Page 94 of Beni

Cameron came forward first, although he didn’t let go of her mother, Ada’s, hand as he reached for August. In his three-piece suit, a staple for her father, while her tall, statuesque mother preferred long dresses and silk wraps tied up in her hair, he smelled of that familiar cologne he preferred.

It was comforting.

Familiar.

She hadn’t realized just how much she missed her parents until this moment. For the most part, despite being their only child, they allowed August to freely live her life however she wanted. And yet, while they never told her not to do something, she often found herself thinking about them before she made choices that would change her life … and as a by-product, theirs, too.

Would that ever change?

It was hard to say.

She loved them so much.

Wrapped in her father’s one-armed hug made her forget about the flight that had gone through a thunderstorm, and the ignorant passenger who kept giving her dirty looks whenever the bitch saw what was playing for music on August’s iPod. She was starting to think she should really shell out the extra cash for first class when she flew, but that was a big expense to justify just for some peace and quiet.

“You didn’t have to come to greet me. I was going to grab a cab, drop my bags off, and come over to see you guys later.”

“Of course, we had to come,” her mother replied, dark eyes glittering with love. “You’ve been gone almost an entire month.”

She didn’t need the reminder.

“Chicago treated you well, then?” her father asked, pulling away just enough to let her mother get in on the action, too. “It better have because I would hate to make a trip, otherwise.”

August laughed, taking her mother’s tight hug. “It treated me just fine, Daddy.”

“No trouble?”

She gave him a look.

He raised a thick eyebrow in response.

She knew better than to try and get smart mouthed with her parents. It didn’t matter that she was twenty-two, and out on her own. They would still tell her to check her attitude, regardless of time or place. She loved them for that, too.

“There were some … things happening,” she admitted.

Cameron and Ada shared a look.

“But nothing that came near me,” August was quick to add.

Her father’s gaze came back to her in an instant, and she could tell just by the look in his eye that her assurance was not enough for him. “Well, still, I think it might be better if you stayed away from Chicago until their trouble blows over there. You hear me?”

The flight itinerary from Beni burned a hole in her pocket where she had folded it up, and hid it away for safe keeping. She wasn’t sure that she would be able to follow her father’s request, but for now … she could say so.

That was good enough, right?

“Sure, Daddy.”

“Now,” her mother drawled, throwing an arm around August’s shoulders to pull her into another hug from the side. A kiss was pressed to her temple, making her smile. “Let’s go get your bags and find somewhere to eat. I am starved.”

“That sounds great.”

“Plane food is trash,” her father muttered.

It really was.

“And how did the work side of Chicago go?” Ada asked with a wide smile. “Because I know you probably got most of that done as soon as possible, so you could spend as much time as you could with Camilla.”

She shrugged.