I just want a break from it all. Pack up and take Jane away from here. I only wish it was that easy, but too much is holding me back. I have a great job that I don’t want to risk losing, and it’s not like Logan can just leave his work behind and join us. We just need something to bring some happiness back into this life.
“Where do you want these balloons?” Gabby asks as she walks in holding about thirty balloon strings in her hand, pulling me out of my dark mood.
“You can just spread them out around the patio area. I have a chair decorated for Jane, so if you want to tie a few to it, that would be great.”
She nods her head. “You got it.”
Today, we are having a surprise party for Jane’s fourth birthday. Logan took her to the park this morning and is due back any minute now, so I am currently rushing around like a maniac while my thoughts are bombarded with everything going on.
To my knowledge, she has never had a real birthday party, so I can’t wait to see her sweet little face when she gets back from the park. It’s been two weeks since Richard broke the news of Patrick being her father. I don’t know that I feel any better now than I did that night, but I know that dwelling on the past isn’t going to accomplish anything. Since hearing the news, I find myself studying Jane more, discovering her similarities to her father.
As always, Logan has been extremely supportive during my emotional break and is always there for me whether I know I need him or not.
The doorbell rings, and I check the time, hoping Claire is on the other side of the door. Racing over, I pull it open and feel relief when my eyes fall to the colorful cake in Claire’s arms.
“Oh, my! It’s perfect, Claire. Thank you so much.”
“Sorry for being so late. I literally just finished putting it all together.”
Claire has been making beautiful cakes out of her kitchen for the past couple of years. It was an interest she picked up around the time of her daughter’s first birthday. Her skills with the craft have only improved since then, and I couldn’t have purchased a cake more perfect than the one she made for Jane.
“Nonsense. Come on in,” I say, moving out of the doorway. I look behind Claire and see Jordan and Emma making their way up the sidewalk with their arms full.
I escort Claire over to the cake table and show Jordan where to set the food they brought. Emma finds the area for gifts and takes off outside for TJ with Jordan not far behind going to meet the other guys.
“What else do you need help with?” Claire asks after she has set up the cake.
I do a circle while my mind goes over the list of things I needed to prepare before Logan returns with Jane. “I think everything is done. Food is ready and out. Decorations are up. Gabby was getting all the balloons put up outside, and you brought the cake, so I think we are good. I’m just waiting to hear from Logan.”
“Did you end up getting the bounce house?”
“I wasn’t sure about it, but Tanner insisted, so yeah, it’s in the backyard.”
This being my first birthday party planning experience, I wasn’t sure what to do, and thankfully, I am fortunate to have friends who stepped up and helped me so much. Even Tanner, who swore that these bounce house things were all the rave at kids’ parties these days.
My phone vibrates from my back pocket, and pulling it out, I jump with excitement seeing Logan’s name.
Logan: We are almost to the house. If you need more time, I can circle the neighborhood.
Everything is ready. Can’t wait to see her face.
Logan: She is going to love it. See you in a few.
I relay the message to Claire, and she heads outside to tell everyone else. Everyone migrates back inside, and Emma and TJ wait patiently with their confetti poppers. Glancing around the room, I am taken aback by the show of support from everyone. Even Richard and Ruth joined us to celebrate Jane’s birthday. With all the cars parked in the driveway, Jane will know everyone is here, but it isn’t uncommon for us to have cookouts with everybody.
Hearing the garage open, I feel my excitement rise as we wait for them to walk through the laundry room door. The minute the door handle turns and pushes open, the kids pop the confetti, causing Jane to scream and grab Logan’s leg. Once she realizes what is going on, she jumps up and down as she takes in the colorful decorations throughout the house.
“Is this my party, BrennBrenn?” she asks, squeezing her hands out in front of her.
“It sure is, sweet angel. Happy Birthday.”
She takes off running and nearly knocks me over when she plows into my legs. I pick her up and cover her face in kisses.
“Thank you! Thank you! I love it. Everything is so pretty,” she says when I set her down.
She looks around the room, and when her sight lands on one of her favorite people, she starts giggling.
“Tanner! What are you doing here?” she asks through her giggle.
“Well, it’s my best girl’s birthday party. There was no way I would miss that.” He squats down to her level and pulls her into a tight hug. “Happy Birthday, little one.”
“Hey, I’m not little. Don’t you know? I’m four now.” She lifts her hand up, displaying her four fingers to get the point across.
“You’re right. My mistake,” Tanner jokes, holding his hands up.
“Jane, come on, you have to see what’s outside,” Emma exclaims and grabs Jane by the hand. They run toward the backyard with TJ in tow.
Logan wraps an arm around me and kisses my head. “The place looks great, babe. You did a really good job.”
“Thanks,” I say, leaning against his chest. “I had some great help.” I look around at my friends and smile.
“Can we eat now? You know I have been starving since I got here and had to smell all that delicious food,” Tanner says, rubbing his stomach.
“Yes, everyone dig in.”
Not needing to be told twice, Tanner makes a beeline for the kitchen and grabs a plate from the counter, piling a helping of everything he can fit onto it. The rest of the group follows his lead, and after we all have our plates, we move outside to the tables on the back patio.
