“Uncle Mac!” Eilidh turned the rays of her effervescence on him. “Hugs!”
I transferred her to Mac before she fell out of my arms with her struggling. Her long legs dangled as Mac held her against his hip.
“How are you, Bonny Blue?” Mac asked her, using the adorable nickname he’d used ever since she first opened those big blue eyes and stared up at him.
“Uncle Mac, I got star pupil for the third week! Though Ms. McGuinley says I need to”—her voice dropped to a loud whisper—“learn to talk really quiet, but I said”—her voice rose again—“but then no one will hear me!”
Mac grinned at her. “Don’t worry about that, Bonny Blue. People can hear you in Inverness at that octave.”
Eilidh considered this and cackled loudly, making us laugh.
If there was a God, I hoped he’d give me a kid just like Eilidh Adair.
Still carrying my niece, Mac followed me into the sitting room. I ruffled Lewis’s hair as I passed the armchair where he played his Nintendo.
“Hi, Aunt Arro.” He looked up with a small smile. “Uncle Mac.”
“Hey, wee man.” Mac nodded at him. “You doing good, kid?”
Lew’s expression lit up. “Made it to Kingdom 15.”
Mac replied, “Nice.” He lowered Eilidh, who immediately took my hand and pulled me down beside Thane on the large couch.
Arran sat beside him, and both my brothers seemed to study me, their eyes moving back to Mac as he pulled a seat from the dining table and sat next to Eredine. I smiled at my friend before I took in Lachlan, also focused on me.
Minutes seemed to pass in silence, though I’m sure it was only seconds.
“Why is no one talking? You’re all staring at Aunt Arro and Uncle Mac.” Eilidh’s little brows puckered as she snuggled into my side.
I cleared my throat, not sure how to explain our change in relationship to a six-year-old. Or if I should. Glancing at Lewis, I saw him looking up from his game like he sensed the strangeness in the room too.
Then I took in Mac’s solid presence, his calm demeanor, and his expression that said he’d follow my lead. Really giving this relationship a proper shot meant not hiding from our family. Taking the risk. If it fell apart, it fell apart, but the kids were in my life a lot, and I didn’t want to stop being affectionate around Mac whenever they were with us.
“Well,” I said, exhaling slowly as I looked between my niece and nephew, “Uncle Mac and I are dating now. We’re together.” At their blank expressions, I continued, “Romantically. We are to each other like your dad is with Regan.”
Eilidh wrinkled her nose and pulled away to look up at me in confusion. “But I thought you always were.”
“Me too.” Lewis shrugged and returned to his game.
Robyn’s snort broke the silence. She grinned at her father. “Out of the mouths of babes.”
“So?” Eredine sidled up to me in the kitchen.
Arran took the kids outside to play after Thane had told Lewis he’d had enough game time for the day. When Lewis grumbled about it, Arran swept in to distract him. But not before I grilled my brother about the Gloaming.
After we’d settled in, it was wonderful how we fell into a natural rhythm with my family. Arran and Lachlan told us about the offer they’d made Gordon and how they were waiting for Gordon’s solicitors to contact theirs to see if he’d accepted it. They had plans to renovate the hotel, bar, and restaurant, with Arran overseeing it all. I was so happy my brother was staying in Ardnoch, even if he still wouldn’t really explain why his wanderlust had suddenly vanished—or why he hadn’t come home sooner when we needed him.
Lachlan told us Brodan had sent over a digital copy of his new film for us to watch, since the premiere was in Los Angeles. It was too adult for the kids, so we’d wait for them to go to bed before watching.
Conversation was easy. Even when Mac crossed the room to sit beside me, snuggling me into his side after Eilidh vacated the spot.
I’d gotten up to make everyone fresh tea and coffee when Eredine followed me.
“So?” I smiled at her as I moved around the kitchen.
My friend glanced over her shoulder at Mac, who laughed at something Robyn said.
“You both seem happy.” Eredine’s expression was filled with questions.