A McRae family Christmas Eve…

Ally – sixteen years on from Oh Baby (Marry the Scot, #5)

The fresh layer of snow crunched under my boots as I stepped from my Land Rover, and I eyed my loch-side home. Scarlet’s car waited outside. She was home early—a flirty voice message informed me so, and had me hot under the collar.

It had been far too long since we’d had any alone time.

With any luck, our three teenagers would be out.

I loved my family, wouldn’t change them for the world, but a man needed time with his wife every now and again.

An hour would be luxury. Hell, fifteen minutes would do it.

The front door swung open ahead of me, a light dusting of frost shaking free from the Christmas wreath. Cait, my daughter, stormed out, her fair hair tucked under a bobble hat and her coat tails flying. From behind, a cacophony of noise followed.

She spotted me. “Can I please borrow your car?”

I held up my keys but paused her with a look. “Wait up. Talk to me. What happened?”

To my horror, Cait’s eyes filled with tears. “Not now. I just need some space. Is that okay?”

At seventeen, Cait was the most level-headed teenager on the estate. Emotional sometimes, sure, but usually over things like exam stress or a cute puppy she’d seen.

Or maybe that had been her as a younger lass. With her twin brothers demanding all my attention, I’d hardly noticed my eldest turn into a young woman.

“If ye want. Where will ye go?” I asked gently.

“Braithar.”

Ah, to hang out with Viola. I gave her the keys and Cait climbed into the car and sped off with barely a backwards glance.

I stared after the car and heaved a sigh. Then a smash from the house had me spinning around. Ah shite. The shouting could only have been Max and Maddock, our thirteen-year-olds. From as far back as they could swing a fist, they’d fought, but it had worsened once they reached senior school. Refereeing their bouts took up too much energy. From both me and my wife.

Dammit. Was it too much to ask that we get to use our energies up on each other?

Sometimes, adulting sucked.

I jogged to the door and let myself inside. In the hall, Scarlet had Max cornered. Despite the fact the twins now matched her height, their ma was still the boss of them. They had her red hair, though a darker auburn, but would be my height and build, I could already tell. Like me, both carried a wild streak. Thrill seekers, they had a love for danger a mile wide.

What the hell were they going to be like as older teens? I shuddered to think.

Cait had been three when Scar had fallen pregnant with the boys. We’d thought a household with one child crazy enough, but three took the biscuit.

Scarlet poked Max’s arm. “I cannot believe you just did that. On what planet is that behaviour acceptable?”

“Am I supposed to just let him push me around?” he snapped. “He breaks my shite, I break his.”

“Oi. Dinna answer your mother back.” I waded in, though God knows what the matter was this time.

Scarlet jammed her fingers into her hair and threw a relieved glance my way. “Callum just called the land line. He wants you to head over to the castle to help with something before this evening’s party. Can you take this one with you? I’ll handle the other.”

Fuck. My chance of sneaking away with my wife withered.

I sighed but lifted my chin in acknowledgement. “Max, coat, shoes, outside.”

He grumbled but did as asked, slamming the door behind him. A stomping from upstairs told me his brother had taken to his room.

Privacy, temporarily, was ours.

I rounded on Scarlet and pulled her into my arms. Just as eagerly, she grasped hold of me, curling her fingers into my lapels. The years hadn’t dimmed our ardour. Over the course of our marriage, she’d only become more beautiful. I was the luckiest man alive.

“Want to know what happened between the boys?” She gazed up at me.

“Only if ye want to waste the thirty seconds we have alone.”

My wife’s eyes gleamed.

Then she pushed up on tiptoes and pressed her lips to mine.

Just like that, all my stress melted away. I loved Scarlet. Had done since I was a lad. Her taste and touch obliterated every logical thought. Not that I had too many of those.

I sank into the kiss, tightening my hold on her waist. Scarlet angled her head to perfect our connection and slid her tongue over mine. I stifled a groan and gave as good as I was getting.

Sparks flew.

Heat bloomed.

Then Scarlet’s hands sank to my arse. A surge of lust threatened to floor me.

Ah fuck.

“Woman,” I muttered against her lips. “You’re killing me.”

Urgency marked her words. “It’s Christmas Eve, but we have Callum and Mathilda’s party tonight. Reckon we can get away early and have one of your brothers drive the kids home later?”

