MELISANDE
“Auntie Mel, you got here early!” Harry screamed as he flung his arms around my body, pressing his cheek against my chest.
I was amazed by how much he’d grown since the last time I saw him. He was at least two inches taller than he was a year ago, which was a huge relief since he’d been a little small for his age due to his lack of appetite. After giving him a big squeeze, I stepped back with a big grin. “Look at how big you’ve gotten.”
“Uh-huh,” he agreed, flexing his biceps to show off his muscles. Then his gaze slid to my left, and he noticed I wasn’t alone. He moved closer to Devon, tilting his head back so he could meet his gaze. “But not as big as you.”
Devon smiled down at my nephew, humor shining from his dark eyes. “Keep eating your vegetables, and I’m sure you’ll catch up to me someday.”
“Aw, man.” Harry kicked at the ground and sighed. “I was afraid you’d say that.”
“Sorry, buddy. I hate to break it to you, but your mom’s been telling the truth all this time.” I ruffled his hair and laughedbefore shifting my focus to Devon. “Harry isn’t a fan of eating his veggies.”
Butterflies swarmed in my belly when he aimed his smile my way. “Yeah, I kinda figured that out by his reaction.”
Harry tugged on my hand to drag me toward the house, looking over his shoulder at Devon. “Are you gonna stay for my party?”
“Only if I’m invited. I wouldn’t want to crash your celebration unless you want me here.”
“Duh, you’re Auntie Mel’s knight in shining armor.” Harry rolled his eyes as though his answer was obvious.
I glanced back at Devon. “I think what he meant to say was something more along the lines of ‘Thank you so much for getting my aunt here for my party. I’d love if you could stay and celebrate my birthday with us.’”
Harry nodded. “Yeah, what Auntie Mel said.”
“Then I’d be delighted to attend your party,” Devon drawled, his sarcasm going right over my nephew’s head who pumped his fist to celebrate.
My sister and her husband were waiting on their porch, and Ana wagged her brows and gave me a thumbs-up gesture when she saw Devon was following us. Jeff elbowed her in the side and shook his head, flashing me an apologetic smile. We were both used to how over-the-top she could be, so I just shrugged and rolled my eyes—and then laughed at myself when I realized I’d just mimicked my nephew’s gesture.
Ana ignored me and focused on Devon. “I’m so glad you can stay.”
“What kind of knight in shining armor would I be if I abandoned my damsel in distress?” he quipped with a smile.
“A lousy one,” she bantered back.
I loved that Devon was willing to play along with my sister, but she didn’t know when to stop. Stepping in before thingsescalated, I asked, “Do you need any help setting up for the party?”
“Nope, I’ve been up since the butt crack of dawn, so everything is pretty much ready to go.”
Harry laughed and pointed at Ana. “Ha-ha, you said butt crack.”
Jeff shook his head and sighed, “And we’re lucky your mom worded it that way instead of the alternative.”
“How else can you say butt crack?” Harry asked as he tugged me forward.
I was so busy trying not to let on that I knew what my brother-in-law meant that I wasn’t paying close enough attention and managed to trip over the bottom step. I would’ve planted face-first into the porch if it weren’t for Devon’s lightning-fast reflexes. He wrapped his arm around my waist, catching me as I went down. Then he lifted me into the air and carried me up the steps as though I weighed almost nothing.
“Whoa,” I whispered when he set me on my feet.
Harry was staring up at Devon as though he was a superhero. Then he turned to Ana and blurted, “I want vegetables, Mom. Lots and lots of ’em so I can get big muscles!”
“Sure thing, sweetie. You can start with some carrots and cucumbers from the veggie tray I made for the party.” She bent low so she was face-to-face with her son. “But you’ve got to be more careful with Auntie Mel, remember?”
Harry nodded. “Yeah, ’cause she’s so clumsy.”
I shot an accusing glare in my sister’s direction. “What kind of stories have you been sharing with my poor sweet nephew?”
Ana grinned at me. “Only the true ones.”
