When You're Back (Rosemary Beach #12)(16)

I managed to get out a “Nice to meet you, too.”

Then he turned his attention back to Mase. “You seen Kiro?” Rush asked.

Mase shook his head. “Not yet.”

“He’s inside with Emily. He doesn’t want her out in the sun too much.”

Mase’s eyes went wide. “Emily is here?”

Rush ran a hand through his short, wet hair and nodded. “Yeah. He didn’t want her to miss her granddaughter’s birthday.”

Wow. From everything Mase had told me about Harlow’s mom, I never would have guessed Kiro would take her out of the special medical facility in Los Angeles, even for a day.

“Guess now that the world knows she’s alive, he feels safe taking her places,” Mase said, with a concerned look in his eyes.

“Dad says he thinks this is the last year Kiro will even record with Slacker Demon. He’s afraid Kiro is ready to leave the band. I figure it’s time for all of them. They’ve been at it for twenty-five years, after all.”

“It’s about time they retired,” Mase agreed.

“Music world won’t agree, though,” Rush said. “But if they’re all ready, then it’s time to stop. I just don’t know if my dad is there yet.”

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.”