Chapter 5
MELISANDE
“Auntie Mel, you got here early!” Harry screamed as he flung his arms around my body, pressing his cheek against my chest.
I was amazed by how much he’d grown since the last time I saw him.
He was at least two inches taller than he was a year ago, which was a huge relief since he’d been a little small for his age due to his lack of appetite.
After giving him a big squeeze, I stepped back with a big grin. “Look at how big you’ve gotten.”
“Uh-huh,” he agreed, flexing his biceps to show off his muscles. Then his gaze slid to my left, and he noticed I wasn’t alone. He moved closer to Devon, tilting his head back so he could meet his gaze. “But not as big as you.”
Devon smiled down at my nephew, humor shining from his dark eyes. “Keep eating your vegetables, and I’m sure you’ll catch up to me someday.”
“Aw, man.” Harry kicked at the ground and sighed. “I was afraid you’d say that.”
“Sorry, buddy. I hate to break it to you, but your mom’s been telling the truth all this time.” I ruffled his hair and laughed before shifting my focus to Devon. “Harry isn’t a fan of eating his veggies.”
Butterflies swarmed in my belly when he aimed his smile my way. “Yeah, I kinda figured that out by his reaction.”
Harry tugged on my hand to drag me toward the house, looking over his shoulder at Devon. “Are you gonna stay for my party?”
“Only if I’m invited. I wouldn’t want to crash your celebration unless you want me here.”
“Duh, you’re Auntie Mel’s knight in shining armor.” Harry rolled his eyes as though his answer was obvious.
I glanced back at Devon. “I think what he meant to say was something more along the lines of ‘Thank you so much for getting my aunt here for my party. I’d love if you could stay and celebrate my birthday with us.’”
Harry nodded. “Yeah, what Auntie Mel said.”
“Then I’d be delighted to attend your party,” Devon drawled, his sarcasm going right over my nephew’s head who pumped his fist to celebrate.
My sister and her husband were waiting on their porch, and Ana wagged her brows and gave me a thumbs-up gesture when she saw Devon was following us.
Jeff elbowed her in the side and shook his head, flashing me an apologetic smile.
We were both used to how over-the-top she could be, so I just shrugged and rolled my eyes—and then laughed at myself when I realized I’d just mimicked my nephew’s gesture.
Ana ignored me and focused on Devon. “I’m so glad you can stay.”
“What kind of knight in shining armor would I be if I abandoned my damsel in distress?” he quipped with a smile.
“A lousy one,” she bantered back.
I loved that Devon was willing to play along with my sister, but she didn’t know when to stop. Stepping in before things escalated, I asked, “Do you need any help setting up for the party?”
“Nope, I’ve been up since the butt crack of dawn, so everything is pretty much ready to go.”
Harry laughed and pointed at Ana. “Ha-ha, you said butt crack.”
Jeff shook his head and sighed, “And we’re lucky your mom worded it that way instead of the alternative.”
“How else can you say butt crack?” Harry asked as he tugged me forward.
I was so busy trying not to let on that I knew what my brother-in-law meant that I wasn’t paying close enough attention and managed to trip over the bottom step.
I would’ve planted face-first into the porch if it weren’t for Devon’s lightning-fast reflexes.
He wrapped his arm around my waist, catching me as I went down.
Then he lifted me into the air and carried me up the steps as though I weighed almost nothing.
“Whoa,” I whispered when he set me on my feet.
Harry was staring up at Devon as though he was a superhero. Then he turned to Ana and blurted, “I want vegetables, Mom. Lots and lots of ’em so I can get big muscles!”
“Sure thing, sweetie. You can start with some carrots and cucumbers from the veggie tray I made for the party.” She bent low so she was face-to-face with her son. “But you’ve got to be more careful with Auntie Mel, remember?”
Harry nodded. “Yeah, ’cause she’s so clumsy.”
I shot an accusing glare in my sister’s direction. “What kind of stories have you been sharing with my poor sweet nephew?”
Ana grinned at me. “Only the true ones.”
Harry’s bottom lip jutted out as he looked up at me. “Does that mean you can’t jump in the bounce house with me?”
“Sure, kiddo. I can jump for a little bit.” I was helpless to resist his puppy dog eyes.
“It’s a good thing you rented a car because you might need to drive my sister to the emergency room at some point during the party,” Ana muttered as they followed Harry and me through the house and out to the backyard.
I ignored my sister’s verbal jab—mostly because it was fair since she’d had to drive me there a few times in the past—and focused on all the cool party things Harry wanted to show me.
By the time we’d explored the playset Jeff had put up as Harry’s big birthday present and jumped in the rented bounce house, Devon was flipping hamburgers at the grill.
While my nephew ran inside to clean up a little before the guests started to arrive, I wandered over to Devon’s side.
“I’m getting the impression that this knight in shining armor gig is a full-service gig. ”
“Yeah.” He set down the spatula and picked up a bottle of beer, taking a long pull. “Your brother-in-law made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.”
“What kind of a deal did you make with him?”
He wiggled the half-empty bottle in the air. “All the craft beer I can drink in exchange for taking over at the grill for him.”
“Nice.” I arched my brow. “But did he warn you about how picky Ana can be when it comes to how the burgers are cooked? She’ll want them medium well, with the barest hint of pink in the middle. And if they aren’t right, you’ll definitely hear about it.”
“Yeah, your sister didn’t strike me as the kind of person who holds back.” He picked up the spatula again and rolled the hot dogs over. “How do you like your burgers?”
“Don’t worry about me.” I pointed at the brats. “I’m in the mood for sausage.”
I yelped when my sister poked me in the back and teased, “I’m sure you are.”
My cheeks filled with heat as I turned to glare at Ana. “You know I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Yup, but it’s not as though I was going to ignore the opening you gave me.” She jerked her chin toward Devon. “It’s my job as your big sister to make sure you relax enough to be yourself around this guy.”
Devon moved to my side and flung his arm around my shoulder. “Mel doesn’t need your help. She’s doing fine all on her own.”
“Aww, look at him coming to your rescue again,” Ana sighed.
“You’re killing me here,” I growled.
Jeff stuck his head out the sliding glass door and yelled, “Quit torturing your sister, and get in here.”
Ana shook her head. “Sorry, I’m busy working my magic with Mel and the hot guy.”
“If I didn’t know how much you love me, I’d be developing a complex right about now.” Jeff jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “But three cars just pulled up at the same time. We’re about to be invaded by a bajillion first graders. I need reinforcements.”
“That’s my cue.” Ana waved her hand toward us. “Squeeze all the fun that you can into the next few minutes because shit’s about to get real.”
I felt Devon’s chest shake as he laughed while Ana hurried inside. Turning to look up at him, I sighed. “I’m so sorry. I should’ve warned you that my sister can be a bit much.”
“I kind of figured that out for myself when I watched her interview.” Devon lifted a lock of hair off my forehead and smoothed it back into place. “But I’m more than capable of taking whatever she wants to dish out so I can spend time with you.”
“You’re almost too good to be true.”
His lips curved into a cocky grin. “Only almost?”
“Oh my gosh, I didn’t mean to say that out loud.” I dropped my head against his chest.
Harry came barreling out of the house with several friends hot on his heels. He barely paused on his way to the bounce house to point at me and yell, “And that’s my Auntie Mel who saved my life.”
His introduction helped remind me why I was here today—and it wasn’t to ogle the guy who’d flown me into town.