23. Cian
Chapter 23
Cian
W atching Scarlett ask Saoirse one million questions about wombats, Saoirse’s most beloved animal in the entire park, while Scarlett sits cross-legged on the ground, holding a red panda, is the final straw.
I am in love with this woman, and I need to figure out a way to make that work.
We’ve seen the entire animal park, snacked on all the special fall treats, and chatted with everyone. Henry, Saoirse, and Fiona have spent most of the day right with us and Saoirse is clearly enamored with Scarlett.
Saoirse and I also have the same taste in potato chips and action movies, so this doesn’t surprise me in the least.
It’s been an amazing day.
The park truly is decked out for fall even with the temperature being in the upper eighties. No one seems to care that it feels like summer. They are drinking hot apple cider as if there’s a crisp autumn breeze ruffling the straw poking out of the scarecrows’ sleeves and the petals of the potted mums that are everywhere I look.
Somehow they’ve even covered the ground with multicolored leaves that they clearly imported from somewhere the foliage already changes in September. Possibly northern Canada. It wouldn't surprise me.
“The air smells like apple-cinnamon right?” Henry asks. “I’m not imagining that? Or having a stroke?”
“It does,” I agree. I don’t know how they pulled that off, but the marketing director, Charlotte Landry-Foster, can do anything and I wouldn’t be surprised if she simply willed the aroma into being.
“You do know that you shouldn’t look at your best friend’s new girlfriend like that right?” Fiona asks from right next to me.
We’re both watching Scarlett and Saoirse.
“She’s not Henry’s new girlfriend,” I say. Henry and Scarlett filled me in on the cover story they gave Fiona.
“Okay, his weekend hook-up to try to get over the other girl.”
I frown. “Not that either. They’re just friends.”
Fiona doesn’t say anything and I look down to find her grinning up at me.
“What?” I ask.
“I know exactly who she is,” Fiona says. “Your secret’s safe with me. For now. Though I’m not sure why she’s a secret.”
Scarlett finally relinquishes the red panda back to the keeper and gets up, brushing her hands over her ass.
“I don’t know what you mean,” I say, watching her approach.
I’m not surprised that Fiona has noticed the way I look at and talk to Scarlett. It’s different than the way I’ve behaved around anyone in my entire life.
“Ha,” Fiona says. “With the way you’re looking at her? And the fact that she shows up here at the same time you do after you’ve been gone for a week?”
Scarlett stops in front of us. “Who are you looking at?”
“You,” Fiona says.
Scarlett frowns. “Oh?”
“You’re his Cinderella, right?”
Scarlett freezes. Then her eyes get wide. “W–what?”
I sigh. Dammit. My sister knows me far too well.
“You’re the girl he’s been looking for all this time. The one he went to Ohio to find,” Fiona says. She looks very smug.
I narrow my eyes. “And if she’s not , you just made this very awkward.”
Fiona laughs and points at Scarlett. “I noticed her bracelet in the bar.”
I look at the elephant bracelet that’s wrapped around Scarlett’s left wrist. I groan. That didn’t even occur to me.
Scarlett quickly covers the bracelet with her right hand. “Oh, I…this…” She blows out a breath and looks at me, then back to Fiona. “You know about the bracelet?”
“He carried it around like a glass slipper for two years. And got a tattoo to match it,” Fiona says with a laugh.
Scarlett moves to take it off, but Fiona stops her. “I’ve already seen it. So has anyone else who’s going to notice. Like Ellie. But none of the other bodyguards are here and I don’t think anyone else is paying close attention. They’ve all got their little ones running around distracting them.”
I look around with a grin, watching friends chase toddlers, help little ones feed alpacas, and pet goats and rabbits. All of these people have become more than friends. The way our bodyguards have become family over the years has always been very special to the O’Gradys, and it was amazing to come to Autre and find out that the Landry family functions the same way. Friends become family very quickly and seeing these friends all as mothers and fathers as they’ve all settled down one by one has been a lot of fun to watch.
Scarlett sighs and looks at my sister. “We didn’t want to tell you who I was because we didn’t want to get your hopes up.”
“My hopes up about what?” Fiona asks.
“About us being together,” Scarlett says.
“Well, my hopes are already up.” Fiona looks at me. “I assume you’re going to pull a Torin, and marry her before Grandfather makes you marry Astrid?”
I lift a shoulder. “That was the reason I went to Ohio to find her.”
“So what’s the problem?” Fiona asks.
“Scarlett thought it was a little fast. We’re getting to know each other right now.”
Scarlett steps closer and leans her shoulder against mine. I take that as a thank you as well as a sign of solidarity. I shift to wrap a hand around her waist. Now that the cat’s out of the bag, there’s no reason I can’t touch her.
“Does Astrid know?” Fiona asks.
“Kind of,” I admit.
“Great,” Fiona smiles at me, then Scarlett. “Astrid will be fine.”
Scarlett looks up at me with a frown. “Wait…Astrid?”
“The woman my grandfather wants me to marry,” I say.
“Her name is Astrid? Like Astrid Olsen?”
“Yes. I mean…it is Astrid Olsen,” I explain.
Scarlett’s eyes go wide, and she steps away from me. “Your arranged engagement is with Astrid Olsen ?”
“I wouldn’t call it an engagement,” I say.
Scarlett shakes her head. “But your grandfather wants you to marry Astrid Olsen ?” she asks, her voice rising and her eyes getting rounder.
I step toward her and put my hands on her upper arms. I stroke up and down. “What’s wrong? I told you about this.”
“You didn’t tell me it was Astrid Olsen .”
“Why does that matter?” I ask. “And why do you keep saying her first and last name?”
“Because she’s Astrid Olsen ,” Scarlett says. “Cian, why don’t you want to marry her? She’s amazing.”
I hear Fiona snort, and I shoot her a frown. I turn back to Scarlett. “She is amazing. But I don’t want to marry her because I want to marry you . Remember?”
“But she’s…Astrid Olsen.”
“Stop saying that.”
“But she’s beautiful!”
“And you’re the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen. You are the only woman I want.”
“And you know her. You’ve known her for a long time,” Scarlett insists.
“I love everything I know about you, and I want to know more.”
“But she’s smart and brave and so inspiring!”
“Scarlett,” I say firmly. “I want you .”
“But she already has so many projects and causes! You could get involved and do so many good things?—”
“Scarlett,” I say through gritted teeth.
“You should really rethink th?—”
I really want her to shut up about Astrid. So I do the only thing I can. I pull her in and kiss her.