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Still, he couldnae help wondering if—regardless of how her single-minded pursuit of Austin turned out—she’d be as content as he would, to stay here But he feared he already knew the answer.
He had plans in his head for a lean-to similar to Finn’s, well aware ’twould take a great deal of time and effort to gather the necessary materials. Ultimately, he wanted a stone house like he remembered from his childhood. A sturdy, cozy home he’d be proud to share with Paige.
Taran could only hope Paige wanted the same things. But despite whatever was between them—and he couldnae deny therewassomething—Taran still couldnae be sure she’d choose him. He almost dreaded the day he’d find out, kenning full well ’twas coming.
Tracking Paige’s progress through the village, he watched her greet numerous people cleaning up debris blown in by last night’s wind and stop several times on her way to the firepits to lend a hand.
Sighing, he turned back to his labors, grateful the rain had left the hard-packed earth around the village damp, but not muddy. Taran held one end of the log in place while Finn balanced the other and hammered it in with one of Finn’s precious home-made nails. ’Twas actually somewhere between a nail and a spike, Taran considered, as Finn hit the head with force.
Watching Finn forge nails from whatever bits of iron and steel he could collect from damaged pots, broken implements or whatever odds and ends people gave him, Taran realized living here would take a good deal of ingenuity.
After washing up, Taran grabbed plates and water containers and walked with Finn toward the crowd gathering around the food tables.
The hum of friendly chatter filled the air, mingling with the mouthwatering scents of delicious food. He glimpsed Paige through the crowd, standing with a group of women fussing over a necklace the Native American woman was wearing.
“It’s beautiful,” he heard one of them say, as he approached.
“Very. And rare,” another replied. “Especially here.”
Others merely looked, touched and smiled their appreciation.
“Hello, lass,” Taran said, moving to Paige’s side.
“Taran!” Paige exclaimed. “I’m glad you’re here. I want you to meet my friends, Aiesha, Wilma, Lisette and—”
The low buzz of the crowd suddenly went silent except for the gasps of a few women. Taran noted their uneasy expressions as all looked toward a spot near Old Man’s home.
Turning to see what had such a powerful effect on everyone there, Taran saw two men, each with a small bundle of furs on their backs, enter the village. At the same time Paige squealed and raced to meet them.
The taller of the two dropped his furs and caught her as she jumped into his arms. He twirled her in a dizzying circle while she peppered his face with kisses.
Austin.It had to be.
Taran sighed. Paige’s wait was over. And he was glad for her. She’d fought desperately for this day, and she deserved the prize. But now his own wait began. How long before he’d know what impact finding Austin would have on his future with Paige?
His chest and stomach felt hollow, knowing his ending may no’ turn out as happily as Paige’s.
Austin retrieved his furs, motioned to his companion to continue, and walked arm-in-arm with Paige, her face beaming up at him as they entered the clearing.
People parted, giving them a wide berth. And behind them, affording them equal space, Old Man exited his house and silently followed.
“Taran!” Paige dragged her brother over to meet him. “This is Austin!” She slipped an arm around his waist and pulled him closer. “Didn’t I tell you he was amazing?” She looked at Austin with adoring eyes. “Austin, this is Taran. Without his help, I never would have found you.”
Taran held out his hand in greeting. “ ’Tis nice tae finally me ye.”
A couple of awkward seconds passed before Austin accepted his hand, with a brief shake. “Ya. Nice.”
“It looks like we came at the perfect time,” his companion stated loudly. “Everyone’s gathered togetherandthere’s delicious food just waiting for us. Looks like our lucky day, Austin.”
“What do you want, Cam,” someone from the crowd demanded.
“Oh, good!” Cam smirked. “You remember me. Old friends, and all that.”
“Who could forget him,” Wilma muttered under her breath. “Either of them.”
“So, what do you say?” Cam said unrolling his furs. “Let’s do some trading and then you can invite me and my colleague to lunch.” He gave Austin a nod to unroll his as well. “Take a look at these quality furs. You won’t find any better.”
Taran refrained from rolling his eyes, but he couldnae hold back a skeptical huff of breath. Everyone knew you couldnae get a decent fur in summer. Unless things were radically different here, any hides this time of year would be patchy and sparse.
