Spencer beams as she waves at him. “Oh, it’s the pretty lady with the goldfish. Hi, pretty lady! Are you tucking my daddy and giving him a kiss goodnight?” Spence puts his face right up to the screen, and Jacinta giggles.
“No, buddy, Jacinta and I are just walking back to our rooms together.” He pouts once more and looks like he’s about to argue my case. “Spence, when I get back to my room, how about we read a story before you go to bed? It’s four in the afternoon, which makes it about seven in California, so it’s just about your bedtime.”
“Can Jazzy read it to me?” he asks, and I have a moment of panic.
“I’m going out to dinner tonight with some friends,” she tells him, and we watch the tears well in his eyes. Poor baby must be so tired. “Oh, no, no, don’t cry. How about I read you a quick one, then Daddy can read you another?” she suggests, and he’s all smiles again. Sneaky little bugger.
“Yes, please.” He bounces up and down with excitement.
“Okay, hang on, buddy. Let me open the door to my room.”
“Pass me to Jazzy! I want to ask her some questions,” he says, so I hand her the phone before digging in my pocket for my key card.
“Have you seen a dolphin? Did you go swimming? What about a volcano?” I smile as I swipe my card.
“No, I didn’t do any of those things, but did you know my sister has baby tigers?” We walk into my room as she drops that bombshell on my three-year-old son. The call is silent for a moment before he starts squealing.
“Can I see them? Daddy, I want to see the baby tigers!”
“Now you’ve done it,” I whisper out of the side of my mouth, and she cringes and mouths, “Sorry.”
“I’ll send you some video footage that I have on my phone, and when we get back, we’ll arrange for your daddy to bring you out to our place to have a look. Sound good?”
“Yes! Yes! Yes!” he shouts with glee, bouncing the phone around as I grab my kindle off the bed.
“Go get your kindle, buddy, so we can read a story, okay?” He puts the phone down and runs away.
“Thank you for doing this. I really appreciate it,” I tell Jacinta.
“I wouldn’t punish a kid for what his father says or does,” she says a little coldly, and I flinch.
Shit, she’s still mad. I mean, I don’t blame her, but I was kind of hoping Spence had softened her a bit.
“I’m back! I want to hear the one about the rainbow fish,” he demands, so I switch on my kindle and find the book before passing it over to Jacinta. She looks around the room for somewhere to sit before heading over to the sitting area. I set up the phone on the little stand I have specifically for this, and Spence does the same on his end.
Hopefully, I’ll get a chance to speak to Jacinta once Spence hangs up.
ChapterTwenty-Eight
Jacinta
Dinner with the guys is magical, especially since they insist Riku join us at the table instead of hovering to the side. The wine and conversation flow naturally between the five of us, and never once is there an awkward pause where we run out of things to talk about. The food is superb, but we skip dessert in favor of a walk along the beach. The breeze off the ocean is cool, so Shane strips off his jacket and wraps it around my shoulders.
“I was prepared this time,” he whispers in my ear before winking at Riku. I laugh as I peel off my heels and hook them through my finger before we walk down the steps and onto the sand.
The sound of the water lapping gently along the shore overshadows the traffic back on the street. The beach is mostly deserted this late at night. One or two other couples are strolling around, but everyone is keeping their distance from one another.
“Are you ready for your show next week, Jace?” I tuck my arm into his as we walk along the beach. Shane and Alex are behind us in much the same position, and Riku is walking with them. Usually, I would have all this information, but I’ve stayed away from the warehouse where everything gets made. I didn’t want to interfere or micromanage him. He should be able to enjoy the rush of his first show without me hanging over his shoulder. Not to mention I’ve been busy with Willow Castle and socializing.
“Mostly. All the models have been chosen, and we’ve had fittings. There are one or two last-minute designs that I still need to make, which is what we’ll rush to do this week. Everything is being shipped down to NOLA on Wednesday, and Emma, Molly, and I are flying down too.”
“Are you excited?” I ask, thinking back to my first show. I was so nervous, I puked in the bathrooms while I was dressing them.
“I’m so freaking nervous. I’m worried people are going to hate it.”
I squeeze his arm, knowing there’s no real way to cure the nerves. He’ll feel better once the show is over and he sees what a success he’s going to be. “Trust that Nana, Molly, Emma, and I wouldn’t let that happen. The three of them helped pick the designs to go into the show, and they all have fabulous taste. I’ve never seen Molly in anything that isn’t on point fashion wise, and Nana is practically a style icon. Now that Emma isn’t playing caretaker, she’s been enjoying dressing up for work too.”
“I know you’re right, but I really want it to go well.”
