I give him a smile. He’s a good guy. I’m thrilled my younger sister found a partner who adores her the way he does. It’s a bonus that I actually like the man too.
“Thanks for inviting Kane,” he adds.
“Of course.” I nod to the tall, gangly teen standing next to my dad. “Your brother is part of the family too.”
Last summer, in a ridiculous—yet very legal—scheme, my sister helped Ezra gain custody of his half brother, who had been living in Hawaii. A brother he didn’t even know existed until weeks before. Kane’s had it rough, but he’s an incredible kid, and Bea loves him like a cousin.
“Daddy!” Bea calls from the picnic tables where Millie is taking off my daughter’s shoes.
What? Why? Her white socks will be stained in a heartbeat.
When she pulls a pair of bright purple cowboy boots out of a box, I sigh.
Once Millie has slipped both of Bea’s feet into the boots, she flaps her hands in glee. “Look what Lee Lee and Uncle Ezra got me. They match my tutu.”
“Are you sure you like them, Dolly?” Millie teases. “If not…”
“I love them.” She swings her legs in the air, nearly whacking my sister in the nose, and leaps off the bench, taking off toward the table adorned with cake and presents.
My sister stands as well, giggling at my little girl’s antics.
“Thank you, Mills.” I hug her. “You just made her day.”
“Don’t mention it. I love spoiling my only niece.” Her green eyes shine. While they aren’t the same color as Bea’s, they’re the same shape, and it’s never more obvious than when she smiles. “Are Daisy’s parents here? I wanted to introduce Ezra.”
I nod toward the stable where my in-laws are talking to ourparents. “Yeah, they’re here. They don’t leave until the day after Bea’s birthday.”
The summer after Daisy died, Jack and Natalie, who co-own Daisy Lake Retreat and Camp with me, started spending their summers in Canada, leaving me to run the family camp. They return before Labor Day, just in time for our fall programs to begin. It’s been a point of contention in our relationship, but it’s one I’ve learned to live with.
“They’re still doing that?” My sister frowns.
“Yup.” I lower my head, drawing circles in the dirt with my boot.
She squints in their direction. “Is that Dr. Parsons next to them?”
I dip my chin. “You better tell him goodbye. He leaves town tomorrow.”
It’ll be weird not having coffee with him on the porch in the mornings. He’s been an integral part of my life for many years. But I’m thrilled that he has the opportunity to move closer to his grandkids. I can appreciate it more than most, since I don’t know how I’d survive without help from my parents as well as Daisy’s.
“He wasn’t in the cabin when the tree fell, was he?” she asks.
“No, thank God.”
Several days ago, a storm came through and knocked a giant pine tree onto Dr. Parsons’ cabin. The cabin Claire is supposed to take over for the next few months. The construction company can’t get a crew out for several weeks, if not longer, since we weren’t the only ones in the area with storm damage.
Thankfully, Jack and Natalie don’t mind having Claire stay at their place while they’re away, and I’ve already checked in with Claire to confirm that she’s comfortable with the change of plans.
“Go ahead,” I urge my sister. “I’m going to check on thebirthday girl. See that she hasn’t gotten into the cake yet. I’ll catch up with you later.”
Millie studies me a moment too long for my liking, her eyes deep and thoughtful. I bite back a huff. Everyone handles me like porcelain on this day. Like I’m so fragile I could break at any given moment. After five years, dealing with both emotions—joy for my daughter’s day of birth and deep sadness for the day my wife died—hasn’t gotten any easier.
Rather than snap at her, I give her a smile. Millie may be the professional actor in the family, but I’ve perfected the art of faking it. Especially for my daughter. She doesn’t need to see her old man crying on her birthday.
The party is a huge success, minus the part where Bea tripped and fell, ripping a hole in her tutu. I held back the “I told you so” when she burst into tears. Instead, I did what any girl dad would do—I drove home and returned with a replacement tutu. There’s no shortage of them in our house.
By the end of the day, I’m beat.
Bea is spending the night with Jack and Natalie next door like she does every year on her birthday. She gets a fun sleepover with Grandma and Grandpa before they leave for the summer, and I get to drink and cry myself to sleep. Not that anyone knows this is my own sick tradition.
