He chuckled. “Looks good to me. You got enough happies to help me clear some brush?”
Mia nodded seriously and held up her gloved hands. “I’m ready.”
“Okay. You and Ava are going to be picking up all the sticks and things that have fallen to the ground. You’ll put them in the bins over there, and when they fill up, we’ll empty them into the dumpster. Think you can handle it?”
“Easy-peasy,” she answered.
Griffin turned to Ava. “What about you?”
She smiled. “I’ll make sure Mia doesn’t try to run away and go swimming.”
I groaned. Mia had been begging us to go swimming in the pond now that the days were warmer, and I was constantly terrified she was going to take off on her own.
“I wasn’t gonna,” Mia said indignantly. “You’re such a tattletale.”
“I’m not tattling, I’m just promising to keep you out of trouble,” Ava argued.
I groaned. It was going to be a long day if we were at this point already at nine o’clock in the morning. “Girls… How about this? If we get all of the brush cleaned out and you two don’t bicker, we’ll go to the pond this afternoon.”
Mia’s face lit up, and she began dancing around in circles. “We’re going swimming!”
“Only if it’s a good day,” I warned.
Her dancing slowed, and she got very serious. “Best behavior. I’ll pick up every single stick.”
Will snorted. “Who knew all it took was the promise of a pond to reel her in?”
The girls ran off to begin their tasks, and I turned to Griffin and Will, holding up my daisy-gloved hands. “Reporting for duty.”
“It was either daisies or boring tan-colored ones. The daisies seemed more fitting. They’re sunny,” Griffin said, his gaze locking with mine.
Something about his expression had my belly warming, and everything inside me going just a little bit squishy. “I like the daisies.”
Will cleared his throat. “Can we please get to work?”
I coughed, and Griffin turned away, rubbing his neck. “All right. I’m going to use a pickax to get at the roots of these suckers. Then you two can pull them out and toss them into the dumpster. Just let me know if it gets to be too much or you need a break.”
I followed Griffin over to the first patch of brush. “You forget. I’m used to being on my feet and cooking all day. And I do yoga. I can handle this.”
Griffin arched a brow. “Yoga isn’t exactly manual labor.”
“It’s harder than you think,” I argued. He scoffed, and I knew I was going to make him pay for that sound. “If it’s so easy, then you don’t mind logging a session with me one of these mornings?”
Griffin swung the pickax into the dirt, striking at the heart of the bush’s root system. “I can handle some yoga.”
Will groaned as he and I pulled at the brush that had come loose. “You are going to regret that those words ever passed your lips.”
I grinned at Will as we dragged the shrub over to the dumpster. He knew me too well. There was nothing I loved more than proving how difficult yoga could be. When I used to teach a regular Saturday class, it was always the highlight of my month when one of the women brought in her doubting husband, and he was sweating and cursing before the class was over.
We worked for another hour or so before Griffin had apparently worked up enough of a sweat to peel off his t-shirt. I swallowed hard as I took in his broad shoulders and lean muscles. Will knocked into me. “You’ve got a little drool there.”
I gave him a shove. “I’m just worried Griffin’s going to get a sunburn.”
Will rolled his eyes. “Are you going to offer to apply some sunscreen for him?”
I grabbed my water bottle and sprayed some in Will’s direction. He darted out of the stream’s path, laughing as he went.
“Cae Cae!” Mia cried.
I was instantly on alert, jogging towards her voice, Griffin right on my heels. As soon as we caught sight of the girls, I saw that Mia had something cuddled in her arms.
“What happened?” Griffin barked.
Mia looked up, eyes wide and full of wonder. “Baby kitty.”
I froze. Mia walked closer, revealing a tiny ball of gray fur cradled in her arms. It didn’t look old enough to be away from its mother yet. I glanced at Griffin and then back at Mia. “Where did you find it? Were there any others?”
“Under one of the bushes. I didn’t see any more, and we looked.”
Ava nodded. “For almost thirty minutes.” She looked at Griffin. “Sorry we stopped our job. But that kitten needs its mom, right?”
Griffin ruffled Ava’s hair. “You did the right thing.”
“I’ll be her mom,” Mia said. “Please, Cae Cae! Can we keep her? Please?”
My chest clenched and my eyes burned. “We can’t, Mi. You know what the landlord said.”
Mia instantly turned to Griffin. “Will you keep her, Griffin? Please? I’ll take care of her. You won’t have to do anything. I’ve been saving my allowance, and I can pay for her food.”
Griffin looked at me with panic in his eyes. “How do you ever say no to that face?”
“It pretty much kills me every time.” Just as I was about to explain to Mia that Griffin couldn’t keep her new friend, the kitten let out a fierce mewl.
“I think she wants down,” Ava said.
Mia set the kitten on the grass, and it instantly made its way over to Griffin. Instead of rubbing itself on his leg like most cats did, it launched itself at him, locking its claws in Griffin’s jeans and beginning to climb.
“Ow, shit,” Griffin winced. “I’m naming him Lucifer.”
I plucked the kitten off Griffin’s leg and cuddled it to me, flipping it onto its back. “I’m pretty sure it’s a she.”
