105

The church was stunningly beautiful, soft piano music drifting towards them as small flower girls littered the aisle with petals and confetti. Rose felt emotion tug at her throat, watching them as tears filled her eyes. Rob’s hand in hers tightened, showing he felt the same way and she squeezed it back. Catching his eye to smile wholeheartedly.

Hamish appeared at the door, handsome in his kilt, sliding his hand into the awaiting crook of the blushing brides awaiting arm and began to bring her forward. Tears evident on both of their faces. He leant down to kiss her cheek before he led the way more purposely, muttering words about her beauty into the hushed room and elegant aisle. The sweep of her gown as they began to ascend was heard in the complete silence as she moved into the room, a breath-taking sight. The hushed tones of the small gathering inside the crammed room began as she walked in, held securely in Hamish’s strong arm and compliments could be heard being uttered all around. She truly looked stunning.

Soft music began to sway over them from a speaker in the far corner, only adding to the beautiful atmosphere and the romance of this very moment, Rose held her breath, her throat aching with emotion. It was magical.

There were more people outside who could not fit in, straining heads in the open doors to see and once again hushed silence as she moved in time to the beautiful soft music.

Abby looked stunningly beautiful. The ivory dress accentuating her peachy blushed skin and green glittering eyes, swept up hair in her long lace veil made her look so young and innocent, so ethereal. Everyone looking at her was mesmerised to how beautiful a bride she made, and Duncan could barely conceal his emotion as he stood at the altar.

Rob leant in, his arm around Rose’s waist and kissed her lightly on the back of her exposed shoulder, both of them warmed by the memory of their own wedding several weeks before. The memory of its perfection still bringing goosebumps to her skin as Abby’s father walked her towards the man who would now be her partner and protector in life. Rose felt a huge surge of deepest pride and emotion, almost the feeling one would have for a sister getting married. Abby and Duncan looked perfect together.

Duncan was overcome with emotion completely when she reached him, unable to tear his gaze from his blushing bride and stop the tears forming. His normally soft face a little rosy and unsure, fear that he would wake up and find all of this was nothing more than a dream. He looked tall and handsome, his large upper form skimmed in tailored black and sporting a traditional kilt with his family tartan. The room hushed, listening intently to the beautiful words through their vows and the magic of the ceremony.

* * *

The hall was alive and bustling with the guests chattering animatedly, the meal had been served and cutlery and chinking glasses filled the air with a messy kind of harmony. A hum of conversation and low music in the air. Rose couldn’t help but glance towards the newlyweds along the table, their love for each other obvious as Duncan tried to feed Abby some of his food in a hopeless romantic way. Unaware of the eyes on them and warm smiles they were receiving.

Rose arched her back lightly, feeling that familiar strain and lower pain and sighing loudly as she tried to release the pressure a little. Rob’s hand immediately went to her back and he smoothed it down instinctively, massaging it lightly, finding the source of her discomfort with practiced hands.

‘You okay? Do you need to go lay down?’ The concern in his voice made her love him even more than she already did.

‘I’m fine. Just stiff from sitting here.’ She smiled at him, relaxing forward in the chair as he rubbed out the knots in her lower back.

‘We could go for a walk in the garden. Let you stretch out and get some air.’ He was frowning at her, always overly concerned with her welfare and it only made her smile.

‘Honestly I’m fine... I’ll just be glad when this is no longer in my way.’ She pointed down at the bulging belly below her, feeling that surge of protective instinct and running her hand over the bump affectionately. His hand moved up to caress it too, stopping with a smile at the familiar flicker and lurch under the skin of a kick. His eyes full of pride and warm emotion.

‘She’s going to be like her mother.’ He raised his eyebrows, smiling widely. ‘Already a kicker.’

‘More like her fiery aunt Abby!’ Rose laughed. ‘Seriously Rob, I’m okay.’ She reached up, running finger tips across his face and trying to smooth away that concerned frown. ‘She’s not due for a few weeks yet silly.’

