Page 93 of Salvaged Hearts

“Greyson, you are beingplayed, my boy. Our circle is riddled with vipers—that detective always sniffing around, for starters. But you’re so busy playing house with your littlegirlfriend, you’re ignoring what’s right in front of you?—”

“I’ll let you save your breath,old man,” I bit back, ready to hear him call me his boy for the last goddamned time. “I’ll ask for your opinions if you decide to show Alice and I the same level of respect you expect to be shown yourself. Unless you’ve been calling to apologize for the way you spoke about mywife—or apologizingto herfor said disrespect—this conversation is over. Tell you what, you call back if either of those are on the agenda.” Hanging up a phone hadn’t been that satisfying since I could slam one back into the cradle to prove a point.

19

Why Is Axel Trying To Yeet Himself Off The Thread?

ALICE

New Hart Family Takes First Vacation

Summer in the Hamptons: Greyson Hart and Wife Spotted At 4th of July Cookout

From Navy Seal to Neighborhood Hero: What You Never Knew About the Philanthropic Greyson Hart

New Cutting-Edge Animal Foster Program at Emerald Bay Humane Society

Paxton Rhodes’ Aggressive Routine Three Weeks Before Season Kickoff

Billionaire on the Bering Sea: Greyson Hart Visits Wife’s Hometown

Giggling at the last headline we’d compiled into our media folder, I snapped a screenshot, cropped it in on Greyson’s attempt at a smile, and fired it off to the family text thread. Never in my life had I seen a man look so uncomfortable holdinga fish, but Greyson’s expression was more of a bearing of teeth. The bright yellow rain slicker and waders looked so unspeakably out of place on his lean frame—boat, and mountainous island setting the scene or not. Seeing Greyson out of his element was more satisfying than it probably should have been, but I couldn’t help myself.

He was beaming down at me in the article where we presented the first foster dogs to their new families, who would now receive scholarships to aid in veterinary care and individualized training. The program was called Chip’s Clips, since they all got groomed and snipped, and it was the first initiative I got to push through since the wedding.

Naturally, that was the picture they all added hearts to before the texts started bouncing in. Still waiting for Miranda’s SUV to pull up before I went into the spa, I decided to indulge in a moment of family shenanigans.

The Sibs:

Noel

Do you just…drop an egg any time that man is in the room? Gotta pull out your wet floor sign?

Max

I would fold like a damn lawn chair if a man looked at me the way Grey looks at Alice.

Alice

I do. Regularly.

Hadlee

Suit Daddy shouldn’t be allowed to hold puppies. That is now illegal.

Elora

Happily married and still inclined to agree.

Hadlee

Happily single, but if I find one of those, I’d forget I owned shoes and don an apron for the rest of my life.

Axel

1st: Ew. JFC. TMFI.

2nd: Yeah, right, Hads. You can’t stay in one place for more than three weeks. Like you’d last.

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