Maybe I should’ve rented a hotel room for Dax, and then she wouldn’t be able to keep walking in on us. The more she sees us together, the more dirt she claims to have.
With barely a thought, I place my hand on LJ’s arm. “Do you want to get out of here?”
His eyes light up, and his tongue may as well be hanging out of his mouth. “Now?”
I look across the table at Ash and Christie. “Do you want to go somewhere with us?”
Ash’s eyebrow raises. “Us?”
I motion to LJ. “The four of us.” I glance at my mother to ensure she’s listening. “You know, like a double date.”
Christie beams with excitement. “A double date? Aww, that’d be so cute.”
I smile. “So, we’re on?”
LJ straightens his tie, turning toward my father. “Only if there isn’t anything important we need to discuss.”
When Dad looks over at us, I make sure to cuddle closer to LJ.
Dad’s eyes soften, and he smiles at me warmly. “No, you kids have fun. We’d only be sitting back with a brandy, anyhow.”
I place a hand on LJ’s wrist. “Shall we go then?”
Mom sits tall, pivoting between me and my father. “I don’t think this is such a good idea. I’m loving this time with all our families joined together.”
Mrs. Klein grasps Christie’s shoulder. “And it is a school night. Honey, you don’t get enough sleep as it is.”
Christie blushes, looking down at her lap.
“We won’t stay out long,” I insist, giving my father puppy eyes.
He melts, obviously grateful I won’t be meeting up with the boy on the motorcycle if I have LJ on my arm.
“LJ will keep the girls safe,” Mr. Prescott says. “Won’t you, son?”
“Of course,” LJ replies, placing a hand on the space over his heart. “Like my life depended on it.”
I steady my eyes, begging them not to roll, and catch Ash staring at me.
He’s not amused.
I give him a weak smile. “Coming, bro?”
Ash curls an arm around Christie’s shoulders. “If you’re serious about leaving the estate, then yes, I’m coming with.”
I scoot my chair back. “Then let’s go.”
LJ chuckles, following my lead. “It’s good to see you more bubbly. Where do you want to go, sweetheart?”
The pet name hits my gag reflex, but I hold steady. Ash and Christie move from the other side of the dining table, and I suggest the ice-creamery.
Christie stops by her parents, waiting for their seal of approval. They smile at her with wholehearted trust and tell her to have a good time. They also show the same love to my brother. It must be nice to date someone whose parents aren’t a complete trainwreck.
LJ puts his hand on the small of my back, leading me out of the dining room. I glance at my mother, sensing the whir of calculations spinning behind her eyes. I don’t flinch at LJ’s touch, instead indulging it under my mother’s scrutiny.
Now, if my mother says anything about Dax, none of the parents will buy it. Why would Vanessa Ashworth choose to leave the estate with LJ Prescott if she had another boy staying in the pool house? It’d be laughed off as lunacy, and Dad would have Murphy bring Mom a double brandy.
Ash calls his driver, obviously wanting some control over the situation. I tell LJ I want to freshen my makeup before we leave, and he moves onto the foyer without me.
