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The wedding rehearsal dinner becomes a true extravaganza. The great hall turns into a buffet with tables lined up along one wall and more tables arrayed around the room to accommodate all the guests. The food is delicious, the company is amazing, and laughter fills the great hall.
During dessert, Jack leans over to tell his brother, "We're already planning your engagement ceilidh."
Oh yeah, MacTaggarts know how to throw a party. Our ceilidh will be a spectacle, and I can't wait for that.
I whisper to Callum, "Maybe you should make your announcement now."
"Our announcement,mo chridhe. But I donnae want to horn in on Kirsty and Luke's big night."
"They won't mind. Trust me."
Callum pushes his chair back and stands. "Haud yer wheesht, everyone."
His shout echoes through the great hall, and everybody stops talking. All gazes veer to Callum.
"I have an announcement," he says. "My main job will still be carpentry, but I've also been hired as a retained duty firefighter at the Kinlochleven station."
Cheers and clapping erupt around us.
Jack slaps his brother's arm. "About bloody time, ye eejit."
"I'm so proud of you," I tell Callum. Then I take hold of his face and kiss him.
Yes, I love this man.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Callum
Kate and I arrive for the wedding earlier than most of the guests, but that gives us time to talk to my parents, and Jack and Autumn too. They love Kate, but that's no surprise to me. Everyone adores her, but no one more than me. We'll be getting married soon, though we haven't set the date yet. Jack insists on throwing that engagement ceilidh for us first. Hugh left yesterday, saying he didn't feel right about "crashing" the wedding when he hardly knows Luke and Kirsty. I think he just needed to get away for a while and come to terms with what he learned about himself lately.
As more guests begin to arrive, Kate and I stand behind the rows of chairs lined up on the green so I can tell her who every MacTaggart is. She's met a lot of them, but not the whole extended family, not even close to it. The lass still hasn't grasped the enormity of this clan. Kate loves learning more about the family, but one member in particular piques her curiosity.
She nods toward a man who has just walked onto the green, heading for the chairs. "Who is that? He looks like a hardcore biker."
I glance at the man in question, who wears leather trousers, a leather jacket, and a skull-and-crossbones T-shirt. His wild hair and goatee add to his devilish mystique, and so do the tattoos that peek out from under his shirt.
"That's Magnus," I say. "He doesn't like motorcycles, but he does enjoy looking like someone you wouldn't want to cross paths with on a dark street. Luke Turner calls him a demon biker, but he's just being cheeky."
"I haven't heard anything about Magnus, which seems weird considering how much your family loves to gossip."
"Magnus is a bit of a black sheep."
Two older people amble onto the green, but when they see Magnus, they veer away from him to take seats on the opposite side from where my bad-boy cousin stands.
"Who are those two?" Kate asks. "They don't seem to like your cousin Magnus."
"That's Aunt Rhona and Uncle Baltair. They're Magnus's parents."
"Guess they don't get along with their son. Your uncle is glaring daggers at him. What's their story?"
I slip an arm around Kate's shoulders. "Uncle Baltair wanted Magnus to join the police force after he left the army, but Magnus became a bounty hunter instead. Baltair still hasn't forgiven him."
"Why does he need to forgive his son for that? It's not illegal to be a bounty hunter."
"No, but Baltair thinks it's a disreputable career. Donnae know the whole story, but my uncle has made it clear he never wants to speak to Magnus again." I guide Kate toward the chairs, which all have name tags on them, and we take our assigned seats. "Most of the clan steers clear of Magnus on the rare occasions when he shows himself. They're afraid of him. But to be fair, Magnus likes having that kind of image. It makes fugitives think twice about trying to get away from him."
Magnus sits down on a chair in the last row.