Griffin peeked over my shoulder. “How do you know that?”
I pressed my lips together to hold in my laughter. “No balls.”
“I guess that’s solid evidence.”
“We can call her Luci!” Mia cheered.
Griffin looked from the kitten to Mia to me. “I guess I have a cat.”
My heart did a funny flip in my chest. That this man would do anything to make my girl happy. Even sign up for a lifetime with a devil cat.
30
Griffin
I followed the sound of adorably off-key singing. Pausing in the doorway of the kitchen, I took a minute to drink Caelyn in. Her back was to me as she sliced what looked like strawberries, placing the pieces into a bowl beside her. As she sang, her hips swung back and forth. The motion drew my attention there, but it was the cutoff denim shorts that held me captive. They molded to her curves as if they were made for her alone.
I forced my gaze away and cleared my throat. “Hey.”
Caelyn squealed, whirling around, knife in hand. “I am going to have to put a bell on you, I swear.”
“Only if it’s a pink sparkly one like we got for Luci.”
In the past twenty-four hours, Luci had been cemented as a member of the household. She’d been to the vet, was outfitted with everything a kitten could ever dream of and had attached herself to Mia like sisters separated at birth.
“I guess I’ll have to go back to the pet store then,” she said with a grin.
I eyed the massive pile of strawberries behind her. “What are you making?”
“I got a steal on these strawberries at the farm stand. I’m thinking strawberry shortcake for dessert.”
“Do you think you could double that recipe?”
Caelyn set the knife down on the cutting board. “Sure, why?”
I twirled my cell phone between my fingers. “Bell, Ford, Kenna, Crosby, and Hunter are coming for dinner.”
Her eyes widened. “They are? We don’t have enough food. And you don’t like people in your house.”
I winced. I’d felt like crap ever since I snapped at Caelyn about that fact. But she was showing me time and again that opening up my home and my li
fe didn’t mean that I was putting myself at risk. There were good people on this island, and Caelyn and her friends were some of them. “I want you to feel comfortable here. And I know you used to host those family dinner nights.”
Caelyn’s expression softened. “Griffin, you don’t have to make yourself uncomfortable for us. You’ve already done so much.”
I moved in closer, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “I want to. I want you and the kids to have this. And I want to get to know your friends better.”
She reached up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to my stubbled cheek. “Thank you. You might like them, you know.”
“If I don’t, I’ll just sic Luci on them.”
“That cat does know how to use her claws.”
I groaned. Wasn’t that the truth? The couch in my office would never be the same. “We need to figure out how to clip them.”
Caelyn held up both hands, backing away. “You’re on your own for that one, buddy. I like my eyes where they are.”
It was only a little kitten. She couldn’t be that bad. Then I looked down at my forearms that were already covered in red scratches from our trip to the vet. “Maybe I’ll just get her a scratching post instead.”
“Sounds like a much better plan to me.” Caelyn moved to the fridge, surveying its contents. “I think I’m going to have to go to the store if we’re doubling our dinner guests.”
“We made it a potluck. We’re in charge of dessert, and they’re covering everything else.”
She closed the fridge. “Let me guess, Bell is doing sides, Crosby signed up for meat of some sort, and Hunter offered to bring the booze as soon as you said the word potluck.”
“You certainly know your friends.”
“We’ve been friends practically since birth. Well, everyone except Crosby.”
I wondered what that would be like. I hadn’t had any friends like that. Even before I’d lost my family, we’d always been somewhat set apart. Maybe it was because of the press’s fascination with us. Or that my father’s parents had more money than God. But we’d always been careful with who we let into that innermost circle. So careful, it was really only the four of us. But we’d liked it that way. The only problem was that once they were gone, I’d been totally and completely alone.
“Thanks for having us over.” Ford extended a beer to me.
I took it, taking a healthy sip. “No problem.”
His gaze met mine, a sort of understanding there. “It can’t be easy to have us invading your space.”
I glanced around the back deck and yard. Crosby and Hunter manned the grill, teaching Will the finer points of cooking chicken and steak. The girls were chasing Luci around the back lawn. And Caelyn, Bell, and Kenna sat huddled in chairs. Every so often, a cackle of laughter would escape their group. And each time it did, the tension that had been running through my body since our guests’ arrival eased a little bit. “She needed this.”
Ford followed my line of vision. “She did. Don’t get me wrong, Caelyn’s tough. All the girls are. But they need each other. They’ve been each other’s family more than their own blood for a long time.”
“I’m glad they have each other.” But I couldn’t help a flicker of jealousy. It made no sense to be envious of the friendship Caelyn had with Bell and Kenna. But I wished I could’ve been there for her all along. That I was as woven into her life as the women next to her were.
“And I’m glad she has you now.”
I turned my attention back to Ford. “I just want her to be safe. There’s a better chance of that here.”
He raised a brow. “That all you want?”
“Are you trying to dig gossip out of me right now?”
“That would be Crosby. He’s worse than the island knitting circle. Anything you tell him will likely have made its way around to half the island’s residents by morning.”
