Page 22 of Dance in the Stones

Damon headed that direction, ignoring the snickers behind him. He felt Redford’s anticipation at his approach, followed by satisfaction when Damon rounded the corner and found him crouched near a section of exposed stone.

“Apparently, you need to stop lifting heavy things without me,” Damon said.

Redford glanced up, his dark eyes warm. “I’m five hundred years old,” he muttered. “I can handle a few stones.”

“Your back and the contractor crew disagree.” Damon could feel the dull ache through their connection. “You’ve been crouching there for twenty minutes.”

“Has it been that long?” Redford straightened, wincing slightly. “I lost track of time just thinking about things.”

“I know about most of those things. Of course, it could just be because you’re stubborn.” Damon moved closer, sliding his hand along Redford’s lower back in a touch that was both soothing and possessive. His hound rumbled contentedly at the contact. “What are you looking at?”

“The foundation needs more work than I thought.” Redford leaned into the touch, and Damon felt his mate’s pleasure at the simple contact. “We’ll need to shore it up before we can proceed with the outer walls.”

They spent the next hour working side by side, clearing more of the debris and assessing damage. The contractors moved around them as they worked on their own tasks, but Damon noticed their glances, and especially the way Malcolm kept smiling whenever he looked their way.

Humans couldn’t sense mate bonds, but they clearly recognized something had changed between him and Redford. Of course, it could be because they didn’t see the need to stop touching each other, and admittedly they appeared to move in sync without needing to speak, but that was the way things were between a mated pair. Apparently, though, those little things painted an obvious, if slightly distorted picture, for their audience too.

Around midday, a familiar voice called out from the courtyard. “Special delivery!”

Damon’s head snapped up. Duncan. Of course, the postman would show up today of all days. It wasn’t that Damon wasn’t proud of his relationship with Redford, but if Duncan knew, the whole village would know before sunset, and Damon wasn’t sure how the villagers handled same-sex relationships.

“I’ll handle it,” Redford said, but Damon was already moving toward the entrance.

Only one way to find out.

Duncan stood in the courtyard, holding a package and practically vibrating with curiosity. His eyes widened when he spotted Damon, then immediately tracked to Redford emerging behind him.

“Well now.” Duncan’s grin could have lit up the entire Highlands. “This is interesting.”

“It’s not what you think,” Damon started, then stopped. “Never mind, it probably is what you think. What do you have for us?”

“Papers for Mr. Stone.” Duncan handed over the package but made no move to leave. “Though I have to say, when I delivered that letter mere weeks ago, I didn’t expect things to progress quite so quickly.”

“Duncan…”

“Not judging, not at all.” Duncan held up both hands, still grinning at the gathered contractors. “Just glad to see our Damon finally settling down. He’s been living up here alone for three years, has barely spoken to anyone except me and the occasional hiker. Now look at you – you’ve moved a handsome man into your cottage and everything.”

Heat crawled up Damon’s neck. Behind him, Redford’s amusement pulsed through the bond.

You find this funny?

Extremely.

“We’re just…” Damon paused. What were they supposed to say? That they’d known each other ten days but were actually fated mates bound together for eternity? “It happened fast.”

“The best things usually do.” Duncan’s expression softened. “You deserve this, lad. We’ve all been watching you up here, keeping to yourself, looking like you were waiting for something. I’m just glad you found it.”

The warmth that unfurled in Damon’s chest had nothing to do with the mate bond. He’d chosen his remote location specifically to avoid people, but Duncan had still checked on him, and the people in the village were always friendly, despite Damon’s standoffish behavior.

“Thanks, Duncan.”

“You’ll be wanting me to spread the word, then?” Duncan’s eyes sparkled with barely contained glee. “Let everyone in the village know you’re off the market?”

“I…” Damon glanced back at Redford, who’d moved closer. “Yeah. I guess you probably should.”

“Brilliant!” Duncan clapped his hands together. “Margaret at the pub will be thrilled. She’s been trying to set you up with her nephew for months. Poor woman’s been so worried about you being lonely.”

“I’ve hardly been lonely.” But Damon made sure he smiled as he said it. Duncan didn’t have a clue about his packmates.