Page 72 of Ruined Wrath
I give her a grateful look that she pretends not to see, then I turn to my son. “Why don’t we go and drop off our stuff and then decide what to do first?”
Scout sighs. “Fine.”
When we reach our suite, Scout practically ricochets off the walls as he runs from room to room, deciding which one he wants.
I erred on the side of caution and booked a suite with three double beds because spending all day with Fiona is enough of a test of my control in itself. I don’t need to be sharing a bed with her too, no matter how much I want to.
Once Scout has picked his room, I leave him to unpack his toys and head down the hallway.
Fiona lingers in the doorway of the other rooms, looking uncertain.
I lean against the doorframe of the third bedroom. “You can have this one if you prefer?”
“This one is fine,” she says without looking at me.
There’s so much I want to say, but I don’t want to give her false hope. So, instead, I keep my mouth shut.
“Daddy! Can we go sledging?” Scout yells from his room.
“I’m right here, bud, you don’t need to yell.”
“Oops, sorry!”
The soft sound of Fiona’s laughter draws my attention.
I glance over my shoulder to see her covering her mouth with her hand, trying to stifle the sound, but her blue eyes are dancing with amusement.
I’m so taken aback by how bright they are that I don’t realize I’m staring until Fiona’s cheeks start to bloom with color.
I peel my gaze away from her. “Sorry if you thought this was going to be a relaxing vacation.”
She chuckles, looking more relaxed than she has in a long time. “Believe me, I was under no illusion this was going to be relaxing. I’ve been on enough trips with young kids to know you need at least four coffees a day just to survive. All I really care about is that Scout has fun. He deserves it.”
I tuck my hands into my pockets, at a complete loss for words.
To hear Fiona put Scout’s needs above her own without even hesitating…
I don’t know why it surprises me. She’s always been like that, ever since I brought her into Scout’s life.
After everything with Lorcan, it cast a dark cloud over everything, and I lost sight of the woman I was falling for.
But it’s moments like this, where I catch glimpses of the real Fiona again, that make me struggle with keeping my distance,because it’s so hard to imagine someone so kind could be working with Lorcan. Then again, this is the exact reason why Lorcan is targeting her. It’s because she would do anything for her family without a second thought that makes her such an easy target. As admirable as her loyalty to her family is, it’s also a hindrance that can be used to manipulate her.
Scout doesn’t give us much time to unpack before he drags us outside into the frigid cold.
The icy wind tugs at Fiona’s hair as she laughs when Scout nearly faceplants into the snow in his rush to make snow angels.
It’s the happiest I’ve heard either of them sound in weeks, and I find myself not wanting the moment to end.
But of course, I’m a Sullivan, so I can’t completely relax.
As Fiona and Scout are busy making piles of snowballs, my eyes scan our surroundings for some of my men who are subtly hidden among the trees.
Fiona nudges me with her elbow. “You’re going to lose if you don’t start making some snowballs.”
I blink and look down at her.
Her nose and cheeks are pink from the cold, but her eyes are bright and crinkling at the edges as she fights a smile.
