Wed By Fortune. Judy Duarte

“Can I go in the kitchen and find Uncle Roger? He might want my help fixing dinner.”

      Sasha laughed. “Sure, honey. Go ahead. I’ll be there in a minute.”

      When the little girl hurried toward the front porch, Sasha said, “Tell me more about this idea of yours. It’s not that I’m trying to dissuade you. I think it’s noble. But it’s... Well, it just surprises me, that’s all.”

      Graham had a feeling it wasn’t just the idea that surprised her. It was the fact that he was still living here, eight years later. Some guys might be offended by that, but he liked being able to still pull her chain and tease her a bit. “I guess there’s more to me than met your eye, huh?”

      For a moment, their gazes met and locked. He expected her to comment, to tease him, to... He wasn’t sure what was swirling around behind those pretty blue eyes.

      Instead she let his comment go.

      “Where did you come up with that plan?” she asked.

      “Peter and I both had wild streaks. I’d like to think that we would have settled down in time, but I’m not sure that’s true. I was pretty rebellious back in the day.”

      “I never understood why. The way I saw it, you had everything a kid could ever want.”

      Graham could neither agree nor disagree with her. It wasn’t that he’d had an unhappy childhood. His father had supplied his family with everything they could possibly ask for, other than his time, of course. Gerald Robinson, or rather, Jerome Fortune—damn, would Graham ever get used to that name?—had always seemed to be at the office or away on a business trip. And while he supplied his children with plenty of material possessions, he’d held back on his affection. That in and of itself would cause plenty of kids to rebel. But Graham had other reasons for the issues between him and his dad. Things he’d never told anyone and certainly wouldn’t share with Sasha.

      “Maybe I was a born rebel,” he said.

      “Peter, too?” She slowly shook her head, not believing him. But her cousin had a wild side, too, even if she hadn’t been aware of it.

      Graham and Peter had met in middle school and become best friends. They were both energetic and creative, often getting in trouble in class—and partying on the weekends.

      Roger had always taken their rowdy behavior with a grain of salt, saying boys would be boys. But Graham’s dad considered it outright rebellion, especially when he knew Graham was probably his brightest child and had such unrealized potential.

      “I guess you could say I sometimes led Peter astray,” Graham said, although that really wasn’t true. Still, he wasn’t about to let the conversation continue on that same thread and open up any more than he’d already done.

      Since Sasha remained seated in the Gator, apparently eager to hear more, he opted to change the subject.

      “How long are you planning to be here?” he asked.

      “I don’t know. For the near future, I suppose. And until I can figure out my next step.”

      “Well, for however long it is, I’m glad you came back and that you brought Maddie. It’ll be good for Roger.”

      He’d meant his comment to give her some peace, but her gaze nearly drilled a hole right through him. She seemed to be asking him something with her eyes, but he’d be damned if he knew what it was.