𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 | RAFE CAMERON

Thirty two | D A D

  
  I woke up to the warm glow of morning light peeking through the curtains, and the even warmer sensation of Rafe's arm wrapped around me. I snuggled deeper into the crook of his shoulder, and he stirred, smiling down at me.

"Morning, love," he whispered, his voice husky from sleep.

I smiled back, feeling like I was exactly where I was meant to be. But our peaceful morning was short-lived, as the sound of tiny footsteps echoed from the hallway.

"Momma!" Tommy's excited voice chimed in, and I threw off the covers to scoop him up in a big hug.

"Good morning, baby!" I cooed, inhaling the sweet scent of his freshly washed hair. He was already wide awake, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Mama," he mumbled, his voice heavy with sleep.

I chuckled, "Yes, it's Mama."

Tommy looked up at me, his bright blue eyes sparkling. "Hungry?" I asked, and he nodded enthusiastically.

"Eat!" he declared, and I couldn't help but smile at his eagerness.

"Why don't we go to the country club for breakfast, sweetie?" I suggested, and Tommy cheered, bouncing up and down in my arms.

As we got ready to head out, Rafe caught my eye, "Don't forget to make up with Sofia this morning. I texted her, she's waiting for you at the club."

I nodded, feeling a wave of guilt for flipping out on her the day before. Rafe's reassuring smile told me it would be okay, though.

"Sofia's cool, by the way," he said, as he buttoned up his shirt. "Tommy likes her, and I think she'll forgive you easily. You're not exactly the most intimidating person, you know."

I rolled my eyes, laughing at his teasing. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

After dropping off Tommy at the kid's play area at the club, I made my way to the bar where Sofia was waiting for me. She looked stunning in her crisp white polo and khakis, sipping on a coffee as she worked the bar. She was beautiful, no wonder I was so jealous.

"Sofia, I'm so sorry about yesterday," I said, sitting down at the bar and taking a deep breath. "I was completely out of line, and I feel awful about it."

Sofia set her cup down, her expression softening. "Scarlett, it's okay. I get it. You're under a lot of stress."

I shook my head, "No, that's not an excuse. I was wrong to lash out at you, and I promise it won't happen again."

Sofia smiled, reaching out to squeeze my hand. "I appreciate that, Scarlett. And honestly, I think we could both use a fresh start."

"Absolutely," I agreed, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders. "And speaking of fresh starts, I was wondering if you'd be willing to babysit for me today? Tommy's in the playroom at the country club and Ive got to stop somewhere."

Sofia nodded, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "I'd love to. My morning shift is almost over. And don't worry, I'll make sure Tommy doesn't get into too much trouble."

"Make sure he eats breakfast, he's a hungry fella." I grinned, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. Maybe, just maybe, we could make this whole family thing work after all.

As I stood up to leave, Sofia caught my arm. "Hey, Scarlett?"

"Yeah?"

"Just for the record, I think you're doing a great job with Tommy. He's an amazing kid, and you're an amazing mom."

I felt my heart swell with pride and gratitude. "Thanks, Sofia. That means a lot coming from you."

With my apology out of the way, I felt lighter, freer, but my heart still weighed, I had to make sure the Pogues were okay. I wanted to stop by the Chateau to see if they ended up there from the island.