The water park looked like a party store had puked in the gazebo. Griffin, Harriet, and I worked tirelessly for two hours before the party while Lily watched the girls. Briggs blew up balloons. It was quite the combined effort. Beck showed up with a giant wrapped box, greeted Griffin with a chin lift then sat to help his brother blow up balloons. At least they had moved past whatever bullshit guys like them fight over. Mom and Dad showed up with the cake. Ari brought Ben and Max. Jovie strolled up with Ewan and Amelia, pushing the twins in the stroller. Lydia handed me Cohen, flopping back on the nearest bench while Jacob and Oliver carried a black and pink box over to the gazebo.

“I’m too old for this.” Lydia groaned, rubbing her belly. I covered Cohen with kisses, hugging Oliver when he came over to snag his brother from me. Ollie worshiped his little brother and was about to get to do it again.

“Shouldn’t have waited so long to get yourself knocked up again,” I teased, handing her a bottle of water. I rested both of my hands on her belly, feeling the little baby flutters inside, sighing dreamily. My pregnancy, planned or not, had been so amazing. I felt great and loved the way Richard doted on me, constantly rubbing my bump, waiting on me. Knowing you are growing a person inside you is an incredible feeling. A pain ran through me when I realized I would probably never do it again.

The kids all darted in and out of the water jets, Axel and Celia held hands squealing. Griffin set the last box of pizza on the stone table then strutted over to land a kiss on my head.

“Which one is your mom?”

I swallowed, scanning for my parents. Jovie’s mom, Louise, was there with her Dad, Mike. Faye, Briggs, and Beck’s mom was talking to Harriet, and my parents were holding hands on a bench near the kids. One more couple had yet to arrive, and I was afraid they would make Griffin uncomfortable. Hell, they made me uncomfortable, so would go out of their way to poke the bear. If they decided to show up.

I reluctantly dragged my … whatever Griffin was to my parents, sucking up my nervousness. “Hey, guys.” My dad stood and shoved his hand out to shake Griffin’s. “Griffin, my parents, Margo Wallace. Allen Wallace.”

“Nice to meet you both, Griffin Steele.” My parents both shook his hand, then promptly hugged Griffin. Mom started her small talk, asking about Celia and his job. Dad started about football season, and I checked out of the conversation with a smile. Mom and Dad both bordered on obsessed with college football. Apparently, so did Griffin. It was always football season in East Tennessee. He looked like he just won the lottery with that conversation. It was wonderful. Arianna was the only stuck-up bitch in the family, but I was worried my parents would say I shouldn’t be bothering with a guy. My focus would always be Ax, but Griffin was great company, and if it ended up being more, that would just ice the cake.

Harriet flagged me down, and I joined her near the water geysers. Her tiny frame paired with a billowing skirt were so elegant. Harriet always looked gorgeous. I envied her carefree personality, her effortless beauty. Her black hair was always perfect and her dark complexion made her stand out. A few inches taller and the woman was a runway model.

“I’m getting married,” Harriet blurted the words out then quickly covered her mouth. My best friend’s dark eyes were wide and I felt mine match. “I know. I said I didn’t believe in the institution of it all, but Briggs wore me down. So, I’m getting married.”

I threw my arms around her, jumping up and down, “Oh, Harri! I am so excited.” Harriet held her hand out to reveal a beautiful raw diamond solitaire set in white gold. Not at all the ring I expected, but it looked stunning on her finger. It fit Harri perfectly. “When?”

Her face turned red. “Next month at the house. Please be a bridesmaid?” I hugged Harriet again, tears stinging my eyes. I knew she and Briggs were in it forever but never thought I would see Harriet agree to the legal terms of conventional marriage. Poor Briggs had been begging for months for her to marry him, but she kept insisting they didn’t need a sheet of paper. Harriet was truly in love to agree to a real marriage.

I was pulled out of my bliss by a grating voice that literally made me wince. “Corinne!”

Wanda Sharpe had her hand in the air, waving it like I couldn’t see her, and her stupid husband striding toward me with a wagon of gifts. The morons had honestly brought a wagon of presents. I guess it was to ease the guilt of never seeing their granddaughter over the last four years, blaming me for their son’s fuck ups. I threw my hand up, wiping the happy tears from my face. Harriet’s impending nuptials got put on the back burner for me to deal with my former in-laws. Wanda had dyed blonde hair with Dolce and Gabbana sunglasses covering her eyes. Her too-tight tank top was pulled over her enormous fake boobs and her flip-flops popped annoyingly as they approached. Rick was a little less hated, but only slightly. His bright Hawaiian shirt strained over his huge gut and he walked with a limp. Griffin came out of nowhere just as Wanda and Rick made it to me, like he could sense the tension.

“Oh, Corinne! It is so good to see you. Have you heard from Richard?” I felt the blood drain from my face. My hands got sweaty. Must not cause a scene. Must not throat-punch the bitch. Must not cry.

“Uh, no. No, I haven’t.” I cleared my throat, sensing Griffin tensing next to me. “Presents go on the table in the gazebo. Ax is around her somewhere. Food and drinks are up there too. It’s good to see you both.” I moved to walk away, to hide from them, but Wanda pulled me into a hug.

“He’s getting out so you can finally stop all of this restraining order nonsense.” I grit my teeth. “Rich is so excited to get his family back.” The look of disillusioned hope on her face almost made me laugh. The woman was being serious though. She truly thought I would let him back in my life and all would be forgiven. I licked my dry lips with my dry tongue and started to answer.

“Cori, I think your mom wanted you.” My head snapped to Griffin and my eyes clashed with his icy stare. I nodded once, telling Wanda and Rick I would be back, and followed him. My mother was a few feet away when Griffin stopped and spun to me. The tightness in my chest only intensified the need to cry starting in my throat. His knuckles brushed the side of my jaw.

