In the wake of his silence, she exhaled hard. “Let’s go. Your mother’s waiting.” She got out of the car, slamming the door behind her, leaving him with the distinct feeling that by virtue of his silence, he’d betrayed something precious and important.
Chapter Ten
“Surprise!”
Rick jumped back, startled at the crowd of people waiting for him inside his mother’s house, and as he glanced around, he realized he’d been ambushed. A goddamn surprise party, he thought. He’d rather be alone on this night as had been his ritual for years. And his mother knew better than to gather a crowd.
He loved people but this was the one particular time he preferred his own company. Being surrounded by the very folks who’d probably committed this date to memory wasn’t his idea of a fun night. Kendall’s hand unexpectedly came to rest on his shoulder in a show of support. A nice surprise considering how hurt she’d been earlier. He figured she still expected some answers but he appreciated her insight and presence beside him anyway.
“Happy birthday.” His mother slowly walked up to him and kissed his cheek.
Knowing stress was no good for her heart and she’d gone to a lot of trouble for him, he forced a smile. He’d deal with her later when they no longer had an audience.
“You shouldn’t have,” he said through clenched teeth.
“Nonsense. It’s not every day my middle son turns thirty-five.”
“Start the show!” Norman called from the crowd. A round of steady clapping quickly followed along with the steady chant of “Show, show, show . . .”
“What show?” Rick asked warily over the continuous chanting noise.
He glanced around, noticing Roman and Charlotte stood beside Chase holding up the back wall. All three shrugged almost in unison. Obviously they didn’t plan to take credit for Raina’s insanity.
“I’m really in the dark too,” Kendall whispered. Like his brothers, apparently Kendall didn’t want to shoulder blame or responsibility. She was his mother’s co-conspirator only in that she’d brought him here.
A loud whistle halted the chanting for a brief minute before it started up again.
“Okay, simmer down.” Raina gestured with her hands, indicating everyone should be quiet.
Rick shot her a concerned glance and she quickly lowered herself into the nearest chair.
That seemed to silence the unruly crowd.
“Now you all know I’m not up to running things,” she said softly. “So I hired an emcee.” She crooked a finger at Rick and he leaned closer. “I tried to get your brothers for the job but they refused.”
“I owe them,” he muttered.
“Well, let’s get started,” Raina suggested.
“Then we can eat!” said someone from the back of the crowd.
Rick narrowed his gaze at the sound of the distinctive voice and looked around for the loner. “Samson, is that you?”
Rick didn’t see the older man right away but he was a master at blending into the crowd. The duck man, as the children called Samson Humphrey, spent his days hanging out in the park by Norman’s, ignored most people, and looked homeless but wasn’t. He also was the panty thief culprit though no one except Rick, Charlotte, and Roman knew that. Turning out in a large crowd wasn’t the old man’s style. Unless . . .
“Of course it’s him. He wouldn’t miss a free Norman’s chicken sandwich,” Norman said.
“Damn right,” Samson called out, confirming Rick’s suspicion. “But if you used that honey mustard, froufrou stuff, I’m not eating.”
Norman growled from low in his throat. “Why you ungrateful . . .”
Before Rick could step in, Raina clapped her hands, probably to stop the mayhem before it started. Then without warning, an entourage walked down the stairs.
“This is your life, Rick Chandler,” Big Al, the retired high school baseball coach, said through his booming cordless microphone, seeming not to care that they were inside the house.
Rick watched in disbelief as his past seemed to parade before him. An eclectic mix of his old teachers, coaches, and friends formed a circle in his mother’s living room.
His stomach cramped. “This can’t be happening.”
“Of course it can.” His mother’s glee matched his sense of impending doom.
With Kendall by his side and Hannah giggling from the sidelines he found himself pushed through the throng of people. Finally he was given a front row seat, surrounded by his mother, his brothers, Charlotte, Kendall, and Hannah. The rest of the guests crowded in around them.
“Let the fun begin.”
Rick winced at the booming sound. Big Al obviously thought he was back at the football field.
“Mrs. Pearson, recently retired from Yorkshire Falls Middle School, had Rick in her kindergarten class. Take it away, Mrs. Pearson.” Al handed his microphone to the petite, gray-haired woman to his right.
“Testing. Testing.” She held the thing close to her lips and emitted a high-pitched squeak that had the room cringing and groaning loud. “Sorry. It’s been ages since I’ve used one of these suckers. I mean things. Once I retired I let my language run free.” She laughed. “Anyway, let’s continue.”