Jackson’s face moved in an approximation of a smile. “Not anymore, no.”
“Yoo-hoo.” Livvy’s voice preceded her appearance into the living room. She was almost hidden behind the large garment bag she carried. “We’re back.”
Nicholas jumped to his feet and pulled the bag out of her hands. “Took you a long time.”
“Looks like you guys had fun,” Sadia remarked. She raised an eyebrow at the crumbs on the tray of cookies. “You didn’t leave any for us?” She perched on the arm of the chair Jackson sat in and tousled her son’s hair, then draped her arm around her boyfriend’s shoulders.
Gabe had to look away from the way Jackson gazed at Sadia. For such an emotionally reserved man, his face was nakedly soft when it came to her.
Kareem leaned into his mother. “We ate cookies and played poker, like men.”
“Men aren’t the only ones who can do either of those things,” Sadia said archly. She picked up some of their winnings and popped them in her mouth.
Jackson ran his hand over his girlfriend’s hair. “It’s starting to rain, I see.”
She draped her braid over her shoulder. “Yup. We used the umbrella to protect the dress on our run up to the house.”
Livvy beamed at Nicholas. “Wanna see my dress?”
The “No!” that came from both Sadia and Nicholas made the rest of them jump.
“What are you doing?” Livvy’s maid of honor demanded. “You can’t let the groom see the gown before the wedding day.”
“It’s bad luck,” Nicholas chided her.
“Uh...” Livvy looked back and forth between the two of them. “Could we have worse luck than what we’ve had?”
“Let’s not jinx it,” Sadia said.
“Agreed,” Nicholas said. “I’ll go put this in the bedroom.” He picked up the dress, then glanced around the room. An odd look crossed his face. “Wait. Is Eve still out?” He pulled out his phone, dialed, and lifted it to his ear, his frown deepening. “It’s going straight to voice mail.” He tried again.
Livvy placed her hand on his arm. “I’m sure she’s fine.”
A crack of thunder went through the room. The lights flickered.
“If she’s out in this, she’s not fine,” Nicholas snapped.
“Nico—”
“No.” Nicholas pointed the phone at her. “I’m not being overprotective. If she’s still out riding in this storm—”
Jackson gently placed Kareem on his feet, then rose. “Let’s check the house first, before we jump to conclusions. She might have already come back.”
“Gabe, can you look in her room?” Sadia asked, and grasped her son’s hand. “We’ll go down to the pool.”
His wariness drowned out by worry, Gabe nodded. He jogged upstairs and knocked on her door, but there was no answer. Feeling vaguely creepy, he opened the door a crack and peered inside. “Eve? Uh, are you in here?”
Nothing.
He opened the door wider and stepped inside. The room was a mirror image to his, complete with white bedding and furnishings. “Eve?”
Still nothing.
The place smelled... good. Like some light floral scent.
Nope, not weird at all for you to be sniffing her bedroom when you’re looking for her.
Shamed, he gritted his teeth and made his way back downstairs, where Jackson and Nicholas had congregated in the foyer. “Any luck?”
