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Millie gasps. “She’ll put you on time-out!”
Another giggle escapes at that one.
I search the rest of Abby’s room, but no surprise, there’s nothing to find.
“Any luck?” I walk into the living room.
Nick shakes his head. “No. I think I’ve been through everything.”
“Are you sure? Everything?”
“Except this, I suppose.” He stares at a box piled with kid’s books. He leans forward, clasping a blue hardback tucked underneath a couple books on the stack, and pulls it out.
The books that were on top of it slide to the floor.
I recognize it immediately.
“Ohhh, it’s Abby’s Alice in Wonderland. Our mom bought it for her before she died. She always read it a few times each year,” I say.
“Good story. Grandma used to read me the same thing when I was a kid. Does Millie like Carroll too?” Nick opens the book, leafing through it. A piece of paper flutters out and falls onto the worn shag carpet.
I bend down and pick it up.
“What is it?” he asks.
I unfold the paper. A number—a familiar one—is printed plainly on the top followed by a list of what looks like names, but it’s so scribbled through I can’t read them. The word Winthrope is printed under the list.
“Wait.” I pull out my phone and do a quick check. “This looks like that phone number Will called me from. And a Winthrope Chicago header, weirdly enough.”
“Very weird,” he says, taking the paper from me with a frown. “That’s the address of the future Chicago hotel, all right. Looks like the notepad’s some early swag they printed up and handed out—they do it sometimes for the crews and marketers. How does Abby have this?”
“I have no idea.”
Nick stares at the paper, then tilts his head back, holding the scrap up to the light. He slides it back into the novel like a bookmark.
“Didn’t Frisk tell you he was out of town on a job site?”
“Yes.” I nod.
“Something tells me it’s not a coincidence if he works construction,” he says quietly.
“What are you thinking?”
“Not sure, but it bothers me. I’m going to request the work crew manifests. This doesn’t feel right to me.” He puts Alice in Wonderland back in the box along with the two books that tumbled out and lifts it.
“Nick?”
“We’re taking this with for a closer look.”
Fine by me. It’s the closest thing to a clue our two-hour search has yielded.
“Let’s get out of here.”
I nod. “Come on, Millie.”
I glance her way. She sits in the middle of a pile of coloring books and crayons. I grab her things and shove them in her backpack.
Nick holds the door open for us and I walk out with Millie behind me. She stops and taps on Nick’s leg because she can’t reach any higher.
“You guys. Hangry.”
Smiling, he stops, shifts the box in his arms, picks her up, and steps out, shutting the door behind us.
“Why am I not surprised? What does Princess Millie want today for her banquet?”
“Waffles!”
“I think we can handle waffles.”
I lock Abby’s door while Nick punches something in his phone.
“Ah-ha. I found your waffles, Millie.”
I give him a long warning look for spoiling her.
Then again, he’s already spoiled me rotten, so who am I to judge?
* * *
We pull into the cramped side street of a small diner.
“This doesn’t look like a place for billionaires,” I say.
“And I’m not your typical billionaire bad boy. Aren’t you lucky?”
I grin at him.
We walk inside and a young brunette behind the counter says, “Sit wherever you like! I’ll be right with you.”
The diner is mostly empty this time of day, so we have our pick. Nick chooses a booth beside a window and sets Millie down.
“Okay, kiddo, you’re on this side. Grown-ups on the other,” he tells her.
“Not fair. I’m almost a whole hand.” She holds up five chubby fingers.
“And I’m over six whole hands, so I make the rules.” He flashes her that disarming smile.
Millie gasps. “Will I be six whole hands someday?”
“Yep, and then you can sit wherever you want,” I say.
Nick slides into the “grown-up” side of the booth with me.
“You handled that well,” I whisper.
“I have my moments.” His side-eye makes me laugh.
I can’t help but stare into his emerald eyes.
We barely shift our focus to the waitress arriving at our side.
“I’m Melissa, your server.” She takes a folded piece of paper out of her apron and hands it to Millie. “Would you like to color?”
Millie takes the paper. “Wanna eat a waffle.”
Melissa laughs. “Well, the kids’ menu is inside the coloring sheet. Isn’t that cool?”
Millie isn’t impressed, but she does try to unfold the paper. When she can’t, she lets out a frustrated sigh and slides the paper over to Nick with a pleading look.
Nick begins unfolding it for her.
Melissa hands me a menu and sets one down in front of Nick. “Do you know what you’d like to drink?”
