Page 25 of Wild Scottish Gold (The Enchanted Highlands #7)

Kaia

The sun was barely cresting the rolling hills when Thane and I set off toward the river, Murdoch flying lazily above us, his black feathers gleaming in the early morning light. The air had that crisp, clean bite to it, the kind that promised a good day ahead. Not that I’d ever tried my hand at gold panning before, but I was nothing if not open to new adventures—especially ones that involved Thane, a wild stretch of Scottish river, and Murdoch flying overhead.

The river was exactly what I’d imagined a Scottish river should be—cold, bubbling, and framed by great stretches of mossy boulders and trees that looked like they’d seen the rise and fall of empires. The water glistened under the early light, broken only by the occasional dart of a fish or the gentle swirl of a current curling around the stones.

“We should have invited Archie,” I said, hitching the strap of my pack higher on my shoulder.

“Are you kidding me? Before you’d know it, he’d have us fly fishing instead of gold panning.”

“I still can’t believe you’re taking me to look for gold.”

“What? I thought that was what metalsmiths like to do.” Thane grinned at me, two large pans tucked under his arms.

I dropped my pack on a flat rock and stretched, eyeing the river. “So, how do we do this?”

Thane set his own things down, rolling up his sleeves and shooting me a wicked grin. “You kneel in the water, scoop up a good bit of gravel, and shake it about until you find something worth keeping.”

“Sounds … damp.”

“That’s the spirit.”

“I need more instruction,” I said. “I can’t just … shake a pan around. I need to know what I’m looking for.”

“Well, you see, Kaia, there’s this metal called gold and you want to look for?—”

I smacked him on the shoulder and he laughed.

“First up, put your waders on.”

“I’m glad we brought those. It looks cold in there.”

“Aye, lass. It is. Were you expecting the tropics?”

I rolled my eyes, as I dug through my pack, but I was used to this banter with Thane now.

Things had been going along surprisingly well for all the doom and gloom I’d originally projected for our relationship. I’d taken on new clients, both ones that I partnered with Thane on, and others that were just my own. I’d also spent many a fun afternoon working on the chain mail ideas for Willow, and to everyone’s surprise—except for Willow’s, that is—her designs had taken off and she had a waiting list for these pieces. It was getting to the point where I’d have to train another person how to make them, but for now I was reluctant to give up my peaceful afternoons in my cottage in the woods, music playing, candles burning, rain lashing at the windows. Murdoch would often join me, chattering away about what he saw in the woods, and I loved hearing his view of the world.

He also had all the best gossip in town.

Like how Graham would always stop and make sure Agnes’s bookstore door was locked late at night.

Little tidbits about the community that helped me understand the world I lived in now.

“Right, let’s suit up.” Thane helped me pull my waders on and I laughed down at the chunky rubber boots.

“Sexy.”

“You’re beautiful in anything you wear, Kaia.”

“And never have you been sexier.” I winked at Thane as he pretended to model for me.

“Now, let’s give this a go. It’s an exercise in patience, I’m told. You have to sift until you get down to the finest of black sand, and only then can you find the slivers of gold.”

“And you’re certain gold has been found here before?” I slanted a look at him.

“I’m sure of it.”

“Still looks icy cold.” I sighed but waded in anyway, gasping as the shock of the cold water hit my skin. “Oh, that is entirely unnecessary,” I muttered, hunching my shoulders as I scooped up a panful of riverbed gravel and started the slow, tedious process of swirling the water through it.

Murdoch cawed from his perch. Lass, you are doing it wrong.

I narrowed my eyes at him. “I literally just started.”

Yes, and already, you’re terrible at it.

“Murdoch says I’m shit at this.” I glared down at the chunky rocks in my pan.

Thane snorted. “He’s got a point.”

“I find you both very annoying.”

“Try to get the big stuff out. Go for the sand.”

We worked for a while, the sound of rushing water and the occasional complaints from Murdoch filling the space between us. It was … peaceful. Cozy, in that wild, untamed way Scotland always managed to be. I lost myself in the methodical motion, letting my mind drift as I watched the flecks of stone and sediment swirl away.

