Sweet Wild of Mine

by Laurel Kerr

  The cub went back to eating. It didn’t take her long to finish her meal. Magnus released her back into the enclosure with Frida.

  After they left the exhibit, June reached for Magnus’s hand. When her fingers touched his, he jumped. She glanced at him in confusion. “Are you afraid of a little PDA? The zoo’s closed for the evening, darlin’.”

  “PDA?”

  “Public displays of affection,” June amended.

  Magnus’s gaze fell on her, his eyes dark and solemn. He didn’t speak for a moment. Although June couldn’t read the emotions swirling in his blue depths, she sensed an internal debate. When he spoke, his voice was as soft as velvet. “A-A-A-Afore you, I’ve never held someone’s hand. That’s all.”

  That’s all. That’s all! June tried not to stare at Magnus in disbelief. “Never? What about your parents?”

  “I suppose I might have clutched onto my m-mum’s hand when I was a peedie lad, but not that I can remember. M-m-my d-d-da wasn’t one for it. If I’d reached for his hand, he would’ve thought me a nyaff.”

  “But surely there’s been someone,” June said, her mind not able to process that Magnus had never experienced this most basic of human affection. “A girlfriend?”

  Magnus shook his head. “Just you, June. Just you.”

  Before June could respond to that revelation, a rumbling bray broke into their conversation. Lulubelle came running up to the side of the fence, a goofy smile on her face. Savannah made the same sound in miniature as she pumped her skinny legs to keep up. Hank followed more sedately.

  “Why, hello,” June drawled as she reached to pet Lulubelle’s neck. The camel sighed in contentment. The old girl did love her pats.

  Savannah poked her head through the fence and nuzzled Magnus’s hip. He chuckled, low and deep as he scratched the calf’s fuzzy head. “You know where the treats are.”

  He reached inside his pocket and broke off a piece from an alfalfa pellet. Placing it in the palm of his hand, he held it out to Savannah. The little camel gobbled it down and turned adoring brown eyes in Magnus’s direction.

  Hank shifted before craning his long neck over his daughter. He grunted at Magnus in clear demand. June laughed and patted the male. “Somebody’s feeling left out.”

  Magnus gave Hank the rest of the pellet, which, of course, meant Lulubelle wanted one too. After he fed the older female camel, the baby bumped her large nose against his pocket. He rubbed her side and shook his head. “That’s it, lassie.”

  Savannah blew a raspberry and looked mournful. June reached forward and brushed the camel’s thick wool. “It’s okay, sweetheart. I’m sure Magnus will give you more tomorrow.”

  “Aye. You know you’re my special girl.”

  “Why, darlin’,” June said, popping him on his shoulder, “I thought that was me.”

  Magnus colored again, and June hid a smile. Now that the Scotsman had finally stopped scowling, it was fun flirting with him. He possessed an inner sweetness that seeped out every time she teased him.

  “You know how you can make it up to me?” June asked and then looped her arms around his neck and pulled him close. “A kiss.”

  “I can do that, hen.”

  It was a tender embrace—the knee-melty kind that turned a girl’s heart into mush. For all his toughness, Magnus had the softest lips. He brushed his thumb over her cheekbone, and she shivered at the feel of his calluses. She sank into the magic of his kiss It was after hours, so there was no chance a zoo visitor could wander across them.

  That’s when she heard it…the chittering. She and Magnus both broke the embrace and simultaneously turned in the direction of the disturbance. A honey badger sat directly in the middle of the path. June glared at the animal. Honey. The little minx wasn’t even bothering to hide. She just stared at them boldly, her long body deceptively relaxed.

  “She’s taunting us,” June said.

  “Aye.”

  “Do you think we should chase her?”

  “Nay.” Magnus framed June’s face in both his hands and captured her mouth with his. June tried to relax back into the kiss but couldn’t. She could feel Honey’s black eyes boring into her. Magnus suddenly pulled back.

  “Baws!”

  “You feel it too?”

