“Am I?”
“You know, right now you’re being more irritating than Brennan, and that’s saying something.”
Cormac throws his head back and laughs, and for a second, I forget to pretend to be mad because I truly love it when he laughs.
The way his eyes crinkle at the edges makes me turn into a Fiona-shaped puddle.
He chuckles. “I love you, you know that?”
I pout. “If you loved me, you would tell me what’s going on.”
“Nice try. Now go and get dressed. We leave in fifteen minutes.”
“So, we’re going somewhere?”
“Are we?”
“You just said so!”
“Did I?”
For a second, I consider throwing my empty plate at him, but my conscience gets the better of me.
“Well…can you at least tell me if I need to dress fancy?”
“Wear comfortable shoes. Oh, and bring your bathing suit. That’s it.”
Comfortable shoes and a bathing suit? Well, that rules out fine dining, shopping, or really anything civilized.
My mind is already racing as I head upstairs to change.
Could he be taking me into the mountains? Or to a secluded lake?
My detective brain starts ticking as I go rifling through my dresser in search of my bathing suit, the very one I wore that night in the hot tub at the ski resort.
Could he be planning something similar?
A huge grin spreads across my face.
Whatever it is, I know it will be amazing because I get to spend the day with Cormac and Scout, my two favorite people.
An hour later, my suspicions are confirmed as Cormac drives us down a forest track covered by a canopy of trees, though the mid-morning sun is peeking through the gaps.
It’s going to be a beautiful day, and I’m excited to spend some time outdoors.
Cormac parks at the beginning of a narrow, rocky path, and Scout launches himself out of the car, practically vibrating with excitement.
“No running off, Scout,” Cormac warns. “Stay where I can see you.”
Scout rolls his eyes, and I stifle a laugh.
“Are you sure he’s not secretly a teenager?”
Scoffing, Cormac opens up the trunk and pulls out a couple of bags of supplies as well as a cooler that I am also not allowed to know the contents of. “He’s not allowed to become a teenager."
“Pretty sure that’s not how it works.”
Cormac grins as he shuts the trunk before sliding his fingers between mine.
