“Why aren’t you in there, honey, playing Marco Polo?”
“I’m feeling lazy today.”
But the truth was that he didn’t feel like one of them. He was still an outsider despite the eight months that had passed since he’d walked back into his sister’s life.
He felt the ache and anger and hopelessness that had been his constant companions for years now. He’d been in the Middle East when his mom died. He’d lost track of Ari. She’d ended up in foster care. He hadn’t saved her.
Having exhausted the trio of puppies—who were now lolling in the shade until they got their second wind—the kids were splashing in the pool, yelling “Marco!” and “Polo!” and having great fun with Matt and the other Mavericks. Jeremy and Will played too, plus Ari, Chi, and Rosie and Jorge. Chi and Rosie, Ari’s best friends, the girls she’d survived foster care with, were part of the family now. Along with Jorge, Rosie’s son. He and Noah had become best friends too.
The Maverick ladies, including Daniel’s sister, Lyssa, were sunning themselves, a bevy of beauties in bright colors.
Bob Spencer, the patriarch of the clan, manned the barbecue. A charcoal smell wafted on the air.
“Bob, honey,” Susan called. “You’re not burning the burgers, are you?”
“No, dear, I’d never do that,” he singsonged back.
A more loving couple he’d never seen—expect for the Mavericks and their ladies. Even when they were nattering, they were good-natured about it.
“Daniel,” Susan hissed loudly. “Your father needs some help.”
Daniel Spencer climbed out of the pool where he’d been canoodling with Tasha Summerfield in the deep end, where the children didn’t venture. Tasha followed him, wearing a ball cap that read Everything’s better with my tool belt on.
Daniel had always seemed a happy guy, laid-back in his work approach, at least for the most part. But with Tasha, he was somehow more than just happy. Gideon wasn’t sure how to describe it to himself. Ari said it was love. And she should know.
Tasha Summerfield was a different genus from the rest of them. Her father was a con man, and her brother was doing community service for his part in their father’s schemes. Daniel had probably paid the lawyers beaucoup bucks to get the guy a sweet deal in which he did his service at a foundation—set up by Daniel—to help the victims of fraud. And to teach people how to spot a con and run in the opposite direction.
“How’s everything going with the job?” Susan asked. “You’ve been such a great help to Daniel.”
She wasn’t a busybody, or prying. He understood that. She simply cared. And she loved her kids.
“It’s good,” he said.
He’d worked for Daniel for close to eight months now. He’d thought he’d be spending his time in the stores, but Daniel had been giving him more managerial responsibilities, dealing with suppliers and materials.
He was even trying to talk Gideon into coming on his DIY show.
“You’re a man of few words,” Susan said mildly. “I like that about you.”
That forced a laugh out of Gideon.
The French doors opened, and the last arrivals spilled onto the deck. Susan jumped up to greet Evan, his arm slung around Paige. Evan’s birth mom—versus Susan, who was more like his real mom—and the twins had come too. Tony and Kelsey, the twin brother and sister Evan hadn’t known about until a few months ago. At twenty-five, Tony was the image of Evan, but Kelsey was the prettier of the two.
The Maverick family had become a clan over the last few months. Gideon was probably considered one of them, especially since he was living with Ari and Matt. But he needed to get out soon, before they became newlyweds. They would need their space, despite the fact that the house was a mansion with eight bedrooms and a bowling alley and home theater in the basement.
No, he had to go.
The kids climbed out of the pool and dashed to the newcomers, with Rosie and Ari calling, “Don’t run,” after them, as they too got out of the pool, streaming water.
Noah grabbed Tony’s hand, then Kelsey’s, pulling them. “You gotta come and see the puppies. There’s one for me and one for Jeremy and one for Uncle Daniel.”
Gideon stood, setting his beer on the side table to say hello. Once that was done, he could take to the background where he preferred to be.
Ari passed him, bussing his cheek with a quick kiss. “You need to get in the water, big brother. Have some fun with us.”
But he’d long ago forgotten how to have fun.
Then Jorge grabbed his hand, looking up at him with imploring dark-chocolate eyes just like Rosie’s. He was a great kid. “Come on, Gid, you gotta play Marco Polo with us.”