Page 148 of Safe With You

Ellis stood just inside the doorway with one hand tucked into the pocket of his jeans. Mila was beside him, already halfway out of her little denim jacket, her eyes scanning the bookstore like she was trying to decide where to go first.

The second she spotted me, her whole face lit up.

“Miss Luna!”

“Hey, sweet girl.”

She took off before Ellis could remind her to walk, stopping just short of the counter.

“I beat Daddy at Uno.”

I grinned. “So I heard.”

“And he cheated.”

“Allegedly,” Ellis added from behind her.

Mila turned toward me, her expression serious. “He did.”

I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing. “I’m staying out of this one.”

Ellis’s eyebrows lifted. “Now you want to stay out of it?”

“I’ve had time to reconsider my position.”

“Convenient.”

Mila looked between us before shaking her head like neither one of us could be trusted.

“Can I go read?”

I glanced at Ellis, and he nodded.

“As long as you stay where I can see you.”

“I will.”

She disappeared toward the children’s section, abandoning her jacket with Ellis along the way. He caught it before it hit the floor and draped it over his arm.

“I hope we’re not interrupting.”

“Not at all.”

“We just left my sister’s. Mila decided we couldn’t go home without stopping here first.”

“I asked,” Mila called from somewhere between the picture books.

Ellis glanced in her direction. “You did.”

“Twice.”

“Because you said ‘we’ll see’ the first time,” she added.

I laughed. “Well, that explains the second time.”

“Exactly,” Mila called back.

Ellis looked at me. “Please don’t encourage her.”