Page 173 of Fiery Romance

I swallow hard. “His name is Clay Bolton. He has a daughter—”

“Daughter? Where’s his wife?” Grampa scrunches his nose. “He divorced?”

“No. He’s a widower. His wife died in active duty. She was… they were both ex-military.”

“I do love a vet.” He thinks about it. “Well, just one kid doesn’t sound so bad.”

“He has two kids.”

“Sweet Mother of—” Grampa falls back into the chair.

“How old are they?”

“Six and twelve.” I smile softly as I picture them. “Gran, they’re smart, sweet and kind. If you meet them, you’ll fall in love in a second. Regan, she’s the younger one, she has this obsession with giraffes. She can rattle off all the facts about them like a trivia queen. And Abe, he’s so sensitive and quiet. But when he smiles, it’s like the world smiles too.”

Gran and Grampa both stare at me.

I touch one of my faux locs self-consciously. “What?”

“Nothing. Nothing at all.” Gran rubs my shoulders. “Island Hayes, you have a great big heart that’s full of love. And that heart is going to lead you to the right person. You just gotta trust it.”

“What?” Grampa explodes from his seat. “The Good Book says the heart is most deceiving. You don’t listen to your heart. You stay single. Your heart will get used to it. None of these men are good enough for my baby.”

“Oh, hush.” Gran swats at him.

I squeeze my grandmother’s hand, feeling at peace for the first time since Taz came back. Although they’ve given me conflicting advice, one thing is for sure. I have their support. If my heart gets broken, they’ll put it back together again. And that’s enough to make me brave.

I sweep an arm toward the door. “I didn’t know you were coming, so I don’t have groceries for breakfast, but I can treat you to a nice meal before I run to the salon.”

“Bumblebee, you just do what you gotta do. Your grandfather and I will find our way to a hotel and then we’ll stretch our legs some.”

“Why a hotel? Why not stay here?”

“What if one of your gentlemen come courting?” Gran wiggles her eyebrows.

“Then weshouldbe here. I want to look them both in the eyes and squeeze their hands real tight.”

I laugh.

Gran rolls her eyes. “You’re an adult who needs her space, baby. Besides, we’ve been sleeping under the stars for so long. This old back will enjoy a nice hotel experience.”

“Are you staying long?”

“As soon as your gala’s over, we’ll be heading back to Europe.”

My phone rings.

It’s Amy reminding me about the caterers.

“I have to go, but I’ll see you tonight at the gala, right?”

“Wouldn’t miss it,” Gran says, resting her hand on Grampa’s chest and leaning her head on his shoulder.

Longing flares in my soul. My grandmother looks utterly content. And my grandfather still worships the ground she walks on.

I want that for myself.

So badly.

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