They exited the car and were met by a barrage of hellos.
“Madelyn texted us. She said you were on the way here. Welcome to Team Lamborghini,” Penny teased as they embraced.
“We’re so happy to see you. You must be Sebastian Cress,” Charlotte added, pinning the boy with her emerald gaze.
Sebastian glanced around. “Can I hold your hand, Libby?” the boy asked.
Understandably, he was still a bit nervous.
She took his hand in hers, and the connection between them solidified. She spent more than half her life taking the twins by their usually sticky hands, but this was different. Instantly, she understood this was exactly where she was supposed to be.
Charlotte grinned at Sebastian. “I’m Charlotte Ames, and this is Penny Fennimore. And the kids are Phoebe Gale and Oscar Elliott.”
Phoebe and Oscar inspected Sebastian closely.
“It’s very nice to meet you, Phoebe. You, too, Oscar,” Sebastian said with a slight shake to his voice. He tucked his sketchbook under his arm as he reached out to shake Phoebe’s hand. But the little girl stood there, frozen in place.
“Phoebe, are you okay?” Penny asked.
Phoebe stared at Sebastian, wide-eyed. “Say that again, new kid,” she whispered.
“What would you like me to say?” the boy asked in his crisp British accent.
Phoebe gasped. “You sound like Harry Potter…and you sound like your dad. But more like Harry Potter. Are you a boy wizard?”
Sebastian looked himself over. “No, I’m just a boy.”
“Say that again,” Phoebe cooed. Little red hearts would have replaced her eyeballs if the child were a cartoon character.
“I’m just a boy?” Sebastian repeated, confusion marring his expression.
The little girl released a high-pitched squeal. “Say, hello, Phoebe, Princess of the Hot Dog Fairies, Bearer of Cookies, and Eater of Pizza.”
Sebastian sucked in a tight breath. “Um…”
Oscar came up alongside the flummoxed child. “You should just say it, Sebastian. She’ll keep asking you and asking you, and then you’ll think you’re ready to go nuts, and she’ll ask you again.”
Sebastian nodded. “Thanks, mate. What was it you wanted me to say, Phoebe?”
Phoebe looked ready to burst, but she held it together. “Hello, Phoebe, Princess of the Hot Dog Fairies, Bearer of Cookies, and Eater of Pizza.”
“Okay, here goes. Hello, Phoebe, Princess of the Hot Dog Fairies, Bearer of Cookies, and Eater of Pizza,” Sebastian repeated. “That’s quite a name!”
“I’m quite a woman,” Phoebe shot back, flicking one of her braids over her shoulder.
“Phoebe, why don’t you and Oscar show Sebastian around the park?” Penny suggested.
“We love this park. It’s got the best swings,” Phoebe chimed.
“I don’t have to call you by your title every time I want to talk to you, do I? You’re not American hot dog royalty, are you?” Sebastian asked with a crease to his brow.
Mischief twinkled in Phoebe’s eyes. “I sure am American hot dog royalty.”
“Sebastian, you can call her Phoebe, like we do,” Penny answered, biting back a grin.
Phoebe gave her soon-to-be Auntie Penny a dose of stink eye, then tapped her foot twice.
“Those taps better be for o-kay,” Penny chided, barely keeping it together.
Sebastian stared at Phoebe’s foot. “What do the taps mean?”
“Butt—” Phoebe began when Oscar wrapped his hand around her mouth.
“Yep, Phoebe was tapping out o-kay. Come on, Sebastian,” Oscar called, pulling the self-proclaimed pint-sized hot dog fairy princess along by one of her pink wings. “Phoebe and I can show you the swings and teach you how tap talking works.”
Sebastian looked down at his sketchbook. “Will you keep this safe for me, Libby?”
“Absolutely,” she answered, accepting the item.
Sebastian released her hand and ran off to play with Phoebe and Oscar. Libby watched the trio go, her heart bursting in her chest. Sebastian had pushed past his anxiety and embraced bravery. It was also reassuring to watch Phoebe and Oscar take to Sebastian so quickly. The boy stopped and spun around and waved to her. She waved back, then gave him a thumbs-up.
“Let’s grab a bench,” Char suggested.
Libby nodded, but not before staring at her hand and missing the warmth of Sebastian’s little fingers wrapped around hers. How could a little boy she’d known for less than an hour already own a piece of her heart?
They settled themselves on a bench not far from the play structure and looked on as Sebastian, Oscar, and Phoebe stood in a circle. Phoebe tapped while Oscar spoke, and a wide grin stretched across Sebastian’s face.
This is exactly what the boy needed.
“I adore that hot dog devouring tiny human,” Penny declared, shaking her head as Phoebe danced around the boys, tapping out God knows what.
“When Phoebe turns twenty-one, we’re taking her out for margaritas,” Char remarked.
“She’ll probably drink us under the table, then get arrested for hacking into the FBI database. She’s quite a little coder herself these days. She truly is Rowen’s niece.”
“Speaking of getting arrested,” Char said with a glint in her eyes. “How’s it going with Raz?”
Penny and Char zeroed in on her.
How’s it going with Raz? Good question!
Libby tried to conjure some serenity, but she must have maxed out her positive energy reserves with Sebastian. She pinched the bridge of her nose. “Girls, you know how I feel about negativity.”
Penny raised an eyebrow. “I feel a but coming on.”
“But,” Libby lamented. “I am ready to open up a can of karmic whoop ass on the man.”
Penny nodded to the red scarf. “Would that be before or after he gave you another hickey?”
Holy hot love bites!
Libby reached for the scarf that must have loosened since she’d twisted it around her neck like the scarlet fabric was all that kept her head attached to her body.
“That’s not one of Madelyn’s scarves, is it?” Char asked.
Libby adjusted the scarlet fabric. “Yes, it sure is.”
“Does it have secret powers?” Char asked, touching the corner.
“Not that I can tell. Red is the color of passion and power,” she answered, wishing it did have the secret power to make beefcakes act like actual caring human beings.
“That is her thing,” Penny remarked, taking her turn to stroke the luxurious fabric. “When did she give it to you?”
“She offered it to me this morning while Raz’s grandmother was sizing me up. Madelyn, Sebastian, and Raz’s granny Finola arrived at the house while Raz and I were…”
“Were?” Charlotte said, stretching out the word.
Libby looked between her best friends. There was no sense in holding back now—not with the hickeys giving her away.
“They arrived while Raz and I were going at it like sex maniacs,” she answered, slumping, then cradling her head in her hands.
“Libbs!” Penny exclaimed. “Did your O return?”
Libby closed her eyes. Her skin tingled at the thought of Erasmus Cress pumping his hips as he brought her over the edge, again and again.