Justice Is Always Ready (A Graham Family Story, 1) by Aliyah Burke Page B

lip.
    “ There you are,
beautiful,” he murmured.
    “ I didn’t go
anywhere.”
    “ I don’t want my family to
meet the professional Kassidy. I want them to meet you, beautiful.
The one whose smile makes her eyes shine like the softest dove gray
silk in the world scattered with emeralds.” Another light kiss.
“The one who takes my breath away.”
    She let him guide her to
the steps. The idea he could see a difference in her boggled her
mind. Not to mention the other bit he
said. No time to dwell on that, however,
for she met the gaze of the woman who’d given life to
Justice.
    “ I’m Dinah.” Her smile was
warm as she reached out and hugged Kassidy. “Welcome to the family,
Kassidy.”
    “ Nice to meet you, ma’am.”
When they separated, Kassidy handed her one of the bags. “This is
for you.”
    “ No need to be so formal,
Dinah is just…” Dinah took the bag and peered inside. “Ohhh, Lindt
chocolates. Milk Mozartkugeln. How did you know?” Justice winked at
her and Kassidy found herself in another hug. “Thank
you.”
    “ I’m glad you like
them.”
    Milk Mozartkugeln was one of her own
personal favorites. They had a light hazelnut crème center
surrounded by a filling made of pistachio marzipan. Then covered by
the milk chocolate shell.
    “ I will certainly enjoy
them. Come inside, brunch is set up on the verandah.”
    Dinah nimbly whisked her away from
Justice and led the way through the large house. Kassidy tried to
listen as things were pointed out but most of it passed with a
blur. There was so much to take in and she longed for more time to
do just that. It seemed her eyes barely adjusted to the darker
interior when they were pushing through back outside.
    A nice glass table and chairs were off
to one side, the table laden with food and drink. In the other
direction sat an older man in a white wicker chair, reading
something. Or so it appeared.
    “ Grandpa,” Justice said,
going to his side.
    The man stood at once and embraced
Justice heartily. “I must have dozed off, sorry.” Sharp eyes found
hers. “Introduce me.” The smile the older man bestowed upon her
eliminated the remnants of her worry.
    Kassidy liked Jamal Graham right away.
She had lost both sets of her own grandparents when she was young
but it was no difficult feat to imagine Jamal in that role. She sat
beside him as he opened her gift. His hands were careful while he
undid the ecru tissue paper.
    Silence descended and with a shaking
hand, Jamal reached out to touch the face of one of the two men in
the photo. Then he picked up the pin, his gnarled fingers gripping
it tight. When he looked at her, his eyes were shiny with tears.
His mouth moved but no sound came out. Kassidy gave him a gentle
smile and pressed a kiss to his cheek.
    “ You’re
welcome.”
    His gaze returned to the
picture. It wasn’t the original, but a copy  a photograph of the Keeper of Pea
Island LSS, Richard Etheridge, and of Calvin Running Wolf Graham.
Both men had scratched their signature on it as well. It was a rare
image. Most pictures had of the men who served at Pea Island LSS
were of the entire crew.
    She’d also added in a replica of the
LSS pin that could no longer be gotten at the small museum. Quiet
Harbor had one to honor the men of Pea Island LSS then there was
the main memorial on Roanoke Island. The original site had since
been transformed into a wildlife refuge.
    “ Come on, Dad,” Dinah
said. “Let’s go put them somewhere safe then we’ll eat.”
    Dinah’s eyes were suspiciously shiny
when she glanced back during their departure.
    “ Kassidy.” Justice sat
beside her and guided her head to his. The amount and depth of
emotion overflowing in his gaze shocked her. “Thank you for that.
There was no way to express what that gift means to not just him
but to our entire family.”
    “ You’re
welcome.”
    They stared into one another’s eyes
until Dinah and Jamal returned to the porch. Over the meal, Kassidy
began to