Page 90 of The Stag & The Owl
“Fenny fenny,” Owain repeated.“Fenny fenny.”He started chasing his twin sister around the planter boxes, thesound of their high-pitched laughter music to Alina’s ears.
They’d been born on the first day of springthree years ago tomorrow, exactly one year to the day their parentshad first met.Owain, the first born, had curly brown hair and eyesthe color of rain, like his father’s, MacKay eyes.Oona, the secondborn, had auburn curls, a light dusting of freckles across her noseand cheeks, and the green MacLeod eyes.They were the light andheart of not only their parents’ lives, but of the entirehousehold.Alina and Roark gave thanks to the gods and the fatesfor them every day.
Alina laid a hand over her belly and smiled.There would be another child come the autumn, a boy child she’dseen in her dreams, with his grandfather’s white-blond hair andgreen eyes flecked with gold and grey.A child she would tell Roarkabout tomorrow night as they celebrated the fourth anniversary oftheir first meeting.
“Dada,” the twins said in unison.
Roark walked into the greenhouse and metAlina’s smiling gaze.He grinned, slow and easy, and Alina’sinsides melted.
“I’m told Owen is arriving,” she said as thetwins ran up to him, squealing with delight as he scooped them upand tucked one under each arm.
“Aye, theSea Hawksailed into portthis morning,” he said, jiggling his progeny up and down.“Owensaid he’d be bringing three barrels of whisky for the glass panesfor Siusan’s new greenhouse.”
“Was Siusan with him?”
“She was riding in the wagon with him,” hesaid, setting the twins down to run around.“Cullen was ridingDamon.”
TheSea Hawkwas Owen’s trade ship,built two years ago with the proceeds of his whisky trade withAlina’s father and other Northland ports, as well as North Shore,Thorn Bush, and Yew Tree keeps.After hearing Jerrik’s and Alyssa’sstories, Owen had made sure to build a horse pen on the deck, asRoark had done withThe Swan,a wedding present from Alina’sparents Kerry and Kerwin captained together.
The MacLeods were now as well known for theirwhisky and horses as the MacInneses were for their horses andglass.One of the first things Roark had done after becoming lairdwas to build a glass-making shop.If Alina ever needed to find herhusband, that was the first place she looked, even though he hadplenty of craftsmen working it for him.
“Come, children,” she said, holding out herhands.“We should get cleaned up and ready for our visitors.Grandmama Brianna and Granddad Ronan will be here any timetoo.”
“For our birfday?”Owain asked.
“Yes,” Alina said, taking hold of theirhands.“For your birthday.Shall we go tell Ompa Jerrik, OmaAlyssa, Uncle Anders, and Auntie Rose her parents are here?”
True to her MacLeod blood, Rose had taken onelook at Anders at Roark and Alina’s wedding and that had been that.They’d been betrothed within a fortnight and married at SilverWater Keep two moons after their betrothal.Their son, Jerrik, hadbeen born ten moons later, and Rose was four moons along with theirsecond child.
Both families traveled to North Shore Keepevery spring to celebrate the twins’ birthday and visit for afortnight, along with Roark’s parents and his Uncle Bryce and AuntJeanine.From the moment Ronan had given Roark his sword to fightRigil and Delling, their rift had mended, and Roark’s parents werefrequent visitors since the twins’ birth.
Jenny had chosen to live and work at Yew TreeKeep, deciding it would be too painful to stay at North Shore withher memories of Leif and what she’d done.She’d be coming down withBryce and Jeanine, and Peg and Craig were beside themselves withtheir daughter’s and granddaughter’s pending arrival.
Gwyneth had guilted Munroe into marrying her,and the last anybody had heard, they were living at a keep on thewest coast where Munroe was a man-at-arms for the local laird.Wordwas that they were miserable together and childless.Alina triedhard not to gloat, but was glad that no child would have to grow upwith Gwyneth as a mother.
Owain swung Alina’s hand.“Yet’s go tell Omaan Ompa dat Unco Owen coming.”
“Yesh,” Oona said.“Yet’s go tell Oma anOmpa.”
Roark held open the door to the greenhouse asthe twins ran out toward the manor house, where Peg stood outsidethe door, waving them over.He wrapped an arm around Alina’sshoulder and pulled her in close, nuzzling her neck.“You were inthe orchard this morning,” he murmured.“You smell of cherryblossoms.”
“And you smell of horse,” she teased.“How’sEtain’s new colt doing?”
“Nursing well and gaining weight according toGare,” he said.“I swear Artur knows the colt’s his.He put up sucha fuss when Etain went into the brooding stall Gare and Fergus hadto move him into the stall next to it.”
Alina glanced over at the paddock where Ash,who’d grown into a fine, deep-chested stallion, grazed alongsideSmokey, Beasty, Brynja, and Flame, Brynja’s and Artur’s yearlingfoal.She looked back over her shoulder at the panes of glass onher greenhouse shining in the last of winter’s afternoon light, atthe vegetable garden’s soil, newly turned over in readiness for thegreenhouse transplants.She gazed lovingly at her husband’sprofile, his broad forehead, high cheekbones, and strong jaw.Shetouched her fingers to the earth-kissed skin on his forearm andsmiled into eyes the color of rain.
“If you could say or do anything you wantedwithout fear of consequences or repercussions—”
“I’d be exactly where I am, telling you Ilove you, Ali girl.It’s all I’ve wanted since the day I first seteyes on you racing along the beach, legs bare and mane flying.”
