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Who decided to make him sit back there? Kirsty worships Magnus, which means she did not suggest they put him at the back. She would want him closer to the front.
"Back in a minute," I tell Kate as I get up from my chair. "Need to talk to Magnus."
"Sure. I'll wait here."
I trot to the last row of chairs and drop onto the seat beside my cousin. "Glad to see ye here, Magnus. But why are you hiding in the back?"
"Not hiding. This is my assigned seat."
"But Kirsty wants you in the front row."
He shrugs one shoulder. "Some people disagree."
"Cannae let small-minded eejits get to you." I tear the sign off the back of his chair. "Get off your erse, Magnus. You're coming with me."
He lifts one brow. "Since when are we mates?"
"Since the day I let you drive my Harley. You haven't met my fiancée yet, have ye? So come on." I get up and tug on his arm, which is a bit like tugging on a granite statue. "You belong closer to the front, not in the back of beyond. Donnae want to disappoint Kirsty, do ye?"
"That's a low blow, Callum. Ye know how I feel about our wee cousin."
Everyone is wee compared to Magnus, even me.
He rises from his chair and follows me to the second row, where Kate is waiting for us. I pull the name tag off the back of the chair beside her and replace it with Magnus's tag. Didnae want to sit beside Maud, anyway. My great aunt always havers on and on about her gout and her bursitis, not to mention her hemorrhoids. Aye, Magnus will be a much better neighbor. Once I've introduced Kate and Magnus to each other, I rush to the back row to put Maud's name tag on the back of the chair my cousin had occupied a moment ago.
Now everything is as it should be.
Laughter draws my attention to the other side of the green. The rest of the naturists are here. We'd all gotten to know them during Cat and Alex's wedding week insanity, so it's no surprise Kirsty invited them to her wedding. Val, Eve, Ollie, and Mara will liven up the reception with the help of Damian and Heidi. I wonder what Luke will make of the naturists. Maybe we'll have another nude shinty match, with MacTaggarts fighting over who gets Val Silva on their team. He is a former Olympic football champion, after all—and a shameless exhibitionist.
Kate and Magnus are laughing when I come back to them.
As I settle onto my chair, I give my cousin a look of fake annoyance. "Better not be flirting with my woman or I'll skelp your hide good. Donnae care how tough ye are."
"Go on and try it," Magnus says with a smirk. "I can take a wee laddie like you."
More guests begin to file onto the green, filling in the empty chairs. Jack and Autumn sit beside Kate, and my brother gives me a strange look when he notices Magnus.
"What's that look for?" I ask, whispering so no one else will hear. "Thought ye liked the demon biker."
"I do. But he's sitting directly across from his parents. Might be a bit of barnie later when Baltair and Magnus bump into each other during the reception."
"MagTaggarts love a good tussle."
We don't get to discuss Magnus anymore. Luke moves into position at the altar with only the minister beside him. He and Kirsty had decided against having groomsmen or bridesmaids, since Luke has no living relatives that he knows of, having grown up an orphan, and he hasn't quite become close enough with the MacTaggarts to ask any of us to stand up for him at the altar.
Kate cries during the whole ceremony.
Maybe I get a wee bit choked up too. It's a beautiful moment when two people who lost each other find their way again.
I look at Kate just as she looks at me, and we both smile. Aye, it's just as beautiful when two strangers find something they never expected.
After the ceremony, everyone heads for the great hall—except for me. I get waylaid by Magnus, who announces I'm urgently needed on the south side of the castle compound. Kate wants to come with us, but Magnus insists she should wait for me in the great hall. When my demon biker cousin insists on something, no one argues. While Kate wanders into the garden, I let Magnus lead me away, down the green and around the corner of the wall to the south side.
Jack and several of our cousins have gathered around a wee campfire.
"What's this?" I ask. "Doesn't seem urgent to me."
"Aye, it is," Jack says. "We decided to celebrate your new job at Kinlochleven by giving you a fire."
