Chapter Thirteen
The Village
Kilt Shopping
Monday
Early Afternoon
Divide and conquer was the plan, and while four of their group was heading to the church to start researching, Finn had a whole other mission to accomplish. He was going to get the Marine hooked up.
As in ready for his wedding.
As they reached the village, they walked side-by-side, and people stared.
Michael wasn’t shocked.
He was a stranger there, and he was also walking with a detective for the local polis.
As far as he was concerned, they could stare. Today was the best day of his life, and he wasn’t going to let anything bring him down.
Riley could kiss his ass.
When he’d been lying in that hospital bed, and he’d told him that he’d never be happy because he was picky and that he should be grateful…
Something in him had been broken.
Finding Graham again had healed him.
“Thank you for doing this with me,” he offered. “I really appreciate it.”
The man patted him on the back.
“No worries,” he offered. “I didn’t just do it out of the kindness of my heart. I have ulterior motives.”
Michael lifted a brow.
“And they are?”
He was honest.
“You’re marrying my best friend. I want to know he’s going to be good, and to get to know you.”
He relaxed.
“I’m an open book. I worked for the Blackhawks, and I love Graham.”
He laughed.
“Worked, huh? So, ya aren’t going back?” he asked.
Honestly, Michael didn’t know. He’d have to talk to Graham and see what he wanted to do. Either way, he was good with it.
He’d miss his family, but he’d create a new one here—since he’d already begun doing that.
“If Graham wants to leave, I’m going. If he wants to stay, I’m staying. The last time, I didn’t have money. Now, I do. I can quit my job and retire.”
Finn let him talk.
“I’m not making the same mistake I made all of those years ago. I thought that I needed to have a bank account big enough to support us. Now, I know the truth. I just needed to have an open heart to support us.”
Finn liked the man.
“You two were made for each other. I can see the genuine love in Graham’s eyes when he looks at you.”
Michael hoped the man saw it in his too.
Because it was there.
“Thank you for taking care of him until I could find my way back,” he stated.
Oh, Finn didn’t mind.
Not.
At.
All.
“Did he tell you about all of the bullshit that went on here?” he asked. “With him trolling for dick?”
Michael nodded.
“I heard about it firsthand. As for me, though, I did the same thing, but not to that extreme. I only got engaged to feel like I had a chance to be with someone. Riley wasn’t that someone. I see that now that I’m back with Graham. He was a shitty replacement.”
Finn understood that.
His ex had NOTHING on Gabby.
“I’ve spent the last month or two trying to clean up after the mess,” Finn admitted. “There are some unsavory characters here that might make your life hellish,” he warned.
Let.
Them.
Try.
If they started shit, he’d finish it. He’d finish it to the point of someone ended up in a hospital. If he saw ANYTHING on a bathroom stall wall about his husband, heads would roll downhill.
Bet on it.
Michael wasn’t playing.
What Graham did was done in distress and trying to hold on long enough to find peace. He wouldn’t let him hurt from that for the rest of his life.
PERIOD.
“I heard,” he admitted. “Graham told me everything, and last night, I found his name and number on the bathroom wall. I removed it, and scared the shit out of someone who was trying to make a date.”
There was no doubt in Finn’s mind that Michael wouldn’t let that shit go on.
The men in this village were in for a shock if they thought it was going to be easy to make Graham suffer.
He’d bet good money on Michael.
Just the size of him alone was enough to intimidate. Add in the rage behind hearing some man talk to Graham like he was a whore?
Oh, boy.
“I’ll try to keep you out of jail. Don’t punch anyone,” he offered.
That made Michael laugh.
“Oh, I’m absolutely punching someone. The first dude that makes mention of my husband’s ass in passing, is going to be eating my boot.”
And it was a big boot.
There was no doubt about that.
“Let them hit you first.”
Michael knew why he was saying it, and he appreciated it, but if he went after someone, they wouldn’t find them again.
He’d police his own crime scene.
For.
Sure.
As they reached the shop where the kilts were made, Finn opened the door for him. Together, they headed inside, and found a younger man waiting to help customers.
“Hey, Aiden,” Finn said, waving to him.
The man headed his way.
“Inspector,” he said. “Are you here for a kilt? Is one of your sisters getting married? I hope not Maisie. I’ve got my eye on her.”
He laughed.
“Son, she’ll chew you up and spit you out. Where’s your dad?”
He laughed.
“He’s taking a late lunch. Mum needed some help at the house. Who is this?”
Finn did the introductions.
“This is Michael Graves, and he’s marrying today. We need a rush on a kilt. What can you do to make that happen?”
