“I would love to, Lillie.” Violet lights up, holding her hand out. Lillie snatches it instantly, tugging her with delighted urgency.
“Hey, what about me?” I call after them.
“D’uh, you’re too old for the bounce house, Uncle Chase,” Lillie shouts over her shoulder with a dramatic eye-roll.
Violet turns back with a wicked grin, poking her tongue out at me. I’m so going to enjoy teaching her a lesson later.
I watch them walk away, my heart climbing into my throat. Violet’s too beautiful in that lilac lace dress—tight at the bodice, soft at the waist. Her back is bare, her skin glowing in the golden light, and I can’t stop picturing my mouth on it. It’s ridiculous how in love I am with her.
A chair scrapes beside me, and Austen drops into it, holding out a beer for me.
“Where are they headed?” he says, his gaze following mine.
“Bounce house,” I mutter, taking a swig. “Apparently, I’m too old.”
Austen chuckles, popping the cap on his beer, taking a long pull. “Sounds about right. Lillie has a sharp tongue, a bit like someone else I know.”
“Really, I can’t imagine who,” I say, deadpan.
Austen stretches out in a yawn, a slight smirk pulling his lips. “I heard Elliot surfaced in Panama. Apparently, he was trying tosell some dodgy import business but ended up on the wrong side of someone powerful.”
“Sounds about right,” I drawl, rolling the bottle between my fingers. “And there was me, hoping he’d take up something a bit more... thrilling. Maybe join a circus or something.”
Austen smiles, amusement lingering in his eyes before shifting into something more serious. “So, you still haven’t asked her?”
I arch a brow. “That obvious?”
“My wife says you’ve got a ring that could bankroll a small nation.”
“I’m waiting for the right moment.”
“Don’t tell me you’re nervous. I never thought I’d see the day.”
“Of course not,” I grunt.
It’s a lie. I’m fucking terrified. Not because I don’t know what I want, but because I’ve never wanted anything this bad before.
I sigh, eyes drifting back to the bounce house just in time to see Seb launch himself in like a rocket and land flat on his back. Violet throws her head back, laughing, while Lillie and her hoist Seb to his feet. Something explodes in my chest as I watch her. Her face lit up, her hair tumbling over her shoulders like spun gold.
And that’s it.
My body moves before I think. I’m already on my feet, cutting through the crowd, the decision made.
“Can you take Lillie?” I call over my shoulder, my voice thick with something that feels too close to panic.
Austen’s eyes flash with understanding, a small, knowing smile tugging at his lips.
I stride across the lawn, dodging a rogue balloon and half a dozen sugar-high kids, my focus locked on the lilac dress bouncing in time with Violet’s laugh.
“Violet,” I say as I reach the edge of the bounce house.
She turns, still laughing, her cheeks flushed. “You’re not about to bounce, are you?”
“I need to take you somewhere,” I say, low and serious.
Her brows lift, amusement fading into confusion. “Right now?”
I nod once. “Yeah. Right now.”
