Other SIdes of The World: Chapter Eight - Nuptials

"Quit squirming about Lachie!" Rhona scolded as she tugged his tie into place and tucked it inside his waistcoat.

"Am nervous awright?" he replied shrilly and adjusted what good work his sister had just done.

"LACHIE I just did that!!!" she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"A know but it wiz too tight!" Oz appeared walking oddly, he'd never worn a kilt before and it was an experience to say the least.

"Hey guys!" he grunted as he fiddled with the belt on his kilt. "Please can I wear my boxers?" he whined as Rhona gave her brother a disapproving frown.

"Och Lachie you never made him go commando! That's just not right!"

"It's tradition!" Lachie defended his actions, "A true Scotsman wears nothin' under the kilt!"

"But Lachie Oz is American! These rules do not apply! Oz sweetheart you can wear your boxers if you want!" Rhona smiled sweetly at him and lunged forward, grabbing his kilt she tried to pull it up and peek underneath as they both began to tug at it.

"Rhona!" Oz was trying frantically to keep it down as she giggled and let go.

"I'm kidding! I do love you Oswald Truman!" she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him tenderly. Lachie began making gagging sounds behind them. "Och you jist gi it a by eh? Soon to be married man!" Rhona teased her brother as he stopped mocking them and looked rather queasy.

"I'm just gonna...go cover up the little guy, I'm not loving the breezy feeling under there!" Oz kissed Rhona back briefly and left the siblings alone again as Lachie looked at himself in the long mirror.

"It's going to be fine!" Rhona soothed and rubbed his back gently.

"A know that, am jist...a dinnae deserve her!" Lachie's eyes filled up as he sniffed back the tears that threatened to fall, "A cannae believe she said yes!" he sobbed and the tears came. Rhona handed him a tissue from the box that sat on the table beside them.

"Lachie, you so deserve her! I wish you could see just what a wonderful man you truly are! I know I may be rather biased because you're my big brother but...Oz says the same thing, Hannah and Terry...even Jamie liked you back in the day! You've got a good heart, and Elspeth fell in love with that way before you proposed! In fact, I think she would have proposed to you if you hadn't got in there first!"

"It's no a leap year shorty!" Lachie mumbled in between large blows into the tissue.

"Since when was Elspeth ever into conventional traditions? She loves you and you love her, and I can't wait to be an auntie!" she giggled and hugged her brother tenderly as he let out a little squeak.

"Ho, dinnae get aheed of yersel eh?"

Six months had passed since the money Oz stole was returned to its rightful owner, well some of it! When Lachie asked Elspeth to marry him after only three months of seeing her, Oz insisted that the money they kept be used for the wedding. Oz and Rhona were getting along very well, they both ran the bar and organised functions in the hotel for locals like discos and bingo nights and even the odd karaoke. Oz felt like he was part of the family but it was always in the back of his mind that Mr Delfino could send someone else to get the rest of the money. As he put on a pair of boxer shorts under the itchy, uncomfortable kilt he'd agreed to wear as Lachie's best man, he thought about marrying Rhona. It was something he really wanted to do, he wanted to make her his bride but when Lachie and Elspeth got engaged, he didn't want to steal their thunder. So he would wait until this wedding was over and then he would make his move. He headed down to the grand hall where the ceremony was to take place tempted to remove this infernal kilt that chafed his legs and other parts of him that should not have this much friction! He suddenly began to panic and reached down into his sporran, the rings! Luckily they were still in there as he let out a relieved sigh. A young man approached him and nodded, "Awright?"

"Hey!" Oz replied warily, he'd never seen him before and the hotel was closed to the public for the wedding.

"So Lachie Boyle's gettin' hitched eh?" he chuckled and put a hand in front of Oz as if he was to shake it.

"Yeah, yes he is!" Oz took in the man's appearance, he was rather cocky. "I'm Oz! And you are?" the young man rolled his eyes and the chuckle escalated into a booming laugh.

"Aw man, aye! Jamie..." he shook Oz's hand roughly. "Jamie McGregor!" and Oz felt the urge to knock his teeth out!

"Where is he?" Rhona tapped her foot impatiently as Terry took a peek inside the hall.

