and Zach brought out hotdogs, on sticks, for roasting over the fire. Before long the kids were fully sticky with ketchup and greasy potato chips.
Zach said, “Have you ever cooked a meat stick over a fire before, Lochinvar?”
Lochinvar giggled, jiggling his hotdog. “Meat stick!” Then he said, “Master Archie, give me some of the sauce.”
“The ketchup?”
“Aye, tè ruadh.”
He shoved the hotdog onto the bun too forcefully, dumping it in his lap. He peeled it off. “Och nae! Got m’meat stick on my lap.” He giggled. Archie and Ben laughed like there was something naughty going on.
Chef Zach almost doubled over laughing. “Dude, you are so drunk!”
Lochinvar finally got the hotdog balanced on the bun and held it out for Archie to squeeze ketchup on it.
He sighed. “Ye can tell twill be delicious, because it inna like anythin’ I hae ever eaten afore, ye ken?”
He took a big bite and chewing said, “Zachary, Tracy said she would bake me a Whoopie Pie. Is she nae a bonny lass?”
Chef Zach said, “Uh oh.”
James was roasting a hotdog over the fire. “Man, he is a handful. We’ll be carrying him to bed before the night is out.”
Quentin said, “I carried your ass to bed many times before.”
“We both carried Michael’s ass to bed more times than I can count.”
Quentin said, “I had forgotten what it’s like to be twenty with not a care in the world.”
Magnus said, “Did ye ever hae ‘nae a care in the world’? I thought ye were at war!”
“Yeah, right, but on leave I could sneak in a lot of rowdy mayhem.”
Fraoch said, “I liked a little rowdy mayhem m’self.”
James said, “Fraoch, you’re cool with Lochinvar now?”
“Nae really, but this night was the most interestin’ thing he’s done so far.”
Magnus joked, “That and helpin’ me survive the arena.”
Fraoch waved a hand at Magnus.”Och, I dinna see it. It canna be true.”
Haggis stood beside Magnus with his eyes locked on the meat. Magnus chuckled. “See it bairns? He is just now arrived and already he kens, there is meat, and he daena hae to hunt for it.”
He tossed half a hotdog to Haggis who ate it in one bite and resumed the begging position.
After we ate, Tracy left to go home, and we continued on around the fire pit, a lovely conversation, jokes and fun, and Fraoch sang us an old Scottish song, and Magnus and Lochinvar joined in. Then looking out at the lake, Magnus said, “Tis a beautiful night. Tomorrow I am goin’ swimming, then I am goin’ canoein’, and then I am going tae—”
Lochinvar said, “I am going tae go tae the bar.”
