“Aye,” Thomas said, scooping her up in his arms. “Just tell me where to go. I’ve got a few new things to teach you.”
“Oh, Thomas,” Lorna said giggling, “I love you, and you’re new things.”
Thomas was happy as he ran up the stairs with the woman he’d always loved in his arms.
**********
“You were right, my love,” Elliot said to Sorcha as they watched William and Katie eat an apple pastry under one of the trees in the garden.
“I told you, Elliot, never doubt me when it comes to matters of the heart,” Sorcha answered and smiled.
“Are you happy?” Elliot asked Sorcha as Katie and William got up and chased each other around the garden. Their grandparents couldn’t help but laugh watching them.
“Very happy, and so is our daughter,” Sorcha answered.
“She is, isn’t she,” Elliot replied.
“Come on, Grandda, come chase us!” Katie yelled at Elliot.
Elliot turned and roared as he brought his hands up like a monster. The children both screamed, laughed, and then ran, with Elliot in pursuit.
Sorcha stood and watched, her heart full now that her family had returned. She’d known for a long while it was only a matter of time before it would be right for Thomas to go reclaim his bride. She was grateful that time had finally come. They were home, where they all belonged. Together.
Epilogue
Eight Months Later:
“Don’t fight it,” Ava said as another birthing pain gripped Lorna. “Breathe through it, and try to relax as much as you can.” Lorna tried, but nothing dulled the pain of birthing a bairn. Lorna let out a scream, hoping this labor went as fast as the last one, because once the babe was placed in her arms, Lorna knew all the pain would be worth it.
Once the pain ended, Lorna laid her head back, trying to catch her breath. She was going to have to have a serious talk with Thomas about how many bairns he wanted, because the man seemed to plant one in her belly every time they coupled. At this rate, they’d end up with at least a dozen, and Lorna wasn’t sure she was willing to go through labor that many times.
“I believe it’s time to start pushing,” Sorcha told Ava as she looked between Lorna’s legs, “I can see the top of the bairn’s head.”
“Already?” Ava asked, taking Sorcha’s place and peering between Lorna’s legs. “I think you’re right,” Ava told Sorcha. Then to Lorna, she said, “your labor has gone quickly, you’re a very fortunate woman.”
“It did with William too,” Lorna said, resting before the next pain came. “The doctor in Pleasantville barely walked in the door before I pushed him out. Patrick wasn’t like Thomas; he wanted nothing to do with birthing the babe. I was beginning to think I was going to have to catch the bairn myself.”
“I still say he shouldn’t be here,” Sorcha said, shaking her finger at Thomas.
He sat behind Lorna, supporting her weight and holding her hands as she labored. At the moment, he was using a cool cloth to wipe her face and neck.
“Lorna wants me here,” Thomas said in his defense.
“I need him here,” Lorna said, smiling over her shoulder at Thomas.
“I’ve never heard of a man being in the birthing room,” Sorcha said, but couldn’t hide her grin. It was wonderful to see Lorna and Thomas so happy with one another.
“Here comes another one,” Lorna said, gripping Thomas’s hands and squeezing. “Can I push now? I need to push!”
“Aye,” Ava said, looking once more between Lorna’s legs. “Push hard.”
Lorna spent the next quarter-hour pushing her babe out. She was exhausted by the time it was over, but Thomas was amazed, and couldn’t stop staring at the bairn. He’d never seen anything so small.
“It’s a lass,” Sorcha said, wiping the babe off and handing her to Ava. “A beautiful lass.”
“What are you going to name her?” Ava asked as she finished washing the babe and wrapped her in a blanket.
“Elizabeth Sorcha,” Lorna answered. “After her two Grandmithers.” Sorcha nodded and smiled, unable to speak.
Once the birthing was over, Thomas picked Lorna up and carried her to a chair while Ava and Sorcha changed the bed linens. He made himself useful and changed Lorna’s nightdress, helping her wash up first before slipping the clean gown over her head.
“You’re amazing,” he said quietly to her, giving her a soft kiss. She just smiled at him.
He put her back into their bed and pulled the bedcover up to her waist. “Are you ready?” he asked Lorna as he handed her their daughter. The babe let out a cry, and Lorna opened her nightdress and held the babe to her breast. She latched on right away.
