They continued to talk, and I turned my attention to the others. I scanned the pool and a cabana set up nearby, and my eyes collided with those aviators again. He was still watching me.

Mase

We hadn’t seen Harlow since we arrived at the party, but now we knew she must be with her parents. Being around Emily was hard on her. She’d lived most of her life thinking her mother was dead. When she had discovered Emily was very much alive but unable to communicate or do anything, it had been difficult for her to handle. Had Kiro even thought about Harlow’s feelings when he chose to bring Emily here?

Frustrated, I looked for someone I could trust with Reese so I could find my sister and make sure she was OK. If our father had ruined this day for her, I was going to be pissed. For once, he needed to think of someone other than himself.

Blaire stepped outside, and I touched Reese’s elbow. “I need to check on Harlow and make sure she’s OK with her mother being here. It’s all new to her, and I’m worried. I’m going to leave you with Blaire for a few minutes. Is that OK?”

Reese nodded. “Of course.”

Blaire saw us headed her way and walked toward us. “I was going to go inside and check on Harlow. She’s not out here, and I know Emily is here, so . . .” I trailed off, knowing Blaire would understand my concern.

Blaire nodded. “Go on in. This gives me time to get to know Reese. We’ll have Mai Tais and chat.”

I glanced at Reese, and she nudged me to go. “She’s giving me Mai Tais. I’ll be fine. Go.”

Once it felt safe to leave her, I walked toward the house in search of my sister.

It didn’t take long to find her. She was standing in the kitchen, staring blankly at the wall. This was what I’d been afraid of. Harlow shouldn’t have to deal with this shit on her daughter’s birthday. Sure, it was her mother, but she hadn’t been given long to process that she even had a mother, much less accept the fact that our father had kept her locked away and a secret from everyone.

“Harlow,” I said quietly, not wanting to startle her.

She turned around, and her eyes were watery with unshed tears. “Hey,” she said softly.

“I’m going to tell him to leave. He shouldn’t have done this to you,” I said, my voice betraying my anger.

She shook her head. “No, that’s not it. He told me he was bringing her. It’s just . . . I’m not crying because of her. I’m crying because of him. Watching him with her is heartbreaking, Mase. You haven’t seen it. There’s this side to our father that I didn’t even know existed until recently. When you see him with her, it makes complete sense. He makes complete sense. She was his everything, and he lost her so tragically after such a short time. I just see him, and I think . . . what if I hadn’t made it? What if I had died in that delivery room? What if Grant had been left to raise Lila Kate without me? Would he have been able to be this adoring, wonderful daddy that’s he’s turned out to be, or would he have become what Kiro became?” She sniffled and wiped at her eyes. “You hold so much against him, and I understand why. I know he didn’t do right by you or your mother. But he was so broken, and for a moment, my mother saved him, only for him to lose her. He doesn’t know how to be happy. He lost the love of his life.”

I started to argue that the son of a bitch had kids to think of and responsibilities, but I stopped, because Reese’s face flashed before me. I’d found her. She had changed my world, and even after such a short time, I knew she was my future. What if I lost her? What if tomorrow she was gone? How would I cope? Could I ever heal from that?

“How is he with her?” I asked, needing to believe that Kiro could love like that. Even still, I wanted the man who gave me life to have some redeeming qualities. I’d grown up believing he had none.

Harlow smiled, and her eyes showed so much emotion. “He treats her like she’s precious. The most important, most precious thing in the world. He brushes her hair and tells her stories of their past. He calls her his angel. It’s . . . it’s beautiful. I wish he’d had a chance to live life with her. I think we’d both have grown up with a very different kind of father. Maybe even Nan would be different because of it.”

Could loving someone destroy you that completely? I’d never thought so deeply about it, but more than once, I’d wondered if Kiro had a soul. I watched the way he lived and wondered how my mother could have made such a massive mistake sleeping with that man even once.

But if he’d lost his soul when he’d lost his future with Emily, then it made him less of a monster in my eyes. It made him human—not the rock god the world knew but a man who had loved with his entire being and lost that love.

“He loves us. He loves you. He’s proud of you. I heard him telling Emily . . . my mom . . . about you the other day. Apparently, my mother loved you, too. He was telling her what a fine young man you’ve turned into and how proud she’d be of the little boy she had adored. He doesn’t show emotion well, but Emily is his heart. She’s his only link to happiness. I want her here with him.”

I’d never had Kiro tell me he was proud of me. I swallowed the emotion that tightened my throat and nodded. “OK. Then come outside with me. Enjoy your daughter’s party. Let’s celebrate life. Yours and hers.”

Harlow grinned and walked over to wrap her arms around my waist. “You’re another reason I love Dad. He gave me the best brother in the world.”

My eyes didn’t sting with unshed tears.

Well, maybe just a little.

Reese

Blaire got us each a Mai Tai from under the cabana and led me over to a couple of lounge chairs. She pointed at the rock waterfall. “You don’t want to miss this.”

I turned my attention to the waterfall as I took a sip of my drink. Nate Finlay was on top of the rock again, but this time, he was holding the hand of an older man. Even without the slender, muscular body covered in tattoos and the gold bracelets on his arms, I knew that man.

“Dean Finlay,” I said. I had known he would be here, but seeing him like this was not something I expected.

“Yep,” Blaire replied in an amused tone.

Nate yelled “Go!” and both of them dove into the water.

“He’s been trying to get Dean to flip with him, but Dean won’t do it. Said he’d break something important if he tried.”

I laughed, thinking of how funny it would be to see Dean flipping off a rock waterfall.

“You took my chair,” a deep male voice said behind me. I recognized it instantly.

I wasn’t sure if I should look up and meet his gaze or what. I still couldn’t figure out why he was even here. I kept waiting for Mase to notice him and say something, but he never did.

“Be nice, Captain. If you want to join us, you can have that seat.” She pointed to one on the other side of me.

Captain? But I thought his name was River Kipling. Neither of those names sounded like Captain.

“Reese, this is my brother, Captain. He’s a smart-ass one hundred percent of the time,” Blaire said.

Her brother? What?

“Not a smart-ass, Sis. Told you I just say what I’m thinking. I don’t beat around the bush. No point in wasting breath.”

Blaire let out a chuckle and rolled her eyes. “He’s actually a nice guy once you get to know him.”

I had met him before, and I disagreed about him being a nice guy. But the guy I met had lied about his name.

“I, uh . . .” Should I tell Blaire I had met him before?

“What she’s trying to say is she’s met me already. We were at the same party my newest business partner was throwing. However, I introduced myself as River Kipling.” He turned to me. “That’s my given name. Captain is a nickname.”