“You all right, babe?” I bobbed my head and sucked in a breath. If I had opened my mouth, I would have cried, and then it would have been a scene. Griffin kissed my head softly and we finished the trek to my mother with his steadying arm around my shoulders.

Mom and Dad insisted on keeping Axel and Celia that night to treat them to pancakes in the morning. Griffin seemed weary to let Celia go with them, but his little girl insisted she wanted to go with Ax. Mom promised to call if Celia changed her mind, so he finally agreed. Much squealing ensued. I understood his hesitation. They had all just met, hell, I had just met him, and letting your baby go to a sleepover was not an easy decision, especially when he had only been with Celia a short time. He missed so much, and didn’t want to miss any more. Lily chiming in with the idea that Griffin and I go to dinner alone made him give in. After seeing Wanda and Rick, I needed a date with my man. We needed to talk. I needed reassurance.

We sang to the birthday girl. Ax tore into gifts, thankfully keeping her distaste in check when she opened things she would never wear or play with, most of which came from Richard’s parents. Everyone ate and had cake, enjoying the sun and the company. The kids all played, wearing themselves out in the water, and devouring cake. I couldn’t fight the amusement at seeing Wanda and Rick planted on the benches looking very uncomfortable with my middle-class family and friends. Griffin kept his hands to himself, but played in the water with the girls. Tossing them both in the air, making me swoon. Axel climbed up on his big, broad shoulders and he ran her through the sprinklers. Then when he set her back on her feet, Griffin kissed the top of her wet head. He treated her exactly like he treated his own daughter. Ax was the kind of kid at ease with anyone, but the way she interacted with Griffin was so heart-warming. Watching him be affectionate with my daughter only made me fall harder. It scared the absolute shit out of me, but it didn’t.

“Who is that man?” Wanda made me jump and pull my eyes from the swoon-worthy scene in front of me.

“Griffin. His daughter and Ax are best friends.” I watched Griffin with the girls, proud as hell to call him mine. I knew they would have their opinions, but it suddenly didn’t matter.

“Are you having an affair?” Rick asked the question, and I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to laugh or cry.

“You have to be married to have an affair.” The answer came from my mother. “Cori got rid of that good-for-nothing user years ago. So, no, it isn’t an affair.” I crossed my arms, closing in on myself, wanting to hide from it all. My daughter’s party was not the place for a conversation like that.

“You’re going to throw your family away for some thug?” Wanda ignored my mother, focusing on me again. “Who let him raise a child?” My eyes were fixed on the browning grass in front of me, not daring to cry in front of them. “Corinne? Did you hear me say Rich is getting out and he’s forgiven you?”

“Forgiven me?” I shrieked the questions a little louder than I meant to and quickly shut my mouth. I wanted to claw her eyes out. I wanted to hurt the horrible woman in every imaginable way, but I grit my teeth, suffering through, calming myself before I made a scene. “Your son nearly got me killed. You have no idea what they did to me, what they threatened to do to Axel, your granddaughter.” My whole body was shaking, sweat snaked down my back and I was positive the whole park could hear my heart thundering. I bit the side of my cheek to calm myself, and closed my eyes, inhaling a steady breath. I jumped when a huge hand landed on my shoulder. Griffin stood over me, serious and looking pissed as hell.

“Wanda, Rick, I’m glad you came for Ax, but I won’t discuss this with you anymore. You have no right to show up and talk to me that way. I was nice enough to invite you, but I won’t let you do this.” Before I could think of turning away, Griffin steered me toward the kids playing in the water. The heat from his hand burned through my shirt and to my skin, calming me. Such a small gesture made me feel so much. It gave me the strength to not cry, to not react at all. At the outside of the concrete splash pad, Griffin scooped me up with a devilish grin, and took off running through the jets of water.

* * *

We were all drenched, laughing hysterically by the time we ran out of water balloons. Wanda and Rick left early, right after our argument, most of the party goers were trickling out, but my family stayed. Griffin and Lily dried off the girls while I moved car seats for Mom, loading presents into the back of my Jeep. My parents took the girls, Lily took Griffin’s Jeep, he climbed into the passenger seat of mine. His hair was damp, dishevelled and his cheeks had gotten a little too much sun, making them pink. I had no idea what the evening had in store, but if it involved me making up for lost sex, I was happy to take my mind off everything.

The street lights blinked on one at a time while I waited for him to change in front of his house, thinking of what we could do with an entire night alone. I was more than ready to get into dry clothes and eat food that wasn’t cake or pizza, but beyond that, I was at a loss for plans. I watched Griffin walk back to the car then it hit me. I knew exactly what to do with our evening alone. The door closed and he looked at me expectantly.

“I want a tattoo.” The words fell out and his lips twitched into a smile.

“Now?” I nodded. “Let’s do it.” I knew his shop was closed, but Griffin directed me toward Broadway, taking back roads to the lot behind Needles. He nearly dragged me from the car to get me inside. Griffin unlocked the door, turned off the alarm, flicking the lights on as we walked to the back. I took in the art on the walls, the cases of jewelry for piercings. I followed him to a room to the side and he gestured for me to sit in a chair reminiscent of a dentist chair.

It looked exactly like a tattoo parlor should. Flash art on the walls and jars of fake weird creatures. A metal work table ran down the wall next to the chair and held jars of various tattoo necessities. Posters of tattooed models were framed on the black walls alongside his awards and certificates. Griffin grabbed a sketch pad, setting on a stool in front of me, pencil poised above the paper, smiling like a moron.