36. Malcolm
Malcolm
“This doesn’t look like a sheep farm,” Makenna says with a grin as we pull into the car park for the Highland Folk Museum.
“Surprise! Rabbie suggested we stop here on the way.” The farm we’ll be visiting later belongs to my cousin, Rabbie, and while I know Makenna will love it there, this museum will likely be the highlight of the day.
“This is amazing! I’d actually wanted to come here but forgot when we were making our plans. Thank you.”
“Aye, of course, lass. I was afraid we wouldn’t see enough old things at the farm today, so, really, we had to come here to make sure you meet your quota.”
Makenna huffs a laugh, and I look over at her after I park. She has the same sparkle in her eyes I’ve seen there all morning. She may not have said anything back to me, but she really didn’t have to. She’s clearly feeling things, and it’s got me feeling like a dog with two tails.
We follow a trail into the open-air museum, passing through the woods dotted with wooden animal carvings, each one drawing excitement from Makenna.
After a particularly exuberant display brought on by a wooden pine marten, I take her hand in mine and she stills.
She turns, looks down at our hands, then up at me with the bonniest wee smile.
“That’s really nice.”
“Aye. It is.”
We continue into the part of the museum which is like stepping into a Scottish Highland village from the 1700s. We see, and go into, houses built from the materials around them. Wood, stone, grass, and moss. Peat fires, work tools, and kitchen items, make the homes look as if someone lives in them.
“This is amazing,” Makenna says, squeezing my hand. “I’ve been to similar places back home, but they seemed slightly more modern than this. I love it.”
“And here I was, worried you’d hate it.”
After a couple hours of handholding, and every excuse under the sun to touch, we head back to my car.
So many times, I’ve looked over at Makenna in awe that this is happening.
She did what I never expected her to do and asked about my feelings.
I couldn’t be happier she did. I was prepared to give her time, but our time is running short, so I’m glad she jumped when she did.
So, so glad.
We packed up and left the treehouse behind this morning, so for lunch, we had a car picnic with the food we had left over. I hadn’t been able to find any information about gluten-free options near the museum, so I made sure we had enough food to bring with us.
Makenna extensively photographed the museum, including a proof-of-life photo for her mom where she posed as if she lived in one of the homes. She raises her phone now to document our car picnic, capturing both of us in the frame.
“Will you send that one to me? And the one you sent your mom? And any of the ones you’re in?”
Makenna grins. “Of course. Would you like any of the ones I took of you?”
“Nah, I see enough of myself. Also, it would be a waste of time to remember this day with a photo you weren’t in.”
Makenna laughs and looks at her phone. “No service. Remind me later.”
“Will do.” I back out of my space, then take her hand in mine. “Ready to see the sheep?”
“For real this time?” She acts like she had really been put out by this delay.
I know better.
“For real this time.”
I climb down out of the back of Rabbie’s truck, and brush debris from my breeks. The dogs, who accompanied me on our journey to the pasture sit, patiently awaiting their master’s orders.
“Good doggies.”
“Made some friends back there?” Makenna asks, joining me. She rode up in the cab with Rabbie.
“Oh, aye. I know this one”—I point to the dog who leaned against me for the entire ride, who is now keeping one eye on me and one on Rabbie from her perch in the back of the truck—“on a deep, personal level.”
Makenna grins and turns to Rabbie. “What’s this dog’s name?”
“That’s Skye. I’ve had her the longest of these three, and she thinks she’s in charge of them. Which”—he shrugs—“maybe she is.”
“Skye took a shinin’ to Malcolm,” Makenna informs my cousin.
I laugh. Did she just say, took a shinin’ to?
Rabbie chuckles. “Who can blame her?”
“Not me,” she says to Rabbie, then glances at me with her wee smile. My heart takes flight. I want to take her face in my hands and kiss that bonnie smile until she can no longer stand.
I groan, and Makenna looks at me curiously. I shake my head and smile. We’re caught up in a moment until Rabbie gives two sharp whistles. The dogs burst from the back of the truck and line up beside him.
Makenna looks thoroughly impressed, and they haven’t even started moving sheep.
She leans in and whispers, “I kinda feel bad for the dogs. Do you think they work all the time?”
“Ah, no need to feel bad for them, they love having a job. This kind of stuff is in their bones. Plus, I’m sure Rabbie treats them like family.”
One long whistle sends the dogs running. They listen and obey a series of whistles, moving the sheep to the left and to the right, corralling them forward and through the gate to the next pasture.
“Does everyone whistle to tell the dogs where to go?” Makenna asks Rabbie.
“No. Many people use calls. I use whistles because it’s what our grandad taught me to do.”
“Good thing you can whistle. My whistle sounds like a whisper.” Makenna puckers her lips and blows. I can barely hear the results. But, personally, I wouldn’t call that pucker a wasted effort.
“Maybe it’s so high pitched that only dogs can hear it,” I jokingly suggest.
Makenna snorts a laugh. “Yes. In that case, I’d be perfect for this job.”
“Absolutely perfect.”
I take Makenna’s hand in mine as we follow Rabbie back to the truck. “Will you go on a date with me? Tonight?”
For some reason, she looks stunned. So I continue to show her that I’ve been thinking about this. “We could go home and clean up, then go to dinner. I know of a safe place you hevny eaten at yet. And then I have a surprise.”
“When have you had time to plan this?”
“My mind’s always going, lass. Especially when it comes to you.”