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“Happy Birthday, Dad,” I say, gifting him with a fresh cocktail.

“Thank you, son.” He looks pleased by the drink and gives me a smile. “You always did have great timing.” As we shake hands, he adds, “I see you dressed for the occasion.” I was waiting for the dig to come but thought it would take him a few drinks to get around to it. He’s a traditional guy, so maybe I intended to push a few buttons with the scruff and modern cut suit.

He’d normally dive into a game of verbal volleyball. He loves to be right, but so do Andrew and I. My mom is usually left refereeing. It’s always done in fun and keeps us about our wits. He takes a gulp of his drink, not holding back.Go, Dad.The edges of his shoulders begin to slouch, and he appears more relaxed. “Nick brought the good stuff.”

My mom smiles, a silent message of gratitude aimed at me. Rubbing my dad’s shoulder, she says, “Only the best on this special day.”

Covering her hand with his, he looks at her, and it’s easy to see the love shared between them. Don’t get me wrong, my dad can be an asshole when it comes to business, but never to my mother. “It’s brilliant. You shouldn’t have gone to so much trouble, Cookie.”

“You know I love to spoil you.”

Glancing at Andrew and then at me, he laughs. “She does. Find yourselves a woman like your mother, sons, and you’ll never go a day without smiling.”

Speaking of . . .While I was at law school, Andrew was stuck in the thick of marriage and kids talk. Part of joining “the family business” entails expanding the actual family by raising future Christiansen execs to keep the line of succession going.

Andrew looks at me. “Was that Mr. and Mrs. Dalery arriving a bit ago?”

Leaning in, my mom whispers, “Dalen Dalery came with her parents. She looks . . .” She pauses and then lowers her voice even more. “Distinctive. She’s really changed since high school, Andrew.”

Distinctive?Wow, if that word doesn’t raise a red flag, I’m not sure what would.

My mom is blind to the fact that Dalen used to be crazy. If she knew that Dalen cheated on my brother back in high school, she’d go all mama bear on her despite the cutesy baked goods name.

He looks over his shoulder like a man on the run, and asks, “How long do we have to stay?”

Since my dad is shaking hands and back to greeting guests again, my mom laughs between us. “Two hours, and then you’re free from all family duties tonight.”

Andrew gives her a hug. “You’re a good cookie, Cookie.”

“Don’t I know it,” she adds.

My brother and I leave them to it and make our way back inside, shaking the hands of people we know and some others who introduce themselves. Eventually, we part ways. He returns to the bar, and I head for the buffet. I don’t get two cubes of Swiss cheese on my plate before I’m cornered. “Hey, Nick.”

Speak of the devil.And holy fucking whoa!

I pop my eyes back in after they bug out. Different is an understatement. Dalen leans in, and air-kisses are exchanged.What?We’re in LA. This is what we do. But I’m still in shock by the drastic change in her . . . “I, uh . . .”

“It’s been years, Nick. How are you?” Her hair, formerly brown, has gone platinum with big curls pinned to the sides of her head. It reminds me of a centerfold from some magazines my uncle gave me when I was sixteen.

Her tits are making quite the grand entrance in the low-cut dress. Keeping my eyes above deck is going to be a testament to my willpower. She wasn’t flat-chested back then, butmountainsis the only thing that comes to mind now. Looking around me like I’m hiding my brother back there, she asks, “I haven’t seen Andrew tonight. Is he here?”

“He’s around.” I almost feel bad for selling him out.Almost.But let’s get real . . . pun intended, which makes me think of Natalie, Dalen has no interest in me. It’s always been about my brother. It always will be until he’s married with kids. And I can’t say she’ll even get the hint then. Since she’s not in a hurry to leave, I step back from the table, out of the way of other guests trying to get to the cheese, to force my eyes to look at anything other than her chest. I ask, “Still living in LA?”

“In Hollywood, actually. I have an apartment near Sunset. Great views of the Hills and close to everything.” She moves around me, touching my wrist as if she’s afraid I’ll leave. “I hear you’re in law school. I never took you for the lawyer type when you were younger.” She pops a grape in her mouth.

“What can I say? I like to surprise people and graduated last May. I’m working with my brother and dad now.” With impeccable timing, I spy my friend cutting through the party and know my night is about to change.For the better.

Harrison barrels up, hand raised ready to smack down on mine. “Dude, bring it in.”

I lay a fiver down, and we bump shoulders after that. “You made it.”

“Wouldn’t miss it. Cookie’s parties are always worth the stop-by.” When he casually looks to my side, he does a double take. “Holy—Dalen?”

Either she’s changed more than her physical appearance or she’s gotten better at hiding her crazy because sounding sweet as a kitten, she says, “Hi, Harrison. Look at you all grown.”

I’m not sure he physically bites his tongue, but he definitely holds it. Harrison is an honorary Christiansen. You mess with one of us, you mess with all. He says, “Wow, you look . . .” He’s wise to think twice about his words before sharing them. She waits, shifting in discomfort with every exaggerated second that ticks by. “Great.”

She beams, his compliment feeding the need she apparently has to please. “Thanks, Harrison.” She pinches his cheek. “You always were a sweetheart.” Moving to the other side of us, she rubs my bicep. “It was good catching up. And if you see Andrew, will you let him know I’m here?”