Thane, ever the patient one, seemed completely at ease. I caught him watching me, the corners of his mouth quirked upward in something suspiciously close to amusement. “You’re enjoying this too much,” I muttered.

“Aye, well, I enjoy watching you try new things.”

“You enjoy watching me fail.”

“I enjoy watching you prove yourself wrong.”

I shook my head, biting back a laugh. The water swirled through my pan, revealing the same dull assortment of pebbles I’d been sifting through for the last half hour. “How long does this usually take?”

“Depends,” Thane said, crouching beside me. “Here, let me look. Some find nothing. Some get lucky. It’s patience and persistence.”

“Sounds like your approach to life in general.” I stood and stretched while he dug through my pan, and held my hands to my back, working out the ache that came from crouching in one position for so long.

“It’s never served me wrong before.” Thane glanced up at me, a sexy grin on his face, and my cheeks heated. I recalled just how patient and persistent he had been with me that morning. I believe it was three orgasms he’d given me before he’d taken care of his own needs.

“Here, look.” Thane held up his finger and I glanced down at the tiniest fleck of gold stuck to his skin. It wasn’t much, but it was exciting enough to renew my determination.

“Wow, what is that, a pence worth?”

“Likely not even that. Still, better than what you’ve found so far.” He grinned when I glared at him, fully knowing how competitive I could be.

Crouching again, I grabbed my pan from him and shifted it to sift through the sand. How had he found that gold so easily?

Then something glinted at the bottom of my pan.

I stilled. Narrowed my eyes. My heart skipped.

“Thane,” I murmured, excitement creeping into my voice. “I think I found something.”

He was beside me in an instant, peering over my shoulder. “Let’s see.”

I reached in carefully, feeling the smooth, solid shape of?—

Not a gold nugget.

A ring.

A gold ring, perfectly crafted, unmistakably familiar. It matched the design on the necklace he wore.

I turned to Thane slowly, realization dawning. “You did not.”

A slow, mischievous grin spread across his face. “Oh, but I did.”

I’m so glad I came for this.

Murdoch cawed in delight from the trees.

Thane took the ring from my palm and, without hesitation, sank down onto one knee in the middle of the freezing Scottish river.

“Kaia,” he said, voice steady, eyes dark with something I couldn’t quite breathe around. “You came into my life like a storm—wild, untamed, and breathtaking. I never saw you coming, but from the moment you arrived, nothing was ever the same. And I wouldn’t change a single second of it. You’ve shown me the kind of love that burns bright, fierce, and unwavering. Your independence inspires me, your courage humbles me, your loyalty anchors me, and every moment with you ignites something in me I never knew was missing. With you, the ordinary turns extraordinary. You’re all I’ve ever wanted, all I will ever need. So here I kneel, in this very frigid water, with my heart in my hands, asking you the only question that truly matters—will you marry me?”

For once in my life, I was speechless.

The world narrowed to him, to the warmth of his hand, to the way my heart felt like it was breaking open and putting itself back together simultaneously.

I nodded, barely managing a whispered, “Yes.”

And then he kissed me—right there in the freezing river, with Murdoch squawking triumphantly and the world spinning in gold and light around us.

The moment stretched on, golden and perfect, the water rushing past as though eager to carry our promise down the river, out into the world.

When we finally pulled apart, Thane pressed the ring into my hand, his fingers curling over mine. “It’s always been you,” he murmured. “Since the moment we met.”

Murdoch, apparently tired of sentimentality, let out a long-suffering series of knocks.

Thane turned and looked up at him in the branches.

“I’m sorry, Murdoch. I should have asked for your approval first. Although I have spoken to Kaia’s father and he approves. Is this okay with you?”

I’ll allow it.

“He’s going to allow it. This time.” Laughing, I slipped the ring onto my finger, my heart feeling as full as the river at our feet. “Come on, fiancé,” I said, “let’s go home.”

And with that, we gathered our things, hands entwined, the promise of forever glinting just as brightly as the gold in the water.