“Okay, Arabella, wanna see the finished product?”

I lifted my head from Mack’s shoulder and turned, letting out a gasp of amazement. “Holy hell, it’s gorgeous.” I examined the lotus, its elegant, curling petals and the vibrant blue ink.

“I’m so glad to hear that.”

“Me, too.” Honestly, I couldn’t stop looking at it. “What do I have to do now, in terms of aftercare and stuff?”

Meryl grabbed a care pack from behind the counter and went through the instructions with me. “Congratulations, Arabella. Welcome to the tattoo club. Mack, you can bring her back anytime, no charge.”

“Ha, thanks, Meryl. But maybe not anytime soon.”

“Yeah, I love it, but I suspect this might be a one-and-done.”

She grinned and began packing up her equipment. “Then it’s an even greater privilege.”

We said our goodbyes and once we were out on the street, I pulled Mack to a stop. He turned to me, his brow quirked in enquiry. Cupping his gorgeous face, I went up on tiptoe and brushed my lips across his. “Thank you. So much. It really means a lot to me that you did that.”

Dropping his forehead to mine, he said, “You’re welcome.” His voice was low and rumbly and man, I loved that. “You hungry?”

Was that a loaded question? “Yeah, I could eat.”

“How about I find out if Evelyn can grab some of that famous Chicago deep-dish pizza?”

“Second best idea you’ve had all day.”

CHAPTER30

Mack

“Okay. Not gonna lie. I think this is my favorite stop yet.”

It had been four days since we left Chicago. We’d made our way north and stopped at Grand Rapids, then Ann Arbor. Quick, short stops which meant there wasn’t too much driving. Which also meant a lot of downtime. Time we spent talking, or kissing, or, well, a lot of fucking, but also a lot of thinking time for me. Which was never a good thing.

I pushed the feelings aside, smiling down at Arabella as we walked along the platform of the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad station. The kids were noisy, sure, but it was hard not to love it. The train was a mix of old and new; vintage charm blended with sleek steel. Antique lanterns hung above us, glowing a soft amber that made the wooden benches look like something out of a storybook.

The coordinator, Julia, approached us with a welcoming smile, her salt and pepper hair tied back in a neat braid, her navy coat the epitome of neat. I got the impression this woman took no one’s shit. We’d met her back at the campground when the kids had bussed in to pick us up. “Sorry about the noise.”

“Don’t be.” Arabella smiled brightly. “I love it.”

“That’s very kind. If you don’t mind, we’ll get you guys to board first, then I’m thinking it would be best if I roll called the kids onto the train, and that’s when you can hand out their backpacks.”

“That sounds perfect.”

“Glad you think so. This way, please.”

As we followed her, her clipboard tucked firmly beneath her arm, her no-nonsense, organized demeanor was more than a little intimidating.

Arabella leaned toward me. “If she wasn’t an army major in a past life, I’ll eat my hat.”

She was smiling up at me with that look of mischief in her eyes that I just fucking adored. I looked away. “Yeah.”

Julia showed us onto the train, and Arabella’s gasp was audible.

“Holy shit.”

It was a stunner, its polished wood and brass gleaming, the antique decor a real throwback.

“Wow. Look at the detail on this.”