What was Jordan, fifteen years old? Why would she lie?
“I don’t have time for this,” he said honestly. “I have friends out there, and my girl is waiting for me. I want to take Hawk out today. My friends flew in from Chicago with their four-year-old and I’d like him to hang out with a kid around his age. Jordan is not going. I’m not dealing with her drama, and I refuse to put Gloria in a bad spot.”
Emily stared him down for the count of five.
Asher stood, arms over his chest, and waited her out.
“Jordan!” she called, holding Asher’s gaze. “Bring Hawk down here.”
A few minutes later, Jordan appeared in the foyer, Hawk in her arms. She put him down when she saw her mother and Asher standing close.
Emily bent and smiled at her grandson. “Do you want to go play with another little boy your age today?”
Hawk’s face split into a smile. “Yeah!”
Asher’s heart swelled. He’d give anything to put that smile there more often. It was better than his son crying whenever he was around.
“Mom!” Jordan sputtered.
Emily ignored her. “Your daddy is here to take you to play. Do you have your bag?”
Hawk ran to the blue beach bag. He hoisted the bag onto his shoulder, or attempted to, anyway. Asher, his heart feeling even bigger and more tender from Emily referring to him as Hawk’s “daddy,” took the load from his son.
“Ready, kiddo?” he asked.
“Yeah!” Another smile. Dimple and everything.
He extended a hand and Hawk put his tiny palm in his. Together they walked for the door.
“Be careful, honey,” Jordan said, bending to kiss Hawk good-bye. Hawk didn’t let go of Asher’s hand, and he saw that as another inch of ground gained.
With a nod to Emily, he said, “Thanks.” Because without her, this would have ended differently. Probably badly. “I’ll have him back by eight or nine tonight.”
“Fair enough,” Emily said.
Displeased, Jordan pursed her lips, but she knew better than to take on both of them. Asher may have gained an inch, but he still had miles to go.
*
“Mimosas!” Charlie came out of the cabin to where the girls had set up a trio of lawn chairs and beach towels on the fantastically huge boat.
Gloria turned her attention from the sight below in the water. Asher held on to Hawk, who splashed around in the lake. Landon had climbed in with Caleb, too, who wasn’t as used to the water. He was clinging to Landon like a barnacle. Evan and Lyon swam like freaking fish—like there never was a day they weren’t in the water.
“Thanks.” She accepted her champagne drink.
“To friends,” Charlie said, lifting her flute.
“And family,” Kimber chimed in. They toasted and Gloria joined them, but her heart pinched. Family wasn’t something she had, but these two did. They’d married brothers and became sisters.
Gloria sipped her drink, trying to concentrate on the sun and the gorgeous day and not her maudlin feelings. Her eyes went to Hawk, who grinned up at Asher. Her heart pinched harder. Family.
“He’s good with him,” Kimber commented, her eyes on Asher.
“You sound surprised,” Glo said.
“I am…a little.” The redhead smiled, looking a tad guilty. “Everything I know about him is from you and you didn’t make him sound like much of a catch.”
No, she guessed she hadn’t. Gloria had called Kimber on several occasions and yowled about his horrible behavior.
“Don’t get me wrong, Evan spoke in his defense, but I didn’t side with him. Brother-in-law or not, I’m on your side.”
“I know.” Best friends. This was why God made them.
“Sisters.” She held up a fist for a bump that Gloria returned. Maybe she had family after all. The center of her chest grew warm.
“I wasn’t necessarily on Asher’s side,” Charlie said, looking slightly chagrined.
“Hon, you have to take his side, because you have to take Evan’s side,” Gloria said, giving Charlie an out. “And you should. Evan is a solid guy. If I were a better human being, I would have listened to him. But, in case you haven’t noticed, I don’t really listen to anyone.”
Nope, she was on an island. But she was the one who’d marooned herself there, so really, she had no one to blame but herself. Gloria had been a rowdy teen who had learned early she couldn’t lean on her mother. That was why she didn’t cling to her foster families. They may have been decent people, but she didn’t get to know them. She didn’t want to know them. As a result, she’d bounced from house to house to house for the next year and a half.
She stroked Tank’s fur. He’d smartly taken a spot under one of the benches in the shade. He had his doggie life vest on, just in case, but Glo couldn’t imagine a scenario where he’d voluntarily get in the water. He wasn’t a sporting breed, even though Asher seemed to be in firm denial that Tank wasn’t a lake dog.
“You had something pressing to talk to me about,” Kimber prompted.
Charlie gasped, her eyes wide. “Is it about sex?”