“Hell yes.” I kissed her again, my hunger growing. “I’ll make it happen.”

Scarlet rubbed the tip of her nose against mine. “See, this is why I love you.”

A thudding rattled the wooden stairs.

“Gross,” quipped Maddock, emerging from the stairwell with a glance our way.

With a heavy breath, I extracted myself from my wife’s arms and addressed my son. “Ye listen to your mother. I’ll see ye both at the castle for the party.” Then I turned back to Scar, remembering the scene outside. “Any idea what upset Caitriona?”

“No, she came home fine, but then she was looking at her phone and I think she saw something that she didn’t like. I asked, and she refused to talk about it. I’ll try again this evening.”

“I will too.”

With a final press of her warm lips to mine, I left.

Outside, Max kicked at a pile of snow. “Dinna moan at me,” he started, on the offensive as ever. “Everyone always thinks it’s my fault.”

I strolled his way and threw my arm over the youngster’s shoulders, guiding him to walk with me down the track to Castle McRae. Where Maddock had a measured way about him, Max was loud and boisterous. His actions screamed troublemaker. Scar and I knew the truth of it. Both of them were as bad—and good—as the other.

“I wasnae about to. Much. Talk me through what happened.”

Max sighed then grouched his complaint about his brother—an accident with a bike, from what I could understand. Maddock had knocked over Max’s build project. With Max obsessed by all things mechanical, he’d taken it hard. And smashed his brother’s reading lamp in retaliation, the wee shite. I set the terms—Max to buy a new lamp from his savings and Maddock to get the bike back to its original state—then sent Scar a quick voice message with the details.

I could’ve griped about the broken property, but they had to find a way to get along and settle their differences. We couldn’t do that for them.

By the time we reached he castle, Max’s steps were lighter.

“In time, ye and Maddock will be closer than anyone, besides who ye marry,” I told him.

“Yeah right. Did ye and Uncle Wasp fight?”

“Naw like ye do, but all of us scrapped.” I gestured to Gordain, arriving at the oak door to the great hall at the same time. “This one taught me to fight then moaned whenever I beat him.”

My older brother’s blond eyebrows shot up. “Beat me? In your dreams.”

All my pent-up sexual tension turned to competitive childishness.

The door at the top of the steps flew open and Callum stuck his head out. Feverish determination played out in his expression. Despite being the oldest of us, he hadn’t slowed up one iota. “Finally ye made it. I called an hour ago. I need help if I’m to get this place ready for tonight. Mathilda’s out, so are the bairns, and I’ve had nothing but interruptions. Max, ye can run up a ladder and fix the lights inside. Ally, Gordain, that Christmas tree has slumped to the side. Fix it, will ye. Christ, we’re running out of time.”

He hustled Max inside, continuing his griping.

Gordain and I grinned at one another. There was nothing like Callum when flustered. Tonight was our annual Christmas Eve party. We’d give the kids a gift of a book each then play music, games, and drink more than we should. With ten children between us, McRae parties were always a boisterous affair, and Callum liked things just so.

As a lad, I would’ve pranked him by now for sure. Just to see his reaction.

Huh.

An idea sprouted wings.

I joined Gordain who was eyeing the enormous Christmas tree outside the front of the castle. I tilted my head, assessing the lean. The beast of a spruce listed two foot to the right, the twinkling yellow lights askew.

“How stressed do ye think Callum is? Scale of one to ten.”

Gordain switched his gaze to me. Whatever he saw in my eyes had him rolling his own, boosting my amusement.

“Dinna do it. He’ll brain ye.”

“Who will brain him?” Wasp, my twin, arrived beside us.

Not that we looked much like twins anymore, not like my identical lads. The scars that crisscrossed my face from a car accident when Cait was a newborn put paid to that.

Wasp folded his arms, the three of us in a line gazing up at the tree.

Gordain answered for me. “Ally’s got it about him this afternoon. He’s planning something.”

I pressed my fingertips to my chest. “Did I say that?”

Wasp grinned. “Oh man, we haven’t pranked Callum in forever. The last time was—”

At the castle entrance, Callum swung out again. “What are ye just standing there for? Three of ye and you’re all chatting. Christ alive. Straighten that tree!”

He wheeled around and headed back inside, muttering to himself about something he had to do in the kitchens.

