Griff watched as Frank cut the ribbon at the end of the pier, and the crowd surged forward. The four of them stood back against the rail to let the excited children and their parents push past, their backs pressed against the iron until they got a little space again.
“We’re serious,” Griff said. “But we haven’t ironed out all the details yet.”
“Wait. You’re not going to New York with her, are you?” Jackson asked, frowning.
“We haven’t talked about that either.” He could see Autumn talking to Frank, Lydia standing next to her. Lydia turned around and spotted Griff, and waved madly at him, her face bright.
“Who’s that?” Jackson asked.
“Autumn’s sister.” He glanced at his friend from the corner of his eye. “And before you ask, the answer’s no.”
Lucas laughed at Jackson’s outraged expression.
“I didn’t say anything,” he protested.
“But you thought it.” Griff looked at him through narrowed eyes. “And if I’m batting above my average with Autumn, her sister is out of your stratosphere. So no, I’m not introducing you or putting in a good word for you, or doing anything that might encourage whatever crazy notions are going through your head.”
“I only asked who she was.” Jackson shook his head. “Man, you’re protective for a guy who doesn’t even know what his future plans with his girlfriend are.”
“It’s your future plans I’m worried about.” The thought of Jackson anywhere near Lydia made Griff shiver. Not because Lydia couldn’t handle herself, because god knew she’d probably eat Jackson for breakfast. No, it was something else. Something that made him question his own thoughts.
Jackson was a player, and he didn’t want him near Autumn’s sister.
Wasn’t that something, coming from the guy who never wanted strings attached? The man who didn’t mean to break hearts, but did it anyway – you only had to ask Carla Delmonico if you wanted to know more.
Yet here he was, worried about Lydia, because hurting her would mean hurting Autumn. And the thought of causing her any pain made his hands curl into fists.
His jaw ticked as he remembered the way she’d looked this morning, her breath tight, her body supple, as he’d pressed himself into her. Every time they made love, he felt like he was falling a little deeper. It was scary as hell, yet exhilarating.
He’d never felt anything like it. Some of that was because he’d been too afraid to open himself up. But the majority of it was because of her. She touched him in places he’d never let anybody see before, not since they’d been so badly bruised by his parents.
And now here he was, protecting her sister from a guy just like him. It was ironic.
“Come on, let’s go join the girls and enjoy the day,” Lucas said, inclining his head toward the stage, where Ember, Arthur, and all their friends were watching the band set up. “And Griff’s right. Leave Autumn’s sister alone, Jack. She’s completely out of your league.”
* * *
An hour later and the charity day was in full swing. Music from the band mingled with the excited squeals from the rollercoaster, and the air was full of loud chatter as old friends met, and new acquaintances were made.
Autumn was talking to Ember and Lydia about the old photos she’d had blown up when she felt an arm slide around her waist. She looked up to see Griff smiling down at her. He pressed his lips against her brow.
“You okay?” he asked her.
She grinned, the apples of her cheeks plumping. “I’m good. Thank you for all your hard work on the stage. Everybody’s loving the band.”
“Ah, I got Lucas and Breck to do most of it. And Jackson just bitched about breaking a nail.”
Ember coughed out a laugh, hiding her face in Arthur’s fluffy hair.
“Who’s Jackson?” Lydia asked.
“Nobody you need to know.” Griff lowered his mouth to whisper in Autumn’s ear. “He’s already asked whether your sister is single. You might want to warn her.”
“She’d eat Jackson for breakfast.” Autumn shook her head.
Griff looked stunned. “I had that exact same thought.”
“That’s because you two are nauseatingly in tune with each other,” Lydia told them. “And seriously, who’s Jackson and why do I want to eat him?”