Page 241 of Fighting Chance

“You like it?” he asks, his vulnerability on display.

I smile at him, finally at eye level as he holds me. “Like it? I love it, Ashford.”

His grin finally springs free. “Thank god, it took me hours.”

I plant one more kiss on his lips before declaring, “Let’s make s’mores!”

I’ve never made s’mores.

Kieran chuckles at my excitement as he gently puts me down, walking me toward the table of food he brought up here.

“Do we really get to stay here?”

“Of course, we’re camping overnight. I had your mom pack a bag for you.”

“Who’s watching Emmy?”

“Your mom and Allie. Allie is doing the nightshift though.”

“They’re spoiling her rotten, I take it?”

“Like you wouldn’t believe.” Kieran pulls out his phone and flashes me a photo they sent. It’s of Emmy surrounded by Barbie dolls in her room. “Enough phones though, let’s spend the night, just the two of us.” Waggling his brows, he adds, “And maybe tick off a few things on your life list.”

“We need to come out here with Emmy,” I whisper, watching the stars twinkle alongside the fairy lights. It’s two hours later, our bellies full, the moon hanging high as we sit on a log in front of the fire, a blanket wrapped around us.

“I have no idea if she’d love it or be petrified.”

Because of the dark, is what passes between us.

“If you strung up fairy lights like these I’m sure she’d love it. Maybe we could do a trip with Bella and Grayson, and they can bring Bambi.”

“That’s a brilliant idea. The next break Grayson and I have, we’ll go.”

Kieran falls silent, a sudden tension entering his body. I don’thave to wait long to figure out why. Picking up a poker, Kieran slides a marshmallow on it, absently twisting it in the fire as he casually admits, “I reported the matron.”

My head whips to his face, searching his profile for how he feels, but he’s a locked vault. “How do you feel? What happened? What did they say?”

“That I wasn’t the first to report.”

The heaviness of the situation weighs on my shoulders. “That’s…not surprising.”

“It is to me. She’s still working there.” A muscle ticks in his jaw. “I threw my name around, threatened to go public with my story and shame her until something was done.”

My brows rise. “And what did they say to that?”

Kieran smiles, but it’s dark. “They finally got moving.”

“Bloody wankers.”

Kieran turns to me, humor dancing in his eyes as he gives me a lopsided grin. “You British, love?”

Rolling my eyes, I shove him playfully. “It was in my book I was reading. I like the curse word, sounds better than…”

“Say it.”

I scrunch my nose. “No.”

“Come on, baby, talk dirty to me.”