Page 23

The Birthday party

Drake

Never in a million years.

I hadn’t realized. I mean, how would it ever occur to me that this was the first child’s birthday party I’d ever attended?

I didn’t have this when I was a kid. Oh sure, Mom and Dad invited their friends around, but it had nothing to do with me. I was on display for maybe fifteen minutes while I was touted by my dad as the future chief of police and I was pretty sure an hour after because of the number of beers he downed, he would struggle to remember my name.

It wasn’t like this. It wasn’t a huge bouncy castle. It wasn’t all the adults making sure the kids were front and center. It wasn’t Dolly dressed up in princess finery to give rides to little people that were so excited I think one of them actually peed on her makeshift saddle. Not that Dolly cared. As far as Dolly was concerned, she was performing to her adoring public, and she had as many flowers pulled up by little hands as she could eat.

The new puppies, all eight of them rescued two days before, were a huge hit and five of them had already found homes. Jay had been particularly taken by a brown and white bundle of fluff with huge paws you knew was going to be enormous when he grew. I’d heard he’d just split up from his girlfriend, so I didn’t know how he would manage a puppy, but look at me.

Things changed.

Danny had made a huge website for the sanctuary, and we’d employed two ex-service guys that found working with animals after what they’d gone through easier than navigating people. And of course, when Diesel realized that, we had the full backing of Rawlings Security behind everything. He brushed sponsorship off as tax breaks but I knew differently.

Shae didn’t have to worry about anything except making sure the animals were looked after, and while he might need someone to take care of the paperwork, he excelled at everything else.

Albert sat down next to me, and we clinked our severely rationed beer. “I figure we’re the same, you and I,” he said after a moment.

I raised my eyebrows.

“We somehow got stupid lucky and found someone that loves us no matter how much we screw up.”

Which deserved another bottle clink.

“I don’t intend on screwing up ever again,” I vowed, and looked over to where Shae was lifting one of Pink’s kids onto Dolly’s back. He must have known I was looking because those gray-blue eyes turned on me with so many promises in them, my breath caught. All my stitches were out, and I felt good. I wasn’t going to suddenly drop and do fifty, but I thought it was time we had an after-party of our own.

“Heard you got a call from a case worker this morning.”

I sighed because it seemed nothing that happened in my life was going to be private going forward. Not that I cared. I’d had way too much private. I could cope with the next forty being family all up in your face. It was even kind of good.

“There’s a kid. Thirteen. Up to two months ago, he was going to be adopted from foster care along with his nine-year-old sister. But then he woke up with a scar on his face, and the prospective parents freaked the fuck out. Long story short, they want the girl but not her older brother, and it’s landed on Gerald Slater’s desk.”

“That’s Tammy’s social worker?”

“Yeah,” I agreed, “The little girl is refusing to go anywhere without her brother, no matter how many ponies and designer dresses the prospective parents promise her, and somehow Slater likes us for both of them.”

Albert chuckled. “You’re gonna have a house full.”

I fucking hoped so.

My throat was so tight for a few moments; it was only when Shae helped Tammy to cut the cake that I could join in singing my girl happy birthday and speak again.

“Just so you know, the farm and the hundred acres are yours,” Albert said after a moment of cake stickiness when I got my two kisses.

“The fuck?” I shot back, not completely sure I’d heard correctly.

He grinned. “Now, you know Shae is trying to make your language kid-friendly.”

“It’s just us,” I ground out.

He smirked. “Well, the whole lot is yours. We live in the house—not that I think you’d ever take it from us—while we breathe, and you get the rest.”

I gaped at Albert. Their land combined was worth nearly fifty-five million bucks to a developer.

“You’re the son I never had,” Albert carried on. “You both are. I’ve never seen Moira as happy, and that’s because of you two, and the little one. And it’s wrapped up legally, so don’t bother with it no more.”

“I don’t know what to say.” And I didn’t.

Albert turned to me. “Tell me what your first reaction was when I said that.”

I grinned because that was easy. “Seeing Shae’s face when he knows we have the money to build more bedrooms,” I said honestly. “Because you don’t think this social worker’s gonna stop at two, do you?”

He chuckled again. “Not any time soon. And I reckon all kids need a gran and a pops to show them how to sit on a donkey and look after a bushel of puppies.” He looked smug, but I saw the loving look he sent his wife, who was bustling about with the food.

I was barely able to swallow. The court cases for my dad might take years, but I didn’t care. I had my dream life. My dream husband, and my dream kids, even though I never knew I needed them.

And a donkey.

