Gorgeous? She thinks I’m gorgeous. Whoa.
“She’s my cousin, you idiot,” Mike clarifies our ties.
Nate bows up, clearly happy at this news. “Awesome.”
“Hey, everyone.” I give a half-wave and gesture to Mike. “This is for you. Happy birthday.”
He hands over the bag, and she glances inside, smiling warmly. “I love champagne! Thank you.”
“And I’ll take this one.” Declan lifts Rayne from my arms. “You girls go enjoy.”
Raven hooks her arm through my elbow, guiding me forward. “My parents and father-in-law are coming to get all the kids. They left after the cake portion of the afternoon to prep my parents’ house. The children think it’s a cousin’s sleepover, but it’s a huge birthday present for me. I get the night to let loose. My sisters-in-law get a night to party. Sleeping in tomorrow is a luxury I plan to enjoy.”
Her warm and gentle reception eases all my nerves, and I smile back at her. “My boyfriend’s birthday was this week, too, and it’s been crazy. I can imagine that extra rest will be bliss.”
“You do not know. Now let’s go to the back yard. There’s a whole other crew for you to meet. And most importantly, the bar.”
“Sounds great.”
She leads me through her house, and when we hit the kitchen, my feet freeze mid-step, jerking her back.
“Oh my God,” I whisper in awe.
She shuffles uncomfortably, glancing around.
“I’m in love with this kitchen.”
“Thanks,” she responds apprehensively.
“I’m building a house soon, and this is exactly what I’d design.”
“I can’t take credit for it. It was designed when we bought the house.”
“It’s perfect.”
Her unease loosens, and she grins proudly. “Declan and I love to cook, and we spend a lot of time in here as a family.”
“I can see why. I’m learning to cook. Now this can be my inspiration.”
“The developers definitely chose high-end builders for this neighborhood.”
“That’s the truth. Celia set me up with several of them to help decide on my choices.”
“Celia Whitman?” She leers at me quizzically.
“Yes.”
“You know Celia and Doug?”
“Yes.”
“Are you building close?”
“Mike didn’t tell you? My boyfriend and his friends bought the group of lots on Holmes Court. It’s in phase three of the development.”
“No, Mike didn’t tell me. We’ll practically be neighbors.”
“It’s close. Our home will be a little more… um…” I search for words that don’t sound insulting.
“Traditional? Humble? You can say it. Everyone in our lives has teased us mercilessly since the day we signed the contract about the size of this place. But no one complains when it’s time to party and there’s a game room, a theatre, a pool, and enough privacy for the band to jam without neighbors complaining. Plus, Declan keeps wanting more children, regardless of my protests. I have help with a nanny and our parents with the children, but no one helps when it comes to wrangling the four boy-men in the band. They are worse than all my babies combined.”
I press my lips together, but a small sputter escapes. “Believe it or not, I can understand.”
“Come on, we need a drink. As soon as the parents grab the kids, the party really goes off. But I need to warn you,” she pauses, twisting her face in thought. “Some of my friends are highly blunt and inappropriate. Ignore them.”
“I’ll introduce you to my best friend, Jewls, and you’ll see that’s not a problem.”
“How about we save this bottle for a night it’s only us?” She places the gift bag on the counter and drags me out the back door.
Once again, I’m stunned. The sizeable crowd of people all turn our way. The outdoor set-up resembles a normal birthday party. Streamers and lights hang high. Multi-colored balloons are tied to chairs and posts. A brightly colored cake that is half-eaten sits in the middle of a table.
All the guests are dressed casually. Even in the chilled weather, a few of the women are barefooted with their legs propped on the stones of the fire pit.
It’s not the glamorous, high-society birthday celebration for the wife of a lead singer in a world-famous band.
It’s informal, comfortable, and sophisticated without all the glitz. Completely down-to-earth.
Mike has earned his right to gloat like a fool when I eat my words.
A loud cheer has me swirling in the other direction, and I gasp. Loads of kids are playing some kind of game. Boys and girls run in different directions, and my quick count adds up to ten.
“Everyone, this is Harley Jacobs. Harley, this is everyone.” Raven waves her hand in a semi-circular motion. “Three of those kids are mine, two belong to my brother, and the rest are nieces and nephews from Declan’s sisters.”
“Hi there, I’m Ember.” Another beautiful lady introduces herself, handing us a cup of pink liquid. “And I’m in charge of keeping the birthday girl’s drink filled all night. That’s kind of our signature drink. If you’d like something else, we have a full bar stocked. Let me know.”