Page 105 of Corrupted Pleasure
“I wanted you close to me,” I whispered softly. “It’s my turn to take care of you.”
“Besides, we know you missed us, Grandpa Hayes,” Juliette said, her voice musical and playful. “And we totally missed you.”
Grandpa chuckled. “Ah, Juliette. You always know what to say to make an old man feel better.”
“What?” Wynter’s eyes darted around, twinkling. “Where is an old man? I don’t see one.”
“I only see a badass Grandpa,” Ivy added. “I can’t wait to hear your stories. We’ve missed them.”
My lips curved up. This right here was priceless. No amount of money could replace it.
“Can I?” I asked the paramedics, tilting my chin at the handles he held. “You guys have done so much. We can show him to his room. The nurse already showed us everything and we decorated it a bit.”
He nodded with a smile and I stood up to my full height.
“Come on, Grandpa.” I took the handles of the wheelchair, then started pushing. “The girls and I have a little surprise for you.”
“What is it?” he asked eagerly. He liked surprises.
“Ah, if we tell you, then it won’t be a surprise,” I said mischievously. “We don’t want to spoil it. Do we girls?”
“Heck no,” Ivy sang like a bird. “Though I can’t wait to delve into those chocolates.” Her eyes twinkled naughty. “Ooops, I let one surprise out of the bag.”
Grandpa’s chuckle made my heart warm.
“We’ll all share them,” he said, grinning. “But you have to tell me the rest of the surprises, Ivy.”
Wynter put her hand around Ivy’s mouth, while the others pretended to be talking, her voice muffled.
“Ivy will keep a secret,” Wynter stated matter-of-factly, though her shining eyes ruined her seriousness. “Otherwise, we’ll torture her.”
We all grinned.
“I am so happy my Davina found such great friends,” Grandpa said, his voice caring and emotional. “I know she’ll be in good hands when the good Lord takes me.”
“We are all family,” Wynter assured him softly, her hand falling down off Ivy’s mouth.
“Forever,” Ivy and Juliette sang.
“We’re all family forever. But you’re not going anywhere, Grandpa Hayes. Now you have to become a true New Yorker and that takes at least twenty years,” Juliette told him seriously.
“That’s right,” I agreed with her. “You just got here. The good Lord will have to wait.”
“Besides, Grandpa Hayes,” Wynter continued, glancing at her phone and her face lit up. It had to be her Bas. “We want you around so you can meet your great-grandchildren. So hang in there. We’ll need at least another twenty years.”
“And another gold medal,” Grandpa added.
Yes, this was family.
CHAPTER43
Liam
“Where are you taking me?” Davina asked again.
It was meant to be a surprise date night. The first one with my wife, outside our home. But it turned out my wife was impatient and curious to a fault. It was cute as fuck as she kept trying to guess it.
“Don’t you like surprises?”
