Page 75 of Axe Backwards
Chapter 23
Noah
Mom’s house was not large but had a spacious yard that was perfect for a party.
It was a breezy summer day, but she had a fire pit if the air turned chilly and plenty of space inside to congregate.
I’d been against the gathering at first, but she’d insisted. Hosting her granddaughter’s first birthday was a privilege, she’d argued. I’d given in pretty easily after that. Even though she wouldn’t remember it, I wanted to make a huge fuss over Tess’s birthday.
It was how I’d grown up. We’d have cake for breakfast, and Mom would shower us with all our favorite things. She’d plan themed parties for our classmates on a shoestring budget, staying up late to makeNinja TurtleorBlue’s Cluesdecorations.
I wanted my girl to experience that kind of joy. Life was about making memories, about taking photos to reminisce over later. I wanted her to have the gifts, the excitement, the cake all over her face. Given all she’d lost, I’d work doubly hard to give her all the special moments I could.
The birthday girl was passed from family member to family member, smiling and soaking up all the attention.
Vic and my mom had come up with the theme. “Tess in One-derland” had become a massive Mad Hatter tea party.
Mom had gone overboard with streamers, garland, and twinkle lights. There was a giant outdoor chess set, where Jude and Adele were locked in a very intense game. She’d even bought Tess a frilly blue dress and a black headband.
Kids ran wild wearing giant cardboard hats while adults drank out of mismatched teacups and ate cookies decorated to look like playing cards.
My brothers were all here. Even Owen and Lila had come up from Boston. I’d barely spoken to him over the years, but it was good to see him, even if I was still getting used to the idea that he was engaged to Cole’s ex-girlfriend.
Not that Cole minded. He was happily married to Willa. That was a whole dynamic I would never understand.
Everyone who loved Tess was here, and while guilt still gnawed at my gut regarding the people who were no longer here to love her the way she deserved, I wouldn’t regret giving her this special day.
Vic approached me, bottle of water in hand. “I need to hydrate. The knitting ladies have been talking to me nonstop for twenty minutes, and I need a break.”
I turned, using my body to shield her from the crowd.
“Happy to protect you, milady,” I said with a tip of my hat.
She bit her lip and smiled at me. She’d been gracing me with that beautiful expression more and more lately. I wasn’t complaining, but the way her teeth sunk into her plush bottom lip made it difficult to maintain control of my hands and my lips.
No matter how often my brain blared the “just friends” alarm, my body wasn’t listening. All day, my eyes had been on her. The way she lit up while she chatted. How the sundress she wore swished around her knees when she walked.
Vic had been a constant presence in my life and in my mind. She’d jumped right into planning this party with my mom and genuinely enjoyed creating a special day for Tess.
I loved the way she talked with her hands when she was excited. She’d been telling me a story about putting too much hot sauce on a taco a couple of days ago, and in the process, she’d knocked over a coffee cup. The more time we spent together, the more the mask came off. She laughed and joked and yelled and gesticulated wildly. I loved every word, every sound, every movement.
Vic, the real Vic, was ballsy and hilarious. She was nothing like the silent, terrified woman I’d taken to a wedding a month ago.
“Thank you for doing all this. You are an amazing fake girlfriend.”
Angling closer, she peered around to make sure we weren’t overheard. “I’m not here as your fake girlfriend. I’m here as Tess’s number one fan and favorite person.”
With a chuckle, I arched a brow. “Oh, really?”
“Yes, card-carrying member of the fan club. Trust me, I earned it. Though others may try to best me. I’m watching your mom. She fights dirty.”
A laugh rumbled out of me. Damn. This woman was incredible. Her eyes were bright and her smile was wide. The smile I used to have to coax out of her was present more and more every day.
“You look pretty in that dress.”
She rolled her eyes. “Don’t flirt.”
“Just a friendly compliment,” I replied, affecting an innocent expression. “The color brings out your eyes.”
