Page 69 of Wild Scottish Love
“What?” Lia’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Yes, a family. Big or small, it doesn’t matter. But I always dreamed of that. Even more so, I’ve dreamed of having a partner who loved me for me. Who saw me, exactly as I was, and said—I love him. Just like that. A partner who doesn’t want my money or prestige but is happy to be with me and play board games and talk about aliens.”
“Aliens?” Lia said, faintly.
“You’ve met my parents. You see how screwed up they are. They’re cold, unforgiving. My whole life…I’ve desperately wanted something different. I thought it was their approval I needed or wanted, when now I realize it’s just my own approval that I sought all along. I’m not a bad person, Lia. And all I want is a family. I think, well, I think I can find it here, in Loren Brae. With you.”
Lia’s eyes filled, but still, I didn’t dare touch her.
“I don’t need, or want, to go global with my brand. I already make more than enough money, and I love what I’m doing. I like being hands-on, and I love the company that I’ve built, from the ground up. Some things don’t need to become bigger to be better. Common Gin is fine the way it is. You showed me today what family does for each other. I want a life, with you, if you’re willing to take a chance on a future with me.”
“Oh, Munroe,” Lia said, shaking her head, and my heart fell.
“Is that a no?” I asked, my stomach twisting. Maybe I’d read her wrong all along. Maybe I was just a distraction for her until she moved on to the next.
“You want to dream together, don’t you?” Lia whispered, tapping a finger on the book in front of her. I followed her finger to see a recipe for dreams.
“Is that…”
“Yes,” Lia said, gulping a breath. “You see, I’ve never really allowed myself to dream. Not really. I’ve always told myself it was a luxury for other people. But I’m silly, you see? I’d been dreaming all along. I’d been dreaming that Suzette’s would be mine one day, and that dream got stolen from me. It was easier for me to tell myself that dreams weren’t for people like me. But I don’t want to live a life like that. There’s so much…good here. So much promise. The restaurant. The town. The people. You.”
“You were making this recipe, weren’t you?” I asked quietly, hope blooming.
“I was. I don’t care if it’s for me. I haven’t read any rules that say I can’t use magick for myself. And it isn’t like I’m using magick to win the lottery or something. I’m doing this because I know my power and because I choose to use my magick on myself.” Lia lifted that stubborn chin again, and never did I love a woman more.
“By all means, lass, then have at it.”
And so she did, mixing and stirring, and brewing until she poured a golden liquid into a cup and took a deep breath, and then another.
“By the power of fire let it shine bright,
What dreams may come this very night,
Forever on, my heart shall be,
Filled with hope, so mote it be.”
There wasa small flash of light in the cup, the same as the night before, and then Lia held it to her lips. Pausing, she smiled at me.
“I want to dream with you, Munroe.”
It took everything in my power to let her finish the cup, to not reach for her and hold her close for all time, but I’d learned something that day about powerful women.
They needed to come around to things in their own time.
When she’d finished, Lia carefully put down the cup, a luminous glow on her face. I dug in my pocket and held out my hand.
“Will you be wanting this back then?”
“Oh, Munroe.” Lia’s hand came to her neck, shock crossing her face. “It must have fallen when I jumped on the bike. I was in such a hurry. Oh, the chain’s broken. I’m sorry, I’ll have it fixed–”
“I just needed to hear you didn’t throw it away,” I said, putting a finger to her lips to stop the flow of words.
“I can’t wait to dream with you, my glorious Kitchen Witch.” I replaced my finger with my lips, and leaned into the moment, everything quieting around me and my world once more becoming right. When the kiss heightened, I broke it before I took Lia on the prep table with the kitchen doors wide open. Given how often people stopped in to say hello, I wasn’t sure Archie’s poor heart could handle bearing witness to such an event.
“Munroe, look!” Lia said, and I glanced down to see her gaping at her kitchen knife where a third gold band shimmered in the handle. “I did it. I passed the challenges! I’m officially a part of the Order of Caledonia.”
“And together, we’ll save Loren Brae.” I smiled and pulled Lia back into my arms, unwilling to let her be away from me in this moment. “You know, seeing your grasshopper reminded me of an idea that I’ve had. I think I know just the perfect place for the distillery.”