Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 121871 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121871 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Mum had bought London a Merino wool scarf the same color as her eyes. “You baked her a cake, Mum. You didn’t need to get her anything else.”
“I wanted to.” Mum reached up to cup my bearded cheek. “She makes my son happy. Doesn’t she?”
I knew what she was asking. I flicked a quick glance at Kelly who was distracted with hanging the gold thirtieth birthday banners. Turning to Mum, I nodded solemnly. “Very happy.”
Mum’s eyes were bright with emotion. “Then she deserves all the gifts in the world.”
“I love you.”
She beamed. “Och, more than words, m’eudail. More than words.”
To say London was surprised when she walked into the kitchen that evening with Tierney, Ramsay, and Akiva at her side to find all her friends crowded in there, waiting for her, was an understatement.
London squawked and physically jumped with fright after we shouted “Surprise!”
Everyone laughed while I strode out of the crowd to kiss her, murmuring “Happy birthday” against her mouth.
Once she’d recovered from the shock, London gripped my shirt, expression pleading. “I was going to tell you tonight. I genuinely forgot.”
“I know,” I reassured her.
London looked past me, taking in Mum, Kelly, Taran, Quinn, Quinn’s son Angus, Cammie, and Forde.
“Everyone wanted to come celebrate this milestone with you.” Tierney wrapped an arm around a stunned London.
“You were stalling me deliberately,” London accused, laughter in her voice.
“Do you really think I’m such a bad friend that I’d ask you to help me online shop for my baby’s nursery on your birthday?”
London giggled harder. “I thought it was a bonding moment.”
Soon my wife was surrounded by everyone wishing her individual happy birthdays. It was difficult to order any kind of takeout here, so we’d bought what constituted as party food from the bakery and mini snacks from the supermarket we could heat up in the oven. Angus, despite being younger than Kelly, followed my daughter around, clinging onto the only other person in the group even close to his age. Akiva went out onto the deck, lying down, face between her paws, eyes flickering drowsily as she stayed out of the way of the noise.
When it was time for cake, we all sang “Happy Birthday” loudly and out of tune, much to London’s delight, and she spluttered everywhere while blowing out the candles when Forde announced, “Now the dirty bastard is only ten years older than you!”
“Children present.” Quinn smacked Forde across the back of the head, much to my gratification.
“Ouch.” Forde rubbed at the injury, but he still wore a shit-eating grin.
Tierney raised her glass of water to the mechanic. “Hey, I highly recommend an age gap.”
“Forde has a problem with those.” Cammie shot him a sharp look before she clapped her hands to distract everyone. “Now presents!”
“I thought we were having cake?” Angus whined. “You can’t bring out a cake and then just leave it. Cake feels sad until it’s in your tummy.”
Quinn’s, as well as everyone else’s, shoulders shook with their constrained laughter.
“Angus, you really need to stop anthropomorphizing baked goods,” Taran teased, bending down to press an affectionate kiss to the top of his head.
“What does anthromorizing mean?” Angus wrinkled his nose in confusion.
“Anthropomorphizing. It means to attribute human characteristics to things that aren’t human.”
“Nah.” Her soon-to-be stepson turned back to the cake. “I can tell it wants me to eat it. If that makes it human, I don’t know what else to tell you.”
London magnanimously cut Angus the first piece.
“Now presents!” Kelly hurried over to the pile on the dining table and rushed back into the kitchen with hers in hand. “Happy birthday, London.”
London’s expression was amazed and maybe even a little shy as she took the gift from Kelly. She was delighted with the card and book and hugged my daughter hard, whispering something in her ear. Kelly’s cheeks turned red, but whatever London said it made my daughter smile as she stepped back to let everyone else hand over their gifts.
I waited until London had opened everything from everyone else, and then I’d quietly taken her hand to lead her out onto the deck for privacy. Akiva opened her eyes, flicking us a somewhat annoyed look at disrupting her peace, so I led London farther down the balcony.
The sound of the sea whooshing gently in the background was the perfect soundtrack to the moment. It had been a dry, clear day, and the sun hung low, casting a golden glow across London’s face. It caught the flecks of gold in her turquoise eyes, and she placed a hand above them to shield them from the blinding sun.
I took hold of her waist, turning her ever so slightly so her back was to the sun entirely.
“Thank you for my party.” Her plump lips twitched and then she looked past my shoulder to check something. Seemingly satisfied with whatever she found, London pressed her body into mine, my blood instantly heating. “I can’t wait to be alone with you tonight so I can thank you properly.”