“Aye, well, today is her wedding day, and I swear I’ll kill ye if ye ruin it for her!”
Creighton released Skye, wrapping his arms around his wife. “Ye ken, I am nae sure that yewillkill me,” he murmured thoughtfully, a slow smile creeping onto his face.
Nora looked as though she was fighting back a smile. “Well, maybe I’ll think about it. We’ll leave ye to yer dance now, eh?”
“Before ye go,” Skye added, “have ye seen Hunter?”
“He’s skulking in the corner, as usual,” Creighton responded, letting Nora tow him away into the crowd.
Skye watched them go, a frown creasing her brow.
“Hunter is always so stern,” she sighed. “I wish he would just relax and enjoy the party for once.”
“The man will melt when the situation is right,” Evander responded, pulling her toward him. “Now, why daenae ye go and see yer braither?”
“But our dance…”
“Our dance can wait. Ye are thinking of Hunter now, so go see him, reassure yerself that he is all right, and then we’ll dance. Aye?”
“Aye,” she said, a smile tugging at her lips.
She hung onto his hand until the last possible moment, both their arms outstretched, their fingers entwined. At last, she let go with a laugh, and the crowd swallowed them both up.
Moving through the horde of people wasn’t particularly easy for the woman of the hour. Everybody wanted to congratulate her, touch her, hug her, hold her hand, and give her their blessings.
Eventually, she reached the edge of the room, where a man stood quietly alone in a corner, sipping his whiskey.
“Hunter? What are ye doing over here?”
Hunter glanced up, blinking. “If I move much, Maither will see me. She’ll make me dance.”
Skye hid a smile. “Cannae stand dancing, eh? What’s so interesting over here?”
“There’s a wee cat,” Hunter explained, gesturing.
Skye blinked at the familiar black cat curled up on a shelf just by Hunter’s hip, purring happily. As she watched, Hunter absently stroked the cat’s head, scratching her forehead. Blackberry closed her eyes in bliss.
“Huh,” Skye muttered. “She doesnae normally like being petted by strangers.”
“Oh? She came running up to me. She’s lovely. Is this yer cat?”
Skye nodded, smiling faintly. “Evander and I adopted her when I first met him. She’s ours. I’m nae sure she likes himvery much, though. He likes dogs more than cats.”
“I like cats,” Hunter murmured, smoothing back Blackberry’s ears. “I daenae have to dance, do I?”
“Nay, of course nae. I want ye to enjoy yerself, Braither.”
He held her gaze. “Now that I ken ye are happy, I can enjoy meself. Yearehappy, are ye nae?”
She nodded. “Aye. Happier than I could have thought possible. Now that I’m taken care of, when are ye going to startliving?”
He blinked, offended. “Iamliving.”
“I meanproperly. Why are ye nae in love?”
He recoiled. “I daenae want to be in love.”
She huffed, rising on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. “Just ye wait, Hunter. Ye will meet somebody who makes ye wantto dance.”
