“The point of this conversation would be to start to heal the rift and bring us back together.”
“I totally get that, Ten. I really do.”
“But what if David hasn’t softened his stance on River? What if he’s unwilling to apologize to Mom?”
“For starters. I don’t want to see you get hurt again.” Ronan took a deep breath. He’d spent the last six week doing everything he could think of to heal the damage Autumn Miller had done to Ten and their family. They’d come a long way and the last thing Ten needed was to take a step back. David Grimm broke Ten’strust and at the moment, Ten’s trust in people wasn’t back on solid ground. It wouldn’t take much from David to send him tumbling back into despair.”
“I have an idea you’re not gonna like,” Ten started.
“You’re right. I’m not gonna like it.” Ronan grinned. He lifted the lid of the grill and flipped the burgers.
“Oh, so you’ve got my gift now. You know what I’m thinking?” Ten teased.
“Let’s just say I have brain powers of my own, Nostradamus. They’re telling me you want Everly involved, like testing the waters with David to see how receptive he would be to having a conversation with you.” Ronan watched a look of surprise bloom on Ten’s face. “Am I close?”
“Right on the head.” Ten laughed. “I know Everly can reach him.”
“I know she can too.” Ronan turned from Ten to his daughter. Everly and Aurora were splashing Lizzie’s feet as she toddled around in the surf chasing Wolf. She looked so happy, like life couldn’t possibly get any better. What would this favor do to her mood? Would she be thrilled to reach out to her grandfather or would the idea of David being back in their lives hurt her tender heart?
“I don’t know the answer to those questions, Ronan.” Ten said softly from behind Ronan. “I’ll think on it for a while and we’ll talk again about what to do.”
“No, we don’t have to talk again.” Ronan turned back to Ten. “I trust you to the moon and back. If you think Everly can handle reaching out to David, then I say do it. You need to give herlimits and a firm line in the sand, but I don’t have to tell you that.”
Ten chuckled. “True. I’m usually the one telling you to stick to your limits.”
“All I want is for you to feel back to your usual self. I know how hard these last few weeks have been. If you think talking to David will help heal your heart. Go for it.”
“Thank you.” Ten wrapped his arms around Ronan.
“Is anyone watching the meat?” Jude asked, stalking out onto the deck. “A man could starve to death while the two of you canoodle out here.”
“Get bent, Jude,” Ronan muttered, dancing Ten away from the grill. “Those burgers are cooked to perfection.”
“Well, we’ll just see about that.” He poked the burgers before removing them from the grill onto a plate. Jude folded his arms and shouted for the kids to come eat.
Ronan knew better than anyone how far down Ten’s spirits had sunk. All he wanted to do was make his husband feel whole again. Nothing he’d tried had helped much, but now it seemed like Ten had found his own road back. One thing was for certain. Ronan was going to stick by his side, just in case Ten’s plans hit the skids.
4
Tennyson
A good night sleep, after some alone time with Ronan, was exactly what Ten needed. He felt refreshed and ready to spend an amazing day with his family. The plan was to do some sightseeing in downtown Portsmouth, which was about fifteen minutes from their rented house.
Jude had made a huge breakfast of pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, and hashbrowns. Everyone was fueled up and ready to go.
“What’s a barber cruise?” Wolf asked when he was strapped into his seat in the van. “Are we all gonna get a haircut?”
Jude snickered. “It’s aharborcruise. The boat will take us around Portsmouth Harbor and out to the Isles of Shoals. We’ll see some lighthouses and an old Navy jail.”
“Oh no! They put people in jail for wearing Old Navy clothes?” Aurora gasped. “We have to turn around, Daddy! My whole outfit is from Old Navy! I don’t want to go to jail! I’m too young! I’ve never been to Red Lobster!”
“Honey, it’s okay.” Ten turned around in his seat. He pulled some tissues out of his tote bag and handed them to Aurora. “It’s a jail for people who committed crimes when they were in United States Navy and the building is old. You’re not going to jail for shopping at Old Navy. I promise.”
“That would have been a life sentence for all of us, huh?” Fitz asked from the driver’s seat. “Me and Dad and wearing clothes from Old Navy too. I promise you’re not going to jail.”
“Ooookay,” Aurora stammered. Everly took the tissues and gently dabbed her friends’ eyes.
“Does that mean we’re gonna see some Navy hotties?” Everly asked. “We can sing that song, ‘In the Navy.’”
