“I promise they’ll like you.” It was at least the tenth time I’d reassured Chase as we drove to Wes’s house. It was his daughter’s first birthday party, and anyone who was important to me in my life would be there. It made perfect sense for me to bring Chase along. I had no idea his nerves would be accompanying us, too.
“Okay. If you say so.”
Reaching over the console, I grabbed his handand squeezed it. “I do. And I’m always right,” I joked, hoping to lighten the atmosphere. The hard eye roll he shot back to me told me I’d been successful. “You know you didn’t have to bring anything,” I said, angling my head to the bouquet of flowers he picked up for Wes’s wife and the present sitting on his lap for the baby. Something flashed in his eyes, and I quickly pulled back my words. “Butit’s really sweet that you did. Mia will love the flowers, and I’m sure Charlotte will look adorable in whatever you picked out for her.” On my words, Chase settled back into his seat.
Whew, crisis averted.
“It’s just important to me. I don’t know why. I feel like a teenager.” He ran his hand through his hair, pulling hard on the ends. “Oh for fuck’s sake, I probably am compared to them. They’reall successful thirtysomethings, aren’t they?”
“Yep,” I answered simply, but I wasn’t about to play into his head game. “No matter what impression you think they’ll have of you, you’re important to me, so they’ll see that and they’ll be fine. I wish I could say the same thing about you.” Wes’s driveway was already full, so we parked across the street. After shifting the car into Park, I turnedin my seat to face him. “Just be yourself and it‘11all be great.”
Chase took a deep breath, held it for a second, before slowly letting it out. When he turned to face me, he said, “I know. You’re right.Again,” he added with another eye roll. “I’m sorry.”
“There’s nothing to apologize for. Now let’s get in there. I don’t like being late.”
The front of the house was decorated with balloons invarying shades of pinks and purples. Draped on their front porch was a banner, readingHappy 1stBirthday, Charlotte!The gate to their backyard was open, and we heard the music playing from even beyond the front yard. Chase held the flowers and the gift in one hand, bundled together against his chest. When I reached for his other hand, I feared he might pull it away. But instead, he laced hisfingers together with mine. Squeezing his hand for security and reassurance was becoming my thing. And when I did it this time, he looked over at me and smiled, a small tug of his lips, but I knew he appreciated it.
“There he is,” Wes called out as we walked through the gate. He had a beer in one hand and a spatula from the grill in the other. Smoke billowed everywhere; he was clearly great atthe task at hand. Wearing an apron with the image of a woman wearing a bikini, he looked like a fool. But as Mia, holding Charlotte on her hip, walked over to Wes to greet us, there was no doubt he was at least a happy fool.
A smiling, happy fool with the picture-perfect life.
“Wes,” I greeted him, holding out my hand. Of course he didn’t shake it. Instead, he reached down into the cooler andgrabbed a beer. Using his apron, he twisted the cap and handed it to me. Without even saying a word of hello, he held out his hand to Chase.
“Chase, right? It’s great to finally meet you.” Wes may have been a bit rough around the edges, a bit too much of a straight shooter for some people, but I always appreciated his manners. He always made it a point to make everyone feel welcomed. It was whywe hit it off so well in college.
Chase pumped his hand and smiled; I could tell he felt immediately at ease. “Good to meet you, too, man. And Mia,” he said, turning his attention to her. “These are for you.”
“Oh, how sweet. Thank you.” She elbowed Wes in the side. “I can’t remember the last time someone brought me flowers.”
“Ouch,” Wes cried out, feigning injury and it made Charlotte laugh.
“And this is for you,” Chase said, handing Charlotte her gift. She was shy, curling into her mother’s shoulder. Mia readjusted the baby on her hip and her hair fell about her face.
“Here,” Wes said, reaching for the baby. “Let me take her and you can put those in some water.” All too willingly, Charlotte nearly jumped from her mother’s arms, cooing, “Dada,” as she nestled into Wes’s side.
“Sucha daddy’s girl. Everything is Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, lately.” Waving her hand, Mia laughed at Wes as he showered Charlotte with kisses and raspberries.
“Oh, like you can blame her,” Wes joked, pulling Mia to his side. After he popped a quick kiss to the top of her head, he said, “I’ll give you all the kisses you want.” He paused, added a wink, and added, “Later.” As she walked away, he smackedher on the ass, and she looked back over her shoulder pretending to be offended.
Chase laughed at their exchange, and I was happy to see some of his nerves had gone away. “Can I get you something to drink, Chase?” Wes asked, lifting Charlotte into a better position on his side.
“Sure, thanks.”
Trying to balance the baby, his own beer, and the spatula proved to be too much for Wes as he fumbledwith reaching into the cooler once more. “Let me help,” Chase said, holding out his hand for Wes to hand him his beer.
“Thanks,” Wes said, unloading the baby into Chase’s arms. Charlotte was exceptionally shy, especially around people she didn’t know. It was something Mia and Wes were aware of and they made a very conscious effort not to baby her.
Half expecting him to hold her like a football,I was shocked to see him pull Charlotte close to his side, just like Wes had been holding her. “Happy birthday, Charlotte,” Chase said, smiling brightly at her. “That’s a very pretty party dress you have on. Are you having fun at your party?”
He transformed right before my eyes. And much to my surprise, as I looked over to Wes, ready to ask him if he was as surprised as I was, he had a similarlook of disbelief on his face, except his was twisted at an odd angle. I couldn’t really put my finger on it. Catching my stare, Wes shook his head as if he was trying to rid his brain of a disturbing thought. “Huh, what?” he asked, a dumbstruck look on his face.
“Maybe it’s time to cut back on the beer,” I joked. Wes then gave Chase his beer and Chase said goodbye to Charlotte, letting her knowhe’d see her later. “Come on,” I said, clapping my hand on Chase’s back. “There’s someone else I want you to meet.”
But even as we walked away, I could feel Wes’s persistent stare as if it were burning a hole in my back.
From across the yard, I saw Chelsea and Alex talking with Mia over on the deck. While I was excited to have Chase meet her, I knew she’d know where he was from. And I knew thatwould put Chase on the spot. Pulling him slightly out of Chelsea’s line of vision, we sat at an empty table set up under the canopy. “Do you remember the first night we met?” I asked, keeping my voice hushed as if there was anyone near us.
“Yeah,” he whispered back in an overly dramatic fashion, calling me out on being ridiculous. “Like I could forget,” he added with a sexy wink.
