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A happy squeal from Harper had Raevynn and Avery glancing out toward the water, where Collin was pretending to be a monster while chasing his niece and nephew. The scene made them both laugh.
“He is such a goofball with the kids,” Avery said with a shake of her head, just as Collin swept a child up under each one of his muscled arms, carrying them around while they squirmed and screamed in delight.
What Raevynn noticed was how awesome and patient he was with Harper and Lucas. So attentive and playful and fun. He was the perfect uncle . . . which would undoubtedly make him an equally amazing father someday. The thought of him having a family with someone else made Raevynn’s stomach twist uncomfortably.
“Has Collin dated much or had any long-term relationships?” she asked Avery. Something she’d definitely wondered since he’d whisked her away from the fairy-tale ball.
Avery’s eyes widened in surprised. “You haven’t asked him yourself?”
Shrugging, Raevynn drew up her knees and wrapped her arms around them. “He said he didn’t have a girlfriend right now,” she said, remembering that piece of information he’d given her. “Which surprises me because he’s such a great guy. But I didn’t ask about any long-term relationships . . . because a part of me didn’t want to know.”
“And now you do?” Avery asked with a slight tilt of her head.
She met her friend’s gaze and answered honestly. “I’ll admit I’m curious.”
“Okay. Well, then, this is what I know,” Avery said, and Raevynn braced herself to hear about any potential women Collin been in a committed relationship with.
“He’s dated a few women over the years, but nothing that’s ever turned out to be serious,” Avery told her. “I’m certain of this because any time I’d ask Collin to bring whatever girl he was ‘seeing’ over for dinner so the family could meet her, he’d always come up with some kind of excuse not to, which told me she wasn’t anything special. I honestly believe he never got over you.”
Raevynn lost her breath at that declaration, along with the possibility that Collin felt more than just lust and desire for her after all these years. Before she could truly process that knowledge, the object of her own affection came running across the sand toward her and Avery, chasing a laughing and squealing Harper and Lucas until the three of them collapsed in a heap on the vacant blanket.
Collin grinned up at his sister, while his niece and nephew climbed all over him. “Your gremlins are hungry,” he said with a laugh.
They ate lunch, and once their peanut butter and jelly sandwiches had time to digest, they all went down to the ocean to play in the water. While the two little ones were content to just dip their toes into the water lapping against the shore while holding on to their mother’s hand, Collin came up behind Raevynn, swept her into his strong arms, and walked with her straight into the ocean.
Ignoring her attempts to break free and shouts of protest, he dared to grin at her as he dropped her unceremoniously into the waist-deep water. Without her legs beneath her, she went under and came up sputtering. Harper and Lucas laughed with glee, and what ensued between her and Collin was the kind of splashing and dunking challenge they’d enjoyed as teenagers. Everything about the rest of the afternoon was light and fun and filled with so much laughter that Raevynn returned to the beach house with a perma-grin on her face.
Collin went to take a shower first, while Raevynn helped Avery give the kids a bath in the spare tub. Once Harper and Lucas were cleaned and changed and occupied with the puzzle they’d started earlier while watching a Disney show, Raevynn approached her best friend with a huge request. One that had been playing through her mind all afternoon, since their conversation about Raevynn cutting her hair.
Nerves shot through her as she joined Avery in the kitchen, where she was cleaning out the cooler, because this change would be monumental. But Raevynn was so ready to make the decision and equally prepared to deal with her mother’s displeasure and anger. Her confidence had grown exponentially over the past few days, in large part because of Collin’s support, and she wasn’t going to deny herself the things she wanted out of her life any longer.
“I have a big favor to ask you,” Raevynn said, leaning a hip against the counter.
“Sure,” Avery said with a smile, accentuating the youthful freckles sprinkled along the bridge of her nose from her time in the sun today.
Raevynn exhaled a deep breath. “I want you to cut my hair. Short like yours.”
“Me?” she asked in shock as she set aside the cooler. “Are you sure you don’t want to wait for your personal stylist to do something so . . . drastic?”
“No,” Raevynn shook her head adamantly. “I want you to do it. My best friend, who is a fantastic hairstylist, and someone I trust implicitly.”
“Oh, wow,” Avery murmured, still a little stunned by the unexpected request. “Okay, yeah, I’ll do it. I don’t have my cutting shears with me, but there is a beauty supply store in town where I can get everything I need.” Then, warming to the idea, she grinned. “Want to surprise Collin?”
Raevynn thought about it, and deciding she wanted to see his reaction after it was done, she nodded her head.
“We got this,” Avery said, her eyes now alight with excitement. “After we take our showers, follow my lead and go with what I do and say.”
It was easy enough to comply. Once she and Avery took separate showers to wash away the sea and sand and were changed, they met up in the kitchen. Collin was sitting with the kids in the living room, and Avery called out to him.
“Hey, would you mind watching Harper and Lucas while Raevynn and I go and get a pizza for dinner?”
“Nope.” He grinned, completely content relaxing on the couch. “The three of us will hold down the fort while you’re gone.”
The pizza place was in the same shopping center as the beauty supply store. After ordering dinner, the two of them headed over to the retailer and Avery purchased the items she’d need to cut and style Raevynn’s hair. Once that was done, the pizza was ready and they headed back home, with Collin being none the wiser.
The meal was devoured by all, and when everything was cleaned up and put away, Avery cast Raevynn a surreptitious glance to let her know she was about to implement the next phase of her plan before approaching Harper and Lucas.
“Kids!” she announced in an excited tone, which immediately made the two children perk up. “Would you like Uncle Collin to take you to get an ice cream cone?”
