Page 73 of Grant’s Blaze

“For what, Blaze?”

We pulled into the grand, circular driveway of the Shark home. Every time I arrived at this place, I was stunned by its magnificence.

“For going on like that. Holy shit, this place is really incredible, isn’t it?”

“It’s unreal. Have you ever been here at night?”

“I don’t think so. Why?”

“I swear, on a clear night, you can see one hundred miles in every direction. It’s breathtaking. Would you like a home like this?” he asked as we slid out of the car. But I didn’t have time to answer because an adorable hurricane of a child came bolting across the driveway and attached herself onto Grant’s legs.

“Uncle Grant! Uncle Grant! I haven’t seen you in twelve whole months!”

“Vela!” Grant bent down and scooped the girl up, tossing her into the air and catching her in a big hug. She squealed with delight every single second. I just watched in awe. The love these two nonrelated people had for each other was going to make me tear up—this time in all the best ways.

Grant leaned back while still holding the little girl in his arms. She rolled her eyes, sensing what was coming next. “Let me get a good look at you.”

The driver handed me the dish of pasta salad and set our beach bags near the front door since Grant was busy with Vela. Finally, Sebastian and Abbi came out to see who’d arrived.

“Uncle Bas, look who’s here! Uncle Grant! It’s been forrreevvveerr!”

The adults laughed, and Pia came out through the front door next. “Okay, Uncle Grant, you’re spoiling her rotten. Vela, stand on the legs God gave you, please.”

“Oh, now you’ve done it,” Grant whispered loudly to Vela, but she was already shaking her head.

He set her down on the ground, but she tugged him down so she could whisper just as loudly, “Uncle Bas says maybe if she had a man, she wouldn’t be so grumpy all the time.”

“Sebastian!” Pia smacked her brother in the shoulder. Grant hooted, and Abbi and I even had a laugh. It was the perfect icebreaker for the tension I’d been feeling when we drove up. Leave it to a child to inject some humor exactly where it was needed.

“You’re in so much trouble.” Grant laughed, pointing at Sebastian after Pia followed Vela back inside. I was still chuckling behind my hand at their antics when Abbi came over to where I was standing.

“They remind me of my brothers when they’re like this,” she said with an indulgent smile.

I nodded. “I was just thinking the same thing.”

We automatically fell into each other’s arms. I knew she would be crying because, well, of course—it was Abbigail. But I had to admit, I was choked up this time too. I missed my sister and my business partner and, for the longest time, the only female friend I’d had.

“Let’s go around to the pool…or inside at least.” Abbi looked at me cautiously. “There’s someone here I’d like you to meet, if you’re up for it?”

“Are you kidding? I’d be devastated if I didn’t get to officially meet him. Is the little guy awake?” I asked hopefully.

“He is. Just got up, actually. Dori has him out back for a little bit to say hello to everyone. His cousin wants him to go in the pool more than her next breath, but I don’t know if I’m ready for that yet. I think I would like that to be a quiet event between just the three of us for the first time, you know?”

“But does anyone ever tell Vela no?” I laughed. “About anything?”

Abbi chuckled too. “Definitely not her uncles, but Pia runs a pretty tight ship. So if she picks up on my feelings about something, she shuts her down pretty fast. I just need to outright say ‘not today,’ and it will be the last we hear about it.”

“Well, there you go, then.”

“I know, but I hate to be the meanie. The boys are always the fun ones, you know?”

“Isn’t that always the way it goes?”

We were laughing and strolling arm in arm when we finally made our way onto the pool deck. It would have been comical to have had a camera at the ready, as every head swung our way, and then every mouth fell open as every set of eyes took in our physical embrace. Even better was how everyone tried to play it off as if they saw this kind of reconciliation every day—Grant included.

“Holy shit,” I muttered with a snicker.

“Okay, so that wasn’t me?” Abbi mumbled back.