Chapter 50
”Mom,” Kori exclaimed in a hushed voice only she heard. ”This is ah-mazing!”
Becca”s eyes swept the main cabin of the jet, which was taking them to Las Vegas. With more than fifty adults and kids and their luggage to haul, Knight Phoenix came through with two medium-sized jets for the 80-minute flight.
She”dnever given much thought to what flying private was like, so to her, everything was a WOW.
”Can I take some selfies for the Grands?”Kori asked.
”Sure, but be discreet about it. Remember, proper …”
”I know,”Kori snickered. ”Proper guest behavior. You sound just like Grandma.”
Kori ignored her after that, as she was far too busy giggling with Pheebs while they mugged for a hundred selfies.
Jamie swaggered toward her from the front of the plane where he”d gone to speak with Drae and Cam.
He looked hot in a yummy way. She liked the way he held himself. And you know what else she liked? How friendly and chatty he was. With everyone.
”We”ll be taking off soon,”he said as he slid into the seat next to her. He placed his hand on her knee and asked, ”How”re we doing?”
She liked being part of a ”we.”
”We”retrying to act cool as if luxury travel is an everyday thing.”
”It is a whole different world,”he agreed. ”I”ve seen a lot of shit in my time but never anything like this. Justice makes all kinds of things happen with the snap of its fingers. Alex doesn”t come to fuck around.”
”How do I look?”she nervously asked for the third or fourth time. ”Kori insisted a jumpsuit with cropped pants was a stylish alternative to my normal travel outfit of loose sweats and a T-shirt.”
His eyes swept from the top of her head down to her lap and then further down to her pedicured toes visible in the wedge sandals she wore.
”No worries, honey,”he told her with a wink. ”Your metamorphosis to a Justice Lady is complete.”
He stared at the paw necklace. ”I”ve gotta up my bauble game, though. Your new lady posse wears a lot of bling.”
She leaned closer to murmur, ”I take it you saw the eye-catching bracelet Stephanie is rocking. Diamonds and rubies don”t come cheap.”
”Calder has deep pockets,”he drawled. ”Can”t tell by looking at him, but the guy has a vault of gold bars stashed in the mountains of Colorado.”
She laughed and playfully nudged him. ”Alex started that rumor, or so I”ve heard.”
”Is it a rumor, though?”he chuckled. ”Or is there some truth mixed in with the braggadocio?”
”I love it when you use the five-dollar words.”
Lacing their fingers together, he raised her hand to his lips for a kiss but didn”t say anything—the emotion in his gaze was enough.
* * *
Jamie feltlike a field trip captain guiding a group of over-excited school kids on their first out-of-town getaway.
They landed in Las Vegas at a private airport, where Elvis and Dolly Parton impersonators welcomed them.
Was it over the top?
One hundred, and he was here for all of it.
In the strangest script flip in the history of forever, the women flocked to Dolly, not Elvis—while the men gathered around the gaudy jumpsuited Elvis to demonstrate their gyrating moves.
Did he participate in this embarrassing display?
You”re damn straight, he did.
Feeling like he was part of something again transformed how he acted to his fellow beings.
A crew of uniformed porters hauled baggage to a line of waiting vans. He confirmed that his luggage and Rebecca”s, Kori”s,andPhoebe”s were accounted for. Duke Winston happened to be standing beside him.
”One suitcase for me. One for Paul. But my wife?”Duke pointed to a stack of medium-sized cases and the most enormous rolling suitcase Jamie had ever seen and muttered, ”What does she need all that for?”
”I imagine one of the smaller suitcases holds nothing but shoes. And another for hair dryers, hot rollers, and make-up.”Slapping the venerable Vietnam veteran on the back, he added, ”Plus, I”d wager that she”s got a bag stuffed with all the things you and your grandson will need but forgot to pack.”
Duke gave a half-suppressed laugh. He flashed a wry grin as if to acknowledge the absurdity of the luggage situation.
”It doesn”t help that you”re probably right,”the old guy snickered.
Moving their large group from point A to point B required logistical and crowd-control skills. The Knight Phoenix people appeared non-plussed by the task. Jamie gave them mad props for how efficiently they got them organized and in deluxe vans for the drive to their hotel.
