Page 23 of Navy
Gia’s giggling quietly next to me before she bursts out in infectious laughter that has us all grinning at her.
“Oh, my word, you lot are too much. I love it, never change,” she’s still chuckling as she continues her breakfast. We move on from fart talk to what was going to happen today. George and Violet say they are going to clean out the loft in the barn for next weekend. Bas and I say we’ll help them and then we’re going to check out the paintball field that they’ve set up.
It would give Gia time with her brother without me around so that they could catch up. We’d not long finished eating when Bas’s phone rang. “It’s Derek, they’re just pulling into the lane,” he lets us know as he stands up.
Taking hold of Gia’s hand, we walk outside to wait for her brother to arrive. It’s not long before we see one of the estate vehicles driving up the road. Gia’s bouncing on her toes next to me, and as soon as the vehicle comes to a stop, she’s off running towards it. The passenger door opens, and a large blond man steps out and swings her up into his arms, his face buried into her hair as he hugs her tight to him.
Gia’s brother is nothing like I expected him to look. For some reason, I thought he’d be weaselly looking like his half-brother. Instead, Tristan is completely the opposite and is a about six feet tall, fit and muscular with blond hair cut short and a well-kept beard.
From the look on Derek’s face as he watches the brother and sister reunion, I’m guessing Tristan does it for him.
“Oh, shit,” Bas mutters quietly next to me, having seen what I had.
“Oh, shit is right,” I agree. “Her brother better not hurt him or there’s going to be words.”
“Huh,” Bas rumbles, “I thought you’d say the opposite.”
“What the fuck? Why would you think that?” I demand, giving him the side eye.
“Because he’s going to be your brother-in-law,” Bas replies in a duh tone as if I’m an idiot.
“That may be so, but Derek is my blood, and you know how I feel about that. Tristan still has to prove himself. I only have Gia’s word that he’s nothing like his brother. I’m waiting to form an opinion.”
“Fair enough,” Bas agrees, “heads up though, Gia’s bringing him over, so maybe wipe that scowl off your face.”
Realising that I am scowling, I hurry to clear my face as Tristan walks up, his hand held out to me in greeting, “Navy, I can’t thank you enough for helping my sister and grandmother.”
“It was nothing,” I assure him, shaking his hand, pleased that it’s a proper handshake and that, surprisingly, his hand has some callouses on it. Maybe not a complete pussy then, time would tell. I’d wait and see.
“Come inside and have some breakfast,” Hope calls out. We all troop back into the house. Gia goes to let her grandmother know that Tristan has arrived. Not long after, she comes back to tell Tristan that their Gram would be along soon.
After another coffee, Bas, the kids and I leave them to it but not before I make my attentions clear by pressing a kiss to Gia’s temple and assuring her, I’m not far away. Ignoring the way Tristan watches us, a speculative look in his eyes. We’d have a chat before he leaves about what my intentions to his sister are.
CHAPTER 14
GIA
While I’d been excited to see Tristan, I hadn’t missed the cool way that Navy had greeted him nor the way he’d been eyeing him all through breakfast.
I guess it would take time for him to see that Tristan was nothing like Julian. I’d been relieved when he’d left with Bas, Derek, and the children to help sort out the loft in the barn for next weekend.
Tristan knew me well though and the first thing he said as Navy left was, “Don’t be hard on him, G,” Tristan smiled, “he doesn’t know me and as far as he’s concerned, I left you and Gram to rot for nearly a year. I’ll speak to him. I like that he’s so protective of you and he’s not wrong. I should have tried harder to get in touch.”
“It’s not your fault, Tris, I should have realised he’d use my phone. It’s good to see you though, catch me up with everything.”
Tris had just started to fill me in when Gram appeared in the doorway. Hurriedly, he got up to go and greet her.
Her eyes filled with tears when she saw him. Shakily, she lifted her hands up to his face when he reached her, “Oh, baby boy. It’s so good to see you. We’ve been so worried about you.”
Tris wrapped his arms around our grandmother and hugged her close. The stark relief on both their faces made tears well in my eyes. How could Julian have done what he did? He’d worried us all for no reason other than he was a greedy bastard who was too lazy to work for his money and instead thought he could steal it from his siblings.
Ugh, just the thought of him made me so mad.
Tristan helped Gram to a chair before turning to Hetty, who was hovering in the doorway.
Walking over to her, he took her hands in his, “Thank you, Hetty, for looking after them for me. I’m deeply indebted to you. Anything you need, you just let me know.”
“Pshaw, Mr. Tristan,” Hetty waved him off, “it was nothing. I was in the right place at the right time, that’s all.”