Gift-Wrapped in a Kilt (Hot Scots #4)

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Emery

I perched on my husband's lap with my legs crosswise to his and one arm around his neck. Rory had asked me to join him for this meeting with Gavin and Jamie, but I hadn't expected him to ask me to sit on his lap. Helping to save a relationship seemed to have made him very cuddly. On top of that, he wore a contented smile.

Gavin seemed bemused by Rory's mood, while Jamie kept grinning. That might've been brought on by the fact her fiancé had returned to her, legally and for good.

Jamie slapped her hands on the arms of her chair. "Is someone going to tell me what on earth happened? Is Gavin visiting or here to stay?"

"To stay," Gavin said, clasping one of her hands. "I'm never leaving you again."

Her tension seemed to flood out on a whispery exhalation. "Are you sure you can stay? They won't deport you? I don't understand any of this. How did you get your administrative removal reversed?"

Rory cleared his throat to gain the couple's attention. "First, you should know Trevor Langley will not bother you again. He's been arrested."

Gavin looked supremely pleased as he had yesterday when Rory informed him of the news. The two men decided to surprise Jamie with Gavin's return, though I'd voted for telling her right away. If I were Jamie, I would've wanted to hear the news as it broke. The men had convinced me, though, to let Gavin surprise her with his return this morning. It had sounded romantic, and Jamie had been thrilled beyond measure.

"Arrested?" Jamie said. "How? For what?"

Rory looped his arms around my hips, his hands linked. "Trevor conspired to pervert the immigration system. He bribed an official, a family friend, to arrange the administrative removal order by claiming Gavin lied about his reasons for entering the United Kingdom. When Trevor overheard Aidan saying Gavin had done work for him, Trevor used that as the basis for his claims. If he'd stopped there, the scheme might've succeeded. However, he took it a few steps too far, fabricating evidence Gavin had worked for not only Aidan, but Lachlan too. That was the mistake that undid him."

Jamie leaned back in her chair, a little smile of understanding on her lips.

Gavin's mouth warped into a confused expression. "You still haven't explained the details to me. Jamie seems to know why including Lachlan in his claims undid Trevor, but I haven't got a clue."

Rory chuckled in that softly menacing way that made me so hot for him. "Lachlan keeps detailed records for one thing, and for another his past clients include some of the most influential people in the UK." Rory glanced at me, his eyes alight with the joy of squashing a criminal dirtbag. "One of Lachlan's former clients is the brother-in-law of the Home Secretary."

Gavin chuckled now with the same kind of menacing joy Rory had evinced a moment ago. "Think I'm gonna like this story."

"You will," Rory said. "One of my former clients also works at the Home Office. He helped me with another problem a few months ago, and I contacted him again. He joined forces with Lachlan's contact and the Home Secretary to sort out the tangled web Trevor had woven around himself. The Home Secretary was so offended by Langley's actions, he not only canceled the removal order for Gavin, but he also fast-tracked Gavin's fiancé visa application. By year's end, Gavin will have his official leave to remain in the UK."

I couldn't help myself. I threw my head back and shouted, "Woo-hoo!"

Jamie sprang up and shouted her own "woo-hoo," then flopped onto Gavin's lap in the same position in which I occupied Rory's lap. Gavin grinned at his fiancée.

Rory kissed me. "Should we tell the rest?"

"Of course. It's their big Christmas present."

"Perhaps we should wait until Christmas Eve."

I bumped my nose into his. "Don't torture them. If you don't make the announcement, I will. You have five seconds. Four, three…"

Rory faced Gavin and Jamie. "Emery and I have bought a house near Ballachulish. For reasons that will become apparent very soon, though not today, we wanted a smaller home. We will no longer be living at Dùndubhan."

Jamie cocked her head at her brother. "But you love it here."

"I bought this house for reasons that no longer apply."

He'd bought it because he wanted to hide from life, overwhelmed by the sadness of two failed marriages. His third marriage had ended in this castle, and I understood why he wanted a fresh start. Besides, we had a practical reason for wanting a smaller place. Easier to keep track of our children.

"You're selling the castle?" Jamie asked.

"No," Rory said. "We're turning it into a museum."

