Page 62 of The Wedding Planner's Manny
Why was that so surprising to him? It really shouldn't be. “I love you, Rhys,” I said, cupping his chin.
“I'll always be here to help you.”
Rhys' eyes went wide. “You do?”
“Of course I do. You're amazing. You're kind and smart and you're making my family feel like afamilyagain. There was a time when I used to dread coming home from work, but I don't dread coming home toyou. I'm always looking forward to that. To every moment I get to spend with you.”
For some reason, Rhys looked like he was about to cry. “Sorry, hormones,” he muttered. “I don't know what's wrong with me. I'm actually really happy! I love you too!”
“It's okay.” I pulled him into my arms and kissed his hair. “You can cry if you need to. I'm not going to judge you.”
Rhys buried his head in my shoulder and took me up on the invitation. I didn't mind. I knew those tears were created by stress and hormones... and hopefully, relief. Rhys had been through a lot, but things were going to be better for him from here on out.
I was going to make sure of that.
2 1
R H Y S
The morning of Caleb’s birthday party, just as I parked the car in front of Ethan’s house, my cell phone rang. I didn’t even think to look at the caller ID before I answered, but once I heard my ex’s voice in my ears, I found myself wishing I had.
“I’ll be in Oceanport tomorrow,” he said without every bothering with a greeting.
“Tomorrow?” I asked, trying not to let the panic that thought caused me seep into my voice. His announcement was so sudden that I wasn’t sure how to react. For a whole week I’d heard nothing from him and now he wanted to drop in the very next day? He had absolutely no regard for my comfort, did he?
“If you really want me to sign these papers, you won’t mind if it’s tomorrow.”
“What if I have plans for tomorrow?”
“Do you have plans?”
“No,” I admitted. Maybe he was right. I wanted this over with as soon as possible, so why not tomorrow?
“Great. Google tells me there’s an Italian restaurant called The Bella Luna. I’ll meet you there at eight. We’ll have a nice dinner.”
A nice dinner? Did he really think that was what I wanted? Before I could ask, though, he hung up.
Fantastic. I stuffed my phone back into my pocket, unbuckled my seatbelt and got out of the car.
There was no reason to get upset over this. I would talk to Ethan later, after the party—so the news wouldn’t spoil it—and we would figure something out. Meanwhile, I could focus on making sure that Caleb’s day was going to be fantastic. Ethan wanted the little guy to have a great birthday, and I was happy to help make that happen.
After Ethan and I had cleaned the house, I arranged a table with party snacks for the kids in the living room while he put up the decorations. Balloons in all colors of the rainbow and a big banner that saidHappy Birthday Caleb.
I wiped my brow after setting a plate with mini pizzas on the table. I hoped the kids were going to like them. They'd taken me long enough to make.
“Are you okay?” Ethan asked. “Do you need to sit down?”
“I'm fine.” Seriously, he’d been acting like I was made of glass recently. I was pregnant, not on my deathbed. “Where's Nathan? He's supposed to walk the dog.” But Michel was still zipping around our feet, on the verge of tripping me up all the time. The fur bundle needed exercise.
“I don't know. Maybe upstairs? I'll check.”
While Ethan went up, Caleb came up to the table and stared longingly at the chocolate cake in the center. “Not yet,” I told him before he could even ask.
“When?”
“Soon. When the other kids are here.”
Caleb pouted, but didn't argue.
