Sun rays peek through the sides of the blackout curtains, basking Lana in an early morning glow. If I could, I would spend the whole morning here with her. Sneaking out of the bedroom before Cami wakes up is pure torture. Like every cell in my body is protesting against moving, making each step away from her impossible.
“I should go before Cami wakes up.” Even though Cami caught us kissing, we don’t want her to assume anything else is going on. I look forward to the day that I don’t have to sneak around my own place, hiding my feelings because of a six-year-old kid.
Lana’s only reply is to burrow deeper into my chest.
I try to untangle her limbs from mine, but she holds on.
“What if we told her?” she mumbles against my chest.
“That we’re dating.”
I pause. “Is that what you want?”
“She’s starting to ask me questions anyway.”
“Like what?”
“She wanted to know when she is going to get a baby sister.”
I choke on my inhale. “What?”
She peeks up at me. “Do you not want kids?”
“Of course I do.” Spending time around Cami made me realize just how fun children can be.
“Are you sure? You’re going to have to invest in a lot more swear jars.” A smile tugs at her lips.
“I better stock up on some hundreds then.”
She smiles in a way that not only reaches her eyes but her soul.
I can’t resist kissing her in that moment. To steal a little bit of that happiness for myself.
“Mommy!”
One second, I’m lying flat on the bed. The next, Lana shoves me off the mattress with an inhuman amount of strength that I never thought she possessed.
I land on the floor with an oomph. “Fuck.”
She peeks over the edge with wide eyes. “Oh my God. Are you okay? I’m so sorry!”
I lift my hand and give her a thumbs-up.
The knob rattles before Cami comes barreling in. “Morning!”
Lana intercepts her before she catches me hiding. “Whoa there. Look at your hair! Let’s go do something about it before breakfast.”
The door shuts behind them with a soft click, leaving me alone, wondering how the hell I’m going to survive sneaking around for much longer.
Outside of visiting Rowan’s house at the back of the Dreamland property for a company Christmas party, I have pretty much avoided the park since my mother passed, so Cami’s first experience at the park might as well be mine too.
Our first stop is at the Magic Wand Salon. Beauty chairs and fancy vanity mirrors make up one side of the salon while the other half is an entire store designed like a princess’s closet. Hundreds of girls sift through the racks, riffling through ballgown dresses and accessories fit for royalty.
Cami takes off toward the shop, leaving Lana and me behind with Rowan and Zahra. Compared to my brother’s plain navy suit, Zahra wears a bright yellow dress that complements the brown tones of her skin and hair.
“Cal!” Zahra throws her arms around me.
Lana looks at the two of us with raised brows.
I clear my throat. “Hey. Long time no see.”
“Iris and I have missed you at the last couple of brunches. This one is a complete bore.” She nods in Rowan’s direction. Rowan glares at her, which only makes Zahra beam.
“Is this Alana?” Zahra’s brown eyes glitter as she checks out Lana.
I introduce the two of them.
Zahra pulls Lana into a hug. “I’ve heard so much about you.”
Zahra pulls away. “Oh, yeah. Get a few mimosas in Cal’s system and he won’t stop talking about you.”
My cheeks heat. Lana stiffens, the muscles in her back going rigid.
“Mimosas?” She glances up at me, a storm brewing behind her eyes.
“I’m not sure there will be many more mimosas in my future.” I offer Zahra a tight smile.
Rowan, sensing the need for a topic change, thank God, offers his hand to Lana. “Nice to see you again after all this time.”
She shakes it with a wrinkled nose. “Ugh. Still stuffy as ever, Galahad.”
Zahra’s wide eyes bounce between Lana and my brother. “She knows your middle name?”
“Oh, I know a lot more than that.” Lana laughs.
Rowan blushes, and it’s quite the sight. I wish I got it on camera solely for future entertainment purposes.
Zahra leans forward. “I’d love nothing more than to pick your brain and learn all about baby Rowan.”
My brother shoots me a look. “Tell your girlfriend I can revoke those VIP passes as quickly as I handed them out.”
“I’m standing right here, so feel free to tell me yourself.” Lana waves with a small smile.
Damn. Getting turned on by Lana putting my brother in his place is a new level of fucked up, and I’m dying for more of it. Even Rowan’s eyes glitter at her comment. If there is anything my brother respects more than submission, it’s those willing to stand up to him when he is wrong.
“Iris is totally going to love you.” Zahra wags her finger at Lana before breaking out into a laugh.
“Look what I found!” Cami rushes back over to us, balancing two different tiaras on her head, holding three princess dresses in her arms, and wearing two different plastic heels on her feet.
“You can only pick one outfit.” Lana plucks the dresses out of her hands and holds them up for her to choose.
I’m quick to steal them out of Lana’s hands and pass them over to Zahra, who is going to do Cami’s makeover. “We’ll take them all. Have the store send everything Cami wants up to our room.”
Lana shoots me a look. “You’re spoiling her.”
“And I’m loving every second of it.” My smile widens.
She rolls her eyes. “You can’t buy her everything she wants.”
“Why not?” Cami grins as she not-so-sneakily adds a third pair of costume heels to the growing pile in Zahra’s arm.
“Camila.” Lana puts her hands on her hips.
“Mommy.” Cami matches her mother’s stance, earning laughs from everyone but Lana.
Cami catches something out of the corner of her eye and takes off toward the costume jewelry area, dragging Zahra behind her. Rowan busies himself behind the check-in desk, leaving Lana and me alone.
Lana lets out a long sigh as she watches Cami from across the room.
I wrap my arms around her from behind and tug her body against mine. “I plan on spoiling you just as much later,” I whisper in her ear. “All night long if you want me to.”
