Page 63 of Her Captivated Hero

“Stay out of this Griff, you and your big mouth are in the doghouse. This is between Gray and me.”

“Not likely,” he growled. He turned to Gray. “I’m the one you’re mad at, so talk to me, and quit badgering my wife. Not that she isn’t perfectly capable of cutting off your balls and feeding them to you.”

Even though he was pissed as hell, Gray couldn’t hide a small smile.

“Gray, Riya was the one who told me about her condition,” Miranda said easily. “That was almost two years ago when she first began working with me. She thought I needed to know. When she started to spend time at my house, I told Griffin.” She rolled her eyes at her husband. “Most people on God’s green earth have some kind of personality issue, including high-hand-ism, like you do, or big-mouthed-ism, like my husband. If we want to be frank, I seriously suffer from workaholism, and Griffin and Livvie have saved me from myself.”

“Miranda, that’s all well and good, but we all know that autism is a huge ass label, it’s private.”

“Goddammit, Gray, do you see anybody avoiding Riya?” Griff asked incredulously. “Fuck no. This is us. You need to get a fucking grip.”

“I—”

Griff grabbed his arm and pulled him past the schefflera. “Look. Do you see her?” He pointed to where Riya was now talking to Karen Avery and of all people, Drake Avery. “Does that look like someone who is being shunned? Fuck no.”

Gray did a double take. Was that Drake leaning in with a gentle look on his face, holding his son out to Riya? He’d bet his bottom dollar that Aiden had said something to the man to get him to relax with Riya. It made him feel good to see that warmhearted interaction.

“Where’s the trust, Gray?” Griff looked seriously confused.

Gray sighed. “You’re right.”

“Honey, he’s in love, you need to cut him some slack.”

Gray’s gaze shot over to Miranda and saw her look of smug compassion. She put her hand on his arm. “I love the fact that you’re in her corner, but you need to remember, so are we.”

Gray looked back over at Riya. She and Drake were now laughing. Then a shaft of sunlight hit her, and she actually glowed. He sucked in a deep breath.

Love.

He loved her.

“Are we good?” Miranda asked softly.

“We’re good.”