Savannah leaned against her dad, her eyes heavy. The overhead lights were dimmed and their windows were dark.
“Did you have fun?” Ben asked her in hushed tones. The lights had been dimmed to a soft golden glow and the temperature was comfortable.
Savannah yawned and nodded. It was Avery she spoke to. “It was way more fun with you guys here. You’re coming again next time, aren’t you?”
Avery’s eyes skimmed over to Ben to see his reaction to the invitation. Magic Lamp was their special place, and she’d been honored to be invited along on their family time, but she wasn’t about to assume that they would be going back.
Ben locked gazes with her. “I’d like it if you would.”
She settled there, comfortable with his attention. He’d said that she and Landon were part of his inner circle today, but the longing in his eyes said he wanted her to stay. “We can probably make that happen.”
Savannah smiled until she too fell asleep.
Avery stared down at her boy, going over the day in her mind. They’d had fun—together. Like playmates and the buddies they used to be. Her body was sore. The aches from the hike were still there, though less intense. Added to that were sore back muscles from carrying the drawstring backpack. The pains were all a blessing she’d take on again in a heartbeat.
“What are you thinking?” Ben asked quietly. His voice was deep and low so as not to wake the kids.
Chills rushed over her skin at the rumble of it, and her heart thrummed. “I was just thinking that today reminded me that I can be fun.” She lifted her gaze to meet his. She had to be careful, because when their eyes met, it felt like Ben could see right to the depths of her soul. She’d never be able to hide something from him. “I feel positively spoiled.” She cupped Landon’s head, indicating that the best part of the day was right now. “Thank you. This is more than I deserve.”
“You deserve a whole lot more than this, Avery.”
“I’m not sure. Holding my kid? It’s pretty much heaven.”
He lifted a hand, reaching for her. She reached back, but neither of them could bear to drop their child to get closer. He chuckled, and she giggled. They relaxed back in their seats, content to bask in the moment.
“What’s the hardest thing about being a billionaire?” she asked in order to lighten the mood. No sense tormenting the both of them with a kiss that couldn’t happen right now. Later, she promised herself.
Ben didn’t even have to think about the answer. “This week? Ordering pizza.”
“What? No way.”
He nodded. “I tried. It was a disaster.”
“I don’t believe you.” She smiled, happier than she’d been in a long time.
“The phone order went through just fine. But the delivery guy had a record, and they wouldn’t let him through the gate.”
“Wait—how did they know he had a record?”
He pressed his lips together and lifted both eyebrows.
“Maybe I don’t want to know.”
He chuckled. “Probably not.
Avery wanted to sit next to him, to feel his laughter rumble in his chest. “I shudder to know what you learned about me the moment I went through the gate.”
He shook his head. “You got through, so I know you haven’t robbed a bank or anything.”
“Well, it’s nice to know my spotless reputation paid off.” She shifted slightly. “So what happened?”
He cringed. “Security confiscated him and the pizza. They ran all sorts of tests on it—which made it inedible. By the time I was called to confirm that I actually had ordered the pizza, the poor guy had confessed everything he’d ever done to the interrogation specialist and the authorities had to be called in.”
“Interrogation specialist? You live in a crazy world, Ben Wilaby.”
“I know.” He patted Savannah’s knee as if making sure she was still there.
“So ordering pizza is harder than being a single parent?”
