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Not that I ever thought about fairy tales. That's bollocks wee lassies fantasize about.
While our parents waylay Jamie, Lachlan comes over to slap me on the back. "Glad you're home, though I was hoping your lass would come with you."
"I just found out Seona is pregnant, possibly with my child. Why would you think Calli might come home with me?"
"Aye, of course. Sorry. Just want you to be happy, that's all."
"Donnae worry about me. I'm getting Calli back, one way or another."
"Of course you will." Lachlan throws his arms around me and thumps me on the back. "If there's anything I can do to help, just ask."
He heads for Jamie.
And I stand here mute and dumbfounded. My brother just hugged me. Lachlan has never been the kind of man who does that with his brothers, but he just did do that. In front of everyone.
Bloody hell. I must seem even more pathetic than I realized if Lachie's hugging me.
Rory approaches me next, but he doesn't hug me. "Welcome home, Aidan. As soon as you're settled in again, we need to talk about our next move."
"What move?"
"You need to demand a court order to force Seona to submit to a paternity test."
"Oh. Aye, that." The last thing I want to think about right now is the legal rubbish associated with Seona's claim that she's having my bairn. But I know I need to deal with it. Cannae get Calli back until I've sorted the Seona mess. "Maybe I should come to your office right now, so we can get the ball rolling."
"Are you sure? We can wait until—"
"Let's do it now. Can you give me a ride home after?"
"No, Aidan, we'll take care of that problem tomorrow. Tonight, enjoy being home with the family." Rory lays a hand on my shoulder. "We will resolve the Seona issue as quickly as possible. You have my word on that."
As if I need Rory's word. He's my brother, which means I trust him implicitly. We might have our differences, mostly to do with how uptight he is, but I love my brother. That's the MacTaggart way. We support each other no matter what.
My sisters, Fiona and Catriona, approach me next. They both hug me and kiss my cheek.
Then my cousin Iain comes over to greet me. He's about twenty years older than I am, but I've always had a good relationship with him. Though Iain is a strange man, everyone knows why that is. Angus, Iain's father, has been known to, ah, borrow things that don't strictly belong to him. Borrow them permanently. I don't think he's done that in a long time, though.
Iain sets his hand on my shoulder the way Rory had done a moment ago. "Listen carefully, Aidan. I'm about to give you sage advice."
"All right."
"Donnae let her get away. I made that mistake a long time ago when I let my pride keep me from running back to Rae. It's too late for me, but not for you."
Why is it too late for him? Not sure I believe that, but it isn't my place to say so. Everyone knows Iain met a lass in America when he was teaching at a university there, but that something happened to tear them apart. Iain never talks about the details, only that he lost her. More than a decade has gone by since then.
No, I won't wait that long. If Calli doesn't come to her senses in two weeks, I will fly back to America and kidnap her. All right, maybe I won't kidnap her. But I will make full use of my stubborn side to prove to Calli we belong together. She loves me. The lass told me so, and that means I cannot give up on her.
"Thanks for the advice, Iain," I say. "But I don't plan on letting Calli go."
"Good." He claps me on the shoulder. "Now, let's enjoy the celebration."
"What celebration?"
"The one to welcome you and Jamie home."
I groan, sounding too much like Rory when I do that. "Can it wait? I'm jeeked."
"You know how the family is. Once they've planned a party, there's no stopping that runaway train." He leans in to whisper, "Donnae worry. It's a garden party at Dùndubhan, not a rip-roaring do that will end with all of us having no memory of the night before when we wake up in the morning."