The man walked around him.
“I think I can pull something together. He’s bulky but we have some things that will definitely work. You’ll need a ghillie shirt, a sporran, a waist coat, kilt pin, and a fly plaid.”
Michael had no freaking clue what any of that was, but he knew he’d have to trust Finn to handle it. His outfit was in his hands.
The man was Scottish, so it should be a no-brainer, right?
Or so he hoped because he was only getting married once.
“Who is the lad marrying?” he asked as he began measuring the width of Michael’s chest.
“Uh, the lad is standing right here and can actually carry on a conversation,” he added.
Finn laughed.
“My bad, Michael. Let me do the introductions. Aiden, this is Michael Graves, and he’s marrying Graham Lainey.”
As soon as he said the name, the younger man’s hand stopped, and he glanced up.
“The guy in the castle?”
Michael lifted a brow.
Oh, he dared him to add onto that sentence to see exactly how angry a Marine could get.
Finn handled it.
“Yes, MY BEST FRIEND.”
Wisely, Aiden said nothing that he was thinking, and that was for the best.
“I see. Is there a specific color tartan you’re interested in, Mr. Graves?” he asked.
Michael was a simple man.
“It’s for a wedding, so black would be fine,” he offered, not having family colors or a crest.
Hell!
He wasn’t sure Graves was his last name, or if the nun gave him that name too.
Aiden glanced over at Finn.
“Black?” he asked.
Finn helped him.
“I think he’d look good in the black and gray plaid. It’s more his thing.”
The young man just nodded.
When he walked away to go get the material, Michael was curious.
“What color is Graham’s kilt?” he asked.
He should probably know that.
“Well, lad, he wears the colors of the Black Watch. So, the colors in the flag. Dark green, dark blue, and there is black striping. What is your ethnicity?” Finn asked, just making small talk as they looked at kilt pins.
“My ancestors are English. I don’t know too much more. I was abandoned as a newborn with some nuns.”
Finn listened.
“Like I said, nuns named me. I am not one hundred percent sure Graves is legitimately my family name.”
He patted him on the back.
“Well, when you marry Graham, you can take his colors and make them yours—or you keep black. It’s a popular color for non-Scottish wearers.”
He would think about that. Honestly, he couldn’t imagine himself wearing kilts all that often. Then again, he had to go to Gryphen and Ian’s wedding at the castle.
When Aiden headed his way, he had the material for the kilt skirt, and some jackets with it.
“What color will you be getting the kilt jacket in?” he asked.
Immediately, his eye went to the gray.
“That one.”
The man just nodded.
“We need to go to a fitting room so we can try them on. Is this formal or not-so-formal?” he asked.
“The wedding isn’t formal. It’s with a judge. I wish I could do it somewhere nicer…”
Finn held up his hand.
“Give us a minute, Aiden,” he said.
When the man headed away, Finn kept his voice low so no one would overhear them.
“Hear me out, Laddie.”
He would.
“Why don’t you do it in the courtyard behind the castle?” he asked. “I can call Gabby, and have her delay them. She can run interference, and you can make it memorable.”
He blinked.
“Really?”
He nodded.
“Graham needs this as much as you do. You go get yourself ready, and I’ll go make another call.”
He hugged the man.
It was so unexpected, that Finn was mashed against his big body as he patted his back.
“Woah, big man. Don’t kill the smaller messenger,” he joked.
He stared into his eyes.
“Thank you for loving Graham and always thinking about him.”
He brushed that off.
“Laddie, I’ve loved him as my brother since we were young. I grew up in a house with all women. My Pa and I were drowning in pantyhose and makeup. Graham was my escape.”
And Michael was grateful for that.
“Go. I’ll arrange it.”
When Michael went off to the dressing rooms to get fitted, Finn pulled out his phone and dialed his fiancé.
She answered immediately.
“I’m almost done scanning,” she said, “and then, we’re on our way to the village.”
He was glad he caught her.
“I need a favor.”
She paused.
“Uh, okay?”
“Are you alone?” he asked.
She giggled.
“Why, Mr. McKnight, are you fancying yourself a little phone sex?” she teased.
It made him blush.
And it made him grateful his fiancé was a hellion. That made his life a lot more fun.
“I was thinking more about surprising Graham. Michael wants to marry him in the courtyard. Can you stall? Maybe tell them that there is a tie-up at the kilt store. Tell them we’ll be late?”
She giggled again, but this time because she was going to be an accomplice.
“Oh, I’m in. What do you need?”
He was to the point.