Celeste Barclay's Highland Chance (The Clan Sinclair Legacy Exclusive Bonus Novelette)

Harry looked over his mother’s shoulder as Angus approached, his arm wrapped around his wife’s waist. A twinge shot through Harry’s heart, but he plastered a smile on his face, genuinely happy to see the brother he’d once worshipped then trained alongside. Madeline and Fingal stepped back allowing the men, who looked more like two bulls crashing together than men embracing, to have room to greet each other. The men challenged each other to see who could hug tighter, and who could last longer without a deep breath. When they silently agreed to a tie, they rested their foreheads together. They’d done that since Harry’s first battle. They’d fought back-to-back, and both were certain they would have died if not for their father and cousin-however-many-times-removed laird fighting alongside them. It was what had kept them both from sobbing then and now.

After clapping each other on the back enough to make them both swallow their coughs, Harry looked at his sister-by-marriage. “Hello, Agnes. Ye look well.”

“Thank ye. It’s wonderful to have ye home.” Agnes stepped forward and received a warm, albeit far gentler, embrace from Harry. Movement at the top of the keep’s caught his eye. His chest tightened instantly, and he wasn’t sure if he wished to run toward or away from the keep. “Ma sister is visiting for a few sennights.”

The initial shock fading, Harry smiled as he proffered his sister-by-marriage a kiss on her cheek. Harry, his parents, Angus, and Agnes moved toward the keep after Harry watched a stable boy lead his horse away. It made him anxious to leave his steed in someone else’s hands. The beast had kept him alive nearly as many times as his sword. He reminded himself that he and his mount were safe at Freuchie. Now his attention locked on the three children waiting with Lady Clara MacDonald. Two playfully hid behind her skirts, but one was a bairn so young Clara cradled the child in her arms.

Ye canna be surprised she married. Ye canna be surprised she has a bairn. Doesnae mean it isnae painful to see.

Harry didn’t recognize either of the children standing with Clara, but as he drew closer, he realized they resembled Angus so much he knew they were his niece and nephew. It also meant they looked so much like Harry that seeing Clara standing with them made his chest burn so painfully he feared it might stop.