Gordain’s and Wasp’s eyes narrowed.

Callum barking orders always got their backs up. Just like mine. We were grown men with families of our own, but the instant we were at the castle, Callum reverted to big brother mode.

A collective ripple ran over us, all of us standing taller.

Now, Gordain’s eyes flared. “A prank, aye? Spill it, Ally. Let’s make this a good one.”

***

Fifteen minutes later, my plan had been enacted. Sweating despite the chill, and coated in pine needles, I stepped back and admired our handiwork.

Perfect. It had been tricky to do, but we’d managed it.

Wasp dusted down his jacket and ruffled the twigs from his hair, glee lighting him up. “We better get inside. Better for him to see this later when it’s dark. Maximum effect, aye?”

Gordain and I agreed and we trod to the steps.

“Wait up a sec.” I paused them. “Can either of ye take the kids if Scar and I slip away early tonight? Just keep an eye on them then drop them home. A couple of hours should do it.”

“Do what?” Gordain elbowed me. “Dinna answer that. Actually, I was going to ask the same thing. I want to escape early with Ella.”

My jaw dropped. “No! This is my idea. Ye cannae steal it. Besides, ye have one child. I have three. Three! What time do ye think we ever have when there’s an empty house and neither of us at work? I’m dying here.”

Both my brothers chuckled. The fact was our kids were in and out of each other’s homes with more sleepover options and devoted relatives than reasonable. That still didn’t help me tonight.

Wasp put me out of my misery. “I’ll take ’em. The lasses will be thick as thieves all evening, and Cameron will take care of the boys, if I ask him.”

Wasp’s son Cameron was one of the only people Max listened to. I nodded readily and punched him on the arm by way of thanks.

Then I slipped out my phone and sent a quick voice message to my woman, telling her of the plan.

Oh yes, tonight was on. This was going to be epic.

***

Three hours on, and the party was in full flow. With none of the kids bairns anymore, a castle full of adults, or almost adults, made a lot of noise. My boys watched their older cousins in mixed versions of awe. Max hung on every word spoken by Isobel, James and Beth’s lass. She was majorly into cars and therefore Max’s idol.

Isobel was also one of my secret favourites. I’d bonded with her over both of us having learning disabilities—my dyslexia, and her problems with writing. A few years ago, she’d been bullied at school, and I’d been able to help her understand she was perfect as she was.

I also suspected she was avoiding Lennox, Callum’s eldest, and had my suspicions why.

Likewise, Maddock followed his uncle Gordain around like a puppy. He’d always wanted to be a pilot, and from the age of six told me he’d be flying helis for his uncle one day.

The thought gave me shivers.

Then two hands slid around me from behind, causing even more shivers but of an entirely different kind. Scarlet tucked her head against my back. “This is lovely.”

It was. Pretty decorations. Food. Drink. Callum got it right.

“When can we leave?” she added.

“Now?”

Then I spotted Cait across the great hall. She’d arrived with Viola and the two of them had grabbed Skye, Callum and Mathilda’s eldest, and sequestered themselves into a corner.

With the boys now tolerating each other’s presence, it was two down and one to go.

“Still need to talk to Cait. I’ll just be a minute,” I muttered.

My wife squeezed me but let me go.

Cait’s gaze lifted to mine when I neared. “Hey, Da.”

“Got a minute for your old man now?” I asked.

She gave a sad little nod and led me down the hall to the empty corridor that linked to the tower. From the day I’d first found out she existed, a few weeks old and motherless, I’d loved her. I only wanted her to be happy, and I’d do anything I could to make that happen.

At the bottom of the tower’s spiral steps, Cait plonked herself. I rested my shoulders against the wall and sucked in a breath.

“If someone’s been unkind to ye, tell me now and I’ll fix it.”

I’d been to her school numerous times when she’d been small. Boys could be rough, and I’d had rows with multiple parents about their kids’ behaviour. No one messed with my family.

“I wish it was as simple as that.” She worried at a finger nail. “I have something to tell you. I think I’m asexual.”

I opened and closed my mouth, surprise catching my tongue. I knew she’d never shown much interest in lads, or lasses, but that had only pleased me. “Okay,” I answered. “That’s not a bad thing.”

“Isn’t it?” She lifted her gaze to mine. “Viola is kissing boys. All the other girls at school have been since we were thirteen. I’m at college now. I just thought it would be different. That I’d be different.”

