Squinting against bright sunlight as I stepped onto the beach, I said, “First, let’s start this party off with a bang. What do you say?”

Her response was slapping a wet kiss on my scruffy cheek. “I say yes!”

I couldn’t move for a moment. Her tiny lips stole every motor control.

Footsteps sounded behind me as Estelle and Conner joined us in the hot morning.

Estelle wore her black bikini (which threatened to make me hard remembering the night I’d taken it off her) and Conner opted for his shorts with a baseball cap. All of us had stark hipbones, angular ribs, and the elongated skinniness of no fat reserves.

But to me...they were beyond beautiful.

Putting Pippa down, I turned to the largest bonfire I’d ever created. I hadn’t lit it, but it was stacked and ready, symbolising the start of a new year of her life.

Turning to the group, I held up an already flaming stick from the fire pit we never let go out.  Passing it to Pippa, I said, “Go ahead, birthday girl.”

She took it, her face dancing with flames. Carefully, she shoved the stick in the heaped twigs and branches, doing what I taught her when dealing with fire and dangerous things.

She was more responsible than any kid her age.

She could make a brand new blaze from my broken glasses (I’d taught the kids just in case anything ever happened to Estelle and me) and she could fish better than any angler. Plus, she’d learned from Estelle how best to trial food and prepare new edibles to avoid gastric complications.

I’m so damn proud of her.

Of all of them.

The fire crackled and spread, greedily transforming dormant fuel into heat and light.

Estelle came closer, looping her fingers through mine.

I hissed a little at the wound on my palm.

Narrowing her eyes, she held up our linked hands and gasped. “You’re bleeding.”

“It’s nothing. Just a nick.”

“Now what did you do? You’re always blooming bleeding.”

“Blooming?”

“Don’t change the subject. How did you do this one?”

Her concern avalanched me in love. I kissed her. “You’ll see.”

Her face scrunched as if to argue, but then she softened, trusting me.

Trust.

An intangible emotion that carried no price or guarantee but was the most valuable thing a person could earn.

The rest of the morning passed in an idyllic cloud as I guided Pippa around the beach to sandcastles engraved with Happy Birthday, seaweed streamers on trees for decoration, and even a shell pile with eight small sticks acting as a birthday cake and candles for wishes.

In the damp sand, I’d scratched good tidings and what I wanted to come true for her. I gave her a knotted vine bracelet that I’d hastily made as one of her presents, and when we finally sat down to eat a breakfast of clams and roasted crabs, Pippa complained her cheeks ached from smiling and proceeded to make my life complete when she announced it was the best birthday she’d ever had.

Estelle couldn’t stop touching me. Her eyes burned with desire and her bikini top failed to hide the hard pinpricks of her nipples.

She wanted me.

I wanted her.

Our failed coupling was forgotten.

Sitting beneath our umbrella tree, we all relaxed in the shade. Sliding my arm around Estelle’s sun-warmed waist, I hugged her close. “Tonight. Once the kids are in bed, come find me in the bamboo grove.”

She sucked in a breath as I kissed the sharp lines of her collarbone. It was my favourite part of her. The one area of her body that made me so damn hard. Sure, I loved her tits and ass, but there was something so femininely sensuous about her collarbone, looking like wings beneath her skin.

She nodded quickly as Conner threw a crab claw in our direction. “Like you said...it’s a date.”

My cock twitched in happy anticipation. “You damn well bet it’s a date.” Letting her go, I focused on the teen. “What was the flying food for?”

Conner squinted. “Oh, I dunno. For doing all this for Pip. For being the best uncle ever and for raising the bar high for when I turn fourteen. I expect the same treatment.”

Estelle shuddered beside me. I didn’t know if it was pride for me earning the title of Uncle or the fear that we would still be here when he turned fourteen. We’d already been here for too long. How much more time would pass before we were found?

Chuckling to ward off such thoughts (confused that they weren’t as depressed as they should’ve been), I called Pippa over who was playing with the pile of shells I’d made into her birthday cake. “Pip. I have one last thing for you. Do you want it?”

Her copper hair caught the sunlight, looking as beautiful as burning fire. “Yes.”

“You sure?”

“Yes! Very, very sure.” She dashed to stand in front of me. “Please? Please, can I have it?”

Swallowing my smile, I joked, “I dunno. Have you been a good girl?”

The best. I couldn't ask for more if you’d been custom born for me.

“Yes. At least...I think so.”

“Don’t give it to her, G. There’s room for improvement.” Conner chortled, choking on a piece of crab.

Serves him right.

Pippa scowled. “Hush up, Co. I’ve been good. Haven’t I, Stelly?”

Estelle pointed at her chest. “You’re asking me? I think it’s up to G to decide. After all, he’s the one with the gift.”

I couldn’t stop laughing as Pippa draped her arms around my shoulders and kissed my cheek. “Please, G? I’ve been good, and if I haven’t, I’ll be better if you give me my present.” She kissed me again. “I promise, promise, promise.”