  He nodded, and they both swiveled toward the rascal. The honey badger shifted her body, so she faced away from them. Then she looked over her shoulder, her little face expectant.

  “Do you think we’ll get any peace unless we give in?” June asked.

  “Nay.”

  She sighed. “We might as well make this fun.” She reached out her hand to Magnus. He stared at it.

  “Won’t it feel like we’re peedie children playing on the village green?”

  She winked. “That’s the point, darlin’.”

  He shrugged and wrapped his warm fingers around hers. Her heart pitter-pattered like a teenager’s. At the sparkly sensation, she laughed and tugged his hand. She hadn’t felt this free since Nan went to the hospital. As they took off at full speed, she heard Magnus’s chuckle join hers.

  * * *

  That night, June lay in Magnus’s arms as she listened to his steady breathing. Over the past week, the sound had lulled her back to sleep when she’d woken, worrying about Nan. But this time, she wasn’t fretting over her grandmother. Her conversation with Magnus had stuck with her. It broke her heart he’d never held hands. She couldn’t imagine the isolation he’d endured as a child.

  Unable to fall back asleep, she carefully lifted Magnus’s arm and rolled from his embrace. He grunted, and she pressed a kiss against his cheek. At the touch, he settled, a faint smile on his lips. June sat there for a moment, just staring at the hard planes of his face in the wan moonlight. His features had become so beautiful to her despite their harshness. She gently stroked his curly hair, careful not to wake him.

  He wasn’t at all like she’d first thought. Underneath his gruffness lay a wellspring of tenderness. It was no wonder he’d formed such a hard shell to protect himself. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have survived childhood with his father. He deserved a family who loved him, and June was determined to see if at least one member still did.

  Quietly, she slipped from bed and opened her laptop. She checked her inbox and smiled when she spotted a message waiting there. Through genealogy websites and some social media sleuthing, she’d tracked down a woman on Tammay who she believed to be a cousin of Magnus’s mother. She clicked the file open and grinned. Bingo.

  She scanned the short note, and her excitement started to bubble. The cousin didn’t have Mady Budge’s contact information, but she’d remembered a few Christmas cards coming from a suburb of Glasgow called Bearsden. She wrote it stuck in her mind because she couldn’t imagine Mady living so close to a big city and because it had a natural ring to it. June leaned closer to the monitor and thanked the British for their quaint village names. Skimming further, she read that the cousin thought she’d heard Mady had moved back to Orkney about a year ago and settled in Kirkwall, but she wasn’t certain. It didn’t matter to June whether or not Mady’s relative knew her exact location. With these additional details and social media, it wouldn’t take long now to find Magnus’s mother.

  * * *

  Magnus watched as Clara Winters’s eyes finally drifted closed. He rose quietly from the armchair that June’s father had placed in the room. The older woman was sleeping peacefully, but she’d been jumpy since sunset. Magnus could see June fraying like an old quilt, so he’d sent her to fiddle with new jam recipes. In the past two weeks, he’d learned cooking calmed her nerves. Luckily, her grandmother accepted his presence so June could find relief. The lass was working too hard nursing her nan while also keeping two businesses running.

  Knowing even a screaming banshee wouldn’t wake Clara, Magnus quietly set up his latest gift, a video baby monitor. June neede
d more freedom of movement, and she was afraid of leaving her nan alone. Carrying the video screen with him, he headed down the steps.

  The smell of fried streaky bacon hit his stomach. Although he still preferred a healthy slice of ham for breakfast, he had started to admit the American version held its appeal, even if he didn’t completely understand the Yanks’ fascination with it. They even dipped the meat in chocolate.

  As soon as he stepped into the scullery, June jerked her head in his direction, her eyes wide with concern. “Is Nan okay?”

  “Sleeping like a bairn,” Magnus answered as he held out the monitor. She reached for it and then lifted her eyes toward him. They were the color of a spring meadow with the sun shining on it.

  “Oh, Magnus, you shouldn’t have.”

  “It’s better than going off your head worrying about what she’s doing.”

