by Abbi Glines
Reese was excited about going back to Rosemary Beach, which only worried me more. She had nothing to do here in Texas. When I wasn’t with her, she was alone. I hated the idea of her being lonely or sad. I had to fix this. Maybe get her back into classes and encourage her to keep working on her GED.
Although I preferred not to rely on my father—the biological one, that is—my sister wasn’t always so cooperative. Slacker Demon’s private jet was scheduled to pick us up and take us to Florida in a couple of days. Our father’s rock band still went on huge tours all the time, so the private plane was a necessity for them. Not for me. I could argue with Harlow, but I knew she’d end up winning. The jet was already stopping in Dallas to pick up a guest of Blaire and Rush’s so she wanted Reese and me to take advantage of it.
I got things tied up and taken care of so that Reese and I could fly out the day before the party. We were also planning to spend a few extra days in town afterward; I knew Reese wanted to see her friend Jimmy. He had been her closest friend, and she spoke with him at least once a week on the phone.
When we landed in Florida, Harlow had a silver Mercedes waiting for us at the airport for me to drive the rest of the way into town. I knew this had to be our father’s doing, but it was more for Harlow than for me. Harlow was the only one of Kiro’s three kids—including me and Harlow’s half sister, Nan—he’d had a hand in raising, so Harlow actually thought of him as a dad. He loved her the most, but then again, she was easy to love. Hell, I had loved her the most, too, until Reese walked into my life. The only person who was ever bitter about this favoritism was Nan.
Reese touched the butter-colored leather interior of the Mercedes and smiled. “Wow. This car is something,” she said in awe. She had been in awe all day. The jet had made her jaw drop for a good five minutes. Just watching her walk around and explore the cabin with childlike wonder had made the experience worth it, even if it was courtesy of Kiro.
“I’m sure this is from Kiro, too,” I explained. “If I’d been paying for this, we would’ve been driving a Dodge truck.”
“W-will, uh, will he be there? At the party?” she asked, almost with caution. As if asking would upset me.
I nodded. “He wouldn’t miss his granddaughter’s birthday for the world. At least, any granddaughter Harlow gives him. And this will be the only one. Harlow can’t have any more kids. She almost died giving birth to Lila Kate.”
“So Harlow is his favorite?”
I laughed. That was an understatement. “Harlow is the only child his beloved wife, Emily, gave to him. He adored Emily. He still does, even though she suffered brain damage in an accident years ago and can’t speak or do anything on her own.”
Reese frowned. “What about Nan?”
I sighed. “We didn’t even know Nan was our sister until a few years ago. Kiro didn’t claim her, and her mother lied about who her father was. It was a clusterfuck. And Nan is a mean viper. You know that. You’ve dealt with her. She hates Harlow because our father loves her. It’s not a good family situation.”
“That’s sad,” Reese said simply.
I glanced over at her. “What’s sad?”
She looked up at me with eyes full of sorrow. “To be told your father was someone he wasn’t and finding out the father you do have doesn’t want you. That would make anyone unhappy. Then to see that father adore another daughter while he barely acknowledges you. That has to cut deep. I imagine she has suffered from a lot of emotional wounds in life.”
Was she really making excuses for Nan? No one had an excuse for being evil and cruel. Yet here Reese was, feeling sorry for her, even after working as Nan’s housemaid for a short time and experiencing her ugliness firsthand. Reese was being understanding of why Nan was the way she was.
“You might change your mind after you’ve spent more time with her. If that ever happens.”
“Won’t she be at the party?”
I doubted it. “Before Grant met Harlow, he had a thing with Nan. When Grant fell in love with Harlow, that didn’t help Nan’s hatred for her. The fact that Nan donated blood to Harlow when she was giving birth to Lila Kate made a huge difference and at least showed a little humanity. But I doubt that’s enough for Grant to invite her to his daughter’s birthday. Besides, Kiro and Nan don’t get along. Every time they’re in the same room, it usually ends in screaming.”