He had been treating her with kid gloves lately, even more so since she had taken that pregnancy test that morning. Her ‘sickness bug’ lingering for way longer than most bugs lasted. Feeling tired and emotional for days on end and reacting irrationally over the smallest tiny things. They had put it down to the emotional strain she had still been feeling at first, but the sudden need to start eating weird food concoctions had started Alice raising the suspicion. Particularly the morning she had almost run to the fridge in desperation for pickled onion juice.

They had sat tensely in the bathroom, waiting on that stick to change colour, neither talking, sitting facing each other, him on the bath edge and her on the toilet seat. Their wedding up in the air and mid-planned at that time, unsure if she was going to need a bigger dress. Unsure if they needed to move the dates forward or back, neither sure they were even ready for this little surprise. When Rob turned it over, grabbing at the box to check the result chart on the back, he broke into a huge grin, all doubts and uncertainty erased in one final sweeping realisation he was about to become a father. Scooping her up and swinging her around the bathroom, which of course had resulted in her sudden need to throw up. Rose had been reeling in shock and it had taken her far longer than him to come to terms with it.

Here they were now. Weeks of hormonal tears, tantrums, smiles and crazy cravings, that had him out at two am in the morning fetching her food sporadically. Proudly obvious, happily married and almost nearing the arrival of their unexpected baby. Their surprise little miracle. Rose could not have planned this life, but she couldn’t have asked for it to be any more perfect.

When the staff were moving tables and clearing the dancefloor, her parents appeared, the same clucking and fluffing around her that Rob annoyingly displayed.

Did she need a seat? A walk? A cushion? Did she make sure not to eat any of the seafood at dinner? Or the peanuts? Did she want to take a nap or put her feet up? Her mother could come sit with her. Rob could give her a message if her back was sore. Her dad could fetch her some fruit juice. Or a footstool.

For the love of god!

They were driving her slowly mad, but she knew they all meant well, and the irritation had long subsided, replaced with heavy sighs. Complacent with this temporary reality, she would have to get used to this now.

Her parents were in the planning stage of selling their house to move here. The cottage a good place to settle in while they looked for a home of their own in the surrounding land, one with room for many grandchildren. They had already been working on Rob, convincing him that siblings should be born close in age and all in a row; obviously the more the merrier so when they grew up Rose and he could have an early retirement, still young enough to enjoy life. It had made her grimace when she had seen him agreeing and cast him a warning look and a haughty glare.

Let her get through this one pregnancy first and at least try her hand at motherhood before planning on knocking her right back up.

Her parents wanted to be close. They wanted to see the children grow up. They wanted to help and have a part in the lives of the future mini Munro’s.

Rob pulled her close for the first slow dance after Abby and Duncan graced the floor. A romantic melody the new couple had chosen, locked eye to eye, arms entwined and lost only in the closeness of each other. Rose slid easily into Rob’s strong arms, a practiced motion, as natural as breathing, her head leaning against his shoulder and sighing contentedly. Turning her belly slightly to the side so she could lean into him.

‘I love you Mr Munro.’ She sighed happily and almost sunk her full weight into him.

‘I love you more, Mrs Munro.’ He kissed her on top of her head tenderly.

‘Doubtful!... I know I have been a hormonal maniac lately.’

Rob lifted her chin with his finger and moved down to gently kiss her mouth tenderly, that ever surge of heat between them threatening to raise up even here on the dancefloor even when surrounded by family and friends.

‘It’s kept thinks interesting, kept me on my feet and never bored honey.’

Rose reached up, kissing him again, this time with more purpose, his first grazing of lips had ignited her fire and she wanted more satisfaction than just affectionate kisses. She kissed him seductively and he responded willingly, a soft moan escaping from her throat as she moved against him a little more intently. He pulled away, his eyes beginning to twinkle with amusement, clouding his own desire and smiling widely at her.

