Page 37 of The Lady’s Sweet Revenge (Safely in Scotland #3)

Three Years Later

R eese stepped up to his friends, handing over glasses of whisky as they stood around watching the horde of children racing around the grass.

“To number eight. Congratulations, Shay!” Reese tapped his glass to Shay’s before tapping Finn’s glass.

After the first sip, Shay held up his glass. “To number nine, may he or she arrive with health and happiness,” he said in Finn’s direction.

They both turned to Reese. “Should we expect number ten from you shortly to even up the number?”

“I’m pleased with the two we have. Remember we started later than you.

” He pointed to the squirming children playing with Belle.

“Besides, we have more than enough between the lot of us.” It turned out that his first child with Harlow had come expediently after their marriage.

It was good they had both figured things out when they did or they would have found themselves forced into marriage after all.

“Aye. We’ve been blessed with fertility, that is for certain,” Shay agreed.

“Not to mention the good luck to have had the most amazing lasses all but fall into our laps.”

“You make it sound so easy,” Finn said. “I almost left her sitting there on the tavern steps. Only my conscience stopped me.”

Shay huffed a laugh. “I nearly put Thea out on her ear when I found her in my home. I’m certainly glad I changed my mind and decided to keep her around.” He shook his head. “I kept too many secrets.”

“We all kept too many secrets,” Reese agreed.

“But we’ve learned from our mistakes and have had good fortune since.” After finishing their drinks and watching their wives seated in the shade for a few minutes, they seemed to have come to a silent agreement to give up their company for softer, more lovely attention.

Taking their daughter from his wife, Reese handed her over to his mother, the dowager, and took Harlow’s hand to lead her to the beach for some time alone. The castle having been overrun with his friends and their families meant them having to find other places to spend time alone.

“Why did we invite everyone here?” he asked teasingly as they dashed away from a wave before he scooped her up into his arms.

“They only arrived yesterday afternoon and already you regret inviting them?”

“Can we ask them to leave tomorrow? I want our quiet, boring life back.”

“Boring?” she chided.

“I would much rather spend our evenings reading the latest Stonecliff novel than having to play charades and listen to our children sing. I daresay, only our Luke can carry a tune.”

“We have all our lives to spend together. Another day won’t hurt.”

“No. I suppose not,” he agreed easily as he kissed her. He’d never been so lucky to have had this woman wash up on his beach and into his life. He’d never let her go.

The end.