Page 33 of Aidan

She opens it tentatively and peeks around before coming in and crawling into the bed with me. She hasn’t done this since the week Da died. I tug her close to me and she lays her head on my chest. I stroke my fingers through her hair.

“Did you sleep okay?”

Aisling shakes her head slowly. “I miss Da. Do you think he knows where we are?”

There’s a twinge inside my chest. I kiss her the top of her head. “Of course he does. Remember, he’s always in our hearts, so wherever we go, he goes with us.”

She tips her chin up and meets my eyes. “You promise?”

“Promise.”

Apparently satisfied, she rests back on my chest and is quiet for several minutes. “I miss my fairy forest and twinkle lights, too.”

“I know you do. I’m sorry for that.”

“Do you think you can draw me another one in my new room?”

Considering our stay here may only be temporary, I’m not sure it’s a good idea. “Let me talk to Aidan and I’ll see what I can do.”

She doesn’t say anything, but she does sniffle. Tears burn my own eyes. Crying doesn’t do any good, so I force them back.

“Hey.” I tap her shoulder and wait until she tilts her head back to look at me. “Why don’t we get up and go exploring? I found this really neat hedgerow maze yesterday with a cool sculpture in the center. We can take our drawing supplies down there and do some sketching. What do you think?”

“Okay.” There’s a little more enthusiasm in her tone.

She moves away from me just as the door opens and Aidan walks in carrying a tray. He pauses at the sight of Aisling. Will he mind she’s in his room?

“Everything all right?” His gaze bounces between the both of us.

“Can Sorcha paint me another fairy forest?” she blurts out making me groan.

“A fairy forest?” He arches an eyebrow.

I sigh. “In her room back home, I painted the walls and ceiling with trees and flowering bushes with little fairies hidden in the branches and behind blooms. Then at night, I turned on a light that would project glowing stars and other small shapes onto all the surfaces.”

“That sounds pretty,” Aidan says to Aisling. “I don’t see why you can’t have another one in your new room if Sorcha doesn’t mind doing it.”

She jumps off the bed and rushes over to throw her arms around his legs. “Thank you, thank you, thank you. I’m going to go tell Kellen and Carson.”

Without looking back, she runs out of the room. I guess that means we won’t be going exploring together. Aidan chuckles.

“To be so easily satisfied.” He crosses the room with a bemused smile. “Here, I brought you breakfast.”

Surprised, I slowly sit up. The blankets pool around my waist. His gaze flicks in the direction of my chest when he sets the tray over my lap, but darts away. Only that brief heated glance has my nipples aching. I refuse to check if they’re hard. If Aidan can ignore it, so can I.

Finally, I remember my manners. “Thank you. That was sweet.”

“I can be sweet sometimes.” He almost pouts.

A small smile pulls at my lips. “Yes, you can.”

He sits on the edge of the bed with one knee angled toward me and faces in my direction. I squirm a little under the scrutiny.

“Eat.” He gestures with his chin.

“You didn’t bring anything for yourself?”

“I ate earlier.”

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