Wrecked Palace

by Catherine Cowles

  “I’m going to load this up in the boat and then I’ll come back for groceries.”

  “Sounds good. I’m about to head out to pick up Will from football, but Max will be here to check you out.”

  Shay nodded. “Thanks again for all of this.”

  “Anytime. Just call or email if you need something else.”

  “Will do.”

  I made quick work of cleaning up my station. My little family had settled into a routine of sorts, and Griffin had become a huge part of that. On the days Will had football, Griffin picked up the girls from school while I stayed at work, usually to catch up on bookkeeping. Then I would get Will and dash home to make us all a quick dinner. Weekends were all hands on deck. We worked tirelessly on the farmhouse, but everyone loved it. Mia even complained when she had to leave for gymnastics in the afternoons. Pancakes and movie nights remained a tradition. And our extended family potluck dinners had become regular occurrences, too.

  Life was good. But I couldn’t help but wonder if we were overstaying our welcome. Every time I tried to bring it up with Griffin, he would simply shake his head and say, “You’re staying.” But at some point, we’d have to go back to our regular lives. But they’d be missing such a vital piece.

  I made my way up to Max at the front register. “You sure you’re all right to ride solo until Molly gets here?”

  Max’s head snapped up, his focus going from his phone to me. “Sorry,” he said sheepishly. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. I’ve got the routine down.”

  I surveyed Max’s face. He’d been a huge help since he came aboard. Never late and always willing to do whatever we needed. But he looked exhausted and had dark circles rimming his blue eyes. “Everything okay?”

  His hold on the phone tightened, his fingers bleaching white. “My ex. She’s moving Trevor to the mainland.”

  “Oh, Max. I’m so sorry.” I reached out to squeeze his shoulder, but he flinched away, a flash of anger in his eyes. I knew it wasn’t directed at me, but it had me stepping back, nonetheless.

  “I’ll never get to see my son now.”

  My heart broke for him. I couldn’t imagine what I’d do if someone tried to take my siblings away from me. I’d completely lose it. “Let me know if there’s anything I can do. I’m happy to be a reference whenever you have to go to family court.”

  Max’s jaw worked back and forth as he struggled with everything that was raging below the surface. “Not sure that’s gonna cut it but I appreciate the offer.”

  “Of course. I have to go so I’m not late picking up Will but call me if you need anything.”

  “Sure.” His gaze met mine. “Enjoy your time with them.”

  The pain in Max’s eyes socked me right in the gut. “I will. Promise.”

  Max gave me a silent chin jerk, and I headed out, coming to a stop as I saw Will jogging across the parking lot. “What are you doing here? I’m supposed to pick you up at the field.”

  “We got out early,” he answered.

  “We had a deal, Will. No walking to the store alone.” We hadn’t had any incidents recently, but that didn’t mean I was ready to take chances.

  He sighed. “Relax, big sister. Joe’s mom gave me a ride.”

  That was better but still not great. “You have a cell phone for a reason. Use it. Or I guess I could just take it away if you don’t need it.”

  “Caelyn…”

  “Will…” I parroted.

  “All right. I promise to call you with my location twenty-four-seven. Would you like to inject me with a tracker, too?”

  I started walking towards my SUV, Will following. “You know, that’s a great idea. Let’s stop by the vet on the way home. I’m sure they can work you in.”

  Will threw an arm over my shoulders. “I wouldn’t put it past you.”

  If it were safe and not morally dubious, I’d do it in a heartbeat. Anything that helped keep these kids safe.

  We climbed into the SUV and started back to the farmhouse. “So,” Will began.

  “Uh-oh,” I muttered.

  “Why uh-oh?”

  “Because nothing good ever started with a ‘so’ that hangs in the air.”

  Will chuckled. “This isn’t bad. Promise.”

  “Hit me with it.”

  “When Griffin and I were at the hardware store after school yesterday, I saw his driver’s license.”

  “Okay…” I began. “What? Does he have some super embarrassing middle name or something?”

  Will shook his head. “His birthday’s tomorrow.”

