“I’m fine.” She hooks her purse over her shoulder and walks past me, and it takes all my willpower not to reach out and stop her from leaving.
“Don’t lose any sleep over me, Raiden,” she whispers. “I’ll be gone soon enough. That’s the reason I don’t want to meet people or get close to anybody here. No harm done. No love lost.”
It’s only dinner. I watch her stroll out, helpless on every level. She brushed me off. She brushed my family off. I thought we’d made progress on the probation debacle, but it seems I’ve lost all the ground I’d gained with her over the past week.
I glance to where she sat a minute ago. Something on that laptop triggered her while I was gone, and I’ve got no choice but to wait until she’s ready to tell me what it was.
Hours later we walk up to the farmhouse together, quiet and somewhat cautious after what happened this afternoon. When Georgiana came back from town with two bottles of wine, she’d buried whatever had upset her in a shallow grave and had the same smile plastered on her face as she has now. It would be lovely to go for dinner. I bought May some chocolates, too.
I’m glad she had a change of heart, because from afar Hannah is bolting down the driveway with little legs that are no longer chubby. If anyone could lift your spirits, it’s Hannah, for she is a ray of sunshine that breaks through the darkest cloud. She reminds me of Lucy in so many ways, but my mind shouldn’t go there. Not tonight and definitely not over the next few weeks.
“Here, hold this, please.” I pass Georgiana the wine in time to catch Hannah and swing her up and into a circle as she squeals with delight.
“Higher, Ray, higher!”
I laugh as I sweep her higher and higher. After four rounds, I set her feet to the ground, somewhat dizzy myself. “You’re getting heavy, Hannah-Honey.”
“Ha!” Georgiana scoffs. “I recall you picking up a much heavier weight today.” She shoots me a teasing smile and then devotes all her attention to Hannah. “And who might you be, Princess?”
“Hannah Brodie.” Hannah gazes up at Georgiana with wide green eyes, her hands on her swaying hips that make her baby blue princess dress swoosh. “I’m five next month.”
“Five already! And you’re having a party?”
“A princess party! Daddy, Daddy! Ray’s here!”
She runs off and I glance at Georgiana. Her eyes are filled with laughter. “She’s so cute! Those dark curls! I’ve never seen anything like it before.”
“I know, right? She’s my cousin Derek’s daughter and growing up way too fast.”
“With those looks, I can’t wait to meet her mommy.”
“You won’t. Teresa is in Boston, studying medicine.”
“Oh. Surely they’re on summer vacation now?”
“Yeah…” I should stop right there. “Come on, Rachel will be here too unless she’s working.”
I watch as Hannah hurls herself at Hunter next and he barely has time to put down his cooler box to catch her with both hands and toss her high. On his face I see the same adoration we all have for Uncle Bill and Aunt May’s first grandchild. At the current rate, there’s going to be quite a gap before others come along.
“You have some competition for your favors, dearest Sir Raiden. Do I smell a feud between the Logan knights over Princess Hannah’s affections?” Georgiana teases.
“No, never,” I say with a chuckle. “Hunter is Hannah’s favorite. He’s everybody’s favorite. He’s our ice cream man.” I pause a moment to take in the scene of my family gathering on the porch, Hannah now piggybacking on Hunter, everybody laughing. Imagine being around this much love all the time. “Have you ever seen an unhappy kid when there’s ice cream around?”
Georgiana laughs. “Unless the scoops are on the ground, no, I haven’t.”
“Hunter’s solution to every problem. That’s why he started making it in seventh grade for us, then he won some school project with it and started selling it over the summers in Ashleigh Lake. It took off from there.”
Soon we’re on the porch and Aunt May draws Georgiana close for a motherly hug. When it’s my turn, I hold on for a few seconds longer and take a deep breath of the sweet magnolia scent that always perfumes Aunt May’s hair. Home has always been a mishmash of things, but it has also been this, and for thirteen long years, I’ve missed it. Having to avoid coming home is suffocating sometimes, but I’d rather take that than the night terrors that stalk me when I’m here.
“The famous George Wess?” Derek holds out his hand to Georgiana. “Derek Brodie.”
“Everything you heard about me is true,” Georgiana answers with a teasing smile as they shake hands.
I step away to deal with the wine, giving Derek his moment with Georgiana. The way he looks at her tells me she’s as unexpected to him as everybody else she meets as George. With a name like that, nobody expects a graceful woman with wavy blond hair and the sweetest smile on the planet. Wait until he sees her wielding power tools like I’ve seen her do this week. I take the jealousy that drags itself through my body, ram it into a box and put the lid on.
I’m in the kitchen busy with the wine glasses when Georgiana and Aunt May come in to set the long table with Hannah’s help.
“Rachel’s working then?” Georgiana asks.