Chapter Seven
Ivy
"You've been avoiding me all day, Ivy Carmichael."
I spin around, squeaking when I seen Grandpa Zion standing behind me with a scowl on his face. "Grandpa," I say, laughing quietly as I hug him tightly. "I have not been avoiding you!"
He grunts, squeezing me tight. "You've been keeping your man on the opposite side of the yard all day, girl."
"Have not," I lie, and then immediately huff. "I wouldn't have to keep him a safe distance from you if you'd stop glaring at him."
"I'm not glaring at the boy, Ivy." He glares at me this time, making me smile. "Where is he anyway?"
"Bathroom."
Grandpa grunts, looking out over the yard. It's packed with all of my cousins, laughter and shouts ringing out everywhere. I have so many good memories here. God, all the best times of my life have been with my cousins and aunts and uncles. But I'm not a little girl anymore.
"Does he make you happy, baby girl?" Grandpa asks, cutting his eyes in my direction.
"So happy," I say, leaning my head toward him to ensure he hears me. His hearing has never been good since he went to war when he was in his twenties. "He treats me like a princess, Grandpa."
"Good," Grandpa grunts. "I may be old, but I'm not too old to whip his ass all over this town if he doesn't, Ivy."
"You'll never be too old for that." I slip my arm through his, resting my head against his. My grandpa has been larger than life to me for my entire freaking life. I don't think that will ever change.
"Damn right I won't."
I laugh quietly.
"I'm happy for you, kid," he says after a moment. "You deserve happiness. But give an old man a break if he makes the boy work for it, will you?"
"Promise not to be mean? And to give him a chance? A real chance," I clarify.
"Have I ever been mean, girl?"
"Grandpa, you tell Uncle Zayne and Uncle Gideon that Granny should have swallowed them. You also call Uncle Zayne a pea brain at least twice a day."
"The truth hurts, Ivy."
I laugh despite myself.
"Alice, lookout!"
Grandpa and I turn toward the pool as Uncle Cormac shouts and a loud splash sounds behind us.
"Fuck," Grandpa whispers, rushing toward the edge of the pool.
I gasp, horror shooting through me when I see my two-year-old cousin flailing in the deep end of the pool in her little pink life jacket. My uncles, dad, and cousins all race toward the pool, varying stages of terror on their faces, but Austin leaps over everyone, hitting the water in a clean arc.
I watch with my heart in my throat as Austin's strong arms propel him through the water quickly, carrying him to little Alice's side. Within seconds, he's got my baby cousin in his arms, hauling her back toward the edge of the pool. Uncle Cormac and my dad are there a few seconds behind him, helping Austin lift Alice into my grandpa's waiting arms.
"Hey, baby girl," Grandpa murmurs, rubbing her back as Alice screams and cries, clinging to him. "It's okay."
Catriona comes rushing around the side of the pool to her baby girl as Austin and Cormac haul themselves out of the water.
"Alice!"
"She's okay, sweetheart," Grandpa murmurs to my aunt, handing the baby over. "She inhaled a little water, but not much. Austin got her out of there quickly."
My dad hauls himself out of the pool, wrapping an arm around his sister's waist. "Come on. We'll go check him over."
"Poor little angel," Austin murmurs, coming up beside me.
"What happened?"
"The volleyball hit her and knocked her off-balance. I saw her go in the water and just reacted."
"Thank you," I whisper, reaching up to cup his cheek, gratitude coursing through me.
He dips his head, brushing his lips against mine. "You don't have to thank me for that, princess. Anyone would have done the same thing. She's just a baby."
"Boy, if you play like you swim, I might need to switch teams," Grandpa says, peering over at him.
Austin lifts his head, glancing at my grandpa. "Ah, thank you, sir," he says, chuckling quietly.
My grandpa stares at him for a moment and then jerks his chin in a nod, respect in his eyes. "Welcome to the family, boy."
"Fuck," Austin whispers, emotion thick in his voice as my grandfather strolls away.
I fling my arms around him, hugging him tight. "For the record, he decided to give you a chance before you saved Alice's life. But I think you won his respect for life when you saved his great granddaughter."
"That's not what I was after. I just saw her fall in and wanted to help," Austin says, eyes wide.
"I know." I smile up at him, stroking his cheek. "That's exactly why you won his respect."
"Fuck." Austin wraps his arms around me, pressing his lips to mine. And for the first time, I finally feel like the three most important men in my life might just learn to love one another as much as I love them.