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“Please, Aunt Maddy. I like it when Niko sleeps at my feet.” Holly spun and looked up at me, giving me doe eyes as she brought her hands to her chin in a beg. “Please.”
I shrugged. “I’m sure he would love that.”
Holly jumped and went back to her grandpa. Wallace looked at me and winked.
I shook my head at him.
“I’ll take Holly back to the house. You two…” He winked again…making me narrow my eyes at him and turn to Milo. What had the two of them been talking about? “You two just enjoy your night.”
“Wallace,” I dragged out his name.
Wallace nodded and directed Holly back to his car. “Have a good night.”
“Night, Daddy!” Holly screamed as she ran back to the car.
“Night,” Milo responded. “I’ll call you goodnight?”
Holly shouted at him before climbing into the car.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” he muttered.
“What are you planning?” I twisted my body and looked up at him. His eyebrows raised, and he raked his teeth on his bottom lip.
“Nothing.”
“James…Milo…Harris.”
“Ouch.” Milo swung an arm around my shoulders and began to walk with me back to the town. “Maybe just some time alone. We haven't had that in a while.”
I leaned into him and hummed. “That does sound nice.”
“So maybe I had a plan where my dad offered to take Holly for the night.”
I punched his shoulder.
“We only have a few more days before we have to return back to normal life, and sure, we are only two hours away from said normal life, but I want to enjoy this while I get it. You, Holly…my dad…the way my life should be.” Milo kissed my temple. “So, I asked my dad if we could have a night to ourselves. He agreed.”
“And what are we going to do?”
He stopped and used his arm to pull me in front of him. “I don't care as long as I’m with you.”
We played tourist. In the small coastal town, we went into the gift shops, bought a shot glass and a t-shirt and then headed back to our hotel once the dark clouds began to roll in. The whales had retreated back into the ocean, and the people along the cliffs went back into the cars. Our balcony overlooked the ocean. I grabbed my sweater and book while Milo made his goodnight call to Holly.
He had his dad on speaker phone as he walked around the room, rubbing the back of his neck, almost anxious to end the call. They had already started a fire and had everything they needed for smores. I heard Niko bark in the background, Wallace saying he could only toss the slimy tennis ball so many times. I chuckled and looked at Milo over my shoulder.
“I adore your father,” I said, loud enough for only Milo to hear me.
“I adore you too, sweetheart,” Wallace called. “We’re doing good here. You two have a good night.”
“Bye, Dad. Night, Holly.” Milo said sweetly.
“Bye, Daddy!”Holly screamed. Just hearing her voice brought a soft smile to Milo’s lips, and he shook his head at his daughter’s outburst. I could feel my cheeks blush as I watched him.
Milo tossed his phone on the bed and came out to the deck, pulling up one of the metal chairs next to me. He leaned his elbows on his knees and kept his gaze on me. I looked at my book, trying my best to ignore him there.
“I meant what I said that night, you know—and earlier,” he muttered, my eyes moving from the words to him.
I knew what he was talking about. The four small words that have rung over and over in my head for weeks.I love you, Madeline.
