“Aye, little bit, they’re yours, and make sure you finish all the milk.”
The lad wrinkled his nose. “I prefer ale.”
“But you’ll drink the milk.”
His jaw slack, Braden glanced back and forth between them. “You know him?”
Conner gave him a wide smile. “Of course she does. She’s my new mother.”
Braden took another step back as he absorbed the news. “But how?—”
“I met him last night.” Maggie narrowed her gaze on Braden. “He wanted me to take him to the MacAllisters.”
In an instant he understood why she had sought him out last night. “That’s why you asked me about children?”
She nodded. “I didn’t want you to hurt the lad’s feelings.”
Braden burst out laughing.
Connor scratched his head as he looked back and forth between them. “Can I go eat now?”
“Aye.” Maggie handed him her basket. “But before you leave, I want you to meet your father, Braden MacAllister.”
Conner snorted at her words. “That ain’t me father. Kieran MacAllister be me da.”
They both stood stock still as the lad’s words rang in their ears.
“Fia ingen Bracken!” Braden said as he recalled the name and the lass. Kieran had fawned over her for weeks before he met Isobail.
“You’re Kieran’s son?” Maggie asked Connor. “Are you sure?”
The boy looked at her as if she had gone mad. “Aye. Me aunt went to find him when me mother died, but she came back saying he was dead, too, and that she was stuck with me.”
Braden sank down on his knees so that he could look more closely at the boy.
Now, he could see the difference in the face. Kieran and he had shared the same eye color and hair.
He cupped the lad’s face in his hands and stared at the living legacy Kieran had left them. “You have no idea how many people are going to love you where we’re going.”
“Really?” Connor asked, his voice high, his eyes gleaming.
“Aye.” Maggie knelt beside them. “Starting with Braden and myself.”
Braden looked at her, his heart pounding. “You were going to raise him, thinking he was mine and never tell me?”
“I would have told you when I thought you were ready.”
He couldn’t believe his ears. He had been so wrong about her. So very wrong. And he would spend the rest of his life making it up to her.
“You’re amazing.”
She looked away sheepishly.
He took her hand and placed a kiss on the back of her knuckles. “Thank you, Maggie. For everything.”
This time when she looked at him, he leaned forward and kissed her.
“Yuck!” Connor snorted. “Not that ickiness.”