I moved in and sat on the same step, cosying up with an arm around her. “Whatever ye are is perfect to me. Not everyone needs a boyfriend or girlfriend. It doesnae make ye any the lesser for just being yourself.”

Her shoulders drooped. “A boy posted something horrible about me. I thought at least that was behind me, but oh no.”

My blood boiled. “Who? Show me.”

“It’s okay, Da. Skye sorted it. She knows his sister and the idiot got a thwack upside the head. He already wrote me an apology and took down the post.” She stood, visibly regaining the inner strength I’d always been so proud of in her. “I just wanted ye to know why I’m not bringing anyone home. And that I might one day have a family all by myself. I want kids, and there are ways to do that on my own.”

My heart ached. Cait was so young to be thinking about this. “If ye do, your ma and I will support ye every step of the way.”

I wanted to add that maybe she’d surprise herself, and in her future there might be someone made for her. But that wasn’t for me to say. She’d told me a huge fact and I was glad for it. She was perfect in my eyes, and always would be.

She summoned a smile. “Thanks, Da.”

I reached for my firstborn and gave her a hug. A shout came from the direction of the great hall. Or beyond.

My lips twisted in a grin, and I grabbed Cait’s hand, leading her back to the party.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“I think your uncle found our surprise.”

People clustered around the entrance, the door wide open to the snowy Christmas evening. Lights twinkled, the air redolent with the scent of spiced wine.

I pushed through and danced down the steps, delighted at the scene before me.

Callum stared at the Christmas tree, his eyes wide and his face an absolute picture.

“How?” he uttered. “How the f— heck did ye even manage it?”

Gordain and Wasp swapped gleeful expressions with me. Across the way, hugging his ma, Max shook his head, but pride at his father shone in his eyes.

I stepped forward, suppressing my mirth. “Ye wanted it straightened and now it is.”

Callum swore. “Aye, but upside down.”

That was it. I cracked up.

Around me, so did everyone else. Peels of laughter filled the air along with softly floating snowflakes.

In life, there were good times and bad times. Stress we lived with because we had no choice, and moments of joy that we carried with us like a balm. Nothing was ever easy, but if ye started with happiness, ye were halfway to making it right.

My children would always be my top concern, but I could only show them what I’d learned in how to look on the bright side.

In retrospect, this possibly wasn’t the greatest lesson.

Callum shook his head at the lot of us, then his own mouth curved into a grin. “It’s a miracle it didnae fall on ye and break your heads.”

“Do we look like amateurs?” Gordain held his sides, his eyes streaming. “We cable tied it to the supports. It’s sound.”

Callum reached out and shook the inverted spruce. Newly settled snow fell in clumps, and the lights trembled.

I doubled over, shaking with the fun of it.

Then a hand slinked into mine.

Scarlet.

She turned me then beckoned. We stepped back, then did so again, nearing the exit to the gravel car park. Then, simultaneously, we turned and ran.

“Wasp will bring the kids back,” I said on a breath.

“Great minds think alike: I asked Taylor too.” Scarlet giggled, flying along at my side.

We got halfway home before I broke. Years ago, I’d ran to the loch house to find a soaking Scarlet waiting for me after I’d thought her no longer mine. I craved her, needed her. Aye, this was on right here and now.

With a tug on her hand, I stopped her and drew her into my body. My energy crested and I took her mouth in a feverish kiss. Scarlet gasped and dug her fingers into my hair. We tussled for control so I ran my hands down her body and picked her up so her legs wound about my waist. Then I backed her to a tree and slowed my moves.

“I love ye,” I said between hot kisses. “Always have, always will.”

There was no more room for words after that. Thoughts of kids, work, and pranks flew from my mind until there was only my lass and our love. For Christmas, I’d bought Scar an eternity ring with a stone for each bairn and engraved with our initials. At midnight, the house still empty, I put it on her and my beautiful, smart, and oh so perfect wife cried.

This was all I’d ever wanted, and I was living my dream. My Christmas wish was for the same to be found by my bairns.

Only time would tell me if that came true.

The end.

Cait’s story continues in Obsessed (Wild Mountain Scots, #1)!

Want to know why Isobel and Lennox are at odds? Read their story in Hard Nox (Wild Scots, #1)