The Understanding (Bk 1 Otago Series)

Chapter 14- Mid Winter Christmas

Cassies POV

What a night.

Max had appeared, as he had warned me, in his kilt. He looked amazing, his well muscled legs in view below his kilt. Jo-An and I had been standing in the dining area when Max and Alex had come in.

"When will you and Max ever learn to dress properly in your kilts," she had rolled her eyes as she slapped Alex teasingly on the chest and pointed to the footwear that they had each choosen. Max had gone with his black police boots, while Alex had stuck with his basketball boots. If I had been Jo-An I probably would have had more to say about the hoodie that Alex was wearing, although he managed the look well. Both the guys looked unconventional but really sexy in their highland kilts.

Jo-Ann was wearing a black skirt with in-set panels of the Mcleod tartan. It was a vibrant yellow and looked really good. Andrew had come in earlier looking like royalty, in his kilt, he had looked over at Jo-An and they shared a looked, before he had turned away looking disappointed and continued outside to organise.

Alex was wearing a kilt of the same yellow McLeod tartan as Andrew, but Max had on a darker tartan, which was dark blue and shot through with some dark green and a little muted yellow. When I questioned Max, he had told me that it was still the McLeod tartan but considered the 'hunting' tartan. I had laughed saying maybe it didn't scare away the game they were hunting quite the same as the bright yellow. He laughed too, but said that was supposedly exactly the reason why they had the darker tartan.

As guests had arrived for drinks and the staff got ready to serve the meal, a piper had started to play out the front. I was surprised when I glanced out to see that it was Hamish playing as people arrived.

Once he had come inside we had spent much of the evening together while Max was busy with his part of the procedings. Apparently Hamish knew Andrew through pipe band events and running local competitions. We talked about old times, nostalgic of the years in the youth group together. He was a good friend and we knew each other well.

I caught Max watching me from time to time and was pleased to see an absence of the possessiveness I had seen with Ross at the club.

The formal part of the evening had gone well. The Mcleods had taken the traditional piping of the haggis and made it their own. Traditionally a lone piper came in leading a man with 2 knives (dirks, sword like) and then that was followed by someone carrying a tray with whiskey poured into 2 glasses for the two that were leading the ceremony. On this occasion Andrew had come in first piping. The bagpipes played inside was a sound that surrounded you like no other and filled me with emotion.

Behind Andy Max came carrying the knives and Alex the whiskey, he had snuck the bottle onto the tray at the last minute. The mischief in Alexs eye left nobody in any doubt that he was looking forward to his shots of whiskey during the reciting of the Ode to the Haggis.

It was great seeing the Robbie Burns poem 'Ode to the Haggis' being recited by Andrew, Max and Alex. Usually one person performs it in a very dramatic OTT way. But Jo-An said that since the boys were small Andrew had got them to join in with a verse or two. Now it seemed that they fed off each other. As one would do a verse and it would pass to the next person, they tried to out do one another. Everyone clearly enjoyed it, and laughed from time to time.

That was helped a good deal when Alex pulled out a tartan hat that he put on. Hanging off the back of the hat there was a ginger wig showing. Alex tossed another hat over to Max who also put it on. They both looked for all the world like they had ginger hair. It was all very funny and light hearted.

Max got the verse that said,

"His knife see rustic Labour dicht,

An' cut you wi' ready slicht,