Healer's Touch by Christen Stovall & Jennifer Sanders

Author:Christen Stovall & Jennifer Sanders
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Boundless Fantasy
Published: 2022-04-06T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

Jump the fire

Ross watched Elsie laughing and smiling as the people of the clan—their clan—embraced her. As frustrated as he was by the interruption, he couldn’t begrudge the sheer joy on her face. Every so often she’d look up from a conversation and search until she spotted him. Then her smile would go impossibly warm and bright, and Ross felt his heart swell until it seemed to grow too large for his chest. He’d return her smile with one of his own, without knowing or caring who saw it.

Tankards of cider were passed around; after a while the children were borne off to bed and the stories and jokes being exchanged grew slightly more off-color. Across the way Ross watched Elsie talking animatedly with Caitlin, her cheeks pink in the heat of the fire’s glow.

Another hour passed and then the elderly folk of the clan made their way back inside, abandoning the younger people to their fun. The fire had burned well down now, save for embers and a few rogue flames. Darragh nudged Ross. “Now we’re to it,” he said with a broad grin. “Think you can leap the bonfire?”

Ross turned to Darragh, amused but slightly bewildered. “Why would I jump over a bonfire? Is testing my skill in tending burns part of becoming a member of the clan?”

The Scotsman chuckled. “Nay. We take care enough, but it’s tradition for our clan, y’see. Good luck for the coming season.” Ross looked back to the fire, which was being raked out carefully, leaving a narrow space of embers. Twigs were thrown atop these, but the resulting flames were both short and short-lived. “Come on, then—we’ll show you how it’s done.”

“In all my years of friendship with George Maclaren, he has never once mentioned jumping over a fire for luck,” Ross said, laughing as he followed Darragh closer to the fire. “I think you’re having a go at me.”

“‘Tis most often done on May Day,” Darragh allowed. “But the Stewart bade us build a fire t’celebrate you, in thanks for saving his bairn. There,” he gestured with his tankard, “is the fire, and here we are, and so jump we must. Watch.” He handed Ross his tankard to hold and went over to where Caitlin and Elsie stood.

After a brief bow to Elsie, Darragh scooped up his laughing wife and took a run at the fire, leaping high and fine with his woman in his arms. They landed safely, and Caitlin took his face between her hands and kissed him thoroughly to the music of catcalls and hoots. Red-faced but beaming, Darragh returned to Ross and relieved him of his drink. “There now. Are you a Scot, or are you not?”

Ross looked at Darragh, then to the fire. “As me old granny used to say,” he broadened his accent, “if you’re lucky enough to be Irish, you’re lucky enough. That being said,” he shrugged, brought his tankard to his lips and tipped his head back, draining the remainder all at once.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.