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I headed towards the back of the house, glancing at Rhett over my shoulder when I realized all the blinds leading to the backyard had been closed. During the day, we kept the girls’ bassinets downstairs, so we could easily look after them without traipsing up and down the stairs. I was never gladder for that arrangement than now. Laying Ava carefully in her bassinet, I waited while Rhett did the same with Isabella, then said, “I’m not sure I want to see what’s out there.”
“Sure, you do.”
I pulled back the blinds, squinting against the bright sunlight streaming into the room. My jaw dropped as I took in the scene outside. The tables were laden with trays of food - pastries, fruits, even a massive chocolate fountain. A colorful jumping castle was inflated in the corner of the yard. But what really made my heart skip a beat was the pony, casually grazing on the lush grass like this was an everyday occurrence.
“What on earth...” I murmured, shaking my head in disbelief. Leave it to Rhett to go completely over-the-top.
I slid open the glass door, the warm breeze carrying the scent of freshly mowed grass. As soon as I stepped outside, I nearly jumped out of my skin when a chorus of voices erupted from behind bushes and potted plants.
“Surprise!”
It took me a moment to take it all in. There was Laura, Ethan, and the kids. Becca and Diane, Ethan’s parents…Oh god, all the Parkers were here. There was Cassidy and her sister, Hannah. Wolfe, Esme and Esme’s siblings were standing with Stef and Grayson. Everyone was grinning at me and even though I really disliked being the center of attention, I loved that Rhett had done this for me.
Tears stung my eyes as I took in the smiling faces looking back at me. Rhett stepped up beside me, slipping an arm around my waist.
“Seems like you’re still Always Wright.” His deep voice rumbled with amusement, making me shiver.
I blinked rapidly, overwhelmed by the outpouring of love. “Rhett...you shouldn’t have gone to all this trouble.”
“Bullshit.” He pressed a kiss to my temple. “You deserve to be celebrated, Scarlett. By everyone who loves you.”
Laura stepped forward first, wrapping her arms around me. “Happy birthday, honey,” she murmured, her voice thick with emotion. As she pulled back, I could see she had tears in her eyes. “I never imagined I would get to celebrate your birthday with you. I’m so happy to be here.” Then she turned to Rhett. “Thank you for inviting us.”
“Of course.”
Oh god, now Rhett was feeling emotional. I really was going to start balling. Yep, especially now that Ethan was there too, his voice thick when he pulled me close and said, “Happy birthday, darlin’.”
They’d missed so much of my life, but they were here now and that was all that mattered. “Thank you.” I stepped back, giving them both a shaky smile. The kids were lined up behind them, all smiling from ear to ear as they wished me a happy birthday. “The girls are in their bassinets inside, if you want to bring them out. I’m sure they’d love to hang out with you guys.”
“We’d love that!” Laura had barely finished the sentence when she was dragging Ethan inside, with the kids following close behind.
I turned to Rhett, laughing. “One thing’s for sure, we’ll never have to pay for childcare.” Nothing had given me more joy than seeing how Laura and Ethan doted on the girls. On more than one occasion, Rhett and I had arranged to go out for a few hours, just as an excuse to let them babysit. They’d always brought their kids with them, because, as they said, their aunties and uncle couldn’t get enough of the babies either. I damn well loved every second of it.
“Hey, you!”
“Oh my god, Stefania! You brat.”
“What? Why?” Stef’s eyes were wide in fake surprise.
“Don’t pretend you weren’t in on this whole thing. It was you who suggested Rhett take me for brunch!”
Laughing, she pulled me in for a squeeze. “Well, he was getting a bit frazzled with all the planning, so I thought I’d give him a hand.”
“Well, thank you. It’s amazing.”
Grayson stepped forward, a rare smile on his usually gruff features. “Happy birthday, Scarlett.” He leaned in and pressed a formal kiss to my cheek.
“Thank you.”
Then he surprised the life out of me by saying, “You’ve been the best thing that’s ever happened to my brother.” He shot Rhett a pointed look. “Don’t screw this up.”
Rhett chuckled. “I don’t plan to.”
Esme came next, her blue eyes bright. “Happy birthday, Scarlett!” She enveloped me in a warm hug. “I’m so glad we get to spend the day with you.”
“Thanks, me too.”
Wolfe followed, giving me a friendly pat on the back. “Yeah, happy birthday! It’s good to see the old ball and chain finally tamed my brother a bit.” He grinned at Rhett.