Page 24 of Never Kiss a Scot
O chi, chi mi na coireachan
Chi mi na sgoran fo cheo.
Chi mi gun dail an t-aite ’s an d’rugadh mi
Cuirear orm failt’s a’ chanain a thuigeas mi
Gheibh mi ann aoidh abus gradh ’n uair ruigeam
Nach reicinn air thunnaichean oir.
His Gaelic was sweet and melancholy.
“What does it mean?” she asked and yawned a little. His hand continued to rub her back, and his body heat seemed to spread through her own cold limbs. This time he sang the song again, only in English so she would understand.
Oh, roe, soon shall I see them, oh,
Hee-roe, see them, oh see them.
Oh, roe, soon shall I see them,
the mist-covered mountains of home!
There shall I visit the place of my birth.
They’ll give me a welcome the warmest on earth.
So loving and kind, full of music and mirth,
the sweet-sounding language of home.
There shall I gaze on the mountains again.
On the fields, and the hills, and the birds in the glen.
With people of courage beyond human ken!
In the haunts of the deer I will roam.
Hail to the mountains with summits of blue!
To the glens with their meadows of sunshine and dew.
To the women and the men ever constant and true,
Ever ready to welcome one home!
His deep voice, the baritone that was as smooth as brandy, lulled her into a light sleep, dreaming of misty mountains and heather-covered fields.
My new home…
9
Brock woke just after dawn. He glanced down the length of his body with a slow smile. Joanna was pressed flush against him, her womanly curves fitting his body in a way that made him tighten with hunger, but he pushed aside the natural arousal that came from holding a beautiful woman in his arms. There would be plenty of time for that later, once they were married. She was still nervous, as was he. He vowed that when he took Joanna to his bed, they would be far more acquainted and comfortable with one another. Soon they would be tied together for the rest of their lives, yet they barely knew each other. Marriages like this were common enough, of course, but Rosalind had been right. He wanted to know his wife, wanted to truly understand her, and he hoped she felt the same about him.
He carefully slipped from her arms and wrapped her up in the rest of his coat before he walked away to relieve himself. When he returned to the grove, he untied the horses and took them to the meadow to graze on the grass there. Once he was satisfied that the horses were fed, he tied them once more and dug through the saddlebag he’d packed the previous night until he found the flask of ale and the bit of bread and cheese he’d wrapped up in a cloth.
He kept an eye on his future bride, chuckling as she slept. Her nose wrinkled, and she murmured something in her sleep, her lips curving in a little smile. Whatever she was dreaming about must have been good. The thought filled him with relief. He hadn’t wanted to force her to sleep on the cold, hard ground like this, but they had little choice. She was showing such bravery and courage, he could scarcely contain his pride.