‘Surely not Rose?’ He frowned good humoredly and brought his nose down to meet hers, laughing softly at her eternally high libido lately.

‘I can’t help it.’ She laughed. ‘It’s the hormones!’ She shrugged and allowed her hand to smooth over that perfect six pack and up to those hard pecks a little more longingly.

‘Woman! Lately, you have been insatiable. Even I’m struggling to keep up and that’s really saying something!’

‘Have I worn you out?’ She looked mockingly concerned and just continued to let her hand wander over him.

‘Nah, I’m made of sterner stuff than that.’ He grinned once again, dropping a kiss on her lips. This time, she moved up to him, making it more passionate, insistent that she wanted more than just loving caresses.

‘I should hope so.‘ She whispered, nudging him suggestively, her eyes pleading like a child.

‘It’s my sister’s wedding!’ Rob laughed again and shook his head softly, she could already tell she was winning, his arms moving around her firmly and eyes changing to more solid grey.

‘Never stopped us before.’ She grinned back. Both fully aware of sneaking off at their own wedding to fornicate in his old office wildly and loudly several weeks back. Like hunger starved maniacs after a bout of her inability to do anything but sleep or lay down in bed for weeks. Her morning sickness finally subsiding for the big day.

He looked around, trying to see how easy their exit would be amid a room of people who were way too interested in them.

‘You’re going to be the death of me.’ He only half meant it and was already in the process of hatching an escape plan. Equally burning for her now and equally unable to push down the amount of lust burning through his blood, she ignited this response in him way too easily.

‘Is that a yes?’ She bit her lip seductively, raising an eyebrow as she watched his face cave. She knew that he would never turn her down, she had way more will power than him when it came to hot wild sex.

‘Start a marriage as you mean to go on.’ He winked, sliding her hand into his and turning from the floor. ‘Maybe you should feign some sort of pregnant swoon, make it easier to get out unsuspiciously.’ He glanced at her, looking her over speculatively.

‘Why can’t we just sneak away, like we always do?’ Rose pouted. He glanced down again, this time at her round belly and raised obvious eyebrows.

‘Not quite as nimble and easy to push into dark corners lately my love.’ He grinned cheekily.

‘Hey!’ She mock slapped his arm. ‘What are you saying? That I’m fat?’ Rose frowned at him with a fierce look, not serious but not entirely joking either.

‘Whoa! Don’t put words in my mouth. Not fat baby. Never! Just fragile and keeping our baby warm, and not so quick at exits anymore when we want to go be naughty in dark rooms.’

Rose had to agree, it was hard not to waddle lately, she felt like her lower body was one huge round beach ball. She could barely see her toes anymore when she looked down and graceful manoeuvring was near impossible.

He led her across the hall, making small apologies to well-wishers, excusing his wife.

She needed to lay down, ahh yes, the baby was making her tired. Yup not long now to go. Yes, very excited about its arrival. Nope, no names picked yet.

Rose kept her mouth shut, sure she would give the game away or break into giggles at least, impatient and squeezing his hand to tell him to hurry up. The sea of people who always greeted the couple nowadays, the tidal wave of congratulations and warm hugs, only made Rose more frantic and horny. Pulling at him restlessly as the minutes wore on.

He was really trying to get them out of there, but the place was mobbed, and they still held celebrity status for these people. He cast her an apologetic look and finally managed to slide her into a locked room, far enough away from the party not to be heard and amazingly unseen.

‘Finally!’ She laughed, feeling his hands go to her hips and his mouth finding her easily, hitting her with a passionate kiss.

‘Rose?’

‘Hmmmm?’ She was kissing his neck, pulling off his tie and unbuttoning his shirt absentmindedly. Impatient to feel him against her.

‘Maybe I should leave this on.’ He pointed down at his colourful kilt and sporran and she laughed.

‘Maybe...Laird Munro. You should shut up and stop making me wait!’

How could he argue with that?

The End