The kids have no interest in eating because that would mean they have to leave the fun of the bounce house. Hearing the sound of Jane’s giggles and deep belly laughs make me happy I let Tanner talk me into renting the inflatable. I would do anything to make that little girl happy, and as I listen to her, I know all the work it took to put this party together was well worth it.
When the time comes for presents, Jane comes running up to the house before I can even get the words out. She takes her time unwrapping each gift and expresses her appreciation and gratitude after every one. Once she has opened them all, she goes around the room, giving everyone a hug and thanking them for the gracious presents. I swear she is the sweetest kid ever.
Taking the trash bag filled with wrapping paper out to the garage, I feel my phone vibrate with a phone call. Everyone I talk to on a normal basis is here, so I am curious as to who would be calling. Pulling it out, I am shocked when I see the name across the screen.
Mom
Unable to do anything else, I just stare at the phone, and soon, the vibrating ends and the display now shows a missed call. Seconds later, it begins vibrating again in my hand. I blink several times and swallow down my anxiety before answering.
“Hello.”
“Hey, Brenna,” the voice that does not belong to my mother responds.
“Lynne? Where have you been? I have called you countless times and can’t get a hold of you. What the hell is wrong with you? Do you even care about your daughter? You know the one who you abandoned in a house with some sketchy guy? Seriously, Lynne, what the fuck?”
My blood pressure is off the charts when I finish getting the little rant off my chest. Even though I have plenty more I want to say, I stop myself, waiting for some kind of answer.
“I don’t have my phone anymore, which is why I’m calling from Mom’s. I wanted to talk t
o Jane and tell her happy birthday. Can you put her on the phone?”
I begin pacing in the garage, thankful I wasn’t inside around everyone else when this call came through.
“No, Lynne. I won’t just put Jane on the phone. You disappeared and haven’t called or checked in on her or anything in weeks, and now you just want to call and have a chat with her? No, it’s not going to happen.”
“You can’t keep her from me, Brenna. I am her mother.”
“Really? Then tell me, dear sister, what kind of mother just abandons her child? You want to throw around the name like it means something, but you must forget I know personally that birthing a child doesn’t make you worthy of being a mother.”
The sharp intake of breath on the other end tells me she gets my reference, comparing her to our own worthless mother.
“Oh, here we go. Let’s hear it, Brenna. Go on and tell me about how much better you are than the rest of us. You were always too good for everyone and never second-guessed your decision to leave us all behind and didn’t even care about the hurt you caused.”
My intuition leads me to believe she is talking about more than just herself, which leads me to my next questions.
“So, Lynne, I’ve always been curious, and we know that you never could tell the truth in the past, so who is Jane’s father?”
The line goes dead silent as I wait for her to respond, knowing the truth is the last thing that will spill from her lips.
“I’m not sure. Just like I told you before, it was a wild time in my life, and it’s embarrassing to admit, and I don’t know why you feel the need to bring it up now,” she lies like the professional she is.
I laugh sarcastically into the speaker. “Of all the questions I have and things to say, the main thing I want to hear is, did he know?”
“Brenna, I just told you—”
“Did Patrick know he was the father of your child before he died?” I cut her off in a shout.
She goes quiet again, and I wait.
“How … what are you talking about?”
“I’ve seen the birth certificate, Lynne. No point in lying now. So did he know? Did Patrick know he knocked you up?”
“Yes.” The word leaves in an almost whisper, and I grip my chest as my heart breaks a little more. “Brenna, I …”
I shake my head even though she can’t see me. “No. Listen, I have to go. You can call later tonight and talk to her. Right now, she is enjoying her party, and I think she deserves this day of happiness. You owe her that much.”
I hear the sound of a sniffle before the call is ended, and I jump when a hand touches my back. I had been so caught up in my conversation with my sister that I never even heard the door open.
“Are you all right?” Logan asks, pivoting my body to face him and keeping his hand planted on my lower back.
“That was my sister.”
“I gathered that from the bit that I heard.” His hand moves in a comforting motion against my shirt.
“She wanted to talk to Jane, but I told her no. She isn’t going to ruin her birthday just because it’s finally convenient for her to check on her daughter.” My tone is defensive, and I can feel my anger rising once again.
“I would have done the same thing, babe. Are you okay after everything? With Patrick?” he asks cautiously, and I know he doesn’t want to upset me any further.
I wrap my arms around his middle and pull from his strength to calm myself. “Am I okay? Honestly?” I ask, and he nods his head. “No, I’m not. I feel betrayed, and the only person I can lash out at only cares about herself, so I wouldn’t get anywhere. All of that, on top of everything else that has been going on, just has me waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
“Whatever happens, no matter what, I am here for you.”
Pushing up on my toes, I press my lips to his. “I know, and I can’t express how much I appreciate that. I may not be okay right now, but by having you by my side, I know I will be. I love you so much.”
“I love you too,” he says against my lips before pulling them into a sweet kiss. “Feel like joining the party? The kids are ready to get into the cake, and I know Tanner is drooling over it.”
“Yes.” I laugh. “Let’s go cut the cake.”
