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As I'm leaving the guest room, now fully clothed and ready for a nature hike, I bump into Aidan. He's just left the room he shares with Calli, and he discreetly shuts the door behind him.
"Madainn mhath, Jamie." He studies me briefly. "You seem even more cheerful than usual. Gavin must be in the house, aye?"
"He is." I fold my arms over my chest. "You're very relaxed and satisfied this morning, so Calli must be in that bedroom. Aye?"
"When did you become a smuilceag? My sweet little sister never would have discussed my sex life."
My brother just called me a chit. I am cheeky, but only because Aidan started it. "If ye dinnae want me to comment on your love life, then don't comment on mine."
"I'm glad to see you so happy, that's all I meant."
Lifting onto my toes, I kiss his cheek. "And I'm glad to see you so happy too."
We stroll into the living room together.
Gavin is sitting on a stool at the bar. When he sees Aidan, his brows lift. "Are you coming for a walk with us?"
"No, I'll stay here. Calli is still sleeping. But you two should go out there and enjoy the wilderness."
Calli emerges from the master bedroom then, dressed and wearing a soft smile. When she sees Aidan, her expression broadens into a glowing grin. My brother slips an arm round her waist, tugging her into his side. "Now that you're awake, gràidh, we should all have breakfast together. Gavin and Jamie can delay their walk until later."
I glance at Gavin, who shrugs. "Aye, we can wait. I'll make breakfast."
Gavin leaps off the stool. "I'll help you."
"Thank you."
He winces. "Fair warning. I'm not the best chef in the world."
I clasp his hand. "We don't need a five-star chef. The full Scottish breakfast isn't posh."
"Good. Then I'm definitely in."
Aidan and Calli snuggle up on the sofa to watch television while Gavin and I have fun cooking up a meal for the four of us. He might not be an expert cook, but he listens to my advice and instructions, following them precisely. Soon, we have a delicious breakfast feast ready to eat. We go out into the backyard to enjoy the food at the picnic table. Calli's dogs, Mandy and Misty, stay close by to snap up any tidbits that might fall onto the grass.
After breakfast, my brother suggests we should play Monopoly. Gavin and Calli don't understand why, not until Aidan tells them that Lachlan and Erica had played the game when they first met. It's become a sort of MacTaggart family legend. Aidan adds elements to the story that Lachlan never mentioned. I'm fair certain Calli and Gavin realize my brother is concocting a porky, but they play along for the fun of it.
We play six rounds of Monopoly. I win four of them. Gavin wins one, and Calli also wins one. Aidan couldn't get out of jail.
Gavin insists on making lunch alone. That surprises me, and I have to ask a question.
"I thought you didn't know how to cook," I say. "Just this morning, you told us that you aren't skilled at crafting meals."
"And it's true. But I can whip up a mean hamburger."
He does just that too. Gavin seasoned the ground beef with "secret ingredients" that he wouldn't divulge, not even to me. I leaned over to whisper into his ear that I'd make it worth his while if he shared the secret. But he only smirked and said, "You could torture it out of me, and I wouldn't mind at all."
Oh, aye, this man has captivated me. And I love it.
Chapter Five
Gavin
Aidan decided to stay in the house while I take the girls out into the fenced backyard to play with the puppies. They worship Jamie and can't seem to stop themselves from licking every inch of her exposed skin. I'd love to do that too, but in a different way. For a few minutes, the three of us take turns tossing a toy around for the puppies. Then Jamie and I start to excuse ourselves so we can enjoy that walk we'd planned on taking.
But Calli has a different suggestion. "Why don't you guys take the puppies with you? They love to get out of the yard, and I have retractable leashes for them."
I roll my eyes. "They'll probably yank us off our feet, using their leashes to drag us around while we're flat on our bellies."
