Ellie rolled her eyes at him, but their shared laughter filled her with warmth. “It’s my twenty-eighth birthday. Let me have this one.”
He pulled the car to the curb in front of an upscale Italian restaurant and leaned over, planting a quick kiss on her cheek before leveling his piercing blue eyes on her. “Anything you want. It’s your day.”
“I’m going to hold you to that.”
He arched an eyebrow, but before he could ask what she meant, the valet was opening her door and offering a hand to help her out. She gave Nick a pointed glance over her shoulder as she stepped out of the warmth of the car and into the brisk evening air.
“I don’t remember them having valet. I guess business is good.” She shrugged, smoothing down her skirt, and Nick was by her side a moment later, holding his arm out for her. She took it, resting her head on his shoulder. He looked so handsome in his suit, the fine black material setting off his perfect hair. “It’s been so long since we’ve been to Villa Dianna. I’m glad you mentioned it.”
“I thought you could use a night out. I know you’ve been under a lot of stress at work and then on leave.” He stopped and turned toward her, concern etching deep lines into his face. “I want you to have one night where you’re not looking over your shoulder or worrying about the next case. Since you won’t let me take you on a vacation, a night out on the town is the next best thing.”
She shook her head, ready to deny she’d been struggling, but his jaw clenched, and she relented. “You’re right. Things are…” She paused, searching for the right word and enunciating it in a sarcastic voice. “Intense. Very intense, answering the tip line.”
“We’ll talk about that later. Right now, let’s just have a nice, relaxing evening.”
She frowned but allowed him to tug her forward. “Okay. It’s not getting any warmer out here.”
He chuckled as the host opened the double doors and welcomed them in and out of the cold. The restaurant beyond was dark, the foyer lit by a single candle.
Ellie turned to Nick, lips parted in question, and the lights suddenly flicked on. Loud voices echoed off the walls, making her jump. “Surprise!”
Her family was gathered in the dining room, which was decorated lavishly with purple orchids, silver streamers, and a large chocolate fountain in the middle of the room surrounded by every shade of fruit imaginable. Tucked in the back corner opposite the kitchen, a string quartet played an upbeat yet soft refrain of “Happy Birthday.”
Nick’s lips were warm against her ear when he leaned in to be heard over the applause that welcomed her. “Happy birthday.”
Helen Kline was the first to welcome her, arms flung wide and a brilliant smile on her ageless face. Bright red lips kissed Ellie’s cheek as her mother squeezed her tight, but she knew from experience that there would be no trace of color left behind on her skin.
Dan Jr. pushed their father, Daniel, forward in his wheelchair. Before Ellie could bend down to hug him, he waved her away and stood, folding her into a bearhug that was stronger than it had been in a long time. Ellie’s chest swelled, and her throat stung with happy tears. Just a few months had passed since Daniel Kline’s successful heart transplant, but every day was better than the last.
“You look beautiful, sweetheart.”
“Thanks, Daddy.”
Daniel’s eyes shown at the endearment as he sat back down in the wheelchair and let Dan Jr. wheel him to the head of the long table set up in the middle of the room.
Wes stepped forward, his green eyes, so much like Ellie’s, were alight with mischief. The youngest of her three brothers, they were the closest both in age and temperament, not to mention looks, with both of them unmissable in a crowd due to their brightly colored auburn hair. Helen Kline had desperately wanted a second daughter, but a young, raucous Wes had cured her of any desire to have more children by the time he was two. Ellie adored him.
“I have a feeling you had something to do with this,” she teased.
He shrugged, flashing the trademark smile that made him adored by Charleston’s debutants. “I may have wrangled Jillian into helping me make sure you were available this evening. Then, of course, there’s Nick, who’s always up for a good surprise.”
Ellie scanned the small crowd at the mention of her friend and coworker’s name. A man she didn’t know caught her attention. Clad in a dark suit, he stood well away from the other guests, his eyes in constant motion. When he caught her watching him, he nodded gravely.
“Wes, is that man a guard?” She kept her voice quiet so only her brother could hear.
Jaw tightening, her brother nodded. “Ever since you convinced Mom that your kidnapping was not a failed ransom attempt, she’s been hypervigilant. They hired guards for the party.”
“How many?”
“I have no idea, but I’ve already counted four, plus the men in the front working ‘valet.’” The last word came with a dramatic air quote that had Ellie rolling her eyes. “I also overheard her talking to Dad about hiring twenty-four-hour security for your apartment building.” He smirked, knowing she would hate that.
Ellie cringed. “She knows that Jillian and I are both armed, right?”
“Like that’s going to stop her.” He turned his palms up, shaking his head, laughing off the subject like he did with most stressful things in life. “Don’t worry about that right now. It’s a party. Enjoy your special day, and we’ll go over that later.”
“You’re right,” she muttered. Still, she ran her gaze over the gathering, looking for others she didn’t know. And more
