Total pages in book: 11
Estimated words: 9947 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 50(@200wpm)___ 40(@250wpm)___ 33(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 9947 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 50(@200wpm)___ 40(@250wpm)___ 33(@300wpm)
I nod. I hate that our Christmas celebration could be ruined by this, but it seems the only way, really.
“We look after our own,” Keenan says. Nolan looks up and nods, and one by one, every one of the men of the Clan do as well. I squeeze his hand. Even though we all know this to our very bones, it’s good to have the reminder.
Maeve returns to the dining room as the staff begins to clear the dishes.
“Now, then, Granny’s got a game for you all,” she says with a teasing glint in her eyes, and the children race after her. But I don’t miss the way her forehead creases with worry.
“Brothers,” Keenan says, when the children have all gone with Maeve into the sitting room. We all wait in watchful silence.
“Malachy hasn’t returned anyone’s calls. Tiernan and Faidha saw him at school before they came here and he said he’d be right behind them.” A somber silence fills the room. He looks out the window. “He should’ve been here an hour ago. It’s snowing out there, and the roads must be icy. We owe it to him to form a search party.”
Lachlan is the first to get to his feet. “We do. There’s safety in numbers, and if three of us go out, we’re sure to find them if they’re in distress.”
“Three?” Keenan says with a nod.
“Aye, sir,” Lachlan responds. “Tully has to stay here. The children need Santa to stay as well. And the fewer that go, the more the evening can go on as planned.”
Keenan scowls but nods. He knows Lachlan’s right.
“I’ll go with Carson and Cormac.” Lachlan looks to Nolan. “You and Keenan have to stay. Keenan because he’s chief, and Nolan because Maeve will have my head if anything comes to her youngest son.”
Nolan rolls his eyes, but Keenan doesn’t protest.
“Thanks for volunteering me,” Cormac says with a wink. He’s teasing, as he’d be the first to volunteer. He’s already heading to getting his coat.
“I’d prefer to go myself,” Keenan begins, but I reach for his hand.
“That’s not a possibility, Keenan,” I tell him. “It’s so much better for all if you stay here.”
He looks out the window at the swirls of icy snow, the sound of the wind whistling outside noticeable even from here, in this large, sturdy room.
“You’ll find them,” I whisper in his ear. “I know you will.”
CHAPTER 3
Keenan
I call Malachy again, not surprised when it goes straight to voicemail again.
“Come, sweetheart,” Caitlin says in her gentle way, her hand on my arm. “Let’s go visit with Santa and the children.”
It was a night just like this one, all the men of the Clan assembled in joyous wonder, as we celebrated a victorious year and another one yet to come, when my father pulled me aside and told me to prepare to take the throne as Chief. That time came sooner than we both likely expected. But he’d prepared me.
“Have a good drink,” Caitlin says, but as I watch mam playing games with the children, their laughter and joy filling the cozy room, my conscience plagues me.
I’m the Chief. And I just sent my men into the cold and unknown without me by their side. It doesn’t feel right.
“Ack, Keenan, you’re a mile away,” Maeve says. “Come sit and play pin-the-nose-on-the-reindeer.” There’s literally nothing I’d like to do less right now.
“I’m good, thanks.”
Mam nods and gets to her feet. Her eyes look distant, and she bites her lip as she looks at the storm outside. She walks to my side and peers out into the darkness, her hand over her eyes to block out the light.
“When I spoke to him this morning, he said he—”
“You spoke to him this morning?”
Her eyes widen as she turns away from the window and looks at me.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt you.”
She nods. “It’s alright. I was just saying I spoke to Malachy this morning, and he was planning on leaving with Daniel straight away after school.”
“Right.”
Why was she talking to Malachy this morning?
“He had a bit of work he was doing at the school. You know they had someone repaving and fixing the steps and bricks at the entrance.”
I nod slowly. How does she know all this? Caitlin’s eyes twinkle at me, and I swear she looks as if she’s going to burst out laughing.
What on earth?
“Right.”
“So we had to make sure—”
“We?”
She blinks. “Aye, Keenan. I went to pay him a visit.”
I’m perplexed. It makes no sense to me that she’s been to see him, that she knows more about his whereabouts and doings than I do.
“Why?” I ask, and to my surprise, Caitlin rolls her eyes.
What am I missing here?
“Granny!” Little Eleanor tugs on mam’s hand and drags her back over to the game. “Look, Granny, he’s cheating!”
I turn to Caitlin, and she only shakes her head.