"Everybody's here I think!" he squinted through the crack in the large door. "Lachie's looking a bit...green!" as soon as the words left his mouth Elspeth pushed him aside and looked for herself.

"Eh?" she shrieked, "What's wrong with him?" she attempted to flip her veil back when Rhona stopped her and shut the door.

"Just stop guys!" Hannah screwed her eyes shut and placed her hands over her ears. Just then Oz came running towards them.

"Sorry I'm late I...Rhona we really need to talk!" Rhona looked annoyed and swatted his hand away as he tried to take her aside.

"Oz my brother is getting married! Whatever it is can wait!" she snapped. "Now get in there and do what you were asked to do!"

"Rhona..." she held up her hands to stop him from talking.

"Now Oswald!" Oz had no choice but to do as he was told and headed inside. As soon as they heard the music start, they knew it was their cue to enter. Terry was giving Elspeth away. It turned out that she had run away from home and wasn't in contact with her parents, so when Lachie asked her to be his wife, she thought of Terry straight away. He'd been like a brother to her since she arrived at the hotel. As Rhona and Hannah walked down the aisle in front of Elspeth and Terry, Oz gave Rhona a pleading look that made her feel uneasy. He was trying to tell her something, and by the looks of it she should have heard him out. But there was no time to worry about that, as Elspeth reached Lachie and he burst into tears at the sight of her!

"Och Lachlan!" Elspeth laughed softly, and a tear escaped from her eye too.

"Am awright, am awright!" he held up his right hand and wiped his face with the left, "Elspeth yer gorgeous so ye are!" he smiled and shook his head, hardly believing that this beautiful girl was going to be his wife by the time they left this hall!

The ceremony was a success, it proceeded without a hitch. As the wedding party headed to the public dining hall, Oz pulled Rhona gently aside into the bar. "Hear me out please!" he breathed and held her arms so she couldn't leave.

"Okay Oz, okay! What's wrong? You're scaring me!"

"Jamie's here!" he studied her eyes as a hint of fear flickered in them.

"Where?" she looked all around her and eased out of his soft grip.

"I met him on my way to the hall, Rhona I wanted to kill him! He went on and on about knowing the family really well and hearing about the wedding from his mom and..." Oz was pacing up and down as Rhona steadied herself by leaning on the edge of the bar counter, "...I could have hit him, I could have smashed his f..." he stopped himself as he balled his fists and his face turned almost purple.

"Where is he now?" Rhona managed to say through the shock.

"I...I dunno I...I excused myself and headed outside." he lifted one fist, bloodied and scraped, "I had to let it out somehow so...if your dad finds blood on the wall outside then it's mine!"

"Oh Oz!" Rhona placed her hands on his face and looked up into his beautiful blue eyes, "Please, promise me you'll stay AWAY from him! I don't want to lose you to Barlinnie!" Oz looked confused and pulled her hands away,

"What?"

"It's a prison in Glasgow! And it's where you'll go if you touch Jamie! His dad's a lawyer and a wicked one at that!"

"I don't care if his dad's the damn King of Scotland! What that creep did to you? I'd happily do time teaching him a lesson!" Rhona giggled softly despite the seriousness of their conversation and wrapped her arms around his waist, squeezing him softly as his familiar scent met her nostrils.

"Oh Oswald, I wish you weren't so rebellious! But I love you anyway!" Oz returned her hug and sighed.

"You wouldn't...go back to him...would you?" Rhona quickly let go and looked up at him again, this time her eyes held back anger that bubbled inside of her, how could he ask such a thing?

"Oswald Edward Truman! Do you honestly believe that I could ever take him back, not only after what he did, but now that I've known what it's like to have you in my life? To know how it feels to be loved by someone like you? I've never been happier, so no! Not that it needed said, no I will NEVER go back to him EVER!" she shook her head emphatically as her carefully pinned back hair threatened to come loose. Oz gave her an impish grin and took hold of her hands.

"Just checkin'!" he winked and pulled her out of the bar to join the others.

