"And what reality is that?"
"The one where you're you, and I'm me, and I have Zia and …" she had to stop to catch her breath.
He ran his hand up and down her back.
"And I need to figure out what's going on with me," she said eventually.
"Now there's something we can agree on. Did you make an appointment?"
"I did. It's tomorrow morning at 10, but you don't need to go with me. I'm sure you're working, and I can take Z and …"
"I'm not working." It could technically be called a lie, since he was scheduled to fly with Ollie in the morning. But he knew that Elliott was free this week, and that he'd be happy to take the right seat with Ollie if Reaves asked him to. "I'd like to go with you. I can entertain Zia if nothing else."
She worked her bottom lip as she looked into his eyes. "You don't need to."
"I know, I'm saying I want to."
He knew he'd won when she gave him a little more of her weight.
"Okay. If you really don't mind."
He clenched his jaw so tight he heard it crack when she added, "It'd be good to have you there—I'm scared, Reaves."
Chapter Three
"Good night, Prince Daddy." Zia scrambled up onto Reaves's lap, wrapping her wiry arms around his neck and pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Will you still be here in the morning?"
Reaves glanced over at his dad as he said, "I'll be back again in the morning and I'll see you."
Zia tilted her little head to the side, studying him closely. "Why don't you stay here?"
He let out a short laugh, shooting his dad another quick glance before saying, "Because I have my own apartment in town. You've seen it, remember?"
"Yes, I know, and it's nice." She looked around the family room where the four of them had spent the last couple of hours. "But it's not as nice as it is here, is it? You should stay."
"Come on, Z, it's time for bed," Alara interrupted.
Zia sighed and climbed down from his lap before going to Charles. She stood beside his armchair and wrapped her arms around him, planting a kiss on the side of his head.
"I know you'll still be here in the morning, Grandpa Grape."
"I will, and we'll see what fresh mischief we can get into. How does that sound?"
"Perfect," Zia announced, before scampering to the door where Alara was now waiting for her.
It was only when Zia joined her that Alara said, "I'll say my goodnights now, too. Thank you both. I'll see you tomorrow."
Reaves exchanged a puzzled look with his dad, but Charles seemed just as surprised as he was that Alara didn't intend to come back.
Zia bowed with a flourish before straightening up and saying, in her best fairytale voice, "I bid goodnight to the kind gentlemen who reign over the realm of sunflowers and raisins."
Reaves laughed, and Charles shook his head with a smile. "Good night, sunflower. We'll see you in the morning."
After they'd gone, his dad got up to pour himself a glass of sherry. He lifted the decanter with a questioning look at Reaves. "I assume you’ll say no since you have to drive home."
"Exactly."
"Don't sayexactlyas though I'm the one who's created a problem for you. All I did was set a clear boundary when I told you that you may not spend the night here unless and until Alara invites you to. I was establishing a principle, and you won't be able to persuade me that it was the wrong thing to do. If that girl had her own place—or God forbid if she were still living in that camper of hers—you wouldn't have been able to spend the night under the same roof as her until she invited you. She wasn't in a position to assert that kind of boundary, so I saw it as my duty to do it for her."
