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“I think—I hope—it’s who I’ve become. Is that all I said?”
He shrugged, and though he knew he evaded, he told himself he’d talked more than enough. “You said what I needed to hear. We’ll ride now and see how well you do at a gallop.”
She did just fine, though he was—as usual—stingy with his praise.
She found Morena with the two older boys, schooling them in the art of hawking while the new puppy Harken called Darling leaped on and scrambled around the ever-stoic Mab.
“Welcome home to you,” Morena said to Keegan. “Your brother’s in the barn doing what he does, and Mahon’s on a patrol. I’m giving Aisling a bit of a rest with the babe and entertaining myself with the boys.”
She bent to rub Bollocks, who darted away to prance and play with the puppy.
Breen heard Mab’s quiet sigh of relief in her head.
“And I’m escaping from whatever Harken’s doing in the barn,” Morena told them, “and minding the pup, who’ll rarely leave Harken’s side. We saw Tarryn and Minga off. And then? Well, Marco gathered up my nan, and yours, Breen, along with Sedric. They’re having a baking contest over on the other side. I wasn’t invited.”
“Why don’t I invite you to the results?”
“Accepted.”
“I don’t suppose he’d be thinking about making a meal while he’s at it?” Keegan wondered.
“He’s always thinking about making a meal. He put a pot of something on before we came over.”
“I’ll look forward to that, assuming I’m asked.”
“I missed you,” Breen said simply.
“Good,” he said, equally simply, and walked away.
“Now Bollocks has two girlfriends,” Breen observed.
“She’s a whirlwind, is Darling. And darling enough with it I’m working on forgiving her for chewing a hole in one of my best socks. I may forgive Harken for pointing out she wouldn’t have if I hadn’t left them on the floor. WhichIwouldn’t have done if I hadn’t stripped myself naked in a rush to have a tumble with him in the first place.”
“And so goes your married life.”
“I’m prizing every moment, and that’s the truth of it. That’s the way, Fin! Well done! Now give your brother a turn.”
So Breen watched the boy help his little brother with the glove while Kavan danced in place, so delighted his little wings came out to flutter. And her dog, equally delighted, rolled in the grass with the inexhaustible pup.
Just perfect, she thought as Kavan, still dancing, lifted his gloved arm. The hawk soared toward it, a sweep of wide wings that folded when he landed. Kavan’s arm dropped inches with the weight, but he held, and turned to Morena with a smile that would’ve lit the world.
“And well done, lad, well done indeed.”
“Amish is amused.”
Morena nodded. “You read him well, as he’s all of that. Well now, look there.” She gestured as Kavan, without prompting, lifted his arm to send Amish off. Then he raced away from his brother, flew up out of reach, and laughing as he hovered, lifted his arm for the hawk.
“There’s a skill I hadn’t yet taught him,” she said as Amish flew back to sit quietly on the boy’s arm. “And wouldn’t have tried for another year or more.”
“He’s born for it.” And through the scene before her, Breen saw another. “They’ll both fly one day, Kavan with his wings, Finian on his dragon, and with hawks that come from your own on their arms.”
“You see that? Know it?”
“So clearly, for just a moment.” A moment that left her heart skipping as it opened. “Don’t tell them. I think… I think some things should just come.”
“Then I won’t.” Nudging back her cap, Morena studied the boys. “But knowing it, I’ll put more time into training them for what’s to come.”
“Breen Siobhan.”