  “But these are expensive,” June protested.

  He leaned forward and brushed his mouth against hers. “Just accept the gift, lass.”

  “It’s wonderful,” June said.

  “And if she calls for you, just press this button, and she can hear.”

  June threw her arms about his neck, her slight weight pressing against him. In response, his arms wrapped around her slim waist, and it struck him how familiar the feel of her body had become.

  “I love it, darlin’.” Thank you,” she whispered and kissed him. He drank in the smell of her lemon-scented shampoo as their lips slid softly against each other. She tasted faintly of tart fruit, sugar, and smoked meat.

  “New recipe?” he asked as they pulled apart.

  She nodded as she headed to the stove to stir the large pot sitting there. “It’s bacon-cranberry jam.”

  “Ah, it tastes a bit like lingonberries,” Magnus said.

  “So my nan says,” June said as she dipped a spoon into the mixture. She pursed her bonny pink lips to blow on it, and he felt himself harden. She’d done the same to the tip of his boabie just last night.

  Oblivious to the spell she was casting, June popped the lukewarm jam into his mouth. “Tell me what you think.”

  He ate slowly, giving himself time to savor each flavor. The first time June had fed him one of her new creations, he’d gobbled it too quickly, and he’d disappointed the lass when she’d started asking questions. He’d learned that when he answered her, he needed to speak like a writer.

  “So, what’s the verdict?” June asked as soon as he swallowed.

  “Good,” Magnus said. “T-T-Tart but smoky. What’s it called?”

  “Not sure yet. Katie always comes up with the names. I don’t know how she does it. She takes a bite, closes her eyes, and voilà, she sees the perfect label. I think it’s part of our success. Our products are just flying off the shelves at the national park and the local supermarket.”

  Magnus leaned back in the chair. “Have you thought about expanding, lass?”

  June sighed. “It was in the works before Nan got sick, but it’s on hold now. I’ve got enough frying pans in the fire. If I put on another, something’s going to get burned.”

  Magnus frowned. He didn’t like the idea of June delaying growing her business. She was talented and smart. He had no doubt she could handle increased production. Her jams would sell. She had a knack for combining unexpected ingredients and creating something that was pure magic.

  “Have you thought about getting help with your nan?” Magnus asked. “Your idea for jams to soothe morning sickness is brilliant. You could make a lot of dosh selling them over the internet.”

  She exhaled before reaching for a ginger root. As she spoke, she sliced it rhythmically. When June worked on new recipes, she preferred to do her cooking the old-fashioned way. “My parents and I looked into hiring a part-time caregiver, but it gets pretty expensive very quickly.”

  When Magnus spoke next, he kept his voice gentle. “Have you considered nursing care, lass?”

  June paused in cutting. Magnus thought he spotted tears in her green eyes, but she blinked them away. Resolutely, she pressed down on her knife. “It’s always an option, but I’m not ready to make that decision. She’s improved by being home, and I don’t know how she’d react to a strange place. I’ve got things under control.”

  Magnus didn’t agree. June couldn’t sustain this pace. Even when her nan didn’t call her, June wasn’t sleeping well. She was working as hard as he had during his roughneck years, but he’d had weeks off at a time. She didn’t. A body needed rest, or it just collapsed.

  What Magnus didn’t know was his place in all this. Aye, he’d begun sleeping with the lass on a regular basis, and he wasn’t such a numptie as to believe that was all that brewed between them. For the first time in his life, he’d entered a real relationship, even if that made him damned uncomfortable. He had no prior experience, and occasionally he felt like he was climbing one-handed up a steep sea cliff, the rocks slick beneath his fingertips.

  He wasn’t like June. He didn’t give advice. He’d lived his whole adult life trying to avoid entanglements. Now, he was caught as firmly as a sea trout in a trawler’s net.

  He added milk and sugar to his tea and sat down across from June. She’d begun to finely dice the ginger. He stirred his drink and debated about how much to say. When he did speak, he kept his words measured.