Reese didn’t ask me anything else, but I could tell her wheels were turning. She was trying to put this all together so that it made sense. Problem was, nothing with this side of my family made sense. Kiro had fucked it all up years ago. Harlow and her daughter were all I cared about on this side of my family. And Grant, at times. He’d proven worthy of my sister, but I was still watching him. I’d kill him if he ever hurt her.
Reese
I had cleaned fabulous houses before, but none of them compared to this one. The Finlays’ place was massive and gorgeous. It sat directly on the water, and expensive cars filled the driveway. We were staying with Grant and Harlow, but they had left early to get things ready. We had offered to keep Lila Kate, but Grant said she’d get fussy if he wasn’t close by. Mase said it was more likely that Grant would get fussy. Watching Grant Carter with his daughter, as she wobbled around, trying to walk, was adorable. He hovered over her constantly, ready to catch her if she fell at any moment. The few times she did fall, he reacted lightning-fast, swooping her up and checking her out while kissing her little chubby knees.
“Kiro’s here. He must have Dean with him, since they brought the limo,” Mase said without emotion.
I was going to meet two of the music industry’s legends, but Mase was unimpressed. Then again, if Kiro had ignored him most of his life, I understood why he wasn’t excited about seeing the man. I wasn’t sure I was going to like him, anyway. He had a lot counting against him in my eyes.
Before I could step out of the Mercedes, Mase was there to give me a hand and help me down. I let him help me, since I was holding the large pink-and-brown polka-dot box with Lila Kate’s birthday present in it. We had gone shopping in Dallas to find the perfect present for his niece’s first birthday. When we saw a pair of pink cowboy boots with a matching pink leather hat, Mase had insisted we buy both of them. They were perfect gifts for Lila Kate from her uncle Mase.
I had bought her a plush horse that she could carry around to go with her new outfit. Mase had said that he would teach her to ride one day, but after watching Grant with his daughter, I doubted Lila Kate would ever get on the back of a horse. I didn’t think Grant could handle that.
“Let’s go party,” Mase said with a wink.
I smoothed out my yellow sundress after he took the present from my hands. It was a luau, so I had dressed in my best beach dress and a pair of strappy sandals. Harlow had been dressed similarly, so I wasn’t worried about being underdressed for this party.
“There are a lot of people here,” I said, looking around at the cars that kept arriving.
“Yeah, Grant’s been in Rosemary Beach most of his life. He’s friends with everyone.”
Mase knocked once, and a woman who could have been a Victoria’s Secret Angel opened the door, smiling brightly. “Mase, hello,” she said, then turned her striking green eyes to me. “Hi, Reese. How have you been?”
“Thank you for having me, Blaire. It’s wonderful to see you again.”
Blaire stood back and waved us in. “Me, you, Harlow, Bethy, and Della need to have a girl day soon. Even if we need to fly to Texas to do it,” Blaire said, sounding determined.
I had never had a girl day. That sounded like fun.
“Harlow is out at the pool. Grant has Lila Kate in the pool with Rush and Nate. Y’all go on out there and see everyone. I’m on door duty right now. I’ll take the gift and put it with the others.”
“Thanks, Blaire,” Mase said, then placed a hand on my lower back to lead me through the Finlays’ breathtaking home toward an impressive back patio, with stairs that led down to a pool that looked like
it belonged at a luxury resort.
There were people everywhere. Some of the women were in bikinis, while others were dressed in short sundresses like mine. The men who wore swim trunks all looked like fitness models. I scanned the crowd, looking for a familiar face other than Harlow’s.
My eyes landed on someone I hadn’t expected to see here. Lounging in a chair in a pair of swim trunks, showing off a tan that most of the other men didn’t have, he looked like he lived on a boat. His hair was exactly as I remembered it from the barbecue. Brown with highlights, pulled back in a messy ponytail that looked like he hadn’t brushed it. Even with aviators on, I could feel his gaze locked on me. What the heck was he doing here?
“Mase, it’s so good to see you,” a female voice said from behind us, and I turned to see a face I recognized. I’d met Della Kerrington before, but this time, she was holding a small bundle in a blue blanket.
