Unexpected Eva (Triple Trouble #3)(61)

And of course my boys. They keep me sane.

Speaking of which. “Mommy, look what Toni gave us.” Archie floats a gigantic luminous swirled rainbow-colored ice cream into my view. I’ve had one of those myself before and it tastes like caramel. I turn to discover Hamish has the same size cone but in a bright-blue color; I think that’s bubblegum flavor. Those are at least three scoop cones.

“Wow, those cones are almost the same size as your head,” I exclaim as they shuffle into the booth beside us.

Oh well, at least it won’t be me having to deal with their hyperactivity later.

From three o’clock onward, Mom and Dad are taking the boys for me overnight because we are hitting the town tonight. Knox will be out, too. I can’t wait to hit the dance floor with my sisters, Hunter, and Fraser, and no night out would be complete without Toni and Beth.

Beth is, of course, bringing her boyfriend Billy. I think they’ll be engaged before the year is through. I hope they will. It’s the happiest I’ve seen Beth.

And Toni’s boyfriend, Evan, who's American and Hunter’s fitness instructor, is flying in from Florida later this afternoon to spend the next two months training Hunter and Fraser for their upcoming golf tournament in Hawaii at the end of January.

What a life those boys have.

I have a sneaky suspicion Hunter wangled it so Evan could be here for Ella’s wedding and Christmas. Hunter is such a considerate guy.

Toni has been buzzing with excitement for days, waiting for his arrival. And nope, that’s not from the vibration of her vibrator. She informed me via text message she’s been saving herself, so when they fuck for the first time in months, it will be explosive. Toni always knows how to cheer me up with her silly texts and voice messages.

Ella’s heated stare bores into the side of my face. I can hear her thinking. “So let me get this straight.”

Oh balls.

“Knox Black paid eighty thousand pounds for dance lessons. With you. You went missing for two days last weekend. You asked him on Wednesday if I could have my wedding reception at his hotel. He said yes, even though it’s only three and a half weeks' notice.”

“Our wedding reception,” Fraser interjects.

“Stop interrupting me.” Ella points at him, all the while her eyes hold mine.

Rolling my neck to ease the tension I feel building at Ella’s interrogation, I suddenly feel hot. Knox is wrong. It’s Ella that’s the Westie.

Ella pushes. “And then, out of the blue, Knox proposed a dance retreat partnership between his hotel and us.”

“It wasn’t out of the blue. He thought of it weeks ago. Remember that day on the beach?”

“Oh, I remember that day on the beach, Eva. Vividly.” A faint mocking smile edges her lips. “It was as if you and Knox, you know?” She nods her head toward me.

“I like Knoxy,” Hamish chimes in with his little voice. “He’s nice. We have hot chocolate together.” He continues to lick his melting ice cream that's now dripping down over his chubby hands.

Yeah, I like him too, Hamish, a lot.

And that’s the first time Hamish has ever mentioned Knox before. Bless him.

I grab a couple of large napkins off the table and lay them over Hamish’s lap to stop the ice cream from staining his red shorts. Shorts in winter. I know. But it’s what he wanted to wear today with flip-flops. He really doesn’t care. What a beautiful way to live. Not caring what other people think.

“I don’t know what you mean, Ella,” I say in a neutral tone, forcing a nervous laugh down that’s simmering deep in my belly.

“Oh, yes, you do. You know, like, deep connection. Like you’d… you know?” She makes a fist with one hand and pushes her pointer finger from her other hand into the space between her clenched fist. Then does an in and out motion.

“Oh, my God. Ella!” Eden snorts. “There are children at the table.”

“They're too busy eating ice cream,” Ella defends her actions.

“Wook at the size of mine, Aunty Ella.” Hamish holds his cone up in the air with a giant-sized blue-ice-cream-covered smile. So much mess to clean up before we leave here.

“Mine is yummee,” Archie says, entranced with his frozen sweet treat.

“See?” Ella looks at Eden. “They didn’t even notice me. So?”

Hunter leans across the table. “Oh, let me explain, Ella.”

I love and hate this lot in equal measure.

“For sure, dude’s got it bad. I can see it in his eyes,” Hunter teases.

“Shut up. It’s not like that.” My raised voice turns heads.

“It’s like that movie Indecent Proposal.” Eden chips in.

“It’s not,” I hiss as nerves prickle my skin. “He pays her to sleep with him to pay off their debt.”

“Same thing.” She gives a one-shouldered shrug.

“Ooooo, defensive.” Fraser grins at me.

“The auction money was ‘for the hospital.’” Leaning his elbows on top of the table, Hunter does air quotes with his fingers.

Fraser joins in. Leisurely, he places his thick arms along the back edge of the seating booth. “The dance lessons, meant for two people by the way, were a kind gesture, because the money was ‘for the hospital.’” Fraser mimics Hunter’s air quotes. “Now, here’s the kicker. Did you ask Knox about our wedding reception before or after the lights went out in the studio on Wednesday night?”