Because I’m in love…with you.
“I’m fine.”
“Good.” He kisses my knuckles. “You seem off.”
“Just tired, that’s all.”
“I can see why,” he says, looking at the yard. “You must’ve been up all night coordinating this. I still don’t know how you did it.”
“Marnie did most of the work.”
“Marnie?”
“My new manager. I just told her what I wanted and poof, she made it happen.”
“Wow! This is so cool!” Jack runs out the back door and looks around in awe. “Thanks, Dad!”
“Don’t thank me, thank Nora.”
Jack’s head whips around. “You did this?”
I shrug a shoulder. “It’s nothing.”
“It’s not nothing,” Grayson says.
“Thank you.” Jack engulfs me in a giant bear hug. “This is going to be the best birthday ever. My friends are going to go crazy.”
“I’m glad. Happy birthday, buddy.” I rub his back and watch him run off to join Emma and Henry on one of the three bounce houses. “It’s a good thing you have a huge yard.”
There are two regular bounce houses and one waterslide bounce house, all Harry Potter themed.
The largest one, which has two waterslides and is hooked up to a hose, looks like Hogwarts. The other two are variations of what would be considered Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade Village.
Not only did Marnie manage to get these three giant blow-ups, but we also have a build-it-yourself wand station where the kids can piece together their own wizard wand.
“I don’t know how to thank you.” Grayson turns me to face him and kisses me sweetly on the lips.
“You can thank me later after—”
“Whenever you’re done making out with your girlfriend, I could use some help with this grill,” Duke hollers.
“He’s like a child,” Grayson murmurs.
“I heard that!”
I laugh. “Go help your brother.”
Grayson and Duke spend the next hour preparing food and setting up the tables while I play with the kids. Henry is parked in the sandbox, vrooming his cars this way and that, and Jack and Emma are kicking my butt in a mean game of horse when a sleek black car pulls down the lane.
“Grandma! Grandpa!” the kids yell, taking off across the yard.
“Papa!” Henry tries to climb out of the sandbox, only to trip and face-plant onto the ground.
“Slow down, little guy.” I help him up, dust him off, and away he goes, straight into the arms of a man who looks like an older, more distinguished version of Grayson.
“There’s my little guy.” The man lifts Henry and cuddles him to his chest.