When You're Back(17)

“Let’s go party,” Mase said with a wink.

I smoothed out my yellow sundress after he took the present from my hands. It was a luau, so I had dressed in my best beach dress and a pair of strappy sandals. Harlow had been dressed similarly, so I wasn’t worried about being underdressed for this party.

“There are a lot of people here,” I said, looking around at the cars that kept arriving.

“Yeah, Grant’s been in Rosemary Beach most of his life. He’s friends with everyone.”

Mase knocked once, and a woman who could have been a Victoria’s Secret Angel opened the door, smiling brightly. “Mase, hello,” she said, then turned her striking green eyes to me. “Hi, Reese. How have you been?”

“Thank you for having me, Blaire. It’s wonderful to see you again.”

Blaire stood back and waved us in. “Me, you, Harlow, Bethy, and Della need to have a girl day soon. Even if we need to fly to Texas to do it,” Blaire said, sounding determined.

I had never had a girl day. That sounded like fun.

“Harlow is out at the pool. Grant has Lila Kate in the pool with Rush and Nate. Y’all go on out there and see everyone. I’m on door duty right now. I’ll take the gift and put it with the others.”

“Thanks, Blaire,” Mase said, then placed a hand on my lower back to lead me through the Finlays’ breathtaking home toward an impressive back patio, with stairs that led down to a pool that looked like it belonged at a luxury resort.

There were people everywhere. Some of the women were in bikinis, while others were dressed in short sundresses like mine. The men who wore swim trunks all looked like fitness models. I scanned the crowd, looking for a familiar face other than Harlow’s.

My eyes landed on someone I hadn’t expected to see here. Lounging in a chair in a pair of swim trunks, showing off a tan that most of the other men didn’t have, he looked like he lived on a boat. His hair was exactly as I remembered it from the barbecue. Brown with highlights, pulled back in a messy ponytail that looked like he hadn’t brushed it. Even with aviators on, I could feel his gaze locked on me. What the heck was he doing here?

“Mase, it’s so good to see you,” a female voice said from behind us, and I turned to see a face I recognized. I’d met Della Kerrington before, but this time, she was holding a small bundle in a blue blanket.

“And Reese,” she said. Her genuine smile made me feel immediately comfortable around her. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

Mase nodded his head at the baby in her arms. “Congratulations. I heard the little guy was born last month.”

Della gazed down at the bundle and smiled. “Yes. He came a month early, but he’s perfect, and I can’t remember ever being this happy. He completes us.”

“What’s his name?” Mase asked.

“Cruz,” she said, looking back up at us. “Cruz Woods Kerrington.”

“Cool name. I like it,” Mase replied.

“Me, too. And congratulations,” I added.

Della smiled warmly. “Thank you both. I intend to spend a little more time with you, Reese. But right now, I have a hungry little boy to feed,” she said before heading inside.

“I like her,” I said as I watched her go.

“Yeah, she’s the best thing that ever happened to Kerrington. Dude was a man-whore before her,” Mase said, and winked at me.

I laughed as he slid his hand around my waist and led me down the steps and toward the pool. I glanced over at the chair where I’d seen that familiar face earlier, but he was gone. Weird.

“Watch me jump, Daddy!” a small voice called out, and I turned to see an adorable little boy standing on the top of a rock waterfall. He looked too small to be up there, but he had a determined gleam in his eyes.

“I’m watching. Show me what you got,” a man called out from the water. I was too worried about the little boy to take my eyes off him and see who his daddy was. Did the boy’s mother know he was up there?

The boy flashed a big grin that told me he was a charmer, even if he was just a little kid. Then he jumped high and tucked his small body tightly and flipped twice in the air before diving into the water.

Everyone clapped and hollered, including me. I was amazed.

His little head surfaced, and he had pride shining on his face. It was precious. “Told ya I could do two,” he said, looking at Grant. Then he swam over and gave a muscular, tattooed man a high-five. Without Rush Finlay turning around, I knew exactly who it was. I’d seen him in magazines and on television before. He was Dean Finlay’s son. He turned around to smirk at Grant, who was chuckling.