“Food’s ready,” Roman said. I snagged Avery around the waist and carried Caden and Avery to the edge of the pool, lifting them one by one into the air so Roman could grab them. He nabbed the towels on the loungers and wrapped them around their shoulders as I pulled myself onto dry ground. I took the remaining towel, drying off my chest before wrapping it around my hips.
“Carry me!” Avery jumped up and down pulling on my arm. I crouched down and lowered my head as she scampered up my back and onto my shoulders. It was her favorite way to travel. And I knew in a few years she’d either be too big to carry or too old to want to do this with her dad or me. None of the kids here were mine, but I loved them all the same.
Caden crawled up Roman’s back and hung onto his dad’s neck. I followed them, with Avery balancing on my shoulders, up the hill to their back deck, where everyone was gathered for lunch. A long picnic table was spread over the deck. Food had been placed in the center in a family-style setting. I handed Avery off to her dad, Liam.
Maddox handed me a beer from the red ice chest near his feet as we waited for the families to take their seats. We were the only two single people here, so we usually squeezed in wherever there was room for us. I squeezed in between Roman and Tate. Tate was leaning against her husband, James. Caden was sitting on Harper’s lap on the other side of Roman, and she hugged him while Roman cut Caden’s chicken.
“Down,” I scolded Pepper Jack as he tried to jump onto the table and make his own plate of food. Tate laughed and scratched behind his ear.
“He’s so cute,” she said. “He needs to come over to play with Sirius.”
I lifted an eyebrow to tell her I didn’t think that was a good idea. Pepper Jack looked cute but Sirius, James and Tate’s dog, was tiny. Only a few pounds and basically just a running ball of fluff. Pepper Jack would probably eat him as a snack.
“No,” James muttered quietly and shook his head.
Pepper Jack’s tail whacked against the stained wood and his body vibrated with energy, while his eyes were locked on the spoonful of macaroni in Caden’s hand.
“No,” I said to Pepper Jack, trying to mimic Dr. Conroy’s voice. Pepper Jack minded her, listened to every word she said. He didn’t always get the command on the first try, but in class he was almost…very close to…a good student. The only thing that kept him from that distinction had been a small accident with the agility equipment. Pepper Jack didn’t realize he should run over it instead of through it—with so much force that he broke it. A simple mistake, really. Once we left class, though, Pepper Jack released all the untamable energy he’d stored up on me.
I swear he smirked sometimes before disobeying.
He huffed and lay down on the deck, resting his head on his front paws, but he kept his eyes locked on the table and thumped his whip-like tail every few minutes. It was progress—I had to tell Dr. Conroy. That gorgeous woman who still refused to tell me her name or how we knew each other. At least everyone in the class also called her Dr. Conroy. Though I was pretty sure she’d asked them to so I wouldn’t find out who she was.
I would though. Of that, I was sure.
I tugged my phone from my pocket after it vibrated and smiled. I had a surprise for Caden and couldn’t wait to watch his little face light up when I brought him around to the front of the house after lunch. Roman also had his phone out, looking at the screen with a stern expression.
“Who the hell is that?” he asked under his breath. I glanced at his phone. He had his security cameras pulled up. I clapped him on the back and spoke in a low tone.
“A surprise for Caden after lunch.”
“If your gift is better than mine, I’m going to kill you,” he said under his breath. Harper distracted Caden from our conversation, but the corners of her lips were tilted up as she listened to us. She was rubbing her very pregnant belly and pressing tightly to Roman’s side. When I’d first met Roman, he’d spoken about Harper, but I didn’t meet her until years later, when they reconnected. After that first meeting, I knew she was going to turn his entire world right side up, and she did. He was a gruff bastard, but he loved his family fiercely. I felt lucky to share it with them and hoped I could find that for myself one day. Not that I’d admitted that to any of them.
I shrugged. “It’s not my fault that I’m the favorite.”
“He’s my kid,” Roman said.
“He’s my godson,” I retorted and took a slug of my beer while grinning. I’d never had much growing up, and birthdays hadn’t been celebrated in my house. My dad thought spending money on a cake was a waste when it’d be better spent on Jack, Jim, or Jose. There were a few birthdays when my mom snuck into my room with a single cupcake and one candle. She’d sing quietly, so my dad wouldn’t hear, to avoid awakening his wrath.
Caden, Lilly, Avery, Wren, Brae—and any other kids my friends who are my family have—won’t ever experience a birthday without being spoiled by me. It sucks to go to school and have friends ask what you got for your birthday. I didn’t know gifts were common until I went to school, and every year I saw the pity when I answered “nothing.” Well, until I started making shit up and joking about it.
No