“And Reese,” she said. Her genuine smile made me feel immediately comfortable around her. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
Mase nodded his head at the baby in her arms. “Congratulations. I heard the little guy was born last month.”
Della gazed down at the bundle and smiled. “Yes. He came a month early, but he’s perfect, and I can’t remember ever being this happy. He completes us.”
“What’s his name?” Mase asked.
“Cruz,” she said, looking back up at us. “Cruz Woods Kerrington.”
“Cool name. I like it,” Mase replied.
“Me, too. And congratulations,” I added.
Della smiled warmly. “Thank you both. I intend to spend a little more time with you, Reese. But right now, I have a hungry little boy to feed,” she said before heading inside.
“I like her,” I said as I watched her go.
“Yeah, she’s the best thing that ever happened to Kerrington. Dude was a man-whore before her,” Mase said, and winked at me.
I laughed as he slid his hand around my waist and led me down the steps and toward the pool. I glanced over at the chair where I’d seen that familiar face earlier, but he was gone. Weird.
“Watch me jump, Daddy!” a small voice called out, and I turned to see an adorable little boy standing on the top of a rock waterfall. He looked too small to be up there, but he had a determined gleam in his eyes.
“I’m watching. Show me what you got,” a man called out from the water. I was too worried about the little boy to take my eyes off him and see who his daddy was. Did the boy’s mother know he was up there?
The boy flashed a big grin that told me he was a charmer, even if he was just a little kid. Then he jumped high and tucked his small body tightly and flipped twice in the air before diving into the water.
Everyone clapped and hollered, including me. I was amazed.
His little head surfaced, and he had pride shining on his face. It was precious. “Told ya I could do two,” he said, looking at Grant. Then he swam over and gave a muscular, tattooed man a high-five. Without Rush Finlay turning around, I knew exactly who it was. I’d seen him in magazines and on television before. He was Dean Finlay’s son. He turned around to smirk at Grant, who was chuckling.
“Don’t doubt my boy,” he said, which only made Grant shake his head as he laughed.
Rush Finlay had turned to swim toward the ladder when his eyes lifted and saw Mase. If I weren’t completely in love with Mase, I’d have to say this man was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. But I did love Mase, and no one compared. Rush would have to come in a close second.
“Mase,” Rush said with a smirk before pulling himself out of the water. I had to look away, because, seriously, he was pushing it. He even got out of the water in an attractive way.
“Talented kid you got there,” Mase replied.
“Hell, yeah, he is. Just like his daddy,” Rush said.
“And he likes to remind everyone of that,” Grant called out from the pool.
I forced myself to turn back around to face a wet Rush Finlay. I was thankful he had a towel wrapped around him now. Didn’t take away from the water droplets running down his chest, though.
Rush turned his attention to me. “Reese,” he said, surprising me by knowing my name. “Nice to meet you.”
I managed to get out a “Nice to meet you, too.”
Then he turned his attention back to Mase. “You seen Kiro?” Rush asked.
Mase shook his head. “Not yet.”
“He’s inside with Emily. He doesn’t want her out in the sun too much.”
Mase’s eyes went wide. “Emily is here?”
Rush ran a hand through his short, wet hair and nodded. “Yeah. He didn’t want her to miss her granddaughter’s birthday.”
Wow. From everything Mase had told me about Harlow’s mom, I never would have guessed Kiro would take her out of the special medical facility in Los Angeles, even for a day.
“Guess now that the world knows she’s alive, he feels safe taking her places,” Mase said, with a concerned look in his eyes.
“Dad says he thinks this is the last year Kiro will even record with Slacker Demon. He’s afraid Kiro is ready to leave the band. I figure it’s time for all of them. They’ve been at it for twenty-five years, after all.”
“It’s about time they retired,” Mase agreed.
“Music world won’t agree, though,” Rush said. “But if they’re all ready, then it’s time to stop. I just don’t know if my dad is there yet.”
