“It’s not. I swear it was just a momentary glitch.”
“I’m not an idiot, Claudia. I’ve known for a long time,” he said. “I guess I was hoping you’d be the one person who’d love me more than him, but maybe I’m just not worth loving all that much.”
“Mike, wait, that’s not true.”
But he was already gone, and Claudia had a terrible feeling that this was the beginning of the end. What she didn’t know was that she wouldn’t see him until halfway through Poppy’s birthday party. And when she did, it would be far worse than anything she could’ve imagined.
THREE DAYS LATER
No one at Poppy McCreight’s lavish birthday party knew it was a historic day, and even if they had, only one of them would have cared. Shortly after midnight, Alan Hale of New Mexico, and Thomas Bopp, who was hanging out with friends in Arizona, each spotted the same fast-moving object that Mike had seen three nights earlier. Hale had been on the hunt for a comet for years, while Bopp happened to be peering through the lens of a telescope he didn’t even own. Both men reported it immediately, while Mike was still on a three-day bender, after having abandoned all thoughts of sending the telegram. So the Kurilla-Crawford Comet would be named Hale-Bopp instead, and Mike and Claudia wouldn’t be forever joined in the skies.
What the partygoerswouldremember about that day was how the event would go so spectacularly wrong. The flick of the first domino in the destruction of one of America’s most iconic rock bands. The beginning of the end. But like every McCreight party before it, Poppy’s birthday started out as a delightful time. It bore a closer resemblance to backstage at the American Music Awards than a celebration for a six-year-old. And when Claudia showed up, she felt like she always did at these things—equal parts terrified and thrilled. This time was different, however, because she didn’t have Mike by her side, making little quips and reminding her she belonged there. He hadn’t answered his cell phone since he left. Hadn’t come home. Hadn’t called her to say he was okay. He simply disappeared.
The last few days had been hell for Claudia. She picked up the phone to call Dean a hundred times, but then put it down, knowing Mike would be pissed if she shared what was happening with anyone. She considered not going but then thought it might be her best opportunity to apologize quietly and beg him to come home. There’s no way he’d skip out on his goddaughter’s birthday just because he was angry with her. So she went and hoped for the best.
When Claudia arrived, her arms were loaded with a gift for Poppy (the biggest teddy bear they had at Macy’s). Sienna hurried across the living room to greet her, kissing her on both cheeks. “Claud!” (Always Claud, as if she were a big, brawny man, and never Claudia.) “I’m glad you could make it. Where’s your taller half?”
He wasn’t taller. He was the same height as Claudia, which made him at least six inches shorter than Sienna.
“He’s meeting me here,” Claudia answered, hoping she sounded believable. “I had to run a few errands on my way, and he wasn’t quite ready to go when I left.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s pregaming. Kids’ parties are God awful,” Sienna said, looping her arm through Claudia’s. “Honestly, after an hour here, you’re going to be thrilled to be single and childless.”
Claudia, who was still a little miffed about the bangs incident, stiffened at her words and attempted to chuckle, but it came out as a littlehmphsound.
Sienna turned to her. “Oh no, I hope I didn’t upset you. I was only kidding. I know you’re notsinglesingle. You’re just not married.”
“Yup, that’s true. No husband and no kids,” she answered in a tight voice.
Lowering her voice, Sienna said, “Which makes mesojealous of you, to be honest.”
“How could you be jealous of me?”
“Because you’re free. You can go wherever you want whenever you want. You can sleep at night without some child pitter-pattering into your room, then vomiting on your carpet, or waking you up screaming with a nightmare,” Sienna told her. “Motherhood is not what it’s cracked up to be, believe me. It can be downright horrific some days.”
Claudia nodded, even though she was irritated. How could this woman not know how incredibly lucky she was to have Zane McCreight’s children (who were total angels, by the way), when Claudia had just spent the last seventy hours sick with worry over Mike’s whereabouts. The woman clearly took it all for granted. This gigantic home set high up in the hills, her three beautiful kids who adored her, her loving husband who would do anything for her. Claudia hated her for not appreciating it. She hated this talentless woman for having the world laid at her feet for no good reason other than she was beautiful. Sienna hadn’tearnedit. She hadn’t spent years busting her ass waiting tables anddeveloping any skills whatsoever. She was graced with a size-zero body and a symmetrical face, and somehowthathad been enough for her to be living every woman’s dream with the very best man on the planet. And yet, here she was bitching because she couldn’t get her beauty sleep every night. As if she even needed it.
The doorbell chimed, and Sienna let go of Claudia’s arm. “I should go answer that. Make yourself at home.”
Claudia made a beeline for the bar, plucked a glass of Champagne off of a tray, then wandered outside to stand in a corner in the shade and watch the kids running around the lawn. The day was blisteringly hot, and a line-up of children waited for their turn on the Slip ‘N Slide. The swimming pool was a blur of brightly colored bathing suits, flailing arms, and cannonballs. Two rather intense teenage lifeguards stood on the deck, their eyes glued to the most valuable lives they’d ever be charged with protecting. A clown stood under a tall oak tree twisting balloons into animals while making children laugh. A sweaty cowboy walked an exhausted pony around a small ring with the birthday girl on its back.
Zane stood outside the ring while a photographer crouched next to him, capturing the moment. Claudia let herself stare at Zane, taking in his short-sleeved linen shirt and cargo shorts—an outfit his loving wife must have laid out for him. His arm flexed as he lifted his left hand to shield his gorgeous face from the sun, and when he laughed, the hearty sound made its way right to Claudia’s soul. She spotted a glint of light coming from his hand and realized he was wearing his wedding band, which she’d never seen him do before. The sight of it gave the Champagne a metallic taste, and she tossed the remains into the shrub behind her.
The entire scene filled her with longing. She watched Zane lift his sweet little girl off the pony and drop a kiss on her forehead, and she could see it all so clearly. With him, parenthood would be perfect. A dream come true. And she certainly would never complain about something as ridiculous as a sick or scared child. She’d comfort and cuddle and love them up. Only, that wasn’t going to happen, was it?
Her feet started moving without her permission, and she set the empty flute on a nearby table as she made her way over to Zane. His eyes lit up when he saw her and he immediately walked toward her with little Poppy in his arms.
“Hi.” It was that low tone of his that did something to her every damn time.
“Hi.” They locked eyes for a second, then she quickly turned to Poppy. “Hello, birthday girl! I love your dress.”
Poppy gave her a toothy grin while batting her eyelashes, which caused both Claudia and Zane to laugh.
“Are you having fun?” Claudia asked.
She nodded firmly. “This is the best party ever.”
“Tell Claudia how old you are,” Zane said.
