21. Chapter 21 - Ash

While we were at the door pulling our raincoats on, I said, "So you said I could pick wherever I wanted?"

"Aye." He put his arm in his sleeves and pulled the coat on. "Anywhere at all, but... I am not a big fan of beans, all but beans."

I grinned. "Or fish, right? No beans or fish... They're easy to avoid, because my favorite is pizza — there's a place with a nice fireplace right around the corner." I picked up my umbrella. "We could run?"

"Sounds verra good."

We opened the door — the rain was a deluge. I said, "Ready?" as I opened the umbrella and we rushed out into the rain.

We ran down the sidewalk as rain came from all directions. He had his arm around me and was ducking under the umbrella and it was bonking us both in the head and not really keeping us dry as slanting rain came at us. We bumped and stumbled together as his sword knocked against my hip. We rushed, laughing, his laughter in his low tones, as he stepped, splashing in a puddle and I squealed, my laughs high and light.

We finally made it to the restaurant and under the awning. I folded the umbrella while he pushed on the door and we blustered into a mostly empty, warm, dry, inviting restaurant.

Everyone looked up as the handsome Scot and the drenched local-chick loudly entered. I apologized as we stifled our laughter, trying to have a measure of decorum. I propped our umbrella by the door and we took off our wet coats and hung them on a hook near the table closest to the hearth. We sat down.

Lochie passed me a menu and we opened them and looked them over, ordering two glasses of wine.

The waitress kept glancing at his sword, but ignored it. But when she returned a moment later with our glasses she said, "I have to ask, the sword is real?"

Lochie said, "Aye, but if I were tae fight I would prefer a broadsword."

She said, "And the kilt, it's... a costume? Like Outlander cosplay?"

His brow drew down.

I said, "It's a real uniform, he's in the military."

She said, "Oh cool." And went back to the kitchen.

We sipped our wine and looked over our menus. Then he lowered his glass. "Mistress Ash, what would be yer favorite pizza?"

I said, "I like all of them, so I'm the worst person to ask, but... you look like you're a carnivore, you like meat on your pizza?"

"I do, tis the best."

"Then we'll get this one, it's got pepperoni, sausage, bacon, all the things."

He put down his menu. "We are decided."

We sat there for a moment, looking at each other, until he broke the silence. "Again, Mistress Ash, I apologize for causin' ye any upset."

"It's okay, I think I was mostly tired. It was late and I couldn't understand the most basic things: You're in the military. I'm kind of embarrassed. Why did my brain go to like a Roman gladiator or something? I think it was the word ‘duel', that's my excuse. I hope you won't hold it against me, I'm usually much more realistic." I smiled.

He said, "Mistress Ash, yer smile upon me sets m'mind at ease. That is all I ask."

I'm sure I blushed, I said, under my breath, "Wow."

Then he asked, "May I hold yer hand?"

I put my hand across the table and he slowly touched it, and then wrapped his hand around it, sending an electric vibration up my spine. His hand was warm and big and encompassing, comforting. I put my other hand on his and he put his other hand on mine.

And we held hands, with his fingers trailing over the back of mine and my thumb grazing his until the waitress came up. "More wine?" We nodded, drawing our hands away. She poured more wine into our glasses.

And then she left.

Lochie looked at me and said, "I like ye a great deal."

"Do you? I like you too, and... though we barely know each other, somehow we can stare into each other's eyes and be quiet together."

He said, "And that is what I want tae continue doin'." He put his hand out again, palm up, I put mine on it, feeling his callouses as his palm enveloped mine — warm, sure, protective.

I sighed.

We each sipped some wine. Then I said, "But you have to go, how long will you be gone?"

"I will be gone for two weeks. Will I be able tae see ye when I return?"

"Yes."

"Now I hae eaten yer um... the dessert ye baked ...and now I hae taken ye tae dinner, we will hae tae come up with something new tae do with each other. I would like tae go tae the beach with ye. Tis yer favorite thing, ye said."

