Just to the right of the castle, a group of helium-filled balloons were tied to a carousel horse that had been planted in the ground. “I guess this is the place.”
She turned onto the brick driveway. Leaves rustled overhead. The drive was lined with trees and bushes, preventing her from seeing anything but what was right in front of her. Suddenly, the blinders disappeared, revealing a set of three mansions in a U shape. In the center courtyard was a full carousel. Beautifully restored, it shimmered in the afternoon sunlight. The smell of popcorn and cotton candy filled the air.
Ginny shook her head, not expecting anything less from the man who ran an amusement park company. A valet wearing a teal polo shirt, black shorts, and white gloves opened her door. “Welcome to the party.” He offered her his hand to help her out of the car.
She took her bag from the passenger seat. It was a pool party, so she’d packed a swimsuit, though she had no intention of jumping into a pool. Still, you never knew where the night would take you.
“Right this way.” The valet motioned for her to enter through the balloon archway on the side of the house. She thanked him and walked along the freshly trimmed grass towards the sound of water rushing and children laughing.
At the edge of the backyard, she put her hand on her hip and shook her head. “Only a Wilaby.”
This wasn’t a backyard; it was a water park. She counted four slides, in four different colors, winding and twisting their way from the top of a hill and depositing their cargo into one of several pools. There were hot tubs dotting the landscape, glowing in ocean greens and blues and bubbling happily.
Children played; parents and nannies watched and socialized. Some of the adults even got into the fun and were playing water polo. A huge white tent stood over buffet tables loaded with kid-friendly foods as well as gourmet options for those with refined taste buds. Another tent covered tables, and still another covered lounge chairs. There were patches of grass for sunbathers and shade for those who preferred to disappear into a book or their laptops.
Ginny shielded her eyes with her hand and searched for Quinn.
It wasn’t the sight of him that she found first; it was his laughter. Deep, moving, contagious, she’d know that sound in her sleep. In the far pool, which didn’t have a slide emptying into it, Quinton was playing Marco Polo with three little girls in braids.
“Marco!” he yelled, his eyes wide open.
“You have to close your eyes!” said the girl in the blue suit. Her tone said Quinton didn’t want to cross her.
“I think you’re making up that rule, Margo,” he teased.
Another girl giggled and pulled on his arm. “It’s true, Uncle Quinn.”
Ginny’s heart did a somersault. Quinn was an uncle! She covered her mouth to hide her gigantic smile. The title fit him well, she decided, as she watched him tease the girls. He called out again, his eyes open, and the third girl answered, “Polo.”
With a battle yell, he lunged, making a huge wave. The girls screamed and giggled and did their best to avoid him. Ginny’s feet carried her to the edge of the water. Her soul wanted to join the fun, but she held back, unsure if she was invited after the way he’d left her the other night.
Quinn came up in the shallow end, one kid under each arm. Ginny’s breath caught at the sight of him. Muscles he’d never had before stood out in detail. She’d felt those shoulders under his Armani suit but had no idea how toned he’d become. She gulped.
Quinn spun around and launched one girl through the air. She landed with a splash in the deep end. The other followed, laughing so hard she was lucky she didn’t choke.
“Uncle Quinn?” His niece pointed at Ginny, who quickly schooled her features.
Quinn’s eyebrows jumped. “Virginia,” he said, so low she almost didn’t hear him. It was like he thought he was imagining her there.
She waved but bit back the “surprise” that formed on her tongue. He knew it was a surprise—that’s why he was surprised. She needed to stop thinking the wordsurprise.
The girls ignored the adults and started a game of Ring Around the Rosie that ended with them dropping underwater in unison. Quinn splashed out, hopping the two-foot wall at the shallow end. Water rushed down his amazing body, rendering Ginny speechless. He took a towel from a nearby stack.
She forced her mind to work. What would the old Ginny have said to her best friend? “What the heck?” She shoved his chest, noting the jolt that went up her arm and directly to her lower belly. “Since when did you grow muscles?”
He laughed. “I started MMA fighting.”
Her mouth fell open. “Like in cages and stuff?”
“Yep.”
“Really?” She had a hard time reconciling the guy who sat in front of a computer monitor eight hours a day with a version of him punching someone in the face. Or getting punched. Ew. She didn’t like that thought at all.
He threw his head back and laughed. “No, I have a trainer.”
She grunted, shoving him again. “Brat.” Her anxiety had dropped several notches. Joking with Quinn she could do and do well.
He shrugged. “So did you come to check me out, or was there something else?”
