Free Tracie Peterson - [Land of Shining Water 02] by The Quarryman's Bride

in the scent of her hair. She smelled of lavender soap and freshly baked bread. It stirred his heart as nothing had in the last eleven years. It was good to be home—good to be in his mother’s arms. Did a man ever truly move far enough away that those arms could no longer reach him?
    She pulled back and looked at him again, tears rolling down her cheeks. “You’ve grown. I thought you were done with that afore you left, but now look at yourself. You must be at least another two inches taller.”
    He smiled and patted her head like he might a small child. “Or maybe you’ve shrunk, Ma. I seem to remember you being taller.”
    Morna laughed and waggled a finger at him. “I’m still big enough to put you o’er my knee, and don’t be forgettin’ it.”
    Laughing along with her, Tavin glanced around the room. It was a well-kept house with beautifully papered walls and painted trim. The paper had a floral and striped print that made the room decidedly feminine and bright. Curtains atthe sparkling windows were handmade by his mother. Their blue color matched the ribbons of blue in the paper.
    “Tell me where you’ve been and what you’ve been doing,” Mother ordered him, leading him over to chairs on either side of the fireplace.
    Tavin shook his head. “This and that. But honestly, I’d rather know what’s happening here. Father, for instance. Is he worse?”
    “Oh no. He’s completely recovered,” his mother replied. She tucked a strand of graying brown hair behind one ear. She’d aged considerably since he’d last seen her, and Tavin wondered if he had been the cause of such a change. Eyes that matched his own shade studied him carefully. “He’s off to the quarry even now.”
    “Whatever possessed him to buy a quarry? I thought he liked the idea of his freedom.”
    She shrugged. “He had the opportunity to purchase a quarry that was already established. A good friend of his was injured, and your father had been working for him. The man needed to sell, and your father thought it would be a smart investment. Everything fell into place quite naturally, and your father declared it the work of God.”
    Tavin thought it more likely his father’s ingenuity. “And how many men work for him?”
    “Well, your brother, of course, and about twenty or so other men. Some are drillers, others handle the derrick and horses. They’ve mainly been working with getting the rock out of the ground and nae so much with high polishing and finish. There are plenty of other shops that will take the stone off their hands.”
    Tavin nodded. “And Gillam is well?”
    His mother broke into a smile. “More than well. He’s married now, and they’re expecting a wee one in November.”
    “Married?” Tavin asked in disbelief. “Who would have him?” He grinned, remembering the scrawny kid brother who always seemed to be in motion. He’d been only thirteen when Tavin had left.
    “He married a local Swedish lass named Irene. She’s salt of the earth and all that a mother could hope for her bairn.”
    “And Fenella? You wrote to tell me that she lost her husband. I think it was a year or so ago.”
    “Aye.” His mother looked up at the fireplace mantel. “There’s a photograph of them when they wed a few years back.”
    Tavin stood and picked up the small portrait. A long-legged man sat in a chair with a rather stern expression. His hair was parted in the middle and seemed to be as light in color as Fenella’s was dark. His sister stood slightly behind her seated husband, looking for all the world the picture of a model bride. Dressed in white with a veil and flowers in her hair, Fenella appeared quite happy.
    “He died in an explosion at the quarry,” Morna said quietly. “He was skilled in working with black powder and dynamite, so it came as a shock to everyone. His death . . . well . . . it changed Fenella. She’s not recovered.”
    “And didn’t you also say that they have children?”
    “Aye. Two