Page 108 of Deacon

He was a towering, handsome, silver fox with gravitas, his tan and laugh lines carving deep tracks around his blue eyes.

Beside him stood Yumi, Deacon’s mother.

She was a force of nature, her beautiful features and mahogany skin glowing beneath her gold-and-black Ralph Lauren headscarf.

Their children, Davon and Divina, flanked them.

They were stunning, with Deacon’s height and their mother’s elegant, razor-boned structure.

Raff chuckled as Davon caught him in a bear hug that threatened to crush his ribs.

‘Unc! Did you bring your cricket bats?’

‘You bet your bottom dollar I did, mate,’ Davon growled.

‘Beach cricket! Let’s go!’ my son cried out, grinning as Davon lavished him with tickles and more hugs.

Simon tracked over to me and leaned down to give me a huge hug. ‘How’s my favorite Ana?’

‘Surviving, Simon,’ I laughed, melting into his familiar warmth.

The physician in him narrowed his gaze on my healing limb. ‘Is the leg healing well?’

‘It is. I had a check-up with a local nurse, and graduated from a heavy foam boot to this waterproof slim cast.’

‘Good to hear,’ he winked at me.

Deacon returned to my side and helped me inside as the rest of the family followed.

We all settled on the terrace outside.

While we drank watermelon juice and snacked, the clan I had once been part of drew me in. Their zest for life charmed me from the moment I first met them years ago.

The Vegas were affectionate but merciless in their teasing, ultra-competitiveness, and quick-witted conversation.

Even though they’d just got off a plane, two packs of cards soon appeared on the table, and a ruthless game of poker ensued.

I respected that none of the Vegas brought up Max or threw subtle shade at him or my current, public marital disaster.

I was certain they’d seen the headlines; heck, half the world had.

But they carried zero judgment into the mix, just love, pure energy, and effortless noise that filled every room.

By evening, the serene kitchen was a lively battleground.

Yumi took command of the stove, drafting Davon and Divina into rolling out dough for fresh chapati.

‘You rolled it too thin. It’ll dry out like cardboard,’ Yumi scolded Davon, rapping his knuckle with a wooden spoon. ‘You also need a ton more ghee, child!’

The rich aroma of beef stew and spiced pilau rice soon drifted through the house.

We ate outside as the sun went down, trading stories about our lives and Six Sinners tours, laughing until my ribs ached.

Simon regaled us with horror tales from his surgical rotations while Deacon sat beside me, his muscled arm thrown over the back of my chair like the old days.

His claiming felt intentional, making me wonder about the signal he was sending to his kin.

I really hoped they didn’t see it as a sign that we were already back together, but rather as a show of our cordial friendship.