Sitting at the top table, Rhona still felt uncomfortable about Jamie being around and felt she had to tell someone, she couldn't tell her brother and spoil his big day or worse...have him end up in the local cop shop for killing Jamie! She thought about telling her mother but she would only tell her father and he would end up in the cop shop instead of Lachie! But when she really thought about it through the speeches, watching her dad get all emotional like her brother as he toasted his son and new daughter-in-law, despite Lachie and Hamish being so alike, Hamish was older and wiser and could therefore control his temper a little better and listen to reason. So after the speeches and the first dance, Rhona was going to tell her daddy! Finally it was Oz's turn to get up and speak, Rhona was a little worried about the content as Oz tended to say things he wasn't supposed to. Americans tended to let their feelings out, where Scots were more reserved...sometimes! "Hi!" Oz waved out to the guests as he stood awkwardly in his kilt, Rhona thought he was adorable but he was obviously not loving the look. "So I'm Oswald, Oz, Lachlan's best man and Rhona's too!" the guests laughed softly as he looked down bashfully. "So I came here about six months ago, I'd done some stupid stuff back home in L.A. and...the Boyles took me in! To say that Lachie didn't like me at first would be a gross understatement!" another wave of laughter from the crowd, "But I think once we got to know one another, we er...we got along okay!" he smiled, remembering fondly their fishing trips and drinking sessions together. "Which er...which was just as well because dating his baby sister would have been...a challenge!" more laughter, "I guess what I wanna say about Lachie, is this! He's a great guy with a big heart to match his build and his thick head, KIDDING!" he held up his hands as more laughter echoed around the room. Lachie pointed at Oz and gave him a mock warning.

"Oi you!" he laughed along with his guests.

"Kidding, but in all seriousness, I lost a lot when I left California! Until I came to Scotland and gained...so much more than I could have ever imagined, a girl to love me that I so love back I feel my heart could explode sometimes, a best friend who at first wanted to smash me but turned out to be an awesome guy, and a family where no matter what I have done...they've accepted me and allowed me to stay here, they've vouched for me with immigration so I can work here and...let's not get into all that and deflect from the matter at hand..." he picked up his glass and raised it in the air, "...so let's cut to the chase and make a toast...to the Bride and Groom!" all the guests held their glasses in the air and repeated after Oz,

"To the Bride and Groom!"

During the first dance, Rhona stole her dad to dance with. Traditionally she should have been dancing with Oz, the best man, but she needed to talk to her dad while he was calm. "Rhona darlin' yer supposed tae be dancin' wi yer man there!" Hamish pointed to Oz.

"I know daddy but I need to tell you something! Oz met Jamie in the hotel a couple of hours ago!" Hamish turned a pale colour and staggered back, almost taking Rhona for a tumble. "Daddy!" she hissed and steadied them with difficulty.

"No the day, no on yer brother's waddin' day!"

"Daddy please, stop and think!" Hamish sat down on the nearest chair to hand as Annie called over to them,

"Everythin' awright over there?"

"Fine mum!" Rhona waved a hand and smiled at her mother.

"Whit urr we gonnae dae?" Hamish muttered, mostly to himself, "Whit does he want? Who even telt him?"

"Apparently Dee did!"

"Ach that wumman! Aye makin' excuses fur her snake of a son!" Hamish almost shouted but scratched his beard roughly instead. Oz came to sit beside them.

"I'm sorry Mr B, I didn't know what to do!" he placed a hand on his massive shoulder as Hamish shook his head and patted Oz's hand.

"Nae bother son, its no your fault!" looking his daughter in the eyes he smiled, "Am gonnae find him!" Rhona opened her mouth to protest but he held up a hand and continued, "Jist tae tae talk that's aw!"

"Please don't do anything stupid daddy!" still smiling, he patted her knee and stood up gingerly. Rhona watched her father leave the room slowly, as if he was still working out what to do. She trusted him to do the right thing, but the Boyle temper was a force to be reckoned with!

Hamish Boyle hunted high and low through the hotel, enquired with all the staff, but there was no sign of Jamie McGregor. He thought that perhaps Oz had been mistaken, but Oz was a smart boy, if a young man claimed to be Jamie then it was more than likely to be him! Unless it was a prank, someone was playing a joke on Oz to...that made no sense! Hamish arrived in his office in the living quarters and rifled through his desk, finding his phone book he looked up Dee McGregor's number...and dialled! "Hello?" a woman's voice answered cheerily.

