“I’m having the men move rocks to build a strong wall around the village. It’s not so much that we need a wall, but we need them to be stronger, and what better way to get strong than to move heavy rocks?”
Bryson shook his head at his brother. “I’m surprised they don’t resent you. That sort of work is awful.”
“They don’t hate me,” Kendrick said. “They all agree we need a wall, if only to keep out raiding parties.”
Alyssa’s eyes widened. She’d read a great deal about the raiding clans of the Highlands. “Does this clan raid others?” she asked.
Heather shook her head. “We do not. We have everything we need. But others come and steal livestock and sometimes crops. We always get our revenge, but we do not take part in reeving.”
Alyssa sighed. “Glad to hear it.” While she understood that it was something that most of the Highland clans did, she didn’t like the idea that they would make enemies that way. It wouldn’t be good to have people constantly trying to steal from them. There were better ways to do things.
Holli looked at Alyssa. “You two are staying for supper, and Beth, you, and Gavin as well. We’re having tacos.”
“Tacos? We can’t have tacos. What would we make them with?” Alyssa asked.
Heather frowned. “I want tacos.”
“Well, of course you’re invited!” Holli said, shaking her head.
“How are we making tacos again?” Alyssa was determined someone would answer her.
“You know how obsessed you three are with Irish nachos?” Beth asked.
“Well, sure,” Alyssa said.
“That’s how I was with tacos. Now we grow corn, tomatoes, peppers, pinto beans… We may be doing things out of time, but in our little corner of Scotland, people don’t really know about it, and we don’t tell.”
“Wait…” Alyssa said. “We can have tacos as well as Irish nachos? I should have come back in time a year ago! That’s amazing.”
Kendrick frowned at her. “Did you come here to reunite with your friends and meet your soulmate or eat?”
Alyssa took too long to answer the question, and Kendrick pulled her back up against him. “You are on thin ice, wife.”
It was the first time he’d called her wife and not lass. She liked it. Leaning back against him, she said, “I guess I came back to be with my friends and marry my soulmate. And eat.” The last two words were much softer, but he heard them.
“Oh, is that so?”
“It is so!” She turned around and faced him. “Kendrick, you must understand that I have a mind of my own. You cannot control it.”
“I have no desire to, lass. I know what a woman of the future is like. My grandfather, father, and twin brother married women of the future as well, remember.” He was grinning at her and she wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him.
Bryson groaned. “Some things are meant to only take place in the bedroom,” he complained.
“Then why did we…” Holli was cut off by his hand over her mouth.
Everyone in the room laughed at that, but Bryson looked down at his wife with a look of long-suffering. “And why did I say I would marry the first lass who appeared from the future? Would someone remind me of that?”
“You thought you could get out of marrying quickly that way,” Kendrick reminded him. “And you found your lass less than an hour later.”
“It seems to always work that way, doesn’t it?” Bryson asked, shaking his head. “Of course, she’s having my first son, who will not be named Herbert as she keeps saying.”
Heather laughed. “Herbert is an awful name, Holli. Why are you tormenting my baby boy?”
Holli shrugged. “He doesn’t want me to say the real name we want to name him, because he worries it’s bad luck. Well, I can say Herbert then.”
“I would really rather you didn’t,” Bryson said.
Holli giggled. “Herrrberrrt.”
