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“Thank you,” she replied, sounding rather choked up.
David nodded to Grant and then left the room.
“Graeme, wait,” Grant said, stopping his brother. “Was Jeannie’s pistol actually not loaded, or did it misfire?”
His twin gave him a wry smile. “Of course it wasn’t loaded. You know I don’t leave loaded guns lying about.”
Jeannie wrinkled her nose. “I didn’t know that when I took it.”
“Your gambit worked,” Grant assured her. “That’s all that matters.”
“I suppose.” She looked at her sister. “What happens now, Kath?”
Sabrina dodged around Graeme as they passed each other in the doorway and came over to Jeannie. “Now that all the excitement is over, you need a nice cup of tea and something to eat. Then a hot bath and a rest.”
“That sounds just the ticket,” Kathleen said.
“Will you come up and see me in a bit?” Jeannie plaintively asked her sister.
Kathleen hugged her. “Yes, dearest. I’ll join you shortly.”
“And I thinkyouneed a drink, Kathleen. A nice, big dram,” Sabrina said over her shoulder as she led Jeannie out.
“She’s not wrong,” Kathleen wryly said to Grant.
He dropped a kiss on the tip of her nose before steering her to the couch. “I’ll fetch one for both of us.”
With a weary sigh, Kathleen dropped onto the comfortable cushions and shut her eyes.
When Grant returned with the drinks, he handed one to her before putting his on the table in front of them. Then he sat and pulled her in for a cuddle. She relaxed against him before taking a cautious sip from her glass.
She grimaced. “I’m still not sure I like whisky. That seems rather dreadful, since I’m marrying a Highlander.”
“Just don’t tell Angus. You’ll cut him to the quick.”
“Poor Angus. I was so worried about him.”
“No doubt Sabrina has already sent for the local sawbones to doctor him. Try not to worry, love. It’s all over.”
“I know, but I worry about my sister, too. It’s been so hard on her. And I feel simply awful about David. First he clobbered his own brother, then he was so kind to Jeannie, andthenhe offered us his congratulations. I almost burst into tears on the spot.”
“He cast me into a complete shade. Are you sure you wouldn’t rather marry him than me?”
“David certainly displayed heroic qualities today.” Then she pulled out from under his arm to scowl at him. “Speaking of heroic, do noteverput yourself in danger like that again, Grant Kendrick. Offering to be shot? Really?”
“Kathleen, I wasn’t about to let you get kidnapped again. That’s not how Kendricks operate, love. We protect our lassies, ye ken.” He would die before he’d see her in that kind of mortal danger.
“Well, I’d rather get kidnapped than you get shot.”
He pulled her back under his arm. “Let’s make an agreement. You agree not to get kidnapped, and I agree not to get shot.”
“There do seem to be a ridiculous number of kidnappings in your family, from what Sabrina tells me.”
“I’m hoping you were the last.”
She huffed out a laugh and settled back under his arm. For a few minutes, they sat quietly, drinking their whisky and listening to the quiet hiss of the fire. Grant could hardly believe it was all over and that his darling girl was safely in his arms.
“I would rather die than have anything happen to you,” he finally said. “I thought I’d lost you, Kathleen. It was ... not something I ever want to experience again.”