After that, keeping his little group together was on him, and boy, oh boy, talk about a challenge!
Kori and her little friend talked nonstop. He marveled at their ability to hopscotch effortlessly from one topic to another.
Rebecca lost all her chill and morphed into Super Mom the minute the plane touched down. She instructed the girls like a drill sergeant and stressed about the general chaos that went along with a group trip.
He wasn”t sure about his role, so he stepped back and observed—trying to learn her ways to ensure that when he did engage, his vibe was consistent with hers.
When they arrived at the hotel, he lost control of the situation. Kori and Phoebe, distracted by the opulent lobby and bustling activity, wandered away, earning Rebecca”s displeasure.
The concierge handling groups saved the day when it was their turn to check in. With experienced aplomb, the friendly hotel employee took care of locating their bags, having them taken to their rooms, and giving the girls something to do by handing them a notebook filled with age-appropriate activities and telling them to study it.
Upstairs, he and Rebecca looked at each other with expressions of wonder when they were shown to their adjoining rooms. His was an executive suite with an enormous bed and a shower as oversized as a car wash. Hers was a two-bedroom suite with more square footage than her house. It boasted three and a half bathrooms and a view of the Strip.
You would think none of them had ever stayed in a hotel before by how enthusiastically they exclaimed over every little thing.
Deluxe mini bar!
Complimentary spa products!
Steam Shower!
Plush robes!
A welcome basket containing show tickets and restaurant vouchers!
Crisp, white bed linens!
A bazillion movie channels!
Courtesy water in recyclable, branded aluminum containers!
Jamie stayed out of it when Rebecca herded the girls into their assigned bedroom and hovered while they unpacked. She issued stern reminders about unplugging hair tools when not in use and explained in words they understood that staying in a nice hotel was not an invitation to be crass slobs. He listened from outside the room as she recounted the time she worked at a busy motel on a well-traveled interstate. Her stories about how inconsiderate and rude the guests could be toward the maid service staff made him grimace.
Answering a knock, he opened the door to find a smiling young woman in her mid-twenties clutching a binder to her chest.
”Hi! I”m Bobbie Jean.”She stuck her hand out and shook his with a firm grip. ”I”m your kid concierge.”
”My what?”
”Kid concierge,”she replied.
Jamie sensed she had a dry humor based on the tilt of her mouth.
”My job is to give your young teens an age-appropriate Vegas experience.”
She motioned to the binder.”Basically, I run them ragged and keep them safe, so Mom and Dad can relax and not worry about unattended children.”
Momentarily puzzled, he kept her at the door and just gawked at her until she added a bit of context.
”A Mr. Marquez made the arrangements.”
Everything quickly became crystal clear.
”Please, come in.”He opened the door wide and gestured for her to enter. ”Let me get Mom. She has the final say in everything.”
Bobbie Jean stood by the large window looking out across the Strip.
He hurried into the girls” bedroom to grab Rebecca.
”We”ve got a young teen minder,”he told her using air quotes. ”Courtesy of he-who-thinks-of-everything.”
Taking her hand, he pulled her into the suite”s main room and introduced her to Bobbie Jean.
”According to your preliminary itinerary, there”s nothing scheduled for today. Your group is on their own. I understand that Kourtney and Phoebe will be babysitting now and then—when they aren”t, I”ll show them the sights and make sure they have a great time.”
The expression on Rebecca”s face turned to one of relief.
”You might be saving my sanity.”A crooked smile danced on her lips. ”I wasn”t prepared for the explosion of twelve-year-old energy.”
”I”m used to it,”the kid concierge chuckled. ”If you want, I”ll take them to get something to eat, show them around the hotel, and hammer out a plan of activities.”
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you manage a parenting crisis.
Paying close attention, Jamie took mental notes as Rebecca exchanged contact info with Bobbie Jean and spelled out a list of dos and don”ts.
Jumping at the chance to send the girls out to burn off some energy, Rebecca introduced them to their tour guide, laid out some common sense boundaries, and sent them out to explore.
She removed her shoes before the suite”s door closed and flopped onto the sofa.
Performing a quick diagnostic, Jamie concluded she needed a few moments of calm and probably something to eat.