  “June, you cannot go at full t-t-tilt all the time. Humans aren’t built like that.”

  She put down the knife. Placing both hands on the counter, she raised her gaze to meet his. This time, he had no trouble spotting her unshed tears.

  “I know,” she said in a small, very un-June-like voice, “but I’m not there yet. Josh is coming to town to help for a few weeks, and Katie’s mom offered to lend a hand. I’m holding on right now, and I’ll figure something out.”

  Magnus rose from his chair and quickly strode around the table. He opened his arms, and June instantly snuggled against him. He kissed the top of her head and then rested his chin there. “Just mind on to care for yourself, lass.”

  She nodded with a sniff, and Magnus could feel his shirt grow wet from her tears. They stood there for a long while, neither of them saying anything. It felt strangely natural, comforting June.

  * * *

  June woke the next day feeling more like her old self than she had since Nan’s hospital stay. Josh was due to arrive in two days, and she always loved when the irreverent Californian was in town. His dry humor never failed to amuse her.

  But her college friend’s arrival wasn’t the only thing brightening June’s mood. Her talk with Magnus last night had loosened something inside her. It felt good to unburden her inner worries. She hadn’t wanted to admit to her parents how much she’d been struggling. They’d insist on flying out and either placing her grandmother in a home or taking her to DC. And June didn’t want that.

  She still didn’t have a solution, but she felt better just acknowledging the problem. She’d figure out a way to fix it because that’s what she did. She always found a resolution for thorny situations, even when others couldn’t. She’d get through this.

  Beside her, Magnus yawned and stretched. She took a moment to appreciate the movement of his muscles. Nude, he stepped out of the bed and bent to pull on his boxers and pants. June raised an appreciative eyebrow at the sight of his tight rear. When he stood up, he caught her looking and flushed.

  “Morning, darlin’,” she said, walking around the bed to press a kiss against his lips.

  “Madainn mhath,” he greeted her in Scots Gaelic, his eyes as bright as hers. She’d never dated another morning person, and she liked it. Neither of them needed scads of coffee before they could communicate, nor did her energy level threaten to cause him to dive right back under the covers.

  “What are you planning today?” June asked him as he shrugged into a T-shirt.

  “Bowie and I are going to work o
n framing Sorcha’s enclosure,” Magnus said. “Katie is going to film it. When your mate Josh comes to town, I thought you could help me with the audio when I give a tour of the exhibit.”

  “That sounds like a plan.” June pulled her hair into a ponytail and checked the time. “I better head downstairs and get baking.”

  Magnus nodded and grabbed his laptop before settling into the armchair June kept in her bedroom. “I’ll get some writing done afore your nan wakes, and then I’ll head over to the zoo.”

  “I’ll have your tattie scone waiting for you,” June promised.

  “And tea?”

  “And tea.” She smiled as she leaned across the bed to give him another kiss.

  Humming happily, she headed down to the kitchen and dove right into her morning work. There was nothing quite like the delicious smells accompanying bread making. Although she loved experimenting with jam, baking always comforted her. The precision it required enforced a familiar rhythm. As a child helping out in the summers, June had grown to love the routine. She could picture her grandmother kneading dough as she hummed along to the sounds of Big Bands. Nan had loved her music. Unfortunately, her hearing aids made it less pleasurable for her nowadays.

  June inserted her earbuds. Although she didn’t have many of the old crooners on her playlist, she had a couple. She liked to mix it up more than her grandmother: pop, some Celtic, swing, R&B, classical. Magnus had recently introduced her to some Scottish bands whose music she’d just downloaded.

  The morning passed quickly. After Magnus left, June tried out the baby monitor. He’d bought her the most expensive option, which included a watch-like screen that strapped to her wrist. It worked like a charm. Nan could remain in the back room and snooze instead of having to sit wherever June was working. And June didn’t have to worry about her grandmother getting into trouble. The other day, she’d caught Nan trying to eat a paper napkin, and she’d worried about letting her out of sight ever since.