Twenty-One
A WEEK LATER`
Eloise
Strolling through downtown Denver on the last day of our vacation, I bounced in between my handsome Daddies. A sign for carriage rides caught my eye. Tugging on Reed’s hand, I made him stop in his tracks.
He grinned. “Yes, princess? What do you need?”
“Can we book a ride? Please, Daddy?” I gave him my cheesiest grin. I knew he couldn’t resist my smile.
“Hm. We should do something memorable. What do you think, King?”
“Already booking it,” he mumbled in response as he scrolled through his phone. “They just had a cancellation so we can go right now.”
I giggled excitedly. After so much time being stuck in boardrooms, online meetings and boring planning committees, I hadn’t experienced enough fun things. Sure, we used to go on family vacations growing up, but they were places my parents wanted to go and never kid-friendly excursions. It had always made me wonder why they had brought my brothers and me along at all. Pushing away the thoughts, I raised my arms to Reed. He twirled me around three times before setting me on myfeet again. Happily bouncing along the sidewalk, I babbled about everything and nothing.
Once the carriage arrived, I couldn’t keep the smile off my face. Maybe I was naive, but it felt like we were in a fairytale, and I was the princess. The carriage had enough room for four adults, two on either side. Kingston climbed in first, reaching down to help me. Reed lifted me though he didn’t really need to. He joined me on the same seat so we were across from our Sir. King lifted my legs onto his lap, covering me with a warm blanket. I don’t know where he got it from, but it was perfect. Reed wrapped his arms around my upper half, his chin resting on my head. I felt incredibly content. We rode through the streets in the carriage enjoying each other’s company.
The past two weeks were the most peaceful time of my life. I didn’t want our vacation to ever end. Suddenly, I thought about having to get back into our mundane routines. Sleeping alone. Not seeing them every day.
“Daddy?” I sniffled and brushed a tear away.
“What’s wrong, princess?” King leaned forward.
He cupped my face and waited for me to explain what my problem was. “When we go back home, it’s not going to be the same. I know we haven’t been together that long but the thought of not seeing you all the time…” I trailed off, lost in my emotions. Reed moved slightly so he could hold me closer to him. He kissed my temple, trailing kisses to my jawline.
“We will figure out our schedules before we leave, babygirl,” Reed assured me. “Try not to get in your head, okay?”
Kingston patted my leg. “Reed is right. The two of us talked about ways to spend time together as often as possible. Things are changing for the better at my job. Fewer hours in the field. Maybe more time behind a desk, but I’ll be home more.”
Reed nodded his agreement. “Do you remember what I was working on the other night, Eli? I drafted a letter to my boss. I’mdialing back my hours. We are both dedicated to prioritizing our relationship.”
He didn’t have to say that out loud since I could see the effort but it settled the yucky feelings in my belly. Nodding, I relaxed into them, letting my breathing calm. “And I’m also working more manageable hours. I used to spend every second working. So it’s understandable that when I went from a very corporate world to Grant’s bar, I’d be off-kilter. It will be better now.”
King rubbed his hands along my leg and I settled. The warmth of the blanket combined with their touches was deeply comforting. The clacking of the horses’ hooves and the gentle motion of the carriage lulled away the rest of my worries. It wasn’t that they wouldn’t rear their ugly heads ever again, but the reassurance from my Daddies eased the fears.
We headed back toward the drop-off area, signaling that our ride was coming to an end. “Do you think it’s crazy to fall in love this quickly?”
“Let me ask you something, Eli. Can you hate someone from one interaction?”
Reed assisted me out of the carriage while King tipped the driver. I waited until I was in between them again, holding their hands to answer. “I think I know where you’re going with your question. Yes, there have been times in my life where one interaction caused me to never want to speak to a person again. Especially in my corporate life all over the world.”
King snorted. “I’d love to hear about your oversea adventures, princess. Especially since you spent so much time in Europe.”
“I’ll tell you sometime, Daddy.” I squeezed his hand while waiting for Reed to respond.
Reed brought my hand to his mouth and kissed it. “Very good. So, if you can feel that strongly in a negative way fromone conversation, then imagine the flip side. Try not to put restrictions on your heart, babygirl.”
Blinking several times, I nodded. “Of course. You’re right, Sir. I just have this nagging thought that we jumped into this fast.”
“We did, Eli. But being impulsive isn’t necessarily a bad thing. We are getting to know each other. Building our relationship. No stress, princess,” King said sternly. “I didn’t bring us on vacation to immediately have you undo all that pampering.”
“I’m falling in love with you and it’s scary and overwhelming and sort of the best!” I declared dramatically.
The three of us stopped and leaned against a brick building. The hustle and bustle around us seemed to slow as we stood there. King cupped my cheeks, brushing his thumbs across my jawline. He leaned in kissing me passionately.
“Just me?” King teased. “Or both of us?”
