Harlow grimaces like she’s remorseful. She’s not. She just wants Isaac to think that. “Sorry. I’m not a good judge of distance when a third leg is brought into the equation.”
I fight my hardest battle to keep in my giggles, but the smallest one still erupts from my mouth. It’s more from the steam billowing out of Cormack’s ears than what Harlow said. Still, it’s a laugh nonetheless.
I scrape my nails on the inside of Isaac’s thigh to appease his annoyance before shifting my focus back to Harlow. She jerks her head to my cell lying on the tabletop. It displays I have two Facebook messages from her. The first message is very much Harlow.
Harlow:Hawke and Gemma kissing in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G.
The second one is a GIF of a photographer and an army sergeant. It’s so risqué, I’m shocked Facebook let her send it via Messenger. She’ll most likely get her ass hauled into Facebook jail after this stellar effort.
Isaac doesn’t hide his snooping ways when I reply to Harlow’s message. The stubble on his unshaven chin grazes my shoulder when he leans in close so he can read what I’m typing.
Me:Didn’t you say something about Rise Up needing a tour photographer?
My phone makes awhooshnoise a mere second before Harlow’s dings. She reads my message before glaring at me, confused.
I try another tactic.
Me:Hawke is Nick’s bodyguard. Nick is Rise Up’s lead guitarist. Anywhere Nick goes, Hawke goes. The same could be said for a tour photographer, right?
“Not if it interferes with Hawke doing his job.”
Ignoring Isaac’s grumble, I hit the send button. Harlow makes an ‘oh’ face two seconds later, then she’s whispering in Cormack’s ear even faster than that.
* * *
“Thank you so much for having us. Your home is lovely.”
Even though brunch was served hours ago, the smell of blueberries surrounds me when Mrs. Marshall, Hugo’s mom, wraps me up in a friendly hug. “You’re welcome back any time. All of you.” She’s not only referencing Isaac, Callie, and me, she is including the entourage of people who help make Isaac the success he is. “Are you sure Callie can’t stay for a few more hours? You’d be doing me more of a favor than a disservice. While she keeps Joel occupied, I can get the dishes done.”
“Thank you for the offer, but Isaac isn’t ready to cut the apron strings just yet.”
Mrs. Marshall’s blissful chuckle rains down on me. “Isn’t that your role?”
I halfheartedly shrug. “Depends. Are children born with overbearing father strings?”
She laughs again before rustling her fingers through Joel’s crazy ringlet curls. “Before Hugo came home, I would have said no.” The pride in her eyes finalizes her statement. She doesn’t just love her children. She’s proud of them too.
After a few moments of silent ruminating, Mrs. Marshall lowers her glistening green eyes to Joel. “Say goodbye to Callie, Joel.”
When his lips drop into an adorable pout, I say, “Don’t worry. You and Callie can have lots of playdates when you move to Ravenshoe at the end of the month.”
That perks Joel up. “Really?”
“Yep! Every day if you want.”
I wince when Isaac’s grip on my hand firms so much it hurts. It tightens even more when Joel bands his arms around my thigh so he can hug me goodbye. Now I don’t feel so ridiculous about getting jealous over Callie all the time. Isaac is just as riled up over a four-year-old.
“Thank you, Izzy.” I sigh at the adorable stumble of his words. After a final squeeze of my thigh, he does the same thing to Isaac. “Thank you, Unky Isaac.”
His unofficial ‘uncle’ title doesn’t just melt by heart, it thaws Isaac’s icy glare as well. After handing me a sleepy-eyed Callie, Isaac bends so he can return Joel’s farewell in a manner more acceptable for a grown man. I don’t know what he whispers in his ear after embracing him, but it has Joel running toward his dad screaming he’s going to get another “boganus.”
Once Mrs. Marshall follows after Joel, I shift on my feet to face Isaac. “What’s a boganus?”
He shrugs, truly confused. “I don’t know. I offered him an incentive to keep Hugo on his toes for the next week. Perhaps it has something to do with that?”
A grin curls on my lips. “Why would you do that?”
Isaac bands his arm around my waist before tugging Callie and me in close to his side. His protective hold makes me all types of giddy. “It was either make Hugo’s nights extremely long or fire him for goading me about getting married first.”