She shivers. “Is that a promise?”
“Depends on if you’re going to let me treat Cami to whatever she wants today.”
She pouts. “You’re not fighting fair.”
“I’d rather not fight at all.” I tuck her hair behind her ear before brushing my fingers down the slope of her neck. “Especially when I could fuck you instead.” I kiss the sensitive spot below her ear before letting her go.
We only have a minute to spare before Cami and Zahra come back to drag Lana away. She gives me one last look over her shoulder before Zahra tugs her in the direction of the beauty salon, leaving me standing all by myself.
Lana lifts Cami into one of the chairs while Zahra holds up the different dresses against Cami’s torso. I laugh at the two extra ones the sneaky girl added to the selection.
Rowan walks up next to me. “So, you’re dating each other again?”
“Yes.”
His cheek hollows from how hard he gnaws on it.
I give him a once-over. “Spit it out.”
He releases a heavy breath. “I’m worried about you.”
My head tilts. “Why?”
“I know she’s the reason you went back to drinking the last time.”
My muscles turn to stone beneath my shirt. “I’m not going to fault her for my issues, and you shouldn’t either. If I chose to relapse, it’s on me, not her.”
“I don’t fault her, but I can’t help being worried either way about the two of you potentially getting back together. You were never the same after you went back to Lake Wisteria two years ago.”
My hands tighten into fists. I never spoke about going there in the first place, so Rowan had to find out from someone. “Who told you?”
His eyes dart toward the salon chair where Zahra stands behind Cami, curling her hair. “Declan.”
“He knew?”
His Adam’s apple bobs from his thick swallow. “You know how he is.”
“An overprotective ass with no concept of privacy?”
“It comes from a good place.”
“Does it? Because it feels pretty damn invasive and oppressive from my point of view.” All my life, Declan has done the same thing.
He sighs. “At the time, Declan was desperate to figure out what was wrong because he wanted to fix it for you.”
I scoff.
“Why do you think he had a buyer set up to purchase the house?” Rowan’s question comes out of nowhere.
“Because he didn’t believe that I could sell the lake house.”
“No. He wanted to save you from any pain you would experience by having to go back to Lake Wisteria after the last time. It was his way of trying to help you.”
My lips part.
“It’s the same reason he threatened the trust Mom left you and forced you into rehab the first time.” Rowan shakes his head with a sigh. “If you stopped for a second to ask him why he does things, rather than assume the worst about him, you’d both spend a lot less time fighting.”
“He’s still an asshole who says stupid shit.”
“Of course he is. But I also know he is working on apologizing, which he never used to do before he married Iris. So maybe you should give him a chance to learn from his mistakes instead of ignoring him out of spite.”
I take a deep breath. “He told you something?”
“Not in so many words. You know Declan isn’t the type to open up and gush about his feelings.”
Damn. He must be really affected if he talked to Rowan of all people.
I sigh. “Fine. I’ll give him a call after this weekend.”
Rowan winces. “About that…”
Fuck. Rowan was the suckiest secret keeper, right after Lana.
“You told him I was here, didn’t you?”
“Surprise?”
My eyes roll. “When is he coming?”
“Tomorrow night. Zahra and Iris are planning an early birthday dinner for you.”
Shit.
Cami walks out of the Magic Wand Salon with a contagious smile on her face. She looks adorable with her glittered-covered blond curls and her purple princess dress, with the shiny material shifting colors depending on how much sunlight peeks through the clouds.
“Thank you from both of us.” Lana plants a kiss on my cheek before taking off after Cami, who wobbles toward the castle in her plastic heels.
“Will they be joining us for dinner tomorrow?” Rowan tips his chin in their direction.
The three of us.
I really like the sound of that.
“I need to check with Alana and see how she feels first. She might not be up for something like that.” Not that I would blame her. My family is a bit much, especially when we are all together.
“Shoot us a text either way,” Rowan says before he and Zahra walk away.
It’s easy to find Cami and Lana in the crowd with how the rhinestones on Cami’s tiara glitter under the bright sun. Her plastic heels click and clack against the cobbled road leading up to Princess Cara’s castle. Lana clutches Cami’s sneakers in her other hand, ready to replace the heels once Cami’s feet hurt.
I pull out my phone and snap a photo of Cami and Lana holding hands before walking up to them. Cami doesn’t hesitate as she grabs on to mine, and the three of us take off to the first activity I have planned.
In the middle of the park, hidden away within the rose bushes and tall hedges, is a small table occupied by none other than Princess Marianna herself. While her dress is the same shade and style as Cami’s, her hair is similar to Lana’s dark strands.
Even when next to the Dreamland princess herself, my girl looks like a million bucks, especially with the smile on her face.
My girl.
The term never sounded more right than in this moment.
The shriek-squeal combination Cami lets out quickly becomes my new favorite sound.
Lana blinks, rubs her eyes, and then blinks again. “Tell me you didn’t.”
“Okay, I won’t.”
A few servers come out in costumes, carrying trays with teacups and snacks. Cami claps her hands and bounces in her chair while Princess Marianna whispers something in her ear.
Lana shakes her head. “I’m never going to be able to top this birthday.”
I grab her hand and spin her in a circle, making her laugh. “Sounds like a fun challenge to me.”
“What’s next? A trip to Africa to see wild animals?”
“That can be arranged. I helped Iris plan her honeymoon there, so I know all the good spots.”
She wipes the disbelief off her face. “This isn’t real life.”
I tug her against my chest. “It can be if you let me take care of you two.”
She shoots me a smile that rivals all the beauty surrounding us. “Get sober and I’ll let you.”
