Series Epilogue #4
Scott had to tilt his head back a little to meet Mackennon’s gaze. He reluctantly shook his hand. He then dropped it and curled his lip at me. “Last time I checked, it wasn’t lunch break.”
“You might want to watch your tone when you’re talking to my wife,” Mac warned quietly.
Oh, shit.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me. That’s twice you’ve addressed her aggressively.”
“Mackennon.”
My husband cut me an annoyed look, but I shook my head, then turned to Scott. “They just popped by. They’re not staying.”
“Mummy away?” Skye rested her hand on my cheek, and I had to fight back emotion.
“I need you here and focused today,” Scott said, softening his tone a little.
“I am here.”
“My fault,” Mackennon offered, still glowering at Scott. “We just dropped by. We’ll get out of your hair.”
“Yes, do. A construction site is no place for a baby.” Scott turned on his heel and marched away.
“Well, he’s a plucking flick,” Mackennon muttered, making me laugh.
He’d started substituting curse words for silly words around Skye, and it was hilarious coming out of his mouth. Gathering he meant fucking prick, I murmured my agreement and kissed Skye’s cheek.
“But he’s right. Sorry, I shouldn’t have dropped by without notice. I just …” Mackennon stepped into me. “I’m worried about you.”
“I love you.” I leaned into him. “It’s just that I miss you guys, that’s all. Scott isn’t exactly Prince Charming, and I’m … I just miss you. I’ll be okay, though, eh, Skye Pie? You’ll see Mummy when I get home tonight and we’ll read Zog?” I referred to her favorite book.
“Aye,” she said before chewing on the ear of her favorite teddy bear.
“Come on, sweet pea.” Mackennon reached for her, and Skye, suddenly realizing what was happening, began to cry. It started as a soft whimper as she cried, “No, no, no!” repeatedly and then she was full-on screaming.
Tears filled my eyes as Mackennon took her, and I saw the worry and regret in his.
“I’m sorry, darlin’.” I heard him over her mournful sobs. “I shouldn’t have brought her here.”
“It was a nice thought,” I promised him, even as I strained to hold back my own tears. I smoothed a hand over my daughter’s back as she buried her face in Mackennon’s throat. “Mummy will be home soon, Skye Pie.” My words caught.
I waited, biting my lip to hold back more emotion as Mac put our still-crying daughter into the car seat and closed the door.
He strode over to me, clasped my face in his hands, and pressed a hard kiss to my mouth.
When he pulled back, those dark eyes stared intensely into mine.
“Whatever will make you happy is what we’ll do, but never feel guilty for wanting your career.
As for that prick over there, I want to know if he gives you any hassle. ”
I smirked sadly at him. “I have to fight my own battles, Mackennon.”
“Okay. But remember, I’m always here when you need me to fight them with you.”
“I know. I love you.”
“I love you too. Skye will be fine. I’ll take her to see the horses outside Caelmore, and that will cheer her up. You’ll be home before she knows it.”
Covering his hands with mine, I whispered, “I feel like I’m missing everything.”
“You’re not,” he promised. “You’re showing our daughter what it means to balance being a loving, caring mother and strong, capable, successful woman. Because that’s what you want for her, right?”
My husband always made me feel better. “Thank you.”
He gave me another quick kiss. “See you at home, darlin’.”
While Mackennon had taken the edge off my guilt and sadness, as I watched him reverse and drive away with Skye, I could feel the panicked melancholy push in at my edges.
“Arrochar!”
Scott’s voice sent indignation rushing through me.
If I was going to sacrifice time with my daughter for this job, then it would not be under these circumstances.
Marching toward my project manager, I only stopped once there were inches between us, and I said calmly but sternly, “If you ever speak to me in that tone again, I will file a complaint against you. If you ever undermine my decisions again, I will file a complaint against you. Every time you step out of line with me, Scott, I am going to be there with HR on your arse, making your life miserable. Because I will not let an arrogant misogynist ruin a job that I love, a job I happen to be bloody excellent at. Are we clear?”
Scott blinked at me, stunned. Then he sneered, “If anyone should put in a complaint, it should be me. Your husband and daughter here? On a construction site. Really?”
Enough.
“Try me,” I hissed in his face. “Try pushing me, Scott. Because I’m done taking your shit, and I’ve faced bigger and badder in this job, believe me, and I came out winning.
In fact, let’s just put this to rest. The next project that comes up, I will make sure you and I are not on it together.
Until then, we have to deal with each other.
I can be professional. Can you?” I walked away, striding toward two of my fellers to discuss progress.
