Page 125 of The Elusive Billionaire
Savvy falls asleep the second she closes her eyes. Sleep doesn’t come so easily for me, but I do lie still, counting her breaths like sheep and savoring the calm that only comes when she’s in my arms until the sun comes up.
I groanwhen I enter the kitchen to find everyone’s already here. It’s not even seven yet.
“Trouble sleeping too?” Braxton asks.
I nod and head straight for the espresso machine.
“Any word from Riley?” he asks. I finally take in his appearance, then glance around the room. Everyone looks like hell. “We’re all just as worried as you are, Grey.”
“She was mine long before she was yours,” Madi jokes, then removes a quiche from the oven.
“She’s not yours,” I mutter under my breath.
Braxton chuckles, and I go back to my espresso.
“We might as well get started on the fair,” Madi says just as Savvy enters the kitchen, grumbling about caffeine.
“Is the fair anything like the Cozy Cup Festival?” I ask. It’s too early for this shit. Everyone’s awake and nodding as if they’re excited for another damn festival, but there’s a heaviness to the air that doesn’t belong here in Happiness.
Apparently, Riley’s sudden appearance has everyone on edge—hence the family meet and greet at the crack of dawn.
Mornings are for silent workouts and planning sessions, not crowded kitchen clusterfucks. But the more they speak, the faster my mind works out all the ways that Savvy and I could annihilate a competition.
“The Cozy Cup is about bringing everyone together with friendly competition. The town fair is about…” Clover bites her lip, and I swallow down a groan. “Celebrating love.”
“Celebrating. Love,” I repeat as though I can’t compute the two words. “Celebrating what about love, exactly?”
“Just shoot me,” Savvy grumbles right before her head hits the kitchen island with a dull thud. I’ve never met anyone who despises mornings more than Monroe. I slide her my espresso, then turn to make another.
“Well…” Madi already sounds too cheery for my liking.
“Town fair is where we showcase the new town sweetheart,” Pops says with an irritating whistle to his words.
“You…showcase the town sweetheart.” I glare at each person in the room, understanding dawning and not liking it one bit. “How does Happiness showcase their sweetheart?”
“This has disaster written all over it.” Savvy groans again. She’s picking at the quiche Madi made, but I’m the only one paying attention.
Braxton chuckles, and Cian purposefully stares at a blank spot on the ceiling while swaying with Keela fast asleep on his shoulder and attempting not to laugh.
I linger on the serenity of the sleeping baby for a moment.
“She’s a night owl,” Elle says, catching me staring. “Her internal clock is all screwed up.”
“Showcasing the sweetheart is a time-honored tradition.” How the hell is Madi so damn chipper?
“Madi.” The warning in my tone hits a brick wall. “How do you showcase sweethearts?”
“You’re not going to like this.” Cian chuckles, a full, belly-shaking laugh that has Keela stirring, but nothing seems to wake her.
How I long to sleep with the security of a baby surrounded by love.
“Explain,” I demand, forcing my gaze away from the tiny ball of pink once again.
“Well.” Elle stands and begins talking with her hands. “It starts with naming the most eligible bachelor. Then it’s the Sweetheart Crowning Ceremony.”
“Most eligible bachelor,” I scoff. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Nope,” Elle laughs. “And he has to put his best foot forward to win that title, and then the rest of the weekend, other bachelors have the opportunity to?—”