"Oh, that would be lovely. Do you have a favorite book?"

He said, "I am verra fond of How tae Train Yer Dragon. I read it tae m'nephews."

I grinned. "You like stories about dragons too! How about we can sit on the beach and I'll read to you from the book I'm reading, we can hold hands like this."

He nodded. "I would like that."

"And I bet we can come up with more fun things, and you've only eaten my peach pie, how about I make you cherry pie? You said it was your favorite. And I make a delicious cherry cheesecake pie with a cookie crust."

His eyes lit up. "What if ye made me all the pies ye ken how tae make and I will get tae taste them all? I will put them all around m'chair on the beach and eat pie while ye read tae me about dragons."

I grinned. "Yes."

"This will make the critical errand I must run almost bearable."

"Is it dangerous?"

He looked at me long and then shook his head, "Nae." Then he sipped his wine and asked, "What are yer plans for the coming week?"

"Looks like I'll be baking pies."

He laughed. "Ye arna goin' tae hae trouble with Buck?"

"No, I think he's got the message, you and your brothers, he's not going to embarrass himself. We have been broken up for a long time. I'm not sure why he acted like that, but he's not in my life. Not anymore."

"I am not certain I understand it, ye had married him?"

"Oh no, no I hadn't, no... he wasn't... I mean there was a moment where I thought it would be a good idea, but I'm relieved that very soon in I realized he was cheating on me with someone else."

"He married her?"

"No... I think that girl wised up too."

He looked like he was mulling it over.

I said, "...just so you know, I mean what I say... I'm fiercely loyal if..."

He said, "I ken ye are loyal, ye are named after the Ash tree. Tis the Tree of Life, ye ken, it carries all the best qualities, goodness, fertility, interconnectedness, ye couldna hae a bad quality with such a grand name."

I squinted, his fingers rubbing back and forth on the back of my hand. "Are we dating?"

He grinned. "What does this mean? We are on a date, eatin' a meal."

"I mean, we're talking like we're dating, like I'm waiting for you to get back and you're holding my hand, are we... you know?"

"I daena ken much about the culture of Amelia Island, Florida, but ye hae allowed me tae hold yer hand. This is an honor and I am certain it means we are datin'."

The waitress placed our pizza in the center of the table and I pulled a slice to my plate. Then because I had gotten a bit of cheese on my fingers and I figured I might as well continue, I picked up another slice. He raised his plate. I maneuvered the piece to his plate. He said, "Thank ye, Mistress Ash."

It had been a little like serving him but the ‘Mistress Ash' made it worth it.

I took a bite of pizza then asked, "Where does that come from, calling me Mistress?"

"Growin' up we had tae use a title afore the name, tis habit, I suppose. Ye daena like it?"

"Oh I like it, it's very... what would I call you?"

His brow raised, "I would be called Laird Lochinvar, but ye daena hae tae, we are already on a first name basis."

"Laird Lochinvar... interesting."

He smiled. "Yet most call me by a shortened name — only Lochie. Laird Lochinvar sounds as if I am much aulder."

I said, "How old are you?"

He shrugged, then said, "I feel somedays as if I am hundreds of years auld."

"Laird Lochinvar sounds like you're hundreds of years old, so I will call you Lochie..."

He tilted his head back, "There is also a more personal way tae speak tae me..."

"What would that be?"

"M'laird." When he said it, he was unmistakably saying My Laird, but putting it together with a bit of a long A sound in it.

"My laird..." I tried it out, "m'laird...? I would call you that if we were close?"

"Och aye, ye would call me that if we were close."

"Good, m'laird." I smiled.

He said, "Och aye, Mistress Ash, ye ken the way tae m'heart."

I sighed, then shook my head as if coming out of a daze. "Hold on, now... What is this? We barely know each other."

He shrugged again. "We ken enough."

"I know literally nothing about you."

