Page 52 of A Scottish Love Story
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Much later, Roxie opened her eyes to see the full moon lighting her bedroom. She lay contentedly cradled in Ciaran’s arms, as he had held her when they’d slept together in the lorry.
‘Are you awake?’ she whispered.
‘I am, but I don’t want to leave you, not ever.’
‘I know. What time is it?’
‘Two o’clock in the morning.’ He nuzzled the silky warmth of her neck. ‘I don’t want to be walking home across the field when Billy arrives for the milking, but I can’t bring myself to leave you, Roxie.’
‘I-I never dreamed it could be so wonderful,’ she murmured.
‘Wonderful enough for us to do it again before I leave, my lovely lassie?’ he asked, his voice husky with emotion. In answer, Roxie turned to him and kissed him with all the passion a man could desire from the woman he loved.
Sometime later, Ciaran pulled on his clothes with a sigh, thinking it was a long time to wait for their wedding in September, how tied Roxie would be once his mother was homeand how restrained she would feel, knowing his mother was both observant and very perceptive.
‘I will collect you tomorrow afternoon in time for visiting, Roxie,’ he said softly, bending to give her one last lingering kiss.
Chapter 17
About three quarters of an hour before Ciaran was due to collect Roxie, he telephoned to ask if she would visit the hospital on her own.
‘I’m waiting for the vet to come,’ he said. ‘One of the heifers has been calving too long and I can’t help her. I think we shall need a caesarean. Will you visit Mum, Roxie? Tell her I will try to look in tonight before the end of visiting.’
‘I’ll tell her, Ciaran. She will understand. You must attend to the heifer first.’
‘Thanks, Roxie. Can I — can I come round to you after visiting this evening?’
‘Of course you can, if you’re not too tired.’
She blew him a kiss and heard him chuckle, then whisper, ‘You’re a sweetheart and you’re mine,’ before he blew a kiss back to her. Roxie smiled and shook her head. She would never have believed that she, or Ciaran, would act like a pair of teenagers, but it was wonderful to be so happy. Wistfully she thought of her father. She was sure he would have approved of Ciaran and he would have encouraged him to upgrade his dairy herd, maybe even have helped him.
Amy understood Ciaran needed to be there for the vet, as they had known she would.
‘I will phone him on my mobile and tell him not to come tonight,’ she said. ‘Jenny is coming for evening visiting. She says it is easier to see me here than at Oaklands when she lives in town. Donald doesn’t mind babysitting in the evenings. Anyway, I shall see Ciaran when I get home tomorrow. He will be more eager than ever to join us for his midday meals, I suppose?’ she asked with a twinkle in her eye.
‘He will.’ Roxie smiled. ‘What would you like me to cook for your lunch to celebrate your homecoming?’
‘Well, I have had a longing for caramel custard, so light and delicious. I know you make a lovely one. Could we have that? The nurse will be joining us for her meals too. She says we have not to call her nurse, though, because it sounds too official, especially in my own home. Her name is Anne. She came to see me this morning and to get her instructions from Mr Morgan. She seems very pleasant. I think she will be in her late forties or early fifties, perhaps. She has two children at university. I suspect she has had her own share of trouble because she has been a widow for eight years.’
‘I suppose most people have troubles at some time in their lives, but I should think it must be hard to be left with two youngish children to bring up and educate.’
‘Yes, I agree. Mr Morgan told me her husband was a GP and she worked with him as a nurse in the surgery. She still works there a minimum of eight days a month, filling in for other nurses when they are off. Will you mind making lunch for four of us, Roxie?’ Amy asked anxiously.
‘Of course I don’t mind. I shall be cooking anyway. We can’t live on caramel custard, though.’ She smiled mischievously. ‘What else do you fancy?’
‘How about roast chicken? We still have some nice plump chickens in the freezer, haven’t we? The ones the butcher got for us.’
‘We have. I will take one out to thaw as soon as I get back.’
‘I have not had much appetite while I am just sitting or lying all the time. Don’t make a starter for me, but I expect Ciaran will be hungry as usual.’
‘I expect he will, but he will manage very well without his soup if I make some Yorkshire puddings and roast potatoes to fill him up,’ she said cheerfully.
‘Ah, you’re a good lassie, Roxie. You never say anything is too much trouble, or too difficult.’ She reached for Roxie’s handand patted it affectionately. ‘I can’t tell you how much I am looking forward to being home and able to sit up at my own kitchen table again, even though I shall be in a wheelchair for a while.’
‘Mmm, I’d forgotten about that. Your leg will need to be straight out for some time. I will remember and seat Anne next to you instead of on the opposite side of the table. It’s lucky you have a decent-sized table in the kitchen.’
