Annie nodded earnestly. “And this time I’m going to kick your butt in Mario Kart. I’ve been practicing my skid turns.”
“Looks like she’s not the only one joining us,” Jackson said with a knowing grin. “Hey, JoJo. Didn’t expect to see you here.”
“Didn’t expect to be here,” Jo said.
“Well, now it’s a party.” Jackson capped his marker and stuck it in the back pocket of his jeans before slinging an arm over her shoulder. “We are going to have so much fun. Hotel Bellwether is one of the best spots on the West Coast. Legend has it there’s no better place to fall in love.” He winked.
Jo laughed and poked him in the ribs. “Andloveis what you’re after, is it?”
Jackson’s grin widened. “Always, JoJo. You’ll see. There’s this little club not far from the hotel—you’ll love it. The girls don’t just dance on the bar. They—”
“Jo, why don’t you and Annie go grab us some hot chocolate for the plane?” Derek interrupted, retrieving his wallet from his pants pocket, never taking his eyes off Jackson’s smug expression. Jo rolled her eyes and shrugged off Jackson’s arm. The last thing she wanted was to be in the middle of a pissing match between Derek and Jackson.
“With whipped cream?” Annie asked, bouncing on the balls of her feet.
“With whipped cream,” Derek confirmed.
Jo clasped Annie’s hand, accepted Derek’s shiny black credit card, and led her young charge to the Dunkin’ kiosk across from their gate. She didn’t need to hear their conversation to know Derek was giving Jackson a piece of his mind, probably issuing all kinds of warnings if their interaction at the bar the night before was any indication.
Not my circus. Not my monkeys.
“Are you excited to go to California?” Jo asked Annie as they waited in line for their hot chocolates.
“I’m excited to see the gold beach. I’ve never seen a gold beach before.”
“Me either. Do you like the beach?”
“Who doesn’t like the beach?” Annie’s eyes narrowed. “There aren’t any sharks at this beach, are there?”
“I don’t think so. I’m pretty sure that’s the kind of thing they have to tell you in advance.”
“Good. I do not like sharks. That’s why Daddy always sprays me with the magic shark-away spray.”
Jo bit back a smile. “I can’t say I’m familiar with magic shark-away spray.”
“It’s a Daddy thing,” Annie said as though that explained everything.
They ordered their drinks—extra whipped cream for Annie and Jo, and a mocha latte for Derek—and were about to rejoin their traveling companions when Annie stopped Jo with ahand on her arm. “You know there’s no such thing as magic shark-away spray, right?” she asked, concern wrinkling her forehead.
“I suspected as much.”
“It’s the purple glitter sunscreen. The kind in a can you spray on. But don’t tell Daddy I know. I don’t want him to buy the boring white sunscreen with no sparkles.”
Jo pretended to turn a key between her lips. “Your secret is safe with me. Only one question. Can I also use the purple glitter sunscreen?”
Annie giggled. “Yes, but you have to call it magic shark-away spray.”
“I wouldn’t dream of calling it anything else.”
“Do you think Daddy will come to the beach with us?”
“I don’t know.” Jo studied Annie, the carefully blank expression on her face, eyes focused on the lid of her hot chocolate. “I think he’s going to be pretty busy.”
Annie sighed. “Yeah. I thought so.”
“Do you have a lot of babysitters when you’re with your dad?”
“Only when he has to work. But sometimes I go with him and Nico watches cartoons with me when he’s not busy recording.”