"Ye ken that ye like me, tis good enough, I like ye, that is verra fine, we will learn the rest over time."

I laughed. "You are so odd sometimes... the things you say!"

"Tis something else ye ken about me, I say odd things."

"And you are an orphan."

"Aye, and m'brother is Magnus. He has many responsibilities and I carry a sword for him."

"You serve in his military."

"Aye, tis a better way tae say it."

"... and you are really close to your brothers and your nieces and nephews."

"Aye, I am verra fond of m'nieces and nephews. Dost ye want tae see a photo of the new bairn?"

"I'd love to."

He worked on his phone for a moment until he pulled up a photo and turned it around to show me. "This is Sophie, holdin' him, we are goin' tae call him Junior. That is Master James Cook, he's the father."

"How is James related to you?"

"He is no relation, but the same clan. He was an old friend of Queen— I mean, Kaitlyn, they were in a relationship, now he carries a sword for Magnus as well. Though, daena tell him I said it, he inna good at the sword, he is far better at building."

I teased, "I guess building things is almost as good as sword fighting."

He said, "They are all necessary. If ye erect great buildings, ye will want tae protect them, ye canna allow yer enemies tae take advantage."

"And who are these enemies?"

"I daena ken now, we are in a time of relative peace."

"Good, I'm glad." I passed him back the phone. "The baby is perfect, I can't wait to meet him."

"Aye, I look forward tae when ye meet all the bairns. But enough about me, tell me about yerself, where is yer family? Ye daena live with them?"

"They moved to North Carolina now. They bought a house in the mountains, and rent out the house here that I grew up in, which makes me a little sad. I miss them, but I didn't want to go with them. I had gotten out of the military and Don offered me a job and I grew up here, you know? I didn't want to move to a new small town and start over."

"I'm sorry, tis a difficult choice tae make."

"Sometimes I wonder if I am just stuck here, for good."

He shook his head, "Tis unlikely."

I narrowed my eyes. "What makes you say that?"

"I want tae take ye tae see Scotland, and I generally do what I intend tae do. And tis clear ye intend tae go with me."

"And it's clear because...?"

"Because ye are holdin' my hand." He smiled.

I said, "I suppose that does sound good. I would like to see Scotland, it sounds really different from what I thought..."

He asked, "Do ye hae any brothers or sisters?"

"No, my family is very small."

"It sounds lonely, Mistress Ash."

"I am often alone. My dad used to call me Little Miss Do It Herself. He would give me a task and just leave me alone to get it done."

"I am rarely alone, on m'horse perhaps, sometimes, but the house is often filled with children and a loud ruckus. Did ye ken there is a dog and a pig that live with us?"

She said, "That sounds fun. Even though I don't mind being alone, it is getting a little old, and I have to be so quiet when I come and go at my house. As you saw the other day, my landlady is a nightmare."

"Aye, yer house with the verra short rooms. I daena fit under yer roof — twas disconcertin'. My head was ringin'." He sipped some wine.

I sighed. "That tugged at my heart when you said you didn't fit."

"I was bein' a great big bellyachin' bairn. Ye must forgive me for m'behavior, Mistress Ash. I was worried ye had turned against me and so I acted like an arse."

"I do forgive you, no worries, m'laird."

"Och, it has a nice ring tae it, nae one calls me their ‘laird'. Ye are m'first."

We both finished our pizza, talking about our favorite movies and music, and then had an assortment of desserts, while talking about his favorite, the first Star Wars, and how he loved classic Rock. His tastes seemed stuck in the past. We determined that he had never seen Lord of the Rings and I promised to show him, because it was one of my favorites.

And then Lochie asked for the check while we finished our wine.

I said, "Lochie, um... m'laird, I left my car parked around the corner that way," I pointed over my shoulder, "but my house is just two blocks away from here... We could walk in the rain, do you want to come over?"

"I would like that, Mistress Ash."