Trev hadn’t traveled much in the past ten years, but before that, family vacations had him wedged in with Tanner and Mom while Dad enjoyed an upgrade alone. This time, though, he sat beside Leanne on the aisle, and she smiled at him before taking his hand. The flight attendant asked if they wanted juice or water before takeoff, and afterward, they pulled the curtain separating the front of the plane from the back.

They had lunch in the air, and he watched a movie while Leanne took a nap. The flight took four hours, and soon, they were on the ground in Vegas. He grabbed their bags from the overhead and stepped back so Leanne could precede him, blocking those trying to press forward behind him. She shot him a soft smile and glided forward. Her walk was a force of nature, drawing multiple eyes as her hips swiveled.

And she’s with me.

That was the wildest part of all this. She took his hand again as they walked up the jet bridge to the airport proper. Harry Reid International Airport was clean and modern, and Leanne led the way as if she could navigate this place in her sleep. Soon, they joined the taxi line and got a ride to their hotel, a posh place that looked like a cathedral in Europe. Trev tried not to stare in awe at the frescoes on the ceiling and the gilt everywhere.

Leanne took care of check-in while he stood back, silently marveling that any of this was happening at all. Mom and Dad would be so surprised. Probably, he should feel bad about doing this in secret, but they’d written him off years ago. He did feel a bit guilty about leaving Titus in the dark, but since Leanne wasn’t telling her book club besties either, he’d roll with her desire to keep everything on the down low until it was too late for anyone to argue.

“All set?” she asked, tapping the counter with her nails to get his attention.

“Totally.”

Even the elevators were fancy, requiring the key cards to access them. Their room was on the thirty-eighth floor, with an incredible view of the skyline. At night, the city probably glittered like a heap of jewels. He tucked his backpack out of sight in the closet and laid her suitcase on the folding rack meant for that purpose. She nudged into the space with him and started hanging up her clothes, perfuming the air with sweetness that went right to his head.

What did she say about her body wash? Orange blossom and juniper.

Her lotion carried a matching scent, and she didn’t seem to use perfume, relying instead on the layering from her other toiletries. She looked like a woman who would favor a stronger signature blend, but instead, she smelled unexpectedly innocent, like the last blooms of summer, that moment just before they ripened from flowers to fruit.