  I straightened, stealing a quick glance at Will. “He didn’t say anything.” Not even when the two of us had discussed Will’s birthday that was coming up in a few weeks. Of course, he hadn’t. Griffin never shined a light on himself, even when he should have.

  “Do you think we can do something for him? I don’t know, like get him something special?”

  I slowed at a stop sign, taking a longer look at Will. “You guys have really connected, huh?”

  Will’s cheeks reddened. “He’s cool. And a good guy. And no one else is going to celebrate with him. We should.”

  “You’re right.” A plan was already forming in my head.

  “You know. I could babysit, and you guys could go out on a date.”

  I almost sent the SUV off the side of the road. “What? We don’t need to go on a date.”

  Will grinned. “You guys would have fun.”

  “It’s not like that between us.” But the words felt like a lie. As each day passed, there were more lingering touches, more reasons Griffin found to take my hand. And every single one drove my hope a little higher.

  Will stared in my direction. “It might not be that way now, but it could be. You deserve a life, Caelyn. You more than anyone deserve to be happy.”

  I pulled the SUV to the side of the road and turned to Will, studying his face. “I am happy. You and Ava and Mia make me happy. My job and my friends. And Griffin, too. I have a great life, Will.”

  He turned his gaze out the front window. “You gave up your life for us.”

  I grabbed his arm. “That is not true. You make my life better than I could’ve dreamed. You always will. Even when you go to college. Even when you make a family of your own one day. You and the girls will always be my greatest joy, the people I’m most proud and happiest to see.”

  He swallowed hard. “I just wish you could have more.”

  “I don’t need more.” But as I said it, the thought of those cooking classes, the dream of traveling the world to learn different cuisines, marriage, babies, it all flickered in the back of my mind. I cleared my throat. “You let me worry about what makes me happy, okay?”

  “Okay,” he mumbled.

  “Now, how are you going to get Griffin out of the house tomorrow so we can throw him a surprise party?”

  Will grinned. “I’ve got an idea…”

  32

  Griffin

  “You’re sure this is what you want to spend your paycheck on?” I asked as pavement turned to gravel. The money had already been spent, but we could always return the tools.

  Will ran a hand over his brand-new toolbox. It had all the basics that he usually borrowed from me. “I’m sure. I really like working on the house.” He was quiet for a moment. “I’ve been thinking a lot about college…you know, if I go. And I’m thinking architecture. Maybe minor in music.”

  Heat hit my chest—pride, I realized. I’d do whatever it took to get this kid to college. “I think you’d make a hell of an architect.” Will had an eye for design and a head for numbers. Maybe it was because he’d played music for so long, but his mind just worked differently than most. He’d given me more than one suggestion on a project that I’d taken and run with.

  “You think so?”

  “I do. You’ve got an eye for it. And combine that with hard work, and no one can stop you.”

  He nodded, staring at the window as we approached the farmhouse gate. I thought he wa
s still thinking about his future but as I punched in the code, he said, “I feel like I need to warn you about something.”

  I glanced his way. “What’s that?”

  “I have a feeling you don’t like surprises, and there are going to be a whole bunch of people up there.”

  The gate slowly opened, but I didn’t move my foot to the accelerator. “Why are there a whole bunch of people up there?”

  Will winced. “I might’ve told Caelyn it was your birthday. I thought she’d just take you out to dinner, but she has a thing about birthdays. Really wants them to be properly celebrated. So, she kind of took that information and ran with it…”

  I swallowed hard. “You guys—”

  “Don’t be mad at her. It was my idea. I’m sorry if you hate it.”

  I grabbed Will’s shoulder. “I was going to say that you guys didn’t have to do that. But it’s really thoughtful.” I smiled reassuringly. “And I am kind of partial to birthday cake.”

  Will relaxed. “That’s good because I have a feeling that Caelyn made you a massive one. That’s what she’s been doing over at Bell’s all morning.”