“Aye, bring them in,” Lorna said, smiling at him before looking down at her new babe. She unwrapped the bairn as she fed and began counting fingers and toes. Thomas opened the door of the bedchamber and walked into the solar.
“Is the babe here, Da?” Katie jumped off her grandda’s lap and asked excitedly. Dylan and Elliot both jumped to their feet.
“She is,” Thomas answered. “But remember, you must be very gentle with her.”
“Another sister?” William asked, disappointed it wasn’t a brother.
“Maybe it’ll be a brother next time,” Thomas answered as he tousled his son’s hair. “Would you like to see her?”
“Aye,” Katie said, shooting past Thomas and running into the room. Thomas picked William up and placed him on his shoulders, following behind.
“What’s she doing?” Katie was asking Lorna.
“Eating,” Lorna answered. “This is the way a bairn feeds for a long time.”
“Did you feed me like that?” Katie asked.
“Nay,” Lorna said, stroking Katie’s cheek. “Your Mum did though. She loved you very much, and so do your Da and I.”
“Can I hold her, Mama?” Katie was asking Lorna as she knelt on the bed, still staring at the babe in Lorna’s arms. Elizabeth had fallen asleep as she nursed.
“Aye,” Lorna answered. Thomas placed William on the bed and then positioned Katie so Lorna could place the bairn in the four-year-olds arms. “What do you think?” Lorna asked Katie.
“She’s very wrinkly,” Katie said, scrunching up her nose.
“She’s too little to do anything,” William complained.
“Do you want to hold her next?” Thomas asked his son.
“Nay,” William answered, hopping off the bed, “can I go to the kitchen now? Cook said she’d make me a pastry if I was good today.”.
Lorna laughed, “she will grow, William. But it will take time.” William didn’t answer but looked at the babe once more.
Thomas picked William up and carried him back out to the solar where Katlynn was waiting. Thomas passed William to her, telling her, “the lad is hungry, would you mind taking him to the kitchen?”
“He’s always hungry,” Katlynn answered, “And Katie?”
“I’m hungry too,” Katie said, running out of the room, already bored with her new baby sister.
Thomas watched them leave before returning to his wife, where he found Elliot and Sorcha fawning over their new granddaughter.
“I think it’s time for us to take our leave,” Dylan said to Ava, who had her own babe to take care of. “Congratulations, Thomas,” Dylan said, slapping his brother on the back as he walked past him.
“I think it’s time for us to let our daughter rest,” Sorcha said to Elliot as Lorna yawned.
“Aye,” Elliot said, handing the babe back to Lorna. He leaned down and kissed Lorna on her head before he whispered, “thank you for coming home.” Lorna smiled at him as he added, “and for my grandchildren.”
Coming back to Scotland was the best decision Lorna ever made. She was happy to be living at Castle Sween again, and loved having Thomas as a husband. Katie and William thrived in the new country, enjoying the attention of their Grandparents, and new Aunt and Uncle.
“He should be thanking you,” Lorna told Thomas
as he laid down on the bed next to her and pulled her and the bairn close to him.
“Why do you say that?” Thomas asked.
“Because if it wasn’t for you coming to find me,” Lorna said, “I wouldn’t have come back.”
“You would’ve,” Thomas told her, “because we may have lost our way for a bit, but you and I belong together Lorna Grant, and somehow, we were bound to find our way back to each other.”
“Do you believe that?” Lorna asked, snuggling closer.
“Believe it or not, it doesn’t matter,” Thomas told her, “because now that you’re mine, I’ll never let you go..”
“Is that so?” Lorna asked teasingly, “maybe next time I’ll have to run further away.”
“There’s nowhere you could run that I wouldn’t find you,” Thomas said, kissing her head. “In case you haven’t figured it out, I love you, Lorna, more than anything else on this earth. If you ever run again, I’d spend the rest of my life trying to find and retrieve you.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Lorna said, her eyes getting heavy . “I love you, Thomas, and you’re stuck with me.”
“Forever,” Thomas said, kissing her one last time before Lorna closed her eyes
Lorna’s lips curved up as she smiled. This time she had to agree with her husband, he was right; she was exactly where she belonged, in Thomas’s arms, forever.
Thank you for reading “Reclaiming his Bride.” If you have comments, questions, or concerns, you can contact me in the following ways:
Email- [email protected]
Facebook- www.facebook.com/bethnyhauck11
Happy Reading,
Bethany
Reclaiming His Bride Page 12