Page 97 of Cloudless
My breath stalls in my chest and my feet ground to a halt in the dirt as my friends come into view.
My eyes never stray to the wooden fence lining the property line or to the swaying trees at the back of the yard that hide my neighbor’s house from view. They don’t linger on the firepit that my dad never got to use, or the row of empty flowerpots against the back of the house.
Instead, I blink slowly as I try to process the smiling faces surrounding a swing set that was definitely not in my backyard when I left my house this morning.
I open and close my mouth like a fish as Dax sends an elbow into Kam’s ribs to alert him to my arrival. His smile falls and a crease forms between his brows as his eyes roam over my face.
Swing set isn’t a good enough term for the structure standing before me. A slide juts from the side of a white cottage that sits proudly on stilts. A freaking staircase leads to a landing that connects the cottage to another slide big enough for two. As if a literal staircase wasn’t enough, you can also climb a rock wall to get to the cottage. Three swings hang between the primarystructure and a set of monkey bars that beg to strip the skin from my palms.
How the hell did they build all this while I was at work?
Kam rubs the back of his neck as he inches toward me. “I, uh, I’m sorry I didn’t ask before we installed it. I just heard Jasper and Posey talking about wanting one. I figured it would be the perfect birthday present for them. Everyone pitched in.” The worry clouding his eyes grows sharper with every step he takes toward me. “If you don’t want it in your backyard, we can take it down and put it in ours or something.”
My eyes slide from his to the hockey players behind him. They make the swing set look miniature as they gather the tools that litter the yard. I hate the apprehension I see on their faces as they await my reaction.
“Say something, Sunshine.” I haven’t even realized I haven’t said anything. Kam’s eyes turn stormy as he follows a silent tear as it falls down my cheek.
The waver in my voice must ring clear, judging by the shifting of our friends on their feet. “You did all this for them?” He nods his head slowly, like he’s afraid to spook a wild animal. His eyes follow another tear as the crease between his brows turns into a canyon. “Thank you, Kam.”
His brows fly up as he takes his turn opening and closing his mouth like a fish. “You’re, uh, not mad?”
I shake my head as I launch myself into his arms. Hisoofruffles the baby hairs around my face as I tighten my arms around his neck. “Of course I’m not mad! Look at what you’ve done for them! That is so sweet, Trouble. Thank you!”
I block out the voices of our friends behind him as he tightens his arms around me. He muffles his voice as he buries his face in my hair. The warmth from his chest radiates through me to fight off the chill in the air. “I would do anything for you three. Anything.”
I burrow into the warmth of his chest as those distant voices grow closer. The smile in Dax’s voice accompanies the crunch of footsteps in the grass. “I told you she wouldn’t be mad, Cap. You were worrying about nothing.”
A giddy smile takes over Mace’s face as he bounces on the balls of his feet. “Can we call Ellie so she can bring the twins over to see their gift? I don’t know how much longer I can wait.”
Four sets of expectant eyes turn to me. Even Wyatt’s eyes hold a lightness that he deserves to feel more often. I nod as my smile grows. “Yeah, you can call Ellie.”
The world blurs around me as Kam and I are enveloped in a group hug. A grumble leaves Wyatt as Dax’s voice thunders in my ear, “Family hug!”
Family. What an excellent word.
CHAPTER 45
CHOCOLATE SNOB
KAM
I wipe my palms on my pants as the sound of car doors closing reaches the backyard. Lila’s eyes sparkle with the reflection of the first embers of a bonfire as a smile takes over her face. “Don’t be nervous. They’re going to love it.”
Sparks fly into the air as Wyatt drops another log on the fire with a thunk. “Don’t worry, Cap. It’s a great birthday present.”
The significance of his words isn’t lost on me like they are the others. The two of us spent many birthdays together on the ice, with our only gifts being harsh words from our fathers.
When I got old enough to realize that’s not the norm, I vowed that if I ever had kids, they would never know the pain of feeling like a game meant more than their happiness.
I know the twins aren’t mine, but they sure as hell feel like they’re supposed to be.
I hear the moment they see their gift. Their sharp intakes of breath cascade through the yard as their footsteps come to a sudden halt. I look up in time to watch the awe transform their faces to what I imagine they would look like on Christmas morning. The sight of their smiles and wide eyes burrows its way into my heart, where it will live for the rest of my life.
They bounce on the balls of their feet as they take in every feature of the structure I spent way too long picking out.
The excitement that radiates from them in waves compels me to move closer so I might bask in their joy. The warmth from the fire fades from my back as Lila’s fingers dig into my sweatshirt to replace the warmth she’s no longer getting from the fire.
My smile grows with every step I take toward them. “Happy birthday, guys!”