  I shook my head. I’d wondered why Caelyn and the girls had taken off so early this morning. She’d had a slightly guilty expression as she explained that they were having some girl time. “Your sister really isn’t the best liar.”

  Will chuckled. “She’s the worst. She always blushes and looks at her feet.”

  “Good to know her tells.” I started up towards the house.

  “Park in front,” Will said. “I’m supposed to think of a reason to bring you around back.”

  “I’ll make my best surprised face.”

  “Let’s just hope you’re a better actor than Caelyn.”

  I pulled to a stop and switched off the engine. “It wouldn’t be hard.”

  As we rounded the side of the house, I heard whispers and a, “Sssshhhhh.” I did my best to keep the grin off my face. As soon as our feet hit the back lawn, a deafening, “Surprise!” was shouted. My steps faltered, and all the air seemed to get sucked out of my lungs. Kenna and Crosby held one end of a banner, and Bell and Ford the other. It was clear that Mia and Ava had made it. Unicorns and rainbows and glitter adorned the letters that read: Happy Birthday, Griffin! Hunter held up the middle of the banner so it didn’t sag as the girls danced in front of it.

  My gaze caught on Caelyn. She stood with her hands clasped in front of her mouth as if praying that I’d like it all. She looked absolutely breathtaking. She wore a light blue sundress I’d never seen before that skimmed her form and landed mid-thigh. Her hair curled around her face in loose waves, seeming to highlight every feature. I couldn’t seem to catch my breath.

  Will elbowed me. “You’re working that surprise thing a little too well.”

  I coughed. “How did you guys do all this?”

  Mia ran up to me, hurling herself into my arms. “Do you like it? We’ve been working all morning. We made cakes, too!”

  “I love it, Little Bit. Thank you for my sign. You and Ava made it, right?”

  “We did!” She grinned at Ava. “I told you he’d like it.”

  Ava studied the banner. “I tried to get her to stay in the lines.”

  “It’s perfect,” I said.

  The sign was placed on the grass, and there were back slaps and birthday wishes. Crosby and Hunter fired up the grill as Bell and Kenna started a game with the girls. Caelyn smiled. “Do you hate me a little bit right now?”

  It was on the tip of my tongue to say that, no, I loved her. The urge shocked the hell out of me. But it shouldn’t have. “Not even a little bit.”

  “I’m glad.”

  She seemed almost nervous, like a new kid on the first day of school. I took her hand and squeezed. “Thank you.”

  She stretched onto her tiptoes and pressed her lips to my cheek. “Happy Birthday.”

  As she eased back onto her feet, I caught sight of the picnic table. It was covered with a colorful tablecloth, and balloons were tied to just about every surface. “Are there five cakes over there?”

  Caelyn blushed. “I didn’t know what kind you liked, so I made options.”

  I burst out laughing. “Those kids are going to be on a sugar high for weeks.”

  She covered her face with her hands. “I know.” She peeked through her fingers. “What’s your favorite?”

  “Kind of cake?” I asked. She nodded. “I’m simple. Vanilla. Chocolate frosting.”

  Her hand shot in the air. “Victory is mine!”

  I bit back a smile. “What else did you guess?”

  “I did vanilla cake and vanilla icing, fudge cake, sprinkle cake, and my personal favorite, triple berry creation.”

  I gave one of her curls a tug. “I’m going to have to do some scientific research to make sure I know which is my favorite.”

  “It’s the only responsible thing to do.”

  Mia and Ava hollered for us to come join them in some sort of lawn game. The afternoon passed in a sea of food, laughter, and as startling as it was, good friends. No photographers popped up to ruin our day. No surprise threats or visits from the sheriff. We simply got to enjoy being together.

  I eased back into one of the Adirondack chairs on the deck. As I took in the scene before me, I could think of only one thing: my family would’ve loved this. It was everything my mom wished this house could be. It wasn’t about having the perfect restoration of the building itself. It was about the life that swirled within and around it.

  “Griffin?”

  I turned to see Ava approaching hesitantly, a small, wrapped package in her hands. “Hey, Avs.” She hovered a few steps away, and I patted the chair next to me.

