Laird Crawford was not tall, but wide and strong from hours in the training fields and the occasional good-natured fight. And since Colin was even bigger, it never occurred to him not to ram his elbow into the Highland giant to get his attention.
Shocked by the unexpected attack, Colin moved swiftly only to be stopped by the biggest grin he had ever seen.
“Now, hold on there, Highlander,” Crawford cautioned with a chuckle. “You cannot be telling me I hurt you, for that would be an untruth. And how else is a man to get your attention when you’re forever looking at your bride over there? I’ve been wondering why you aren’t with her, and I’ve come to the conclusion that you are just like me on my wedding night. Now, I knew Trista was for me the first time I saw her. She had all that brown hair and the merriest hazel eyes a man could ever want. So I asked her to marry me. I needed someone to take care of my keep, provide heirs, and keep my bed warm at night. But, in truth, I also wanted a friend. Probably won’t shock you, but I love a good laugh, and my lively woman can keep a man laughing. It’s nice to know that in my old age, there’ll be someone at my side I’ll enjoy being with. Now, I tell you this, because you look just as I did before my wedding night.”
Colin waited patiently for Crawford to end his intentional pause and finally gave in. “And that was?”
Crawford smiled and slapped Colin on the back. “Now, in trade for your willingness to train my sons, I’m going to give you something more valuable than gold. Your bride, she reminds me of my Trista, bubbling with delight, enchanting all that see her. But she wasn’t always thus.”
“No?” Colin inquired, only slightly curious as to where the burly laird was going, for it was obvious he had a destination with this story.
“No, I’m ashamed to say. It wasn’t until a few months into our marriage that it occurred to me I had only been focusing on what I wanted, needed, and liked in a wife. I never once had considered her desires in a husband.”
Crawford downed a big swig of ale, and Colin sank into a nearby chair, stretching his feet in front of him. Colin assumed the man was done. “I thank you, but I am not sure how that piece of information is so golden or how it applies to me.”
“Because…” Jaime waited until Colin cranked his head to look the Highlander straight in the eye. He was about to call Colin a fool and decided otherwise. A friendly punch to the ribs he could get away with, but assaulting the Highlander’s pride? He would be leaving on his arse regardless of his title.
Crawford took another swig of ale. “It turns out that my Trista wanted the same thing I did. A friend to laugh and grow old with, to raise a family, and live a good life.” Jaimie took a deep breath and exhaled for effect. “I’m just wondering why you married Makenna. We all know Alexander’s reasons for wanting the union, but beyond that, what hopes do you have? What do you want? I’m guessing that whatever it is, Makenna desires the same. Give her that, and you’ll be a happy man every night—even on the nights you fight. And though it may not seem like much now, if you heed my words, you will come to see their extraordinary worth. Now, I think it’s time that I dance with my wife,” Jaimie finished, rubbing his hands together in anticipation as he jigged over to a laughing and eager Trista.
Colin watched as the hefty laird swung his wife around and thought on his counsel. No one had ever really talked to him that way before. Especially someone who knew very little about him. People usually came to Colin for advice, and never did anyone have the nerve to give him unsolicited suggestions about anything. Most assumed that because Colin was previously married, he knew all about the subject. How did Crawford discern the truth? And did the older laird know what he was talking about?
For years, Colin wondered why his parents’ marriage had worked so well. Was this the secret? If so, then what did he want in a marriage? With Deirdre, he had wanted someone to love who loved him. But he soon learned that it was not quite enough. They had love, but never once did they approach the closeness his mother and father had shared.
What, then, was the part of marriage that made the soul happy? What did he truly want?
And the answer struck him so deep down that Colin almost fell out of his chair. He wanted someone to trust and believe in him completely and without reservation. But, more than that, he wanted to be first in someone’s heart, body, and soul.
Could Makenna truly want the same? Did Makenna need someone who trusted and believed in her? Someone who placed her first above all others?
Colin knew a trust was growing between him and his new bride, and though he had never said so, he did believe in her. If Makenna decided to make something happen—or not happen—she persisted until she found a way.
But how could he make her first when he had already given Deirdre his heart?
Pretending to concentrate on the dancing and the music, Makenna peripherally watched as Colin approached her. She had been intensely aware of him all evening. If it had not been for Lady Crawford to anchor her thoughts and divert her attentions, she would be shaking so bad all would know of her fear and anxiety of what was to come.
Colin stopped in front of her and stuck out his hand. “Shall we join Laird Crawford and his wife and show them how the estampie is truly to be performed?”
Makenna sat shocked for a moment and then gave him a large smile that would have warmed anyone who was the recipient of it. Colin was glad to have been both its cause and its receiver. “Do you know how to do the estampie?” she asked, taking his hand. “I don’t think I have ever seen you dance.”
It was true. He had never danced with Deirdre. She had been too weary to perform the lively dances he preferred. “There is a lot about me you don’t know, Makenna,” he said, swinging her onto the floor. They quickly joined the crowd stomping their feet to the wailing music created by an assortment of skilled musicians.
Soon Makenna lost herself in the rhythm of the dance. The music shifted and the room seemed to get louder as more and more men joined in and swords appeared on the floor. Makenna jumped into the crowd beside a grinning Trista and clapped loudly as she watched Colin’s skill unfold. Very few practiced the form of dance Colin, Crawford, and a handful of other men were exhibiting. The dance was both celebratory and highly athletic as they jumped over swords and spiked shields with great accuracy and speed. Each time the tune repeated, the musicians would increase the tempo.
One time while sparring with Gorten, she had asked him how he had learned to be so quick on his feet. He had told her that it was hours of performing the sword dance. Colin made them all learn and practice the complex maneuvers. She had supposed Gorten to be teasing her, but now she realized he had been in earnest. The quick, intricate weaving in and out of the war dance would not only help develop a soldier’s stamina, but it could build and test one’s strength, accuracy, and agility.
The music continued to build and by now any man capable of performing the Gillie Chalium was on the floor. The room reverberated with stomping feet and shouts of triumph. Trista cried out to her husband, encouraging him in his desperate attempt to keep up with those around him. He was bested, and he knew it, but like many who had joined in, he did not care.
Makenna’s smile grew even wider. An odd sense of pride surged through her, knowing that the man with the most superior skill was grinning back at her. The musicians finally ended the tune and began another. It was slower but still had a lively beat and Colin deftly glided over to entice Makenna back onto the floor. Others followed Colin’s lead, and the crowded great hall became even more so as the room shook with laughter and the stamping of feet.