“No!” Amelia shouts and scrunches her face.
“Even princesses wear pajamas to bed. We just have to find you jammies fit for a queen,” I say.
Amelia’s shoulders relax, and she pokes my arm, stabbing me with her finger.
“What is it?” I ask, trying to keep an even temper. The kid is persistent, but it’s been a long day, and she needs to run around and get some exercise. Sitting on a plane and then in the back corridor with her father under police surveillance isn’t great for her.
Again, my fault.
“Hungry.”
“Dad, do you have any snacks?” I ask.
“Don’t call me that,” Levi scolds.
“Okay, Grumpypants.” I win another giggle from his little girl. Apparently, she agrees with me.
“That isn’t any better,” he mutters. “You can call me sir.”
“Sir Grumps-a-lot?” I joke.
He unzips the backpack at his feet and hands me a package of fruit snacks. It’s not the healthiest choice, but she holds out her hand and snaps her fingers together like a crocodile demanding the sweet treat.
I tear the foil packet and hand it to her.
Hungrily, she chomps on the fruit snack. I didn’t see if she ate anything on the flight, but there was a meal service provided in first class. The girl is one lucky lady, getting to fly first class. When I was her age, I had never even been on an airplane.
The remainder of the drive is rather quiet. Amelia settles in with her snack, and the driver pulls up toward a wrought iron gate. He rolls down the window, punches in the code for the property, and the gate slowly opens.
“Wow, fancy,” I say, unable to keep my mouth shut.
The towering hedges make it impossible to see the property in the distance.
Douglas drives us up to the front entrance, and I’m sure my mouth has hit the floor. The brick pathway circles in front of the entrance with an overhang to keep everyone dry, not that it’s raining.
Based on the size of the house, there has to be an attached garage around the back. I’m sure it holds more than two or three vehicles.
Does he live here alone? The house is big for one person. It could house a family or four.
Levi opens the car door, stepping out and stretching.
I follow, stepping out of the SUV. The brick pavers are perfectly aligned, and the driveway is smooth and pristine. It pales in comparison to the rest of the house and property.
Three stories tall, the building expands outward and easily could be three houses in size if not more. The cream color reflects the sun, brightening it into a soft yellow as the building towers over us. White trim sparkles in the light of day. The windows are gorgeous and clearly floor length on the first floor, bringing a lot of light into the home.
“You live here?” I rasp, my mouth dry.
Levi steps around and helps unbuckle Amelia from her car seat. Her eyelids are heavy and droopy. The kid has finally settled down and is about to doze off when we arrive.
Figures.
She’s not nearly as impressed as I am by the digs. What kind of place did her mom have for her not to be floored? Maybe it’s the fact that she’s five.
“My fortress of solitude.”
I swear I haven’t picked my mouth up off the floor yet.
“It’s a joke. Superman? Never mind,” Levi says, glancing at the two of us for recognition.