Page 76 of Highland Sky

Chapter Twenty-One

“Nash, throw me the lady leg,” said Cam, two days later, standing at the bottom of the ladder, holding his hands in the air. Nash was at the top of the roof with his shirt off, working harder than Kellina had seen him do since he’d arrived.

“It’s a leggett, ye fool, and the tools are no’ to be thrown,” Nash told him, picking it up, and handing it to Gavin who was near him. “Would ye mind handin’ this to Cam?” he asked.

“Sure,” said Gavin, turning and throwing it anyway.

“Nay!” shouted Nash, but his friends didn’t care.

“Oops,” said Cam as he caught the leggett but it slipped from his grasp, falling to the ground.

Kellina heard a thud and then some cursing. Even though from her side of the roof she couldn’t see who the leggett had hit, she knew without a doubt it was North.

“God’s eyes, what the hell are ye doin’? Quit tryin’ to kill me. Och, that smarts!”

Then she heard a thud and an oof from Cam, and more cursing as Cam fell off the ladder.

“Are ye daft, North? Ye threw the beating tool at me and made me fall!” said Cam.

“Leggett,” she heard Nash say as he continued pounding in a twisted spar at the apex of the roof.

“Well, ye threw the damned thing at me first,” complained North. “It hit me in the head and nearly knocked me out.”

“I didna throw it at ye,” protested Cam. “It . . . slipped.”

“Haud yer wheeshts, both of ye,” Gavin ground out. They were all getting tired, hot and grouchy, having done nothing but thatch roofs for the last two days. “Ye’d think it would have knocked a little sense into either of ye, but it didna,” Gavin continued.

“Well, the guid news is, we’re done.” Kellina stood at the top of the roof with her hands up in the air. She looked up at the vast, beautiful, Highland sky and took in a deep breath and released it slowly.

“Thank ye all for the help,” said Tomas, making his way to the ladder. “Now that the roofs are finished, I’ll write a missive to Storm MacKeefe, tellin’ him that Nash has completed his punishment.”

“Yes!” said Nash, raising his hands in the air over his head now. It made his naked, sturdy chest, biceps, and tight, toned stomach look so inviting. All Kellina could do was think about touching him and kissing him . . . and making love. “Now, I willna be an outcast anymore. I canna wait to get back to the clan.”

The breeze blew, lifting up Nash’s plaid. From Kellina’s position on the roof, she was able to see his family jewels. She lost her footing and slipped, but Nash was there to catch her in his strong arms.

“Are ye all right, lass?” he asked, holding her tightly.

“Ye caught me,” she said.

“Aye, of course I did. I wouldna let ye fall.” He smiled, warming her heart and her soul. “I told ye, I’m as sure-footed as a goat.”

“And ye smell like one, too,” mumbled Gavin, getting away from him, heading toward the ladder.

“The food is ready,” called out Caitlin, waving her arm to get them all to come to the outdoor fire.

“I’m famished,” said Nash, helping Kellina to the ladder even though she didn’t need his assistance. Still, she let him do it. If it made him feel like a good husband, then who was she to stop him? She rather liked all the attention he had been giving her ever since they went to the market together.

It was a beautiful day and the trestle tables and benches were set up outside for the meal. The clan seemed happy to have the MacKeefes here helping them. The work got done so much faster when everyone chipped in.

“We have rabbit stew with roasted vegetables today,” said Caitlin, scooping out bowls of food while Jamie passed them out. Little Midnight wandered around the table, sticking its paw into one bowl and then another.

“Hey, get out of here. That’s mine.” North picked up his bowl and tried to shoo the cat away.

“She’s just hungry,” Nash told his brother, putting the kitten up to his bowl of stew, letting her lap at the juices. “Isna that cute?” He ran a finger over the kitten’s head and smiled from ear to ear.

“Cute?” Cam looked up, chewing. “Did he just say that cat was cute?” asked Cam, shaking his head in disgust.

“He did,” agreed Gavin. “I canna believe it either.”