He looked at his watch. Their short, early flight got them into town slightly ahead of the usual Friday weekend crowd. It was mid-morning, too early for lunch but perfect timing for a second breakfast and a trough of coffee.
She looked up when he approached. He captured her eyes with his. Leaning over, he put his hands on either side of her face, paused for a few seconds, and then claimed her lips with a deep kiss.
”Why don”t you freshen up,”he murmured when the kiss ended, and he”d straightened. ”I”ll call room service. We”ll eat in my room.”
The power dynamic he craved and the energy it created swirled in the air. He was struck by how effortless it was. The exchange of trust and responsibility in an everyday situation—outside the bedroom—spoke to his soul.
Jamie felt the weight of his dominance when she gave him control.
”Will there be coffee?”she asked sweetly.
Stroking the side of her face before stepping away, he gave her a cocky smirk andsaid, ”Now that we”re together, you might want to buckle up because you”re about to meet another side of me.”
Her brows shot up, and she giggled.
”My mind is a wild and sometimes crazy amusement ride. I like to think about things. Curious things, left field things,”he told her with a hearty chuckle. ”If it”s unorthodox, oddball, or imaginative, count me in.”
”Good to know.”
”Anyway, your request for coffee made me think.”
Going to the window, he gestured to the activity on the street.
”Weekends in Vegas are a big deal. People fly in from all over, and locals say there”s always a weekend parade of people driving in from California. Vegas isn”t somewhere you come to kick back and relax. There”s so much to do—things to see. So much to eat! I imagine that means lots of coffee sales, wouldn”t you?”
She chuckled and nodded.
”Now take that thought and broaden the lens. Statistically speaking, based on actual numbers, how much coffee is consumed every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday? And what does that number mean for the beans themselves? What”s the poundage weight of beans consumed over a weekend? Think about it. These things are real. Just ask any food service manager.”
Drawling, ”No need to buckle up,”Rebecca spoke mockingly. ”I deal with this sort of thing all the time. You sound like Kori,”she chuckled. ”Not long ago, she was obsessed with how many pairs of sneakers there were at an NBA game. I”m serious,”she snickered when he laughed. ”Using the 76ers as an example, she looked up how many seats their arena held. Then, she did some mental and mathematical gymnastics to arrive at a projected percentage of those seats containing people wearing sneakers. In the end, she decided that roughly fifteen thousand would have sneakers on out of twenty thousand seats.”
Jamie marveled at how Kori”s mind worked.
”On and on it goes,”she laughed. ”Fifteen thousand pairs times an average cost of $40 equals?”
He did the mental math. ”Six hundred thousand?”
Rebecca clapped. ”Bingo! So deep thoughts about weird, arcane subjects are nothing new to me.”
God, she was fucking perfect.
”Relief,”he chuckled. ”I”ll be in my room ordering.”
* * *
”I”m notsure if this was a good idea or not,”Becca grumbled after she”d eaten a triple stack of waffles topped not by syrup but by mounds of fluffy whipped cream. The carb-laden indulgence landed in her stomach with a thud.
Jamie shared her grimace. ”Baked French toast casserole with cannoli filling.”He slapped his mid-section. ”Weekend getaways are notoriously bad for the diet.”
”Does a fruit smoothie count as healthy?”
He showed his uncertainty with a smirk. ”Depends on what”s in it.”
She grinned. ”I like mine with ice cream.”
They shared a long look and a smile.
”Have you had enough?”he asked, rising from his seat to clear the table.”If you eat some bacon, you can pretend our second breakfast includes protein.”
Needing no encouragement to devour a thick slab of perfectly done bacon, she snatched a piece, saluted him with it, and bit off a third.
Becca studied Jamie. His strong domestic streak, coupled with his natural dominance, gave confidence and purpose to everything he did. Nothing was by chance—there was thought behind everything.
She reveled in the relief of being taken care of. His strength allowed her to step back and not worry so much.
Licking her fingers after finishing the bacon, she reached for a napkin until one magically appeared.
His attentiveness stole her breath.
Things happened inside her. She expected to feel sexual shock and awe, but his care and attention outside the bedroom had a melting effect. If he kept it up, she”d be nothing but a puddle in no time.
