Page 38 of Time of the Warlord (Stones of Scotland #5)

O f course, there was no way that they could legally marry in the twenty-first century. Ciaran had no papers to prove his existence - and they had no time. Still, Ciaran was adamant that they should have some kind of celebration with Sadie’s parents and sister in attendance. So, they all piled into the car and drove out of the city until they found a quiet spot on the shores of Loch Lomond. As a child, this had been one of Sadie’s favorite places. It felt a million miles away from noisy, bustling Glasgow. Even here, she could see bright lights and hear the faintest hum of traffic, but if she stared up at Ciaran’s face, she could forget all of that. She could imagine that she was back in the past, in Ciaran’s home time.

It was already growing dark, but that didn’t seem to dampen Ciaran’s enthusiasm in the slightest. The two of them pulled off their shoes and waded calf-deep into the lake, shivering at the cold.

“What do we do now?” she asked Ciaran.

“We make our vows, here in front of witnesses,” he said. “What are the words you would use in your marriage ceremonies?”

Sadie had never paid a great deal of attention at weddings, but she fumbled her way through the standard vows. Ciaran copied her patiently, his accent adding a delicious lilt to the words. Then they paused, uncertain what to do next. They should have brought someone to be a minister, Sadie realized. This ceremony just didn’t work without one.

“I now pronounce you man and wife,” her father declared, splashing into the water and winking at Sadie. “You may now kiss the bride.”

And Ciaran certainly took him at his word. He gripped Sadie around her waist and kissed her as if his life depended on it. She drank in all his tenderness, all his sweetness - and he dipped her back so low that her hair brushed the surface of the water. She came back upright with a laugh and could not help but press another kiss to his lips.

“I love you, Ciaran,” she whispered, and he whispered the words back. With the last of the sunset reflected on the dark water, and her family’s laughter all around her, how could she possibly have been happier?

Damp and shivering but full of laughter and love, they all piled back into the car.

“Let’s get home,” Sadie’s father said. “I think I’ve still got another bottle of that mead left.”

They all cheered, even Norah. Sadie snuggled against Ciaran, his arm around her waist, and finally let herself believe that this was happening. Ciaran really did love her.