Calli pursed her lips and said softly, “Stockton. Jackson and Kent Stockton. I’m Lindley. But I didn’t book that. And I didn’t order a car.”
“If you’d like, Ms. Lindley, I can call and cancel the reservation and the driver?” Sal offered.
She shook her head, still confused.
“We see this sometimes as a gift from the travel agency,” Sal offered, but that didn’t sound very likely either.
“Okay. Well, we didn’t have plans other than pizza or room service.” Maybe this would be okay. Seafood, she contemplated. “Do they have sushi?”
“Oh, yes. You’ll definitely enjoy Moonfish. It’s one of my favorites. They have the best lobster bisque in Florida, and their sushi is to die for.”
“Hmm.” Calli raised her brows. “That’ll seal the deal for Jax. I guess we’ll be down at seven. How should we dress?”
“The upper end of casual. Slacks or a sundress would be nice for you. No ties required for the boys.” The corners of Sal’s eyes crinkled as he smiled. “Do let me know if you need anything else, Ms. Lindley.”
Somehow he reminded Calli of her father, so she returned the buoyant smile. “Thank you, Sal.”
Back up the elevator and to her room, Calli swiped the card and went inside. “Let’s get ready for dinner. Apparently, there will be a limo here in an hour to take us for seafood and sushi.” Jax hopped up from the bed and headed to the bathroom. The door clicked shut and the spray of the shower began. Calli grinned.
Kent went to the dresser where he’d stowed his clothes.
“You need a shower, too,” she said, infusing that motherly warning tone into her voice. “It’s somewhat upscale, so get your dress pants from the closet. The polo shirt should be okay.” She pulled out a shirt for Jax and laid it on the bed, then went to the closet and pulled a floor-length sundress for herself. The boys had been watching anime again—something she simply couldn’t find an interest in, so she grabbed her book and sat in a chair to wait her turn in the shower.
Chapter 35
Calli
On the trip to Moonfish, Calli had peppered the driver with questions about who’d arranged the ride and who was paying, but he was tight-lipped to the point that she wondered if he spoke English. The only thing he said was a heavily accented, “Paid in full.” Calli looked at him funny in the rear-view mirror. Russian, she wondered briefly.
Under the backlit Moonfish sign, the stained-glass doors boasted a huge metal sculpture of a tropical fish in a wooden circle. The sculpture and the circle were split in half and served as the handles. Calli heaved the door open. Surprised at how easily and quickly it swung outward, she let out a little embarrassed giggle.
“Whoa there, muscles,” Jax said with a glint in his eye.
The hostess stand was staffed with two young women managing the floor. Both disappeared with the two parties who’d arrived before them, leaving them waiting. In the dining room to one side, on the far wall, was a long sushi bar where three chefs were chopping and artfully decorating plates. To the other side, an open-air kitchen behind a stone counter and staff in white manned the grill and prep areas. The steak and seafood scents mingled in the air and made Calli’s mouth water. She supposed that walking around an amusement park for hours on end stirred up quite the appetite.
When one of the hostesses returned, Calli approached the stand. “I believe there is a reservation for three under Lindley?”
She scanned the screen, tapped, then grabbed three menus. “Right this way.” The hostess led the way toward the booths at the far end of the grill room.
Her boys went first, and Calli pulled up the rear. She checked her phone for the time, then stowed it in her purse as they walked. When they arrived at the table, her boys both turned to her abruptly, then looked with twin raised brows between her and the booth.
Calli gasped, a hand flying to her mouth. “Dom?”
He slid from the booth and reached for her.
She backed away. “What are you doing here?”
He dropped his eyes and hands. “Will you . . . all three of you . . . have dinner with me? And I’ll explain.” He held out a hand for the boys to take a seat, but they looked to her for permission.
Calli nodded once, and they both slid into one side of the booth.
Dom whispered, “Calli, I was wrong—in so many ways, I was wrong.”
Her eyes prickled.
Dom shook his head. “Don’t.” He swept a tear away as it leaked from her eye, then held out his arms.
She hesitated but then went to him, not strong enough to resist. After a minute, she pulled back and wiped her eyes, then took the inside of the booth, Dom sitting down beside her. His hand landed on her knee under the table, and he gave her his heart-melting crooked grin. Calli’s cheeks felt warm as she looked between her awestruck boys and the man who’d followed her to Florida.
Dom followed her gaze toward Jax and Kent. “We should do this properly.” He stretched a hand across the table. “My name is Dominic Moretti.”
Jax’s eyes flicked to Calli, and he took Dom’s hand when she nodded her approval. “I’m Jax.”
Dom reached across to Kent.
Calli’s younger son reached over. “Uh, Kent,” he said, then retracted his hand quickly as if discomfited.
“It’s very nice to meet you both. I’ve been seeing your mother for the last couple of months. I must apologize for not greeting you properly that night when we first met. I wasn’t quite feeling like myself.” He squeezed Calli’s knee under the table. “Do you like seafood? Or sushi?” he asked.
Jax beamed. “Sushi is my absolute favorite!”
Kent showed less enthusiasm. “I’ll probably just get a California Roll.”
Dom pursed his lips, nodding. “The Cali Roll is very good, but I recommend the Rainbow Dragon.”
Jax flipped through the menu and quickly read the description. “Holy shit! That has like everything,” he said without looking up. “Yeah, I’m in!”
When he did pull his nose out of the menu, Calli glared at him. He was always so raw and honest, but did he really have to swear when he first met people?
Dom must’ve seen her worry, because he squeezed her knee again and smiled. “So, Kent . . . you’re not a sushi fan, what do you like?”
He shrugged. “A lot of things.”
“Pizza,” Jax scoffed, “and bread, and anything full of sugar.”
Kent backhanded his brother. “I like more than that.”
Calli ducked her head to hide a smirk. Kent really didn’t eat much. She usually had to force him to eat protein of any kind, and it always surprised her when he tried new things. He was a creature of habit, hated change, and steered toward anything bland or sweet.
Dom jumped in. “There’s a roll here called the Sweet and Sassy. It’s a lot like a Cali but has crunchies on top and is doused with eel sauce. I’ll order it, and you can give it a try. If you like it, we can order some more.”
Calli’s heart swelled. That was precisely the way to win over Kent, and she loved the fact that Dom naturally encouraged him while not belittling or perpetuating conflict between the boys.