Page 21 of A Healer for the Wicked Highlander

Turning back to his son, Michael exhaled slowly, his gaze shifting to Cody. The boy was still asleep, but there was something about him—something fragile—that reminded Michael of just how much he had to lose. He focused on that, reminding himself why he was here.

“Are ye avoidin’ the laird?” It was Marissa, her ever-curious and sharp-eyed sister, who had asked, her brows furrowing in curiosity.

Freya forced a smile, feeling the weight of the truth pressing down on her chest. She wasn’t ready to admit it—not even to her sisters. Not yet. Not when the emotions swirling inside her were so tangled and confusing.

“Nay,” she said quickly, her voice perhaps a little too quick. “I’m just... focusin’ on me duties here. That’s all.”

She knew her response had been a lie. It wasn’t just duty keeping her away from Michael. No, it was something far more complicated—and much more painful.

She was furious with herself. She was furious with him.

How could she have let herself be swept up in that kiss? In that moment, she had let her guard down, allowed herself to feel something she hadn’t wanted to feel for a man like him. The laird was obviously not a man who took responsibility for his actions. He was someone who did whatever struck his fancy, without thought of the consequences. He had kissed her without a second thought, and for what? Because it was convenient? Because she was there? Because hecould?

That was what burned the most—realizing she had fallen for it. That kiss, which she had been foolish enough to allow, now haunted her. She had let her emotions get in the way of what should have been a professional relationship. She had let the fire in him seep into her, and it wasn’t even real.

Freya bit back the anger that bubbled up inside her. She was angry with herself for letting it happen, but also angry with thelaird, for the way he acted as though nothing had changed, as though everything between them could return to normal after a kiss that shouldn’t have happened.

But no. Nothing would go back to normal. She couldn’t let it. She couldn’t let him get to her, no matter how much he tugged at her every time their paths crossed.

She reminded herself of the goal—Cody’s health. That was all that mattered. She had to make him better, and once she did, she and her sisters could go back home, where they belonged. They didn’t need to be tangled up in this complicated mess.

Her heart still burned with frustration, but she clamped down on it, steeling herself. There was no room for distractions. Not anymore.

“… this evenin’, Freya. What do ye think?” Marissa’s voice somehow managed to pierce through the thick fog of Freya’s mind, and she blinked heavily at her sister.

“Sorry… what?”

Marissa lifted an inquisitive eyebrow. “I was just sayin’, Cody wondered if we could all have dinner together tonight—just the five of us. He wants to celebrate, ye ken, now that he’s feelin’ better. It’ll be like a small gatherin’. The laird, us, and him.”

Freya stiffened, her breath catching in her chest. The thought of being in the same room with Michael again, of sitting acrossfrom him with her sisters and Cody, felt like a weight she couldn’t carry. The memory of the kiss still burned in her mind, and the idea of being in close proximity to him—without the walls of tension that had kept them apart the past few days—made her skin prickle with discomfort.

She opened her mouth to refuse, to tell Marissa that she had enough on her plate without pretending everything was fine, but the words stuck in her throat. How could she say no? How could she refuse Cody? It wasn’t just about her anymore.

Cody was better, and he wanted to celebrate that. He wanted his family to come together and share in the joy of his recovery. The thought of disappointing him made Freya’s heart ache.

“Ye daenae have to,” Marissa continued, sensing her hesitation, “but... it would mean a lot to Cody. He’s been so worried, and now that he’s better, he’s just tryin’ to hold on to something normal. Somethin’ that feels like family.”

Freya sighed, the weight of the decision pressing down on her chest. She couldn’t deny her sister’s words. It wasn’t just about her feelings anymore. Cody needed this—he needed to see that he was truly surrounded by love and care, by those who would fight for him. That was very important in a healing process, as she herself knew well.

“Alright,” Freya said quietly, her voice barely a whisper. “We’ll do it. For Cody.”

Marissa smiled brightly, clearly pleased with her sister’s decision, and rushed to the door to prepare. Freya, however, remained where she stood, her gaze fixed on the castle grounds below. She couldn’t help the knot of unease that twisted in her stomach.

Freya pressed her fingers to her temple, trying to quell the rising tide of anxiety. She had to remain composed.

But as the evening drew closer, she couldn’t shake the feeling that this dinner—this small celebration—might change everything.

CHAPTER TWELVE

“… a

nd then I fell from that tree because of the cat that refused to come down!” Cody entertained the ladies with his tales of mischief, and Michael stopped in the doorway, not wanting to interrupt what seemed like a magical moment.

All the girls erupted into a bout of laughter, a sound which Michael couldn’t remember hearing for a long time. As he listened to the continuation of the story, hidden in the shadows of the doorway, all his thoughts scattered.

His gaze immediately fell upon her.

Freya.