Relief washed over her. Thank goodness. She gave Devin a quick nod, turned, and started down the road. He fell in step beside her. "What are you doing?"
"Walking back. Need my spark plugs."
Hildie and Terry ran ahead, and for a long time the only sound between them was the crunch of their shoes on the road and the occasional call of wildlife. The twilight grabbed Kate's attention. It was soft and muted and gave a fragile quality to the landscape around them. This was the gloaming she'd always read about in Gram's books. And here she was walking in it with a Highlander by her side.
"Lucy's taken some amazing pictures," Devin said, casting a look to the sky. "Right after sunset. Those are my favorites."
"The gloaming. Is that how you say it?" she asked, hoping her pronunciation was right.
"Aye."
She smiled at his response. "You know you go back and forth between accents."
He digested that and gave a consenting shrug. "We all do, my brothers and I."
"Was it hard? Deciding to live here rather than back home? Lucy said your mom is back there."
Devin thought for a moment. "In some ways it was. In others, easy. I've been away so long already... My mom loves it here. She would've been disappointed if we'd sold the land." A soft laugh escaped him. "Disappointed is a nice word for what she'd have been." They continued on a few more steps before Devin continued. "The place is special to her. Lots of memories of us and my dad here. She might be sixth generation American, but she's mostly Scot. Think it gives her a lot of pride that we're here, back on home soil."
Kate caught Devin's eye and smiled at the slight embarrassment in his tone. He wasn't a guy who talked much about his family, about what they, and the land, meant. "I bet she's really proud of you. Of all her sons." And she'd get to meet the woman at Lucy's wedding. Not only was Lucy's life changing, but so was Kate's—dramatically so. "Can't believe Lucy is getting married and will live—" she swept her hand to the panoramic view— "here. Raise her kids here. Can you imagine?" It was amazing, the way life could change so quickly. "And one day I'll be an aunt. Sort of. Second cousin really."
The idea of mini Lucys running around brought a well of happiness to Kate. Of course that meant she was linked to Devin and the entire MacLaren family forever. A sobering thought, especially considering the start they'd gotten off to.
And the kiss. God, that kiss…
The instant she thought of it, her body went nervous and warm. He'd kissed her back. He'd pleaded with her to keep her mouth on his and she understood why. Because it had worked. Because it had pulled him out of whatever dark hell he'd fallen into.
He'd kissed her like she was his lifeline, and in that moment she had been. It hadn't been that long ago that she'd dreamed of Holden kissing her like that, to feel a man put everything he had in it, to lose himself, to be consumed. An inward sigh blew through her. There had to come a time in her life when she'd find a guy who was so into her, he'd kiss like that, not because of an anxiety attack, but solely because of her. Like nothing else mattered. Likeshewas all that mattered.
Ha. Fat chance of that, her inner cynic shot back.
"What's so funny?"
"What?"
"You just snorted," Devin told her.
Kate frowned. "Girls don't snort." His brows lifted, but he remained silent. "Okay, fine, we do."
After a while Devin spoke up again. "Sorry about before…" Kate glanced over quickly, catching his wry smile. "Don't usually do that in front of people. Embarrassing as hell," he admitted, letting out a heavy sigh.
There went her pulse again. "No need to apologize."
"Well, for what it's worth. Thanks."
Kate winced. Did he justthankher for kissing him? "Really. It was nothing…"
Devin's soft, sheepish chuckle made her cheeks hot. "It was more than that. A lot more."
They fell quiet again. She could tell he wanted to say more, but either he wasn't sure how to say what he wanted or he was showing mercy and letting it end on that lovely note.
Which was fine by her.
It took over an hour, if not more—she was pretty sure it was more, way more—to make it back to the road leading to her cottage. The moon was high and bright. And the sky was dark and full of shiny stars—she'd never seen them so clearly before. The air had turned cool and damp, thick with the scents of the outdoors and the loch close by. It made her feel alive and young, the atmosphere reminding her of late summer nights, hanging with Lucy and Riley, and the parties Riley would take them to in the woods and river near her house.
Walking in the night with Devin hadn't been as bad as it had started out. In fact, it was . . . nice. Having a big, strong man by her side, no pressure to carry on a conversation, just enjoying the peace and the beauty around them.
"You sure you don't want me to walk you to the cottage?" Devin asked.
