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“Where are ye going so fast?” He kissed her, making her legs wobble and her stomach squeeze in euphoria.

She brushed his chest with both her hands, her mouth sinking in the deliciousness of his.

“Searching for you,” she said.

“Oh, aye? Ye found me. Come with me. I want to announce something.”

She giggled as he took her by the hand and tugged her after him. They sat at the honorary table of the lord and lady of the castle. Near them sat Dougal, Owen, Domhnall, Marjorie, her eleven-year-old son Coilean and Lena.

Amy had already met Marjorie, who’d arrived two days ago, and the two had immediately understood each other. Marjorie wasn’t a cheery, chatty woman, but there was something so kind and sweet about her. Lena was a pretty young woman, happily married to a MacKenzie up in the north.

Warmth spread through Amy as she looked around at her new family. They all seemed to have accepted her. Amy had liked Owen from the beginning, and as they’d spent more time together during the last four months, they’d gotten closer. She appreciated his humor and lightness, and they bantered often.

She was still a little wary of Dougal, her father-in-law, but in the way she respected a great military leader.

None of them knew about her being a time traveler, only Owen and the four warriors who’d heard Amy’s confession in the underground storeroom. And every single one of them had sworn on his life to never tell the secret. Craig trusted them, which was saying a lot. They’d told everyone she was a distant cousin of the MacDougall chief, with the same name as his daughter, and that she had not corrected their assumption because she needed to protect herself during the siege. She’d been raised in Ireland and had never even met the Scottish MacDougalls, but someone in her family was a friend of the Comyns. Of course, since then, Dougal had reservations about her, and she was anxious to make him like her and forgive her.

“Friends, family,” Craig announced, and the hum of voices quieted. “Ye all ken the reason to gather here. ’Tis to see my family and say goodbye, because my wife and I move to my estate in Loch Awe. But there’s also another reason we wanted to have ye here. To announce that my wife is with child.”

The courtyard filled with cheers and congratulations. People clunked their cups and drank. Dougal stood up and clapped Craig on the shoulder and hugged him. Then he came to Amy, his eyes bright and shining, and took both her shoulders in his hands and held her at arm’s length.

“Lass,” he said. “Congratulations. I couldna be happier for ye.”

“Really?”

He smiled. “I dinna think I welcomed ye in the family well enough. And I ken ye had to lie at first. But I trust my sons, Craig and Owen, who both think highly of ye. So I trust ye are a good person and will be a good mother to my future grandchildren who will continue the Cambel clan.”

Joy blossomed in Amy’s chest. “Thank you, Dougal,” she said. “This means a lot. Truly. I don’t have much contact with my father, so I’m glad to find one here.”

She hugged him, taking him by surprise. He gave her a bear hug, almost crushing her rib cage.

“Aye, lass, ye can always rely on me.”

He let her go and squeezed her shoulders again, then turned to the table and poured uisge down his throat, grunted in appreciation, and moved on.

Marjorie was next, her long dark hair in a braid, her green eyes sparkling. Colin stood by her side, tall and scrawny, though already broad-shouldered. He had Marjorie’s dark hair—a thick, shiny mane with bangs that covered his forehead and reached his slightly slanted green eyes fringed with thick black lashes. The boy had a wooden sword at his belt, and Amy had seen him playfully wield it with Owen.

It was the Middle Ages, and since Colin had been born out of wedlock, Marjorie bore shame in the eyes of the Catholic church and society. It didn’t matter to Marjorie or her family because they all knew it hadn’t been her choice. And it certainly didn’t matter to Amy.

“I’m so glad for ye,” Marjorie said, squeezing Amy’s hand. “I canna wait to meet my future niece or nephew.”

“Thank you, Marjorie.” Amy returned the squeeze. “That’s what my sister, Jenny, would have said.”

“Oh, aye, I’m sorry she isna with ye.”

“I hope we can visit you in Glenkeld soon,” Amy said.

“Aye, I’d love that.” She looked down at Colin who fiddled with the handle of his wooden sword. “Colin would love a cousin, wouldna ye, lad?”

Colin beamed at Amy, his green eyes shining. “I hope ’tis a lad, and he’ll be fostering with us. I can teach him to fight with a sword and shoot arrows. We can hunt together.”

Amy ruffled his hair. “Of course, Colin. He won’t have a better teacher.”

“Aye. Mother taught me sword-fighting and archery, and there isna a better teacher than Mother. While Grandfather and my uncles are gone fighting for Bruce, ma and I will hold Glenkeld Castle and protect it from anyone.”

Marjorie raised her eyebrows and exchanged a glance with Amy. “I do hope no one attacks us, Colin. The king will be in the west, and all of the action is there.”

Colin sighed.