Page 34 of Freak Show

He caught up the cat astronaut bag along with a duffle he threw over his shoulder, and then he rolled everything out in one large hand.

Titus followed with the two giggling girls, and then we were in a four-car garage with two trucks in it.

“This place is kind of magical,” I said as I eyed the area. It was old and outdated, but it was quaint and welcoming at the same time. “If you only put a little bit of effort into making this place your own, I’ll bet it’d be captivating.”

“We’re not really sure how long Banner will be here, to be honest,” Slone said as he slowly hefted our luggage into the back of the truck. Again, I watched as his shoulder muscles bulged underneath his tight t-shirt. “We don’t really want to put the money and effort into this place when it’s good enough for now. Maybe if we find that Banner wants to move here permanently, we’ll update it…but in the meantime, it’s just not something we’re interested in doing.”

“That makes sense,” I murmured as I opened the back door.

Briley was in the middle with Annabelle in her booster seat on the far side. I got in beside Briley and smiled at her.

“I’m betting that I’ll be taller than you one day,” she said to me the moment I got settled.

I couldn’t help the snort that left me. “Darling girl, there’s no doubt in my mind that you’ll be taller than me. Heck, when you hit your growth spurt around twelve, you’re gonna surpass me. Your dad is six foot fifteen.”

“Six foot fifteen isn’t real,” Briley pointed out helpfully.

“She said it as a joke, baby,” Slone said as he slid into the passenger seat in front of me. “Which you knew.”

Briley grinned unrepentantly. “That’s true.”

“And for your information, Ari.” I felt my heart swell at his use of my new nickname. It sounded so normal. I loved it. “I’m six-foot-five.”

“And two hundred and eighty pounds of pure muscle,” Titus supplied helpfully. “He’ll flatten you like a pancake.”

What if I wanted to be flattened like a pancake?

The trip to the airport was uneventful.

In fact, it was honestly quite surprising to say the least.

We arrived and drove straight onto the tarmac.

Titus handed his keys over to a man standing there with a rental car agency’s name on his polo shirt, handed him some cash, then was helping Slone unload all the luggage.

Seconds later we were being ushered inside a plane.

It wasn’t big. It wasn’t small. It was just…normal.

“Gentlemen,” the man who must be the pilot said. “Just wanted to make sure y’all are all ready to go.”

“Give us five to strap Annabelle’s car seat in, Gervin, and then we’re ready,” Titus replied.

Slone had it in fast, and then Titus was putting Annabelle in it.

“Is this y’all’s plane?” I wondered as I took a seat and strapped in.

Our luggage was stowed by Titus, and then Slone was dropping into the seat beside me to answer my earlier question.

“It’s one we rent,” he replied. “Gervin is our usual pilot.”

“Nice,” I said.

Then we were taking off and Gervin was informing us that we had a four-hour flight ahead of us.

Did I spend my flight catching up on my missed sleep? No.

Did I spend the entire flight talking to the man at my side while his kids and Titus did other things on the plane? Yes, yes I did.

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