stunted pine.

Duncan walked over to where Peg was sleeping and

settled down beside her with a silent sigh as he gazed

across the fiord at his mountain. Once he dropped the

Thompson tribe back home, he decided, he was going to

go find a boat.

He looked down at Peg when he heard her stir and

reclined back on his elbow beside her. “Thank you,” he said

as she stretched like a lazy kitten.

“For?” she asked, blinking herself awake.

“For trusting me with your children enough to actual y fal

asleep.”

“Only my eyes were closed; my ears haven’t slept since

Charlotte was born.”

“Have ye noticed that when ye see her as eight she’s

Charlotte, but when you need her to be older ye cal her

Charlie? And that she responds in kind, I believe without

even realizing she’s doing so? Quit your scowling,” he said

with a chuckle. “That was a compliment to the both of you.

She’s going to grow up to be a remarkable woman—just

like her mother.” He propped his head on his hand with a

snort. “And may God have mercy on the poor bastard who

eventual y captures her heart.”

“He’s going to have to get past me first,” she said around

her scowl. “And thank you for recognizing that she’s a lot

tougher and smarter than she appears—just like her

mother.” She rol ed onto her back and smiled up at the sky.

“And also for insisting we come up here today. I hadn’t

realized how much I needed to … just get away.”

“I admit to being surprised at how much ye seem to be

enjoying yourself.”

She turned her smile on him. “There’s something about

sitting—and napping—on top of a mountain that puts things

in perspective. I think it’s being able to see so far and also

to feel how big the world is from up here. It reminds me how

insignificant most problems are in the grand scheme

of things.”

“Aye,” he said, sitting up to rest his arms on his bent

knees as he stared across the fiord. “Mountains have a

magical way of calming the soul.” He turned his head when

she also sat up and found her eyes widened in surprise.

“What?” he asked.

Those beautiful eyes suddenly narrowed. “Have you been

talking to Olivia?”

“About …”

“Magic.”

It was Duncan’s turn to be surprised, although he made

sure not to show it as he wondered what in hel Mac’s wife

was doing mentioning the magic to Peg. Then again,

maybe this was the opening he needed to start easing her

into it. “Olivia’s been talking to you about magic?” He

grinned. “As in special delivery fairies?”

“No, she was talking about …” She gestured at

Bottomless. “She cal ed it earth-shaking, mountain-moving

magic that can’t be explained.” Duncan saw her cheeks

darken as she wrapped her arms around her knees and

watched her children foraging at the edge of the trees

below them. “The kind of magic that makes anything

possible.” She looked at him again. “Olivia asked me if I

believe it exists.”

“And your answer was?”

She lowered her gaze. “I told her that I hadn’t real y given

it much thought.”

“I’ve thought about it,” he said, which lifted her beautiful

blue eyes back to his. “And I’ve decided magic definitely

exists.”

“Why?”

“Because not believing is an exercise in futility, as the

magic goes about its business whether ye think it exists or

not. And if ye don’t believe, then why even get out of bed in

the morning? Or make plans for tomorrow? Or want, or

hope, or dream, or even try? Magic is what powers life,

Peg. Without it, we wouldn’t be able to take our next

breaths.”

“Olivia cal ed your family … charmed. She said al you

MacKeage men live to ripe old ages but that you look and

act years younger.”

“Aye, to our women’s dismay, we can be real bastards

like that sometimes.”

That got him a tentative smile, and then she looked away.

“Olivia cal ed the magic benevolent, with the power to

overcome … bad things.”

“That would be the business part of it, lass; the power of

right over might.” He grinned. “Although might does come in

handy on occasion.”

“Olivia also said you MacKeages are rather old-

fashioned.”

“Olivia seems to be saying a lot of things to you about my

family; any particular reason why?”

“Because friends look out for each other.” She gave him

a sad smile. “And because she’s worried that I’m going to

die a lonely old widow like she thought she was going to

before she met Mac.” She shook her head. “Are you aware

they knew each other only a few weeks before they got

married? Olivia was just going along, minding her

business, waiting for her in-laws to sel Inglenook so she

could buy it when Mac suddenly appeared as if out of thin

air, and the next thing I know she’s asking me to be a

bridesmaid in her wedding—that Mac gave her only six

days to plan.”

“The man does seem to make things happen whenever

he appears out of thin air,” Duncan said, wondering what

Peg would think if she knew how true that was. He gestured

at the mountain they were sitting on. “He certainly didn’t

waste any time getting the resort started. He cal ed me on

the Wednesday before his wedding and asked if I could

start the road the fol owing Monday.”

“Why you?”

Yes, why him? “Wel , I believe there’s a distant …

ancestry between the husband of one of my cousins and

the Oceanuses.” He shrugged. “I guess Mac wanted to

keep it in the family. So we’re good on the magic? You’ve

decided ye believe it exists?”

Her pretty little nose lifted just enough that she had to

look down it to see him—although he noticed she was also

fighting a smile. “I’ve decided I’l believe it exists when I see

this powerful, benevolent magic in action.”

He straightened in surprise. “But ye just did, lass.”

“When?”

“When I returned four children back to ye safe and

sound.” He scrubbed his face with his hands, then peeked

through his fingers at her. “Because I hope ye know that

herding chickens is easier than keeping track of your tribe

when they’re focused on catching fish.”

Her eyes widened in mock horror even as her lips

twitched again. “Did you end up having to draw your

sword?”

He dropped his hands to show her his scowl.

“Eventual y.”

The mock went out of her horror. “You threatened my

babies?”

“I never said a word. I merely drew my sword when they

continued to wander in different directions and proceeded

to slice a couple of smal fir trees off at their stumps with

single blows.” He let his smile final y escape with his

chuckle. “Ye should have seen your babies, Peg. The

bloodthirsty little heathens came running so fast that Isabel

didn’t even realize she was clutching her angleworm to her

chest.”

He saw Peg blow out a sigh, and her lips final y made it

to a ful -blown smile. “Maybe the real magic is that they

brought you back safe and sound. You do have a tendency

to limp down the mountain every time you come up here

with Mac.”

He arched a brow. “Is there anything you and Olivia don’t

tel each other?”

Peg batted her eyelashes at him, and Duncan saw

exactly where Isabel had learned that little trick. “She didn’t

tel me which of you won the manly duels.”

Duncan snorted and rubbed his face again to hide his

smile. “I did.”

“You did not,” she said with a gasp.

He dropped his hands to glare at her. “Feeling pretty