I made a mental note not to tell Crosby anything important. But even as my mind filed away that reminder, my gaze traveled back to Caelyn as if she had some invisible hold on me. “All I can tell you is that I care about her. Where it goes from there, I’m honestly not sure.”
“I think you’re good for each other.”
I watched as Caelyn’s head tipped back as she laughed. Everything about it was free and unencumbered. Simply letting her joy at being with the people she loved flow out of her. I knew without a doubt that she was the best thing that had happened to me after losing my family. I just hoped I brought some of that same light into her life, as well. I wasn’t so sure.
“What the hell?” Hunter muttered. “Who is that?”
I turned, following Hunter’s stare. There, at the edge of my property, stood a photographer, telephoto lens fixed firmly on our gathering.
“You have got to be kidding me,” Crosby barked. “Will, watch the steaks.”
Hunter and Crosby jogged towards the fence line. I started to follow, but Ford placed a hand firmly on my chest. “Don’t. This creep wants a shot of you. A story. Don’t give them that.”
My back molars ground together. He was right, of course. But since I was sixteen, I’d always been the one to fight my battles. No one had stood between me and whatever shitty thing was headed my way. Not until Caelyn came between that reporter and me, using her muffin basket to defend my honor. But now it seemed I had more than just her. I had what seemed like the beginnings of a community.
I gave Ford a chin jerk, and he took off to follow Hunter and Crosby. Caelyn was instantly by my side. “I’m so sorry, Griffin.”
I tipped my face down to take her in, worry lining the curves of her face. “Why are you sorry? None of this is your fault.”
She didn’t seem so sure. “If my friends hadn’t come over, they probably wouldn’t have bothered you.”
I hated the guilt that filled her tone. That these vulture reporters were trying to ruin our evening. I took Caelyn’s hand and tugged her closer to me, locking my fingers with hers. “I’m done not living my life because of these jerks. I’ll do what I can to keep them away, but I’m not hiding anymore. I’m not giving pieces of my existence away because there’s a chance it might get splashed across some headline.”
Caelyn’s hand squeezed mine. “I could always threaten them with a muffin basket.”
I let out a bark of laughter. “It seemed to work pretty well the last time.”
Mia came running up to me with Luci in her arms. “What’s going on? Who are Crosby and Hunter chasing? Is that the man who threw the brick?”
My gut clenched at the worry and fear in her expression. “No, Little Bit.” I lifted her and Luci into my arms. “Sometimes, people try and take photos of me. They go places they shouldn’t be.”
Her eyes widened. “Because you’re a magic giant?”
I chuckled, a little of the tension leaving my muscles. “They’re curious because of my family.”
“Because they died?” she asked hesitantly.
“Yeah, mostly because of that.”
Mia snuggled into my chest. “I’m sorry you lost your family. But you’re in our family now. That’s what the rainbow bracelet means.”
I swallowed hard as I met Caelyn’s gaze over Mia’s head. Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes, but she smiled. “She’s right. I’m afraid you’ve been claimed.”
I didn’t mind one bit.
31
Caelyn
“Hey, Caelyn.”
I looked up at the sound of Shay’s voice. “Hey, you. I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever.”
She flushed and looked over her shoulder as if expecting someone to be lurking nearby. “Sorry I haven’t been by to pick up my order. Things have been busy.”
“No apologies necessary. Things have been crazy around here, too.” Unfortunately, the photographer at the farmhouse had managed to snap a photo of Griffin, Mia, and me. It had taken a couple of weeks, but they finally figured out my name, and reporters started making a habit of coming by the store. But after
Mr. Walters put up a large sign stating: No reporters allowed on-premises, violators will be tased, things had calmed way down.
“I heard. How are you holding up?”
The worry in Shay’s expression had me forcing my smile wider. “I really am fine. I think all the reporters are finally gone.” That didn’t stop Griffin from being a very grumpy goose. He might have come to terms with his name being splashed across the papers, but mine was another story. He had his lawyer pursuing every legal action in the book.
Shay twisted her fingers together. “I heard about the brick, too. You’re being extra cautious, right?”
I fought the shiver that wanted to surface. “I am. But there hasn’t been anything else. I’m hoping it was just kids and a prank that got out of hand.” Even as I said the words, I knew they weren’t true. I hated to admit that it looked like the culprit might be my mother. Why else would it all stop the day I went to see her?
Shay nodded. “I’m really glad to hear that. Now, I’ll get all of the stuff you’ve been holding for me out of your way.”
I laughed. “It’s not that much, and you know I’m happy to do it. Here.” I pulled out the ledger from under the counter. “Just sign this.”
Shay scrawled her name across the line I pointed to. “Did you have any luck with those violin strings?”
“I did. It took me a few calls, but I got you two packets. Those puppies were not cheap.”
She winced. “I know. But they’re the best. Thanks for taking the time to find them.”
“No problem.” I pulled the stack of boxes out of the back pantry. “How long have you been playing?”
Shay was quiet for a moment, and I thought she might not answer. “Almost as long as I can remember.”
“I’d love to hear you sometime.”
“Maybe.”
That single word might as well have been a hell no. But I knew what it was to hold some dreams close to your chest. I wouldn’t push Shay to share hers with me. “Do you need anything else?”
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