Page 85 of The Layover

Joystick arrived, and we spent a little time talking. He’d been hanging out with us most days on the worksite, asking questions, helping wherever we let him, and taking copious notes. He had an idea that Raul called the Buckaroo Banzai of restaurants—it was a little bit of all of Joystick’s favorite things thrown into one concept—and it was over the top enough that it would either crash and burn or be wildly successful.

I was leaning toward the latter.

“Fuck me. Who’s that?” he muttered.

I would’ve scowled at him for using the language in front of Eloise, but when I followed his gaze, my mind snagged, and the world stopped. Carly had just walked in. Her hair tumbled in soft ringlets around the gauzy fabric on her shoulders, and her black gown teased at what lay underneath.

“Daddy, she looks like a princess.” Eloise’s awe snapped me back to reality.

One where Carly was still standing in our restaurant again, and she wasn’t a princess, she was a fucking queen. Our queen. When her gaze met mine, a soft smile spread over her face, and that was it. I was lost to her.

Also, I was going to deck Joystick if he was drooling over her. No way around that, it was what it was.

But Carly wasn’t alone, and Joystick had walked away from us to introduce himself to Kandace, who looked surprised and vaguely flustered at the well-dressed, tattooed man who had just greeted her.

I was going to kiss Carly in front of this entire room full of people. Near the doorway, for everyone to see. I was going to press her against the wall and sear her memory into my mind, to confirm she was actually here, and I didn’t care who saw.

“Daddy, let’s go.” Eloise broke away from me before I could act, and ran across the room. “Carly,” she shouted.

Carly crouched as Ellie reached her, and when the two hugged, my heart was broken and mended again and again. It landed on healed and warm.

“You look really pretty,” Eloise said.

Carly pulled back enough to ruffle her hair. “So do you.”

“I thought you weren’t coming back.” Eloise’s words echoed what I wanted to say.

Carly kissed her on the forehead, and looked past her to me again. “Me too. But I was wrong.”

I had no words. I wanted to pull Carly into my arms and kiss her for ages. Bend her over the closest table and fuck her until she screamed. Cuddle her. Never let her go.

And the chatter of the crowd around us might not have been enough to stop me if Eloise weren’t here.

Carly grabbed Ellie’s hand and stood, never taking her eyes off me. “I need to talk to you and Raul,” she said.

Definitely. Talk. More. “How long are you here for?”

“That’s what I want to talk about.”

No. I wasn’t having that kind of vague, bullshit evasion. “That’s not an answer.”

“For as long as you’ll have me. Is that a better answer?” Carly’s reply was breathless and one of the most incredible things I’d ever heard.

“We need to talk to Raul.” I wanted to have the conversation now, but he deserved to be there for whatever she had to say.

Eloise grabbed Carly’s hand as tightly as she’d held mine earlier. “Are you having dinner with us, Carly?”

“If your dads will have me.”

I dipped my head near her ear and inhaled deeply, filling my head with the scent of jasmine and anticipation. “In as many ways as you’ll let us.” My whisper was only for her ears.

And the flush that spread through her cheeks was incredible.

I straightened up. “Yes, she is.” I answered Eloise’s question. “But Carly and I need to talk to Daddy first, and you can’t be in the kitchen while it’s this busy. Let’s go find Nonna.” I paused, and looked between Kandace and Carly. “Do we need to rescue her?” I asked.

Carly glanced over at Kandace, who was talking to Joystick. The other woman didn’t look upset or bothered, but mostly flustered. Carly smirked. “She’ll be fine.”

We left Eloise with Raul’s mother, and went to find him in the kitchen. The instant I had Carly in a quiet hallway, no one else around, I pressed her to the wall with my full body.

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