I left Scott gaping like a goldfish behind me.
The next morning, I woke up to the relief of knowing it was a Saturday.
What I didn’t wake up to was my husband’s warm, hard body wrapped around mine.
Grumbling under my breath, I threw off the covers and got up, thinking Skye must have woken him.
I hit the remote on our blinds and they rose, letting the dull morning light spill into the room.
The clouds hung low over the North Sea beyond our windows, and I cursed the imminent rain because I’d planned to take Skye to the petting zoo at John O’Groats today. It was a bit of a journey, but she was great in the car.
Padding down the hall in my slippers, I peeked into her bedroom and found it empty.
As I drew closer to the stairs, I heard Skye’s giggles and Mackennon’s deep murmur.
What I hadn’t expected when I descended into our open-plan living and kitchen area was to discover sheets draped over furniture, creating lots of tents.
Mackennon and Skye were nowhere in sight.
Laughter bubbled on my lips. “And what’s all this?”
“Is that Mum?” Mackennon’s voice sounded from beneath a sheet between the armchair and sofa.
“Mummy!” Skye squealed. “Mummy, hide!”
Grinning, I followed her voice and got down on my hands and knees. Sure enough, inside the makeshift tent, Skye hobbled along on wobbly legs back and forth to collect toys she’d scattered everywhere. Mackennon laid on his back as Skye rested her toys along his torso, one by one.
“What is going on in here?”
Skye turned with a squeal and beamed at me, her arms flapping excitedly. “Mummy!” She hurried toward me and I crawled quickly in her direction because she wasn’t entirely stable on her feet yet. I caught her, turning to fall on my back so I could lift her in the air above me.
Her delighted giggles spilled over me as I rested her on my tummy and tickled her gorgeous wee belly. After our laughter died down, she said, “Mummy, see!” and proceeded to show me how she was displaying her toys on her very patient father.
I crawled over to Mackennon and kissed him. “Good morning.”
He grinned. “Morning.”
“What is all this, then?”
“I was trying to keep her entertained so you could sleep in,” he explained.
I kissed him again, longer, until Skye cried, “Mummy, no!”
As I pulled back, Mackennon grumbled, “She’s a wee rock blocker.”
Chuckling, I sat up. “She is that. Has she had breakfast?”
“Wouldn’t eat anything,” he said, placing one of her toys back on his chest after it fell off.
“Daddy, no.” Skye took the teddy bear and placed it a few inches left of where he had.
“That was me told then.”
Laughter trembled on my lips. “I’m going to make us all some breakfast. We’ll eat it in here, I think. Do you want to eat your breakfast in the tent, Skye Pie?”
“Aye.”
I shook my head with a grin. “What about you, Daddy?”
Mackennon rested his hands behind his head, his biceps flexing in a way I felt between my legs. “Whatever you’re having, darlin’.”
“Scrambled eggs on toast?”
“Sounds good.”
A while later, I returned with a snack plate for Skye with the dry cereal she liked, a wee drop of scrambled egg, some cut-up banana and strawberries, and a veggie smoothie Mac had devised that she actually enjoyed.
Skye reluctantly allowed Mackennon to sit up, and he did so, hunched over beneath the tent.
And even though he couldn’t be the most comfortable, he ate his breakfast and coffee like that, while I ate mine between feeding Skye.
That day, we did go to the petting zoo after all.
When a goat frightened her, Skye burst into tears and reached for me, wanting her mummy.
It reminded me that children went through phases and just because I wasn’t with her every second of the day didn’t mean she didn’t need me or didn’t feel my love.
I knew my working mum’s guilt would never fully dissipate, but I held on to Mackennon’s words of wisdom and vowed to fully enjoy the time I had with my daughter.
At around seven that night, after a long day out, Skye drifted off to sleep.
We’d had a rough first nine months with her, both of us shattered every day from lack of sleep, but around the ten-month mark, she started to sleep regularly, which was more than I could say for her cousin and half-niece, Vivien, who still wasn’t sleeping wonderfully.
I came downstairs from putting Skye to bed after reading Room on the Broom to her, feeling much, much lighter than I had the day before.
Mackennon was sprawled on the couch, watching an action flick on low volume, and he lifted his arm for me. I settled in beside him, cuddled into his side, tangling my legs with his. His fingers drifted through my hair as he commented, “You seem in a better mood today.”
“I am.” I kissed his chest. “I had words with Scott yesterday, and I think he got the message. Then I spent a brilliant day with my husband and daughter, and she drifted off to sleep, no problem. It’s been a good day.”