At the same instant, Sed and Jessica noticed Eric standing on the steps waiting. “Hey,” Sed said. “Happy birthday.”
When the couple climbed onto the wraparound porch, Jessica lifted a hand and patted Eric’s cheek. She read his shirt and laughed. “Dirty old man? Perfect.”
Jace and Aggie arrived a few minutes later. They had presents and food too. Jace offered Eric a playful punch in the ribs. “Sorry we’re late,” he said. “Aggie was finishing your present.”
Eric felt the blood drain from his face. “Please don’t tell me it’s a whip.”
Jace laughed. “You’ll have to wait and see.”
“You look happy,” Aggie commented, tucking her long, silky black hair behind both ears and kissing his cheek.
“I am happy. Old, but happy.”
A van pulled into the drive. It took Eric a moment to recognize it as belonging to Rebekah’s parents. Great. Eric’s smile faded. No doubt they’d brought Isaac along for kicks and giggles. He’d like to kick him, that’s for sure. And it would make him giggle. Trey climbed out of the drivers’ seat and opened the side door to lower Dave in his wheelchair to the ground. No one else emerged from the van. Eric sighed in relief.
Dave wheeled himself through the gravel and onto the sidewalk that led to the front porch. At the bottom of the steps he stopped and looked up at Eric. “The ADA is gonna have your ass, Sticks. How am I supposed to get up the steps?”
“Getcher lazy ass out of the chair,” Trey said.
Eric watched in stunned silence as Dave moved the foot pedals of his wheelchair aside, grabbed the banister, and pulled himself to his feet.
“You got it?” Trey asked him.
“Yep,” Dave said breathlessly. With tremendous effort and using the handrail for support, Dave slowly climbed the four stairs to stand on the porch. Eric grabbed him in a tremendous bear hug while Trey folded Dave’s wheelchair and hefted it up the steps.
“You can walk?” Eric said.
There was suddenly a smaller body participating in their hug fest. Rebekah was literally sobbing with happiness.
“Okay,” Dave said. “I need to sit down again. I’m still weak as a f**kin’ kitten. I can only move a few steps at a time.”
They helped him back into his chair and bumped him over the threshold into the house.
“Is everyone here?” Trey asked.
Rebekah nodded. “How’s Isaac?” she asked.
“He’ll be okay,” Trey promised. “I know just the guy for him.” Everyone in the foyer stared. “No, not me. You know how I feel about serious relationships.” He made a face of disgust and Rebekah laughed.
“And I wanted to date you,” she said. “Good thing I didn’t stay hung up on you for too long. Heartbreaker.”
“Cock tease,” Trey shot back.
Dave chuckled. “You’ve no idea how happy I am to hear him call you that.”
Rebekah glanced at Eric and turned beet red.
“How’s your mother doing?” Eric asked Dave, hoping to change the subject.
“Better. They’re trying her on some new meds. She sounded great when I talked to her a couple hours ago. You should call her, Rebekah.”
Rebekah nodded. “I will after Eric’s party.”
“She’s not stuck in her Isaac-and-Rebekah loop anymore.”
“That’s a relief,” Rebekah said. She stroked her brother’s hair and kissed his forehead. “You had to go and one-up me, didn’t you?”
“Huh?”
“I plan all this stuff for Eric’s birthday, and you show up and promptly start walking.” She shook her head as if annoyed. “Figures.”
“Sibling rivalry at its finest.” Dave grabbed her around the waist and tumbled her onto his lap so he could tickle her. She laughed and squirmed, finally landing herself in a heap on the floor. Smiling broadly, Eric helped her to her feet.
They made their way into the kitchen where Myrna was busy getting the meal heated and appropriately served. Brian was at underfoot as he tried to help. Eventually, she grabbed him by both arms and gave him a hard shake. “I know you want to help, but will you sit down and let me get this done? Back off! I’m fine. I’m not the first woman to have a baby, you know!”
“But you’re the first woman to have my baby.”
Myrna stared at her husband and then burst into tears. She hugged him against her and kissed every inch of his face. “I’m s-sorry I yelled at you. I love you so much.”
“Hormones,” Sed grumbled. “Hey, Jess. You aren’t going to be like that when I knock you up, are you?”
Jessica poked him in the ribs. Hard. “Ask me that again, and you’ll be incapable of ever having children.”
Sed covered his crotch protectively with both hands.
The meal was amazing. Myrna had made her homemade lasagna. The Italian bread, with its crisp outside and melt-on-your-tongue center, was also homemade. Everything was perfect. The meal. The company. The love of his life playing footsies with him beneath the dinner table. Everything.
Perfect.
They covered Eric’s cake with candles and made him blow them out. “Don’t forget to make a wish,” Rebekah encouraged.
He couldn’t think of anything else he could possibly want or need. And then he remembered that Rebekah had her MRI the next day. He wished for perfect health for his woman and then blew out the candles. A second later, Eric found his face shoved into the cake, and then a full-fledged cake-flinging battle ensued in his kitchen. Hiding with Rebekah under the breakfast bar from the chocolate cake and buttercream frosting projectiles, Eric smiled as she began to nibble the cake and frosting off his face.
“This is delicious,” she said.
He laughed and smeared his cheek against hers so he could sample his birthday cake for himself. “That is pretty good,” he said, licking frosting off her face, “but these are much sweeter.” He kissed her and was still kissing her when eight pairs of eyes peered under the counter to stare at them.
“Time to open presents,” Sed announced.
“I could get used to this,” Eric murmured and kissed Rebekah again before hauling himself from beneath the counter. He helped Rebekah to her feet and turned to find Jessica sucking frosting off Sed’s huge biceps. Brian and Myrna were feeding each other bits of cake with their fingers. Aggie was nibbling on Jace’s jaw, none too gently, if his raspy breathing was any indication of his level of excitement.