"Dee?"

"Aye?"

"Hamish Boyle here!"

"Oh aye?" the sarcasm in her tone was hard to miss!

"Is Jamie aboot?"

"Ye whit?" she laughed bitterly.

"Dee he wiz seen at the hotel the day, a dinnae want any trouble awright? Ma son's jist got wed!"

"Och away Hamish! Ye think ma Jamie wid want tae go tae yer daft son's waddin'?"

"He wisnae invited anyway but he wiz SEEN!" Hamish tried to control his temper but it was proving difficult. "Dee, listen tae reason will ye? Rhona disnae need this, oor family disnae need this!"

"Oh and ma family diz? Eh? Am a no entitled tae huv ma son hame fur a wee while?"

"Aye a' course! But please tell him tae stay away fae Rhona!" Hamish took her hanging up to be a bad sign, this was far from over! And he was right when a couple of hours later he turned up at the hotel again. Hamish luckily managed to intercept his arrival and took him into the grand hall. "Whit ur ye dayin' here Jamie lad?" Jamie ran his hand along the large fireplace, hanging above it was Hamish's father's hunting rifle and it had stayed there since the day old Archie died.

"I want to see Rhona..." Hamish scoffed and cut him off before he could say any more.

"And why dae ye want tae dae that eh? Huv ye no done enough damage???"

"That's why I want to see her Mr Boyle! I've made a big mistake, huge in fact! I've only just realised she's the one, all along she was the one for me and...I was a complete..."

"Weasel!" Hamish spat as Jamie looked shocked at first but then nodded.

"Aye Mr Boyle, a weasel!"

"Snake!" Hamish went on.

"Yeah..."

"Slitherin' wee rattlesnake, stinkin' wee rat faced eejit!" he bellowed, inches away from Jamie's face, towering down at him like a bear to a rabbit.

"Aye well..." Jamie whimpered.

"A don't want ye anywhere near ma Rhona, she's got a new man and she's happy! And Oz is worth a hundred o' you! Yer no fit tae be in the same universe as ma wee girl, nevermind toon! Noo get oot afore a turf ye oot! RIGHT???" Jamie staggered back onto the hearth of the fireplace and squirmed out of the space between it and Hamish where he was jammed in between. Just as Hamish was about to leave him there alone, he called to him in his native slang,

"So she's shacked up wi a yank eh?" he sneered. "Aye well we'll see aboot that!" Hamish turned slowly and glowered at him.

"Urr ye threatenin' me son?"

"Naw Mr Boyle, A widnae dae that eh!" he laughed menacingly, "But that Oz guy isnae gonnae be as lucky! A don't like him!"

"You lea'em alain understand???" And in one swift movement, Hamish left him to stew.

When Hamish got back to the wedding reception, the party was in full flow with Lachie and Elspeth dancing among the guests. Rhona and Oz were huddled together, comforting each other while they waited for Hamish to come back and tell them everything was going to be okay. But he couldn't do that, not after Jamie made threats against Oz. It was all talk; no way could Jamie take a clever lad like Oz in any way, shape or form! Oz was a little on the weedy side but he was tough, he'd stood up to Lachie enough times! When Rhona spotted him, she and Oz stood up and looked hopefully at him. "He's a pain in the..."

"Daddy is everything..."

"We've no heard the last of him, de ye know he hud the cheek tae ask tae see ye? He wanted ye back!" Hamish laughed bitterly as Oz's anger grew inside the pit of his stomach. "But jist enjoy yersels eh? Forget that rat fur a wee while!" Smiling at his daughter and her boyfriend, Hamish headed over to his wife for a dance. Oz wanted to find Jamie and make sure he never bothered Rhona again, but that would be lowering to Jamie's level, and he wasn't going to do that. Instead he took her by the hand and led her onto the dance floor where they danced for the first time as Best Man and Chief Bridesmaid.

"Whit's goin' on Hamish???" Annie questioned her husband.

"Och nothin' darlin' jist...let's enjoy oor boy fur one last time afore Elspeth moves in eh?"

"Aye awright but ye cannae keep things fae me fur long!" she warned him as he tried to put Jamie McGregor to the back of his mind, hoping Rhona and Oz could do the same.

To be Continued...