Page 108 of Lost & Found

Her lips parted. “So the old shoes are…Mischa,” she said.

“Not just her. It’s the rest of you,” I stated, tucking her hair back and caressing the outer shell of her ear.

Her eyes glistened, but she held steady. “And the new line?”

“Winter. Whoever she’s become. Whoever she brings with her. Maybe a husband. Maybe kids. Let’s be honest—the Kings won’t rest until there are babies running around everywhere. We’re probably looking at an entire aisle of baby shoes in our future.”

A small laugh escaped her. “They are unhinged about it. It’s a miracle she isn’t pregnant yet.”

“It isn’t really about old versus new,” I said more seriously. “It’s about how the brand fits. It’s about how I feel when I’m with you all. I fit. Or at least…I’d like to think I do. I don’t feel like I have to pretend with you all.”

I rubbed the back of my head, thinking about Marcel waiting for my response.

“But your friends,” she countered, “seem to be like we are. They’re close, like a family. Like ours.”

I glanced toward the water where the others were walking back. Their shadows stretched across the sand as they approached. Before they reached us, I took her hands and brought them to my lips.

I placed a soft kiss on the back of one. “Our family is unique, special,” I murmured. “Don’t confuse that with what you see here. This group is fractured. Give it time.”

Her gaze held mine, then she stepped forward to stand in the gap and gave me time to collect myself. She turned her head as the group closed in.

“Did I hear something about an arcade?” she asked brightly.

Lisa lit up, launching into excited plans.

Hannah shoved her sunglasses back on and let out an exaggerated sigh.

We agreed to meet back down on the boardwalk in five minutes. Lisa and I wanted actual shoes instead of flip-flops since the walk stretched close to three miles. I kept the bikini on. And not for practicability.

I did it for him.

Of course, I kept my shorts on and held onto his T-shirt for later in case I got cold, but for now, why not share the view a little more? The way he reacted earlier still hummed beneath my skin. And the kiss?

I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

After the initial confusion and that flash of something dark in his expression, it finally clicked. I hadn’t embarrassed him. I’d shaken him. And once I recognized the look—the same one Alek wore whenever Kinsley walked into the room wearing something sexy—everything in me shifted.

I was well aware that femininity and sensuality were powerful tools that women held. I just had never felt the surge that came with using them. Never allowed myself to.

“You and Pasha. You’re good together. I’m happy he’s found someone,” Lisa remarked, pulling me from my thoughts.

I flushed, knowing she was only seeing a performance. “He’s amazing, honestly,” I answered.

It was the truth, and that made it believable. He really was amazing. His earlier words, regarding being a part of our family and fitting in, came back to me. “I’d like to think I do.” My heart had caught when he said it.

He absolutely fit. It wasn’t imagined. I tried to picture him not being a part of our everyday lives, and it didn’t compute. If he weren’t around, it would be like Winter’s absence, glaring obvious, in not only our hearts but everywhere else that mattered.

My phone pinged.

COUNSELOR:

Got time for an old friend?

A smile tugged at my mouth.

ISABELLA:

Always. Getting ready to walk the boardwalk. Is everything okay?