Page 55 of Treasure and Tarot

Eighteen

Sebastian waited with Abby out at the little play area off the hotel parking lot. It was just a slide and a playhouse and little ball pit, but she loved it. Right now, it was just her size, and it was guaranteed to occupy her for a bit.

The text had come from Colton just as they were about to have lunch, asking what Abby wanted from the Mobile Moo. So they were waiting on lunch. Apparently, they were going to expense the whole hotel’s food on the show.

Martina at the Moo would be ecstatic.

“Daddy, look at me!” Abby kicked up her feet and swung hard, which made Amanda and Tori’s little weenie dog, Oscar Meyer, bark like a maniac and run in circles, chasing his tail.

He was one of Abby’s biggest fans because she tended to drop Cheerios all over the floor and the ground and everywhere…

The vehicles pulled up, and Abby hopped off the swing. “Papa Colton!”

“I know, right? He brought us lunch.”

“He did?” She frowned. “For Xavi and Xander too?”

“Uh-huh. And Amanda and Tori and all the guys on the crew.”

“Yay! What food?” She came to take his hand, and he put Oscar back on his leash so they could all cross the parking lot.

“Hamburgers and milkshakes and fries from Moo.”

“Yum! I like her ham-murmurs.”

“Me too.” She just got ketchup. He got pickles and onions and tomatoes and her super-special sauce. And a strawberry shake.

“Yay!” She was in such a good mood. While he? Was a nervous wreck about how it had gone with the medium.

“Hey, guys.” Colton waved at them, smiling. “Hey, Miss Abby, how are you?”

“Papa! Papa! I played. Did you see?”

“I did! I’ll have to come play afterward, maybe? I got you a hamburger with just ketchup.” Colton beamed at her and offered him a wide-eyed smile. “Hey, you. What an afternoon.”

“Cool.” Also unnerving a little bit, but cool.

Colton nodded. “Let’s all go have lunch, and we’ll have a chat.”

“No, Papa. Naps are for after lunch,” Abby informed them. “After lunch is naps.”

“That sounds great, sweet pea.” Colton grinned at her. “I think that after-lunch naps are the best.”

Abby wiggled, so proud of herself.

Sebastian just wanted to know how it went at the house. He wanted to go home. He wanted to sit on his sofa. He wanted to be in his own bed. He needed to go back to work. “Was it a good…filming?”

Colton stared at him for a second, eyes huge and excited. “Yes. Like, yes. Whoa.”

He was fairly sure he’d never heard Colton say whoa outside of sex, so that was kind of entertaining. “Are we going to get to go home?”

“I actually think so, yes. I think maybe yes. We’ll talk to Thierry and everybody and see, but—” Colton took a deep breathand stopped. “I tell you what, let’s eat, and after lunch we’ll show you everything.”

“Okay.” Like he was going to be able to eat. He was never going to be able to eat again.

Well, except the hamburger smelled really, really, really good. The fries smelled even better, and he did love a milkshake. So okay, he could eat and then just be queasy afterward.

Or maybe not. Who knew?

---