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Chapter Sixteen

Isaiah

N ana eyed me.

I stared right back. I wouldn’t be intimidated by a seventy-nine-year-old woman.

Even if my fifty-year-old mother scared the shit out of me.

Somewhere between respecting my elders and standing on my own two feet lay the answer to this dilemma.

I broke first. “He didn’t offer me a spot on the squad. He offered me the opportunity to try out for one of the regional teams.”

She arched an eyebrow. “You could come home.”

“Nana.” I grasped her hand. “New Zealand hasn’t been my home in twenty years. And, as much as I love everyone here, I’m not leaving Mama.”

She pursed her lips. She wasn’t my mother’s biggest fan. Something about fleeing the country with me after my father left.

Mama was more gracious and deferential to Nana when we visited together.

But the key was visited . Because we always went home to Canada.

Nana sniffed. “Well, at least you come to visit. And bring your man.”

One of my nieces giggled as she stood by Travis. He was surrounded by teenagers.

He turned to Henry. “Sure, I can look at your bike later. I’m not a mechanic, but I’m pretty good at tune-ups. We’ll see. But don’t ride it until we know it’s safe. You don’t want an accident.”

Henry dutifully nodded.

Travis put his hands on his hips. He turned to my niece, Patti. “No way are you going back to him. If your man forgets your birthday after you’ve been together three years, then you need to dump him.”

Great. I hadn’t even realized she had been in a relationship that long.

Then he turned to Jude. “Of course you have to say you’re sorry if you looked at a girl while you were out with your girlfriend.

What kind of bull—” He winced. “Bull crap is that? You respect the woman you’re with.

If you can’t—whether because you’re not in love with her or just because you’re an ass—” Another wince.

“Then you let her down gently and get your, uh, stuff together before you start dating someone else. You have to respect the woman you’re with. ”

He gazed at a younger niece. “And you don’t go chasing guys twice your age. He’s twenty-eight. You’re fifteen. That’s a hard no.”

“You’re sixteen years older than Uncle Izzy.”

He chuckled. “He’s way over the legal age, and I didn’t say the relationship wasn’t ill-advised.”

I nearly rose at that, but Nana gripped my hand, encouraging me to stay where I was. Clearly Travis didn’t realize we could hear him.

“But I love your uncle. And I think he loves me. We have respect for each other. If his guy really loves you, then he’ll wait until you’re at least eighteen. Even better, twenty-two and with a university degree.”

“I suppose.” Marisol pouted.

Travis gently tapped her chin. “If it’s meant to be, waiting won’t be a big deal. But you might meet someone your age.”

“Are you going to marry Uncle Izzy?” Patti. Never known for discretion.

Badarse drew in a deep breath. “That’s a huge commitment. We’ve only known each other a couple of months.”

“Uncle Peter says you’re living together.” The tenacious girl jutted her chin in defiance.

Travis winced. “Well, yeah. Moving in together made sense.”

“But you’re not married.” Marisol wagged her finger. “Nana says we have to marry before we live with someone.”

“But Paul isn’t.” Patti leaned in. “He’s living in sin with his boyfriend.”

Paul’s cheeks reddened.

“How old is Paul?” Travis met her gaze.

“Twenty-six.”

“And his boyfriend?”

“Twenty-seven.” Again, she tried to jut her chin.

“So something completely different. And, in time, Paul might decide to get married. Living in sin isn’t the worst thing in the world, but there’s something to be said for marriage.”

“Fifty percent of marriages end in divorce.” Marisol scrunched her nose.

“Not in this family.” Nana spoke loudly to be heard over the surf. Her words had the group turning, thereby giving away our little spot behind the foliage of a bush.

Travis’s cheeks turned a Rudolph-nose red.

I grinned.

Nana pushed off her chair and headed toward the group. “Only one of my children has gotten divorced. Only two grandchildren. We choose our mates carefully. We marry for life.”

“Izzy’s parents divorced.” Patti again.

Nana poked her finger at her grandchild.

“I didn’t say it never happens. I’m saying we encourage family to pick their partners carefully.

Isaiah might not realize it yet, but he’s picked a splendid mate in Travis.

But they’re taking their time. No sense rushing.

And yes, they’re living together in sin.

As Travis pointed out, they’re old enough to know better and do it anyway.

” She linked her arm with Travis’s. “Now, young man, I want you to walk down the beach with me.”

Travis shot me a panicked gaze over her head.

I shrugged with a huge smile.

They headed down the beach.

I leaned back, closing my eyes and enjoying the sun. Summers could get warm and, although I visited often, I still couldn’t reconcile the heat with Christmas. I was a good Canadian boy who loved his snow—even if Vancouver almost never saw a white Christmas.

My reverie was interrupted by a small body landing on my lap.

“Unca Izzy, read.” Pippa dropped a picture book in my hands. She was all of five and one of the bravest of all the kids—which was saying something.

I worried she’d be a holy terror when she got older. But then, truly, she’d fit in with this crew.

I smiled. “Yes, pumpkin, whatever you’d like.”