He took care of everything while she washed bacon grease and whipped cream off her hands. It felt weird letting him run what would ordinarily be the mom show. She”d never known what it was like to have a partner.
”I feel human again,”she joked. ”Thank you, Jamie. Thank you for being you.”
Emotions flashed in his eyes, but it happened too quickly for her to read. His voice was another thing altogether—when he spoke, she heard contentment and something that may have been the sound of relief.
”I will pass along your thanks to my mother. She”s the reason we”re not heathens,”he chuckled. ”Dad gets some credit, too.”
On an impulse, she wrapped her arms around his waist. She needed a hug—a hug he was quick to offer.
A wave of giddiness swept through her when he kissed her forehead. His gaze was full of warmth.
A minute later, he suggested, ”Let”s check on the girls. Do you want to text Bobbie Jean or go stealthy and track Kori”s phone?”
She giggled. ”Stealthy. I like that.”
They high-fived.
She texted the kid concierge to save time and ask for an update. Within seconds, a video call gave her all the answers to questions she wouldn”t have thought to ask.
The girls were fine. They were exploring the Bellagio Hotel”s botanical gardens and taking a gazillion selfies. Souvenirs were purchased. Kori and Phoebe were behaving respectfully. Their next stop was a food court, and then they were heading to a fun zone for kids with a climbing wall, trampolines, and a giant arcade.
Becca quickly messaged Holly Marshall to let her know Pheebs was having a great time.
”I know she won”t be an official teenager until October, but that hasn”t stopped her from maturing right before my eyes,”she told Jamie. ”We”re turning a page. A mother-daughter page. She”s not a little girl anymore. Things feel different.”
”You”ve done a great job.She”san amazing kid, and now that I”ve met Phoebe, I give her credit for choosing a terrific best friend. The two have a snap-fizzle-pop energy.”
”Snap-fizzle-pop.I”mgoing to remember that for when they need a name for their college girl band.”
He threw his head back and roared with laughter.
Her phone buzzed. She looked at it and gave a jolt of surprise.
”Who is it?”he asked.
”Justice Ladies message thread.”
Taking her hand, he led her to a large sectional sofa and settled her on the end without the chaise.
”You better check in, huh?”
She nodded. A rush of nervousness made her bite her lip. ”I”m new at this,”she admitted. ”Letting people get close. Getting involved. Hope I don”t mess up.”
Their knees touched when he sat opposite her on the coffee table. He held her gaze with his. She saw reassurance and understanding in his eyes.
Leaning toward her, he put his hands on either side of her hips and caged her in, murmuring, ”Just be yourself.”
Then he kissed her with sweet tenderness.
He stayed close but didn”t hover or crowd her as she opened the message and jumped into the active conversation.
For the next five minutes, she engaged, asked questions, and offered opinions. There was a brief discussion about Remy, and then the current message ended.
Becca sighed as she put her phone on an end table.
”What”s the sigh for?”Jamie asked.
”Anxious bride. Nervous friends.”
He nodded his understanding.
”I wasn”t going to say anything, but didn”t you find it odd that Remy and Finn flew separately from everyone—including their families?”
“Yes. But when we all arrived in Sedona at the aviation terminal, and everyone acted like it was no big deal, I kept it to myself.”
”Are the ladies worried?”
”Iwouldn”t call it worry. They are,”she paused to search for the right word, ”sensitive to Remy”s lack of enthusiasm for all things wedding-ish.”
”I get it. Performance anxiety. Not everyone can handle the attention.”
”Not everyone needs the attention,”she pointed out.
”What about you, Rebecca? Hmm? Have any wedding thoughts?”
”Me?”she grinned. ”Next time, I want to laugh and have a good time. I want to dance and get shit-faced. I want an appetizer station and surf and turf for dinner. Oh! And there has to be a fantastic cake. Not in that order, but you feel me, right?”
”Noted,”he chuckled.
”Well, we have a couple of hours to kill.”She gave him what she hoped was a look of encouragement. ”Have any ideas what you”d like to do to kill time?”
The fiery look he gave her let Becca know she was about to be parted from her clothing.