“Oh, okay.” A long breath slipped out. “I’ll still do my best to be good and not make them wish I wasn’t there.”
“You just need to be you,” Ryleigh said emphatically. “Nothing else. And they will always love you no matter what.”
“How do you know that?”
Ryleigh searched for the right way to explain. “You know how your mom loved you even when you got into trouble?”
Avery’s head bobbed in a forceful nod. “Yeah, she was the best.”
“Well, grandparents are like that too.”
“And so are Ryleigh and me,” Finn added. “We will always love you no matter what.”
Avery launched herself at Finn. “I love you too, even when I don’t like you.”
Finn grinned at Ryleigh over Avery’s head.
Avery looked up at him. “So we can move to Portland?”
“Yes.”
“Yay!” Avery released Finn and danced around.
“Shh,” Ryleigh’s grandad warned. “You’re going to scare the fish away.”
“Oops.” A sweet grin lit Avery’s face. “Guess I was already naughty.”
Finn ruffled her hair. “I think Grandad will be okay with it when he hears why you were so excited.”
She frowned.
“What’s wrong, Peanut?” Finn asked.
“Nana said if you wanted, I could come live with them for a little while so you and Ryleigh can be alone. You know to get all mushy and stuff.”
Finn looked like he was trying hard to stifle a laugh. “But you don’t like that idea?”
She shook her head so hard her braids done expertly by Finn slapped her face. “But I’ll do it if you want me to. If that means we’ll be a family, I’d stay two months.”
“No need.” Finn hugged the child. “I might let you do some sleepovers with them, but otherwise you’re stuck with me, kiddo. Forever.”
She blinked her big blue eyes up at him. “Promise?”
Ryleigh had no idea how he could possibly refuse that adorable face. “Promise.”
“I’m going to tell Grandad that he’s my grandad now too.” Avery pushed away and bolted down the dock, her sandals clapping on the wood.
“I’m glad Avery wants to move,” Ryleigh said. “But what about your job?”
“I’ve been talking to the Maddox brothers about setting up my own business to teach survival skills.” His eyes narrowed. “We figure if I could buy some land on the outskirts of the metro area that I could have a thriving business. Would you be okay with not living in the city?”
“Okay?” She smiled, glad he knew how much she wanted a future with him, and he was thinking of her. “Remember I’m a farm girl, and I’d love it. Maybe Grandad would even sell you some of their land since they’re getting older.”
“That could work.”
“Of course, you’d have to be good with living near my parents and grandparents.” She looked at her grandad as he helped Avery bait her hook. “But honestly, no matter where we would live, my grandparents would be around all the time anyway.”
“And speaking of them. It’s time for some privacy.” Finn took the pole out of Ryleigh’s hand, put it in a holder, and looked at her grandad. “We’re going to take a walk. Mind watching our poles?”
