“Asher, this is your grandfather.” I managed to keep my own tone and expression neutral. But Asher was just as excited to meet my father as he’d been to meet everyone else.
“Wow, you look like an older version of my dad!” Asher exclaimed, eyes widening. His assessment brought a smile to the corner of my old man’s lips.
“You look like a younger version of your dad.” He responded, his eyes moving to me for a beat before returning to Asher.
Asher’s smile spread, and he stepped forward to hug my dad around the waist. It startled him for a moment before he came to his senses and hugged him back.
The bell chimed over the door, and Nik walked in, his mom following reluctantly behind. Her dark brows were creased, and her lips in a thin straight line as her gaze moved around the room, taking in the decorations and surveying the people in it. They came to rest on our little party—her eyes moving from Connor and my mom to my dad and finally me.
Her expression hardening, she looked away, saying something quietly to Nik. He nodded and took the gift bag she held in her left hand and ran it over to the gift table.
Spotting Nik, Asher released my dad and barreled toward him. “Nik! You’re finally here! What took you soon long?”
“My mom took forever getting ready.” Nik rolled his eyes, and the two boys scurried over to join the rest of their friends.
“I’ll be right back,” Harper said apologetically, leaving us to go greet Raina. They exchanged a few quiet words, and Raina seemed to visibly relax for a moment—until she glanced over in our direction. The tension returned to her shoulders, and she shook her head.
“I can’t do this. I’ll pick him up after the party ends if that’s okay?” Raina said, her voice barely carrying over to where I stood. Harper nodded, and Raina gave her a small, appreciative smile before turning and walking quickly back out the door.
Harper had mentioned she was pissed about the money and had flat out refused to take it. I understood pride, and I was grateful that she had been able to come up with an alternative way of helping out Asher’s best friend and his mom, one that Raina agreed with—and one that got my girl and our son in my house sooner—but I could feel her dislike of me rolling off in waves, and that didn’t sit well with me.
I hadn’t meant to step on toes, but for some inexplicable reason, I felt a pull to help not only Nik but this abrasive server as well. I recognized something of myself in her sad eyes, and I didn’t think it was right that they should struggle—that they should be evicted from their apartment—when I had the means to change that, to stop it.
Sighing warily, I swallowed back the guilt and turned back to my family. Mom was watching as Raina walked briskly past the shop windows. “Who was that?” She asked curiously, frowning like she thought she recognized her but couldn’t place her.
“Nik’s mom,” I answered. “Raina Parsons.”
My father’s head swiveled, looking past me to the door, but Raina had already disappeared from view. Mom’s frown increased, and she looked at my father for a fraction of a moment, her gaze questioning and hurt before she forced her gaze away. Something about their reaction prickled my memory.
“Asher seems to be a popular kid,” Mom commented, watching my son and his friends congregate near the snack table. “Just like another little blue-eyed, dark-haired boy.” She added, her hand slipping through my dad’s.
Dad gave her a brief smile, but the moment she’d shifted her focus to the birthday boy, the pensive look was back on his face.
Harper was still standing near the door, watching it with a frown. I drifted toward her, hands in my pocket. “I really didn’t mean to cause issues with Raina for you.”
“It’s not about that,” she assured me with a sigh before she found a smile. “Raina has never liked social things. She always drops Nik off and goes. She’s not a people person. But anyway, we’ll talk about it later. Now that all the guests are here, it’s game time!”
Babbling—just a little and avoiding meeting my eyes. Both were nervous traits of Harper’s that rose the alarm in me. She was keeping something from me.
But she gave me no time to question her, as she walked purposely toward the kids. “Who wants to play pin the tail on the pig?” She asked, gesturing to a poster along the far wall of the café of a pixelated pig. A series of “me’s” rang out, while many of the kids jumped and raised their hands, hoping to be called first.
Ellery moved toward Harper, a stack of pink plastic tails and a blindfold. When Evan caught sight of her, he straightened to attention.
Harper joined her friend in front of the poster, and the kids gathered around them. They passed out the tails, making sure every kid had one. “Each tail is numbered, so remember your number. The person who gets closest to the outline will win a prize. Once you have your tail, line up behind the green line.”
Ellery handed her the blindfold and Harper stepped forward to tie it around the first child’s eyes. She gently spun the little girl around three times and guided her toward the poster. The girl took a few hesitant steps, her hand out in front of her. When she touched the poster, she stuck the tail that she held in her other hand to it, placing it just to the left of the pig, and stepped back, pulling the blindfold off.
She seemed a little disappointed at first, but she shrugged out of it once Harper’s attention was on her.
“Great job, Nina!” She grinned, taking the blindfold from her. Nina gave her a timid smile before rejoining the other kids.
Nik was next. He stood still so Harper could tie the blindfold around his head. A few spins and he was walking toward the poster with a lot more confidence than the first little girl. He pinned the tail to it, about three inches away from the outline, and tugged the blindfold off.
His lips spread into a slow smile, and for just a moment I paused—there was something deeply familiar about it. Turning my head, I watched my father—who had taken a sudden deep interest in the game.
He, too, was watching Nik, his brows furrowed.
“Can I play, too?” Evan asked, appearing by my side soundlessly, jolting me.