Entering the house, I lay my phone on the kitchen counter and decide to put the conversation in the back of my mind. The rest of the day, I focus on celebrating Jane turning four.
Logan was not exaggerating. His brother is standing over the cake, just staring at all its sugary goodness.
“Oh, thank God. Brenna, please tell me it’s time for cake.”
“Tanner, what are you, five?” I ask, pushing him away from the table.
“Come on, you know I have a sweet tooth.”
“Yeah, yeah. Go get the kids.” I shoo him away with my hands and insert the candle, ready to light it.
Feet beat against the hardwood floors as the kids come rushing inside. After everyone has gathered around, we light the candle and begin to sing to Jane. Her eyes light up as she watches the flame flicker and after a quick moment of making her wish, she blows it out.
Everyone cheers, and seeing the toothy smile on Jane’s face makes me wish I still had my phone on me so I could capture the moment. The sound of a shutter click pulls my attention, and I turn my head to find Logan with his phone in hand.
“I got the whole thing for you,” he says, sliding the device into his pocket.
“Thank you,” I say, smiling up at him.
There is no expressing how thankful I am for Logan coming into my life and all that he has done for me since our first date. It’s a wonder he even stuck around after that eventful night and all that has come since. He definitely is one of a kind, and I am lucky to have him.
By the time the party dies down and the ladies have helped me clean up, the kids have run out of energy. Jordan carries Emma out to his car, and Claire follows behind with their bag of goodies. TJ slumps against his mom as they walk out with Trevor, looking like he could pass out at any moment.
Closing the door behind them, I turn around and Tanner has Jane in his arms, her head lying against his shoulder.
“Is she asleep?” I ask.
Tanner swivels and shows me her closed eyes. “One minute, she was thanking me for her presents, and the next, she was snoring. Do you want me to put her in bed?”
“Yes, please. I’m not even going to bother with pajamas tonight.”
I follow him to the guest room and pull back the blankets on the bed. Tanner gently lowers her to the mattress and kisses her head before standing. He leaves the room as I tuck the blankets around her and kiss her cheek. I turn on the nightlight before exiting the room and leave the door cracked slightly.
I find the Tate brothers sitting around in the living room with drinks in hand. Logan pulls me onto his lap, and I take a sip of his scotch.
“Great party, Brenna.”
“Thank you, Tanner. And thank you for putting her to bed.”
“Anytime. I love that little girl,” he says, taking a drink as he leans back against the couch. “The guys won’t be back to pick up the bounce house until tomorrow evening, so feel free to plug it back in tomorrow morning and let her go wild.”
“I’m sure she will love that.” My hand covers my mouth in an attempt to stifle a yawn. “Today has worn me out. I’m going to leave you guys to your brother bonding and go to bed.”
“I’ll be in there shortly, babe.” Logan kisses my head before releasing his hold on me.
“Take your time,” I say to him. “Good night, Tanner.” I walk to where he is sitting, and he stands up, pulling me into a hug.
“I’m going to start coming over every night for your cooking, Brenna. That whole spread was tasty today.”
“I will cook for you anytime.”
“Now, you know you can’t tell him that. He’s serious and will be here every single night. Just ask Aunt Ruth.” Logan laughs from behind us.
I turn and na
rrow my eyes at Logan, who only smirks sexily at me. Looking back at Tanner, I pat his chest. “You’re always welcome to my cooking.”
“Thank you, Brenna. You are too kind.”
Glancing back, I catch my boyfriend, who is in his thirties, flipping off his brother. “You two are juveniles, I swear. Good night.”
They both laugh, and I head off to Logan’s bedroom before they end up wrestling on the living room floor like a couple of teenagers.
Twisting the knob in the shower, the water sprays out, and I strip out of my clothes as I wait for it to warm. Stepping under the spray, I relax as the hot water beats against my back, helping to ease the tension from earlier.
Lynne never called back to talk to Jane, and I am neither surprised nor disappointed. I pretty much expected it, but I know that won’t be the last I hear from her. Rotating in the shower, I let the water cascade down my front and think about how I could stay in here all night.
A warm, hard body steps behind me and presses against my back as an arm snakes around my middle. Lips sweep along my shoulder and up the column of my neck.
“I wasn’t expecting you,” I say, turning around and linking my arms around Logan’s neck.
“Tanner bailed after you. I think he was going to meet some girl, but who knows with him. I thought I would find you sleeping in bed, but this is definitely better.”
His hands move down and squeeze a handful of my cheeks, pulling me closer to his front with his erection standing at attention between our bodies.
“I’m glad you found me,” I say, sliding my hands down his chest and over his abdominal muscles.
Taking his hardness in my hand, I squeeze and glide upward, toying with the swollen tip. His hand dips lower and finds my core from behind, inserting one finger and then two. A deep moan pulls from his lips when I tighten my grip, and removing his fingers, he turns my body. Pressing me against the shower wall, he causes the cool tile to hit my ultra-sensitive nipples.
“I could never get enough of you or this sexy body.” His fingers run up my sides and back down, gripping my hips. “Are you ready for me, babe?”
I turn my head, my cheek resting against the shower wall. “Always.”
Perfectly Unexpected Page 14
