Wilder snagged me and lifted me onto his back. “This is it,” he said, turning up a stone path.
A gorgeous peach-painted beach house glittered under the sun. It was a lovely, two-story masterpiece with a wooden balcony and thatched roof.
“I like it,” I said. “Let’s take it.”
“Whatever you want,” Lucien replied, “is yours. I bet we get it for a good price.”
“We should vacation here every summer. The Maldives is as close to paradise as it gets.”
I skipped up to the front door and knocked. After a minute, I heard movement on the other side.
He threw open the door. One look and the smile melted off his face.
“Hello, Levi,” I sang. “I know your ass didn’t think you’d get away from me that easily.”
Wilder shoved him inside.
I inhaled a deep lungful of fresh, island air as the screaming started. “I miss you, Dad, Big Sis,” I whispered. “My life can’t be perfect without you, but this is pretty close.”
***
