Page 40 of One Forbidden Kiss with the Laird (The Cinderella Shepherd Sisters #2)

S elina slipped her hand into the crook of her sister’s elbow and stepped closer. Sarah had arrived in Ballachulish five days earlier and Selina felt a contentment that she hadn’t in a long time. All her favourite people in the world were gathered here around her.

‘This is beautiful, Selina. I can’t believe you live here.’

‘I can’t believe you returned to St Leonards.’

Sarah sighed. ‘Do you know, it was the happiest few months. Although we did not have much money, it was just Henry, his sister Sophia and I, until little Rupert came along. We worked hard, I even took in some pupils and taught them to play the piano. There is something to be said about the simple life. Everything has changed now. Henry’s horrible father died and now Henry is the Earl.

It is a lot of responsibility, of course, but it is nice to live without wondering what he might do to try to tear us apart. ’

Selina smiled suddenly. ‘It’s a common theme, isn’t it, with us—horrible fathers. Henry’s was controlling, Callum’s a terrible drunk and ours manipulative and cruel.’

‘At least our children will have better,’ Sarah said, squeezing Selina’s hand and then glancing down at her sister’s belly.

Sarah and Henry had not made it in time for the wedding.

Despite Selina’s initial desire to wait for a large celebration of their love, the reality of waiting week after week had been too difficult so in the end they’d had a small ceremony followed by a huge party with everyone in Ballachulish invited.

Sarah had travelled as soon as she was able with little Rupert.

‘We need you ladies,’ Callum called out from where he was standing at the edge of the lawn. ‘We need an independent judge.’

Selina broke away from her sister and ran over, kissing Callum on the lips as he picked her up and twirled her around.

She felt the material of his kilt flare a little and as always it made her smile.

Long gone was the man who thought he did not deserve to wear the tartan of his ancestors and now he wore his kilt at even a hint of a special occasion.

‘Ah, newlyweds,’ Henry said, shaking his head. ‘Do you remember when we were that young and in love?’ He grabbed hold of his wife and picked her up, kissing her deeply.

‘How are my darling wife and beautiful baby?’ Callum said, laying a hand on Selina’s bump.

‘Thriving, my darling. Now, what do you need us for?’

‘Now, Routledge has excellent aim, as you can see.’ He motioned at the tree a few feet in front of them. ‘For a man who tells me he has never thrown an axe before I am amazed, but would we say that was in the centre of the tree?’

Selina rolled her eyes. ‘Has dear Henry bested you at your own sport?’

‘Hardly,’ Callum said and gave her a wink. ‘And if he has I blame the hard labour I was toiling away at yesterday. My arm does feel a little stiff.’

‘Mrs Murray told me about your efforts to rebuild the little wall in their garden. She was bemused that the Earl was getting his hands dirty.’

‘I need to protect our investment, Selina. It is not only my money involved.’

Since the group of local landowners had bought the land and properties from Sir William the village had thrived.

People who had moved away were coming back and Callum was always producing ideas to try to increase the amount of work in the area or the yield from the farms. There was a great sense of community and they were at the centre of it.

She walked over to the tree and studied the axe. ‘I would say it was pretty central.’

Callum cursed under his breath and then clapped Henry on the back. ‘Well done, Routledge. Perhaps we’ll get you started as a lumberjack while you’re here.’

‘I handle axes for pleasure only,’ Henry said, making Sarah laugh.

Together they all walked back towards Taigh Blath. It was an early autumn day and the light made the house glow.

‘I feel very lucky,’ Selina said as she and Callum paused outside the front door.

‘I have my wonderful sister to stay and my gorgeous nephew. The perfect house, in the perfect village. And I have you.’ She raised herself up on her tiptoes and kissed Callum, unable to believe that just a few short months ago she had never even set foot in Scotland, let alone thought she might fall in love with a Scottish laird.