  As she lowered herself into the seat, she handed me the gift. “Happy Birthday.”

  My chest swelled and constricted at the same time. “Thank you. Should I open this now?”

  “If you want. You don’t have to.”

  “I want to open it right now.”

  A tiny smile curved Ava’s mouth. “It’s just something small.”

  I met her gaze. “It’s from you. Whatever it is, I’m going to love it.”

  She nibbled on her bottom lip but nodded. I slipped a finger under the seam of the wrapping, careful not to damage the contents. As the paper fell away, I saw a handmade book. There was a drawing of the farmhouse on the front that was incredibly realistic. “Did you draw this?”

  Ava blushed. “Yeah. I couldn’t get everything just right, but I tried.”

  “It’s amazing. You’re so talented.” I couldn’t help but wonder what else this little girl was hiding away from the world. Her siblings were so bold with their talents, putting them on display for everyone to see and not thinking twice. But Ava kept so many things just for herself.

  I slowly opened the front cover. A photo of me, Caelyn, and the kids was pasted to the first page. It was from one of our potluck dinners. Will had taken me down in a game of faux tackle football, and the girls had charged, piling on top of us. We were a mess of tangled limbs and laughter.

  I kept turning. A photo of Mia on my shoulders. Will and me hanging drywall. Ava grabbing Luci from mid-climb up my leg. The last one stole my breath. A picture I’d had no idea someone had taken. I had an arm wrapped around Caelyn’s waist and was gazing down at her. I couldn’t remember what it was she’d been saying, but I was rapt. Caught up in the pull of her.

  As I stared at the photo, I realized one thing. I was in love with Caelyn O’Connor. Had been for months. A woman who I hadn’t even kissed. The knowledge had me questioning my sanity a bit. But it didn’t change the fact that nothing in the world could make me walk away from that bit of crazy.

  “Do you like it?” Ava asked quietly.

  I turned to face her. “This is one of the most special gifts I’ve ever received. I’m going to keep it always.”

  “Really?”

  The hope in Ava’s voice was gutting. “Yes. When the living room is done, I�
��m going to put it on the coffee table so that everyone who visits can see it.”

  She beamed. “That’s awesome.” Hopping up, she threw her arms around me. “Love you, Griffin.”

  My throat constricted. “Love you, too, Avs.”

  As she released me, running for her sister and Luci, my gaze locked with Caelyn’s, tears filled those gorgeous green eyes. “Thank you,” she mouthed.

  I couldn’t even form silent words. Because what did you say to a woman who had given you everything and didn’t even realize it?

  33

  Caelyn

  “You’re not supposed to clean up after your own birthday party,” I chided as I placed a stack of dishes on the counter.

  Griffin followed suit with his own plates. “Well, your usual helpers are down for the count. It must have been the combination of sugar overload and running around the backyard for five hours straight.”

  I grinned at the mess around us. Even Will had passed out already. I’d gone to ask him if he had training tomorrow, and he’d been sprawled out face-down on his bed. “Totally worth it.” I turned to take Griffin in. “Did you have fun?”

  He leaned a hip against the counter. “I haven’t celebrated my birthday since I turned sixteen.” His words cut—realization that he’d been alone for so long. “It felt good to celebrate again. Thank you. For everything.”

  I could feel my cheeks getting hot. “I’ve got one more surprise for you.”

  “Are you trying to kill me? I already got choked up when Ava gave me her book, and when I saw their sign. Are you determined to turn me into a member of the frequent-crier club?”

  I burst out laughing. “It’s a pretty good club to be a part of.”

  He tugged on the end of one of the ties of my sundress. “If you’re a member, I want to join.”

  Something about the words had my pulse thrumming a little faster. “Come on. It’s in the shop.” I grabbed his hand, and we headed towards the outbuilding. The moon was almost full, giving us all the light we needed to follow the path. But with each step I took, my stomach churned harder. What if this was a horrible mistake? What if Griffin was mad that I’d messed with something that had been so important to him?