They continued to talk, and I turned my attention to the others. I scanned the pool and a cabana set up nearby, and my eyes collided with those aviators again. He was still watching me.
Mase
We hadn’t seen Harlow since we arrived at the party, but now we knew she must be with her parents. Being around Emily was hard on her. She’d lived most of her life thinking her mother was dead. When she had discovered Emily was very much alive but unable to communicate or do anything, it had been difficult for her to handle. Had Kiro even thought about Harlow’s feelings when he chose to bring Emily here?
Frustrated, I looked for someone I could trust with Reese so I could find my sister and make sure she was OK. If our father had ruined this day for her, I was going to be pissed. For once, he needed to think of someone other than himself.
Blaire stepped outside, and I touched Reese’s elbow. “I need to check on Harlow and make sure she’s OK with her mother being here. It’s all new to her, and I’m worried. I’m going to leave you with Blaire for a few minutes. Is that OK?”
Reese nodded. “Of course.”
Blaire saw us headed her way and walked toward us. “I was going to go inside and check on Harlow. She’s not out here, and I know Emily is here, so . . .” I trailed off, knowing Blaire would understand my concern.
Blaire nodded. “Go on in. This gives me time to get to know Reese. We’ll have Mai Tais and chat.”
I glanced at Reese, and she nudged me to go. “She’s giving me Mai Tais. I’ll be fine. Go.”
Once it felt safe to leave her, I walked toward the house in search of my sister.
It didn’t take long to find her. She was standing in the kitchen, staring blankly at the wall. This was what I’d been afraid of. Harlow shouldn’t have to deal with this shit on her daughter’s birthday. Sure, it was her mother, but she hadn’t been given long to process that she even had a mother, much less accept the fact that our father had kept her locked away and a secret from everyone.
“Harlow,” I said quietly, not wanting to startle her.
She turned around, and her eyes were watery with unshed tears. “Hey,” she said softly.
“I’m going to tell him to leave. He shouldn’t have done this to you,” I said, my voice betraying my anger.
She shook her head. “No, that’s not it. He told me he was bringing her. It’s just . . . I’m not crying because of her. I’m crying because of him. Watching him with her is heartbreaking, Mase. You haven’t seen it. There’s this side to our father that I didn’t even know existed u
ntil recently. When you see him with her, it makes complete sense. He makes complete sense. She was his everything, and he lost her so tragically after such a short time. I just see him, and I think . . . what if I hadn’t made it? What if I had died in that delivery room? What if Grant had been left to raise Lila Kate without me? Would he have been able to be this adoring, wonderful daddy that’s he’s turned out to be, or would he have become what Kiro became?” She sniffled and wiped at her eyes. “You hold so much against him, and I understand why. I know he didn’t do right by you or your mother. But he was so broken, and for a moment, my mother saved him, only for him to lose her. He doesn’t know how to be happy. He lost the love of his life.”
I started to argue that the son of a bitch had kids to think of and responsibilities, but I stopped, because Reese’s face flashed before me. I’d found her. She had changed my world, and even after such a short time, I knew she was my future. What if I lost her? What if tomorrow she was gone? How would I cope? Could I ever heal from that?
“How is he with her?” I asked, needing to believe that Kiro could love like that. Even still, I wanted the man who gave me life to have some redeeming qualities. I’d grown up believing he had none.
Harlow smiled, and her eyes showed so much emotion. “He treats her like she’s precious. The most important, most precious thing in the world. He brushes her hair and tells her stories of their past. He calls her his angel. It’s . . . it’s beautiful. I wish he’d had a chance to live life with her. I think we’d both have grown up with a very different kind of father. Maybe even Nan would be different because of it.”
Could loving someone destroy you that completely? I’d never thought so deeply about it, but more than once, I’d wondered if Kiro had a soul. I watched the way he lived and wondered how my mother could have made such a massive mistake sleeping with that man even once.
But if he’d lost his soul when he’d lost his future with Emily, then it made him less of a monster in my eyes. It made him human—not the rock god the world knew but a man who had loved with his entire being and lost that love.
