Rynna grinned from ear to ear. “You’ve been?”
“Of course. Those pies are legendary.”
“Well, I can’t exactly take credit. They are my grandmother’s recipes.”
Frankie Leigh suddenly came barreling out the back door with her dog Milo hot on her heels, the screen door smacking shut behind them. “Uncle Kale! Uncle Kale! You came to see me!”
She threw her arms in the air, feet clattering on the planks as she scrambled around the tables, flying for me. She came to a grinding stop when she saw the little boy’s hand wrapped in mine.
Her eyes went wide in excited interest.
“Is this mys new friend Evan?” she asked me, looking up at me hopefully.
I knelt beside them. “Sure is, Sweet Pea. This is Evan, and he’s really special to me, so I hope you spend the whole day playing with him because he doesn’t know anyone else here.”
Of course, she would. The kid was a force field of joy.
But I never expected that my Frankie Leigh, my goddaughter and the girl who had always held every inch of my heart, would sign HI just like her mom had done, probably more awkwardly than I’d done when Evan had been trying to teach me the alphabet.
But that didn’t matter.
Nothing did except that my family had made sure to make this little boy feel welcomed.
Emotion fisted my heart, not expecting to feel this way when I saw the two of them together.
Overcome and a little overwhelmed.
Evan signed with a huge grin, and I looked over my shoulder to Hope. She chewed at her lip, the woman so fucking stunning standing there with the sun shining all around her that I was having a hard time seeing straight. “Wonder Woman,” she said, her voice a wisp.
A smile flew to my face, and I looked back at Evan. “Yeah, buddy. This is Wonder Woman.”
I turned to Frankie. “And this is my little Hulk.”
Mine.
My chest tightened.
All of this was so goddamned new but so goddamned right.
Frankie Leigh giggled like crazy. “I likes the Hulk . . . but he’s not as strong as my daddy and my uncles! Thor and Cap’in ’merica.”
I felt Rynna staring at me, and I glanced up to meet her eyes.
I’m happy for you.
He’s wonderful.
I’m so glad you brought them.
“Wanna play? I gots my puppy and he’s so fast and he likes to jump and lick and he’s so funny,” Frankie Leigh rambled out, pushing the wild, wild locks of her hair from her face with both hands.
Evan didn’t even hesitate. He dropped my hand and was rushing down the stairs, clambering behind Frankie and Milo out onto the lawn.
Frankie squealed, dancing all around like the carefree thing she was, and Evan’s smile was as big as I’d ever seen it as he tried to follow her lead.
I took Hope’s hand.
She squeezed mine back.
Her emotions leaching into my veins.
Gratefulness and joy and that feeling that terrified me kept nudging me more and more.
“Guys, I want you all to meet someone.”
All those pairs of eyes that’d been watching us scrambled to their feet.
I introduced Hope to everyone, pointing to them as I said their names.
“Lillith. Brody. That’s Nikki, and that little thing sleeping on her chest is my godbaby, Ryland.”
Hope gave a tiny wave, still clinging to me with the other hand. “It’s nice to meet you all.”
Rex, who was grinning as he manned the grill, welcoming her to his home, sending me a bunch of looks on the sly that told me we would definitely be talking about this later.
No shit.
I knew showing up like this was signing myself up to stand in front of the firing squad.
Especially considering the last time I’d been here I’d been claiming my old ways. Certain I didn’t need anything more when, really, I’d been lacking everything.
I was ready to face it.
Of course, Hope had already met Ollie. He sauntered up and pulled her into a big, burly, overbearing hug.
Like they were the oldest of friends.
My girl looked like some kind of rag doll when he flung her around, brows climbing to the sky when he peered at me from over her shoulder, silently telling me I had some explaining to do.
So maybe I’d been dodging all his texts and calls for the last two weeks. Didn’t show at the bar on either Friday night the way I always did, deciding to trade in a night of carousing and revelry for hanging out with Hope and Evan.
Crazy how quickly things could change.
Finally, he set her on her feet. “So, I see you decided to put up with this asshole, after all.”
Hope glanced at me. “Yeah, I guess I did.”
Two hours later, we’d eaten, our stomachs were full, and everyone was sitting around talking and relaxing the lazy day away.
Easy.
I had to admit, my gaze was probably a little too eager where I sat on the porch nursing a beer, watching Hope where she was hanging out with the girls over at the far end of the lawn in the shade of a lush, sprawling tree.