CHAPTER 13

NAVY

Gia’s teasing this morning and her laughter had made me so fucking happy. I’d loved seeing the person she should be coming out and if I had my way, she’d keep growing into her. My Gia was a beautiful woman, whether it was when her face was flushed from coming on either my cock or on my tongue or from laughing because she knew that she didn’t have to worry anymore. I’d happily shoulder all that for her.

Once the little tease had hurried into the bathroom this morning and locked the door on me, I’d got dressed and gone downstairs to wait for her. Hiding a grin as she quietly slipped into the kitchen, her eyes flitting to me with a small guilty smile playing on her lips.

Smirking at her, I winked, pulling out the chair next to me at the kitchen table. Breakfast at Bancroft Estate was similar to how it worked at Crow Manor, except instead of Maggie at the stove, it was Aggie.

“Morning, Gia,” Hope called out as soon as she saw Gia hovering in the doorway. “Come sit, and for the love of god, don’t offer to help the battle axe in charge of the stove.”

Hope laughed as Aggie turned to her with a wooden spoon raised threateningly. “The only reason you aren’t allowed at the stove, Hope, is because you burn water. If Gia can cook, then she’s welcome to help.”

“Well now, I’m hurt,” Hope pouts. “I burned the bacon once and anyway it was Sebastian’s fault for distracting me.”

Bas looks at Hope with a raised eyebrow before his eyes wander pointedly around the full kitchen table where their children are listening.

Not that it bothers Hope, who just laughs and throws her serviette at him, but she’s done what she intended. Taking the attention off Gia, making it easier for her to enter the room and get comfortable, which she does when sitting in the chair I pulled out for her.

“Coffee or tea, sweets?”

“Coffee, please.” She looks around the table smiling at George and Vi. “Where’s my Gram and Hetty?”

“Still in their bedroom,” Aggie answers her as she expertly places fried eggs on a platter, “Hetty came and got their breakfast earlier and is helping your gran get ready for the day.”

“Oh,” Gia goes to get up, “I’ll go and see if they need a hand.”

Placing a hand on her thigh to stop her, I shake my head as I place the cup of coffee I’d just poured for her on the table in front of her, “No need, sweets, I checked on them before you came down and your gran said to tell you not to worry, and that she’ll be out to meet Tristan. Hetty has her well in hand.”

I could see how Gia was struggling to let someone else care for her grandmother. For the last year, she’d been her sole caregiver, but her grandmother had been adamant that she was fine and that I was to make sure her granddaughter knew that.

Gia bit her lip in indecision. Squeezing her thigh, I continued, “I promise she’s fine, Gia. We’ll get her to a doctor this week and have her have a full check-up and get all her medication sorted. But for now, she’s happy to have Hetty help her.”

Just then, Aggie starts to put the serving dishes full of food on the table. Getting up, I go and help her with the last of the dishes, and by the time we’re done, the table is full of all the good stuff, from fried eggs, bacon, pork sausage, and black pudding to fried tomatoes, mushrooms, and baked beans. Man, I loved a full English breakfast. Sitting back down, I started to pile food on Gia’s plate, and she let me until I got to the beans, stopping the descent of the spoon as she wrinkled her nose in disgust at me.

“No beans, thanks.”

“Don’t you eat baked beans?”

She shuddered, “Nope, hate the little buggers. You can have mine, this is more than enough for me.”

“Okay,” I shrugged, “more for me.”

“As long as you brush your teeth before you even entertain the idea of kissing me after they’ve been in your mouth, you can eat them as much as you want,” she informed me seriously.

A laugh escaped me. I’d never known anyone to hate beans that much.

“What’s so funny?” Hope asks me.

“Aunt Gia doesn’t like fart beans,” George says casually as he shovels a forkful of beans into his mouth.

“George,” Hope scolds, although why she bothers, I’m not sure. She should know by now he’s just like me and his father. No filter and rarely thinks before he speaks.

George doesn’t even look up from his plate as he shrugs and continues to eat, “It’s what they are.”

“You’re not wrong there, bud,” I agree.

“Ugh, can we not have toilet humour at the breakfast table?” Hope demands.

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.