Page 86 of Loched in Love

“It’s a true pleasure Mrs. … Mary,” Lachlan corrects himself quickly and dips into a polite and old-fashioned bow. He carefully extends his big hand, clearly expecting her to hesitate, but Mom completely ignores it and instead steps right into his face, stands up on her tip toes, and wraps her arms around his waist in a strong and fierce welcoming hug.

“You can call me Mom. Anyone who can make my daughter smile like that is family,” she says, pulling back to swat Collin on the arm as he tries to sneak past her into the kitchen. “Get your hands off the appetizer tray, Collin, and go help your brothers set the table.”

As the boys scramble to obey, all of them grumbling playfully, a familiar blonde woman steps out from the living room, holding a sleepy but curious toddler in her arms.

“Natalie!” I cry out, my face lighting up with pure joy as I break away from Lachlan to throw my arms around my best friend.

“You made it back in one piece!” Natalie says with a warm laughing smile, hugging me over Keegan’s shoulders. She turns her bright gaze up to Lachlan and lets out a loud whistle of appreciation. “Wow, Elena. Where in the hell did you get him?”

Natalie looks down at the boy in her arms whose wide and innocent gaze is locked onto Lachlan in awe. “Lachlan, this is mine and Collin’s son, Keegan. Say hi, buddy.”

Keegan doesn’t say anything except reaching out one little chubby arm to gesture toward Lachlan’s chest, like he’s a new toy to try out.

Lachlan’s expression softens completely and he talks in gentle tones, repressing the deep rumble of his voice as he talks to my nephew, and if my heart weren’t already melted completely for this man, it would be right now.

He slowly offers Keegan the tip of his big index finger, and my nephew wraps his entire tiny fist around it, letting out a high-pitched giggle that clearly wins my giant lake monster over.

“He likes you,” Natalie says, clearly relieved as she starts to bounce him on her hip as Collin makes an appearance over her shoulder.

“We all like him,” my brother says with a wink before grabbing my nephew and heading toward the kitchen.

Mom turns a beaming smile back to the group, seemingly energized by the bustling house and new guest as her voice drops into a loud and completely unsettled whisper that echoes right down the hallway. “To be completely honest, Lachlan, it’s been so long I never thought Elena would actually bring a man home, she’s always been so fiercely independent, but now that she has…” She glances pointedly at his chest, then back up to his face. “When’s the wedding? Because I need at least six months to lock down a caterer.”

“Mom!” I screech, my voice a high-pitched squeal while my face starts burning so hot I’m certain I’m going to spontaneously combust. “We’ve been in the house for exactly three minutes.”

Andrew pokes his head out of the dining room with a huge grin. “Hey, Mom’s right. If we’re going to have a redheaded giant in the family, she needs to know how much fabric to order for a groomsman suit.”

“She’s been planning Elena’s wedding since she was little and we’ve all had to hear about it for years, but now we’ve got Lachlan to put us out of our misery,” Collin shouts, his voice carrying through the house while I wish I could melt through the floorboards.

“We’re not talking about this at the front door,” I protest, though the bubbling sound of my laughter cuts through the embarrassment.

I’m going to murder them all.

I push my arm through Lachlan’s and guide him toward the living room where the sectional sofa has held my brothers more times than I can count, so Lachlan should have plenty of room. We make our way there, with Natalie and little Keegan trailing behind us.

The rest of the evening passes in a beautiful but overwhelming blur of laughter. Embarrassing stories are shared along with the passing of Mom’s cooking around the crowded dining room table while my brother’s talk Lachlan’s ear off about Scotland.

Most of the talk has been about how much he can bench press, if he’s into boulder climbing, and his tolerance for alcohol.

My brothers have completely accepted him into the fold without a single shred of suspicion, and while watching Lachlan relax, I can truly see how much the affection and the rambunctious noise of a real family mean to him. Which, how couldn’t it, especially after spending so many years hiding in that lonely moat.

“It’s nice to see you so happy, Elena. I’m so very happy for you,” Mom says, leaning over conspiratorially so the rest can’t hear.

“Me too,” I murmur back, I glance at where he sits at the head of the table, his head thrown back as he laughs just as loud as the rest of the boys, while mom gives me a knowing grin, before nodding her glass at me.

My heart gives a little dance inside my chest as I watch him converse with my family. She’s right, I’m happy and so very in love.

My gaze locks with his, and a warmth spreads across his expression before someone steals his attention, and I smile to myself.

I may have fallen in and saved him, but he’s saved me just as much, and I just didn’t know what I was missing before he came along.

Chapter 36

LACHLAN MACBETH

“Shhh, come out this way, the side door doesn’t squeak as much,” Elena whispers, leading me through the quiet house.

The rest of the family has been asleep for a good while now, long after the plates of food vanished and the happy family members made their way home.