Page 30 of Proven By The Highlander (Highlander Forever #15)
Two weeks later, Leanne found herself once again standing on the shores of Loch Ness with the night sky above her, moonlight dancing on the choppy waves. This time, however, she wasn’t waterlogged and bedraggled, or fraught with anxiety about the fate of her lover. This time, she was surrounded by her newest and dearest friends, and the love of her life was standing in front of her, holding her hands tightly in his as he swore to stay by her side for the rest of his life. Just like the first night she’d arrived here, she was struggling to believe that it wasn’t a dream… but this time, it was for much happier reasons.
Father Caleb, the local priest, had taken a little convincing when they’d first proposed their somewhat unusual marriage plans. But to his credit, he’d agreed quickly enough, and there was no hint of his original hesitation on his face as he presided over the ceremony on the edge of the Loch, the evening breeze tugging at his robes. He was young for a priest, but Leanne admired the composure with which he conducted the ceremony. She could see why the local villagers liked him… and why his alliance with the members of Clan Grant was so highly prized.
The turnout was impressive, especially for such an unusual wedding. Father Caleb hadn’t been able to remember any other occasion on which a wedding had taken place at night, but Caelan and Leanne had insisted. The wedding wouldn’t have been the same without Bram present as Caelan’s best man… and it would have been the height of rudeness to invite Bram without inviting Melusine, too. The graceful Fae had been delighted when Leanne had invited her to be a bridesmaid, once Bram had explained in Gaelic what the invitation actually meant. She was standing alongside Nancy, her pale eyes demurely downcast, her hair shining a bright, beautiful blonde in the moonlight.
Leanne had worried that her unusual appearance might be difficult to explain to the locals, but Bram had only laughed when she’d registered her worries, giving Melusine a wink… and before her very eyes, the Asrai had cast a glamor, rendering her features surprisingly human. Her ethereal, otherworldly beauty still shone through, though, and Bram had been bristling all night at the looks she’d been winning from the men of the Keep. It was clear to anyone who looked at the couple that Melusine only had eyes for Bram, however.
Father Caleb beamed at both of them after they’d exchanged their vows… simple words, but heartfelt, met with a soft murmur of approval by the gathered crowd. It seemed like everyone at the Keep was there, as well as a surprising number of folks from the village, who’d come along partly due to curiosity about the newest arrival to the Keep. It seemed word had spread about the strange woman who’d helped track down not just one, but two missing men of the Watch… and she was glad to have given them a story with such a happy ending to share with one another. From what she’d heard, things around here could often be dark and grim… and the tale of Caelan and Bram’s reunion was a bright spot in the darkness.
Maybe that was why people loved weddings so much, she thought as Father Caleb announced the two of them as man and wife, a thunderous round of applause echoing out across the Loch in response. Weddings were a bright place in the darkness, an affirmation that no matter how difficult and dark things might get, there was still love to be celebrated. She felt like she hadn’t stopped smiling all day, but how could she when she looked up to see Caelan smiling down at her? He’d been a new man since they’d found his brother alive and well, and she’d been shocked at how quickly her already-strong feelings for him had deepened and strengthened. It had only been a few days since their return to the Keep when he’d asked for her hand in marriage… and the notorious overthinker Leanne hadn’t even hesitated before agreeing.
And with the ceremony done, it was time to get to the part that everyone was most interested in… the celebration. Nancy had outdone herself here — claiming that it was the maid of honor’s sacred duties to ensure that the dancefloor was the best it could be, she had worked tirelessly to arrange for an enormous outdoor area to be prepared for the festivities. Leanne was delighted as her new husband led her and the rest of their guests down the shoreline toward where a huge area had been cleared for dancing. Huge tables groaning with a feast large enough for the Keep and the village twice over, dozens of kegs of ale ready to be tapped… and a band already playing when the crowd arrived. It wasn’t long before the celebrations had turned raucous, and Leanne grinned to herself, well aware that they were in for another long night.
She said as much to Caelan as he stepped in beside her, having finally extracted himself from the crowd of watchmen slapping him on the back and congratulating him for finally making an honest man of himself. He nodded, and the two of them moved a little away from the crowds, down toward the water’s edge, where an embankment dropped away and into the water.
“We’ve made something of a habit of long nights, haven’t we?” he said softly, flashing her one of those heart-melting smiles.
She grinned agreement, leaning her head against his shoulder as he drew her close to his side. For a long, blissfully peaceful moment, they stood in the perfect quiet between them, gazing out over the always-ruffled but calm for now waters of the Loch. She couldn’t help but think of that first night she’d come crawling out of the water and felt an odd pang of sadness when she thought of the creature that had made that possible. She and Nancy had come down to the water several times in search of Nessie, but she hadn’t made an appearance. Leanne knew it was a big Loch, and the creature probably had plenty to keep her occupied… but still, she’d wanted to say her thanks in person.
Caelan glanced down at her, and she felt him squeeze her shoulder slightly. He always had a knack for knowing what she was thinking, didn’t he? Just one of many reasons she loved him.
“We’ll see her again someday,” he promised her softly. “I don’t blame her for holding a grudge against me if I’m honest. If it were me, I’d be avoiding me, too.”
Leanne sighed, squeezing his hand. “I’m just glad no harm was done.”
“All thanks to you,” Caelan said softly. “You’re a wonder, Leanne Grant.”
She grinned, her eyes lighting up at the sound of her new name — there was something so thrilling about hearing it aloud like that, and something told her that thrill would take a while to wear off. And then, something caught her eye. She held her breath, frightened for a moment that she was seeing things, that wishful thinking was playing tricks with her vision… but then she felt Caelan inhale sharply beside her, and realized that she wasn’t imagining it. There, a few hundred yards from shore, she could see it — a long, slender shape, barely visible where it was cut out against the dark water, but undeniably familiar.
“It’s her,” she whispered, hardly daring to breathe in case she startled the creature away. Slowly but surely, the creature moved closer, and as she grew nearer to the shore Leanne could see her sniffing the air curiously. She probably hadn’t seen such a large crowd so close to the shore of the Loch before, Leanne realized, smiling fit to burst and fighting the urge to leap into the water right then and there in her wedding dress and swim out to greet Nessie. She settled instead for waving, lifting her arm to make the gesture as large as possible, and beside her she could feel Caelan waving too. When she looked back at him, wondering if he still held some small part of the grudge he’d carried for so long, she could tell that he wasn’t.
All had been forgiven. Nessie’s name had been cleared, peace had been restored, and the future was looking bright. Leanne turned her gaze back to the dark waters of Loch Ness, feeling unbelievably grateful for the life that had led her here… and for the wonderful days that lay ahead.