Because that was important.

Rawlings wandered over to us and I reckoned it was time. “You’ve got my back, soldier?”

He smirked. “Of course, sergeant. I can even get you up off your knee.”

I grunted because one of these days I was gonna annihilate Rawlings in hand to hand which was a long time coming, except at the moment he was probably right. I could get down on one knee but I might need help getting up. I met Paula’s eyes who was my partner-in-crime and she clapped and silenced everyone. Even Dolly stayed still.

I turned to Shae who was eight feet away and held out my arm. Lips parted in surprise he rushed to me, but before that I’d actually gotten down on one knee. I wasn’t sure whether the general gasp from the audience was in anticipation or admiration that at my age I could still get down there.

“Baby,” I said and took his arm, digging out a box from my pocket and suddenly doubting my choices. “I found a ring when I was cleaning the end room and I knew it was Ellie’s.” I could feel my face heat. “I know you’re not a woman.” I ignored the quiet laughter. “But I thought we could get the diamonds put on a band or something.” Now I felt ridiculous. What had I been thinking?

But suddenly Shae was on his knees in front of me and I said. “Fuck, I just want you to marry me.”

“Fuck!” Tammy repeated gleefully and everyone groaned.

Shae grinned and before everyone he put his arms around me and kissed me thoroughly.

“Is that a yes?” I asked.

His eyes twinkled. “Was there an actual question in there?”

I growled. Fuck those books. I could make that noise as well.

But the best thing was when my boyfriend pulled me to my feet so fast no one noticed a struggle. I decided to let him kiss me after that as much as he wanted.

Shae

Long after the party ended, when we’d finally gotten Tammy to sleep, settled the puppies down, and said goodbye to Jay and his team, we heard a scratching at Tammy’s door. I kissed Drake and got up from the sofa because I assumed that meant Maxie had decided he wanted to go out again, even if he’d just been. I walked to Tammy’s door and the second I opened it Maxie shot out and scampered through the kitchen to the front door and plopped his ass down, whining.

“What’s up, buddy?” Drake said, standing from the sofa and getting to the door at the same time I did. Drake stiffened a second when Maxie let out a single bark that he almost never did. In another moment, my Marine was shoving me behind his body and grabbing his gun before he opened the door.

I knew better than to object, even though I could race through the door and check things out before he took a full breath. But Drake needed to protect me. It was in his DNA in exactly the same way my abilities were part of mine.

Drake made a sound of disbelief, then bent down. When he turned around, I choked out a laugh because he was holding a dog. “Baby,” I crooned, and held my arms out for the chubby bundle.

“I reckon she has some years on her,” Drake said after watching her practically inhale some food. I nodded, crouching down and taking in the black fur that was now gray on her nose and face. She’d limped a little as well.

“She doesn’t look like she’s been homeless a long time,” Drake said, and I agreed. “Maybe she ran away?”

I snorted, doubting with her belly she could run anywhere. God knew if she was just well-fed or expecting puppies. She didn’t have a collar on, though. “We can see if she’s microchipped tomorrow.”

It turned out she was, but apparently her owner had died and the nephew that had inherited didn’t feel that looking after an old dog was his responsibility, and we certainly didn’t believe his story about her running away. So, Poppy became ours. She fit right in with all the other dogs and humans in our crazy family. Sunday barbecues were a regular. Sometimes it was just us and Albert and Moira. Sometimes it was neighbors and members of the team.

And it was always all the kids. The new two had settled pretty well, and Gerald Slater was our new best friend.

I couldn’t believe how I’d gotten this lucky, and I really hoped my mom and Gran knew. Knew I had a family. Knew I was happy. And most of all, knew I was loved.

“You know the doc told me I need regular exercise?”

I pressed my lips together to stop the laughter as Drake’s arms circled my waist. I knew because of all the looks and touches I’d been getting since he came back from his two-month follow-up appointment. Like most new parents, we often fell into bed exhausted.

I turned in his arms and our lips met, and for a long moment the only thing in my world was his taste, his smell, and the feel of his arms around me.

I was just trying to work out if all the kids were asleep so we could have an early night when my phone rang. I shot him an apologetic smile and answered it.

“Shae?”

I recognized Gerald Slater’s voice and put it on speaker.

“Hi Gerald, you’re working late.”

His grunt was so like Drake’s I had to stifle my laughter.

“Remind me again how many beds you’ve got?”

I met Drake’s eyes and saw the love shining in them. “How many do you need?” I asked.

“Well,” he said. “There’s these four brothers…”