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Kjartan

T he rest of the week crawled past. On Wednesday, we started the next phase of the new project for Lone Fox Distillery. Fitz and Maddie wanted to convert a small cottage into a farm shop for local goods.

Struan sent Ragnar and me there.

The Troubled Land was big enough that we had never met before he started working with me. He was a quiet guy but we got along. Just as well as we did when we never addressed the elephant in the room: we had both fought in the same war, if on opposite sides or the same I did not know.

Maybe one day I would ask, after a few glasses of whisky and when I was with someone to hold me through the inevitable pain that would follow that discussion.

Not just anyone. Beryl. He was all I wanted.

All day, we cleared out the house and sorted the furniture into what we might reuse, or what Maddie might need for the cottages on the grounds they planned to redo, one after the other. The rest went on a pile for the hard rubbish pickup.

In the early afternoon, the lady of Hall Estate came over with a few bottles of chilled alcohol-free beer and a basket of goodies.

“Hey, you two,” she greeted us, a wide smile on her face.

“Maddie, hello.” I washed my hands in an old stone trough turned into a fountain and shook her hand.

“Kjartan, it’s lovely to have you back here. I brought you some treats.”

“That’s so kind. This is my colleague, Ragnar. Ragnar, Madeline Hall is the manager and wife to the laird.”

He held out a hand to her. “Nice to meet you, Lady Hall.”

“Oh God, please don’t.” She giggled as heat crept up her neck. “Just call me Maddie.”

Ragnar nodded stiffly.

“Is it okay if I look through the hard rubbish pile real quick? It’s not that I don’t trust you but I love treasure hunting.”

“Feel free. It’s your stuff.” I waved her over.

“Fitz thinks it’s weird that I pick through the piles. I’ve found so much cool stuff though. I have a little hoard. I’m a bit like a magpie.” She giggled and started sorting through the rubbish.

Ragnar opened two of the beers for us, and we grabbed a snack. This was in part why I loved working here. They always fed us, and their products were delicious.

Twice more we returned to LFD that week. We drove our bus back and forth to the Den, which was what we called our company site.

“Do you have any plans?” Ragnar asked me in Suitian.

“Just because I’m almost breaking the speed limit?” I huffed. “I’m going to Kirkmuir to spend the weekend with my boyfriend.”

Ragnar said nothing to that until I parked the car.

“I’ll clean up, you go ahead.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yes.” He gave me a minuscule smile. I had never seen him smile before. “Go.”

“Takk, Ragnar.”

He shrugged me off, but his smile widened.

I hurried home, cleaned up, and headed to Kirkmuir.

Bee waited for me at the door to his house. I got out of my car, grabbed my bag, and walked up to him.

What am I supposed to do? Hug him?

He took the decision out of my hands and flew at me. I’d forgotten how soft his lips were when he kissed me and how good he tasted.

“Gods, I missed you so much. It’s a little embarrassing.” He backed away and grinned at me.

“Not embarrassing, Vindur. I missed you, too.”

“Come in. Let’s not give the neighbours a show.”

I was barely over the threshold when we were tangled in each other’s arms again.

“Fuck me,” Beryl gasped out between our slick kisses. “I need you so much, Kjartan. We can be cute and sweet later. But fuck me first.”