Gavin nodded his approval. "This place would make an awesome museum. You could put cool swords on the walls and maybe a suit of armor." Gavin's mouth curved into a sly smile. "Or a mannequin wearing the MacTaggart clan tartan."

Rory pulled me closer, his own smile one of contentment. "I was thinking of a live model to wear the tartan."

"Oh sure," Gavin said. "That'd be cool too."

Jamie aimed a questioning gaze at her brother. "Have you told everyone about this?"

"No, only you and Gavin." Rory pecked my cheek. "My wife had an excellent idea, and I agreed it's the proper solution."

"Don't drag it out forever," Jamie said. "Tell us."

Rory looked at me and tipped his head in a way I knew meant he wanted me to finish the explanation.

I turned my attention to Jamie and Gavin. "We want you guys to run the museum. You'd live here in private quarters that would be off limits to visitors, and you'd have full control over the running of the place. We trust you two to do this."

"That's right," Rory said. "Gavin can be the live model for the Highland warrior exhibit. All the MacTaggart men have agreed to grant Gavin honorary Highlander status."

Gavin's eyes had gone wide. "Wow. That's… amazing. You seriously want us to be in charge?"

"We do," Rory said.

"Absolutely we do," I said.

"Do you realize," Jamie said, "Trevor claimed he wanted me to run a museum for him."

"He was a liar," Rory said without a hint of rancor. "Emery and I are making a genuine offer out of love and respect for you and Gavin."

"Why us?" Jamie asked.

I answered this one. "Because we trust you, one hundred percent. You'll do an awesome job."

Gavin seemed unconvinced. "I don't know anything about museums or Scottish history."

"Jamie knows enough for the both of you," Rory said. "And you were a salesman for many years. Make use of that experience to draw in visitors. A former Marine can tackle any task."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence."

Rory looked at Gavin and Jamie in turn. "You'll do it, then?"

"Yes!" Jamie exclaimed. She vaulted off Gavin's lap and raced around the desk to throw her arms around Rory's neck. She kissed his cheek. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

My husband's lips quirked. "You're welcome, Jamie."

She rushed around the chair to kiss my cheek too. "Thank you so much, Emery."

I waved her away. "Okay, enough thanking. We know you're grateful, and you're embarrassing Rory."

He drew his head back in righteous indignation. "Ahmno embarrassed. I donnae get embarrassed."

"Not lately, but you have in the past." I didn't need to remind him of the second night we'd spent together, the night after our one-night stand that turned into way more, the night when he wouldn't let me sleep naked. He'd been so adorably embarrassed by the idea that I'd taken pity on him and slept in his shirt.

"Hmm," Rory said, "that hasn't happened in months. I've become desensitized to your habits."

"Desensitized? That's one way to put it."

The other way to put it, the accurate way, was that he now pouted if I tried to wear any kind of clothing to bed, even a skimpy nightie. We both enjoyed the way he divested me of my garments.

Jamie skipped back to Gavin, standing beside his chair with her hands on his shoulders. "Are we done? Or do you have more announcements?"

"Not today," Rory said. "We're done. Go lock yourselves in the guest room and shag all day and night."

"Sounds like an order," Gavin said. "I'm good at following orders."

He sprang from the chair, swept Jamie up in his arms, and carted her out of the library. The door clicked shut behind them.

"That's one happy couple," I said. "Don't you feel good knowing we helped them find their happy ending?"

"Yes," he said, "but our news makes everything else seem unimportant."

I combed my fingers through his hair. "At least you've recovered from yesterday's shock."

He caught my hand, guiding it down to his cheek, pancaked beneath his bigger palm. "If our bairns are anything like you, we'll have our hands full."

"Gotta have something to keep you busy during your semi-retirement years."

His expression turned pensive. "Helping Gavin made me realize how much you've changed my life. I'm a very lucky man to have a woman like you, Emery."

"I'm pretty lucky too." I gave him a teasing smile. "Got me a rich man who's fantastic in bed."

He rolled his eyes.

"You're an amazing man, Rory." I nuzzled his cheek. "We're both lucky to have found each other, and our kids will be lucky to have us."

My hubby and I held each other for a long time. On Christmas, we would tell everyone our good news. It seemed like the perfect time to do it. Our days of meddling had come to a close.

Well, almost…