Giving Luke a pleasant smile, I turn my attention to the guys at the island. This is so weird. I wasn’t even going to tell themit’s my birthday. Now we’re all gathered in my kitchen like we’re besties.
“We’re not formal here. Go ahead and dig in.” Mom pushes the mac and cheese my way.
After scooping some onto my plate, I pass it to Luke. His hand brushes mine, but he doesn’t do or say anything inappropriate as he takes the dish. With little talking, everyone fills their plates.
As I put a bite of mac and cheese in my mouth, Mom asks, “So how was everyone’s day?”
Her gaze goes right to Luke. He takes a drink of soda and sets it down. His gaze meets mine before he smiles at my mom. “A regular school day followed by practice. Fall is busy with football and games.”
“What’s your position on the team?” Mom pops a bite into her mouth but manages to look super interested in whatever Luke has to say.
“Quarterback.” Luke leans back in his chair. “We’ve made it to State the last three years. We want to make it four before heading off to college.”
“Are you going to play college football?”
“That’s the dream, isn’t it?” Luke smirks as he takes a bite.
I honestly don’t know what the guys dream about. That isn’t part of our odd dynamic. They try to get into my pants, and I try to avoid them. The future seems like forever away. I’ve made plans for mine, and I assume they have plans for theirs.
“What about the rest of you?” Mom turns to look at the guys sitting at the island. “Is football the long-term goal?”
“I don’t think any of us have aspirations to play professionally, ma’am.” Jack smiles at my mom. “This is really good mac and cheese. My mom only does the kind you microwave.”
“Trust me, most days it’s freezer mac and cheese, but Harper’s birthday is special.” Mom smiles at me and tucks a stray strand of hair behind my ear. “We don’t always get to spend it together, but we always celebrate it.”
I give her a smile back. Some years she’s worked or I had dance. Usually, it’s me and her for dinner, squeezed in whenever we can. Kenz and I do lunch. But now and then our schedules align.
“Thank you for my birthday dinner, Mom.”
The guys all say thank you along with Kenz.
Mom asks me about my day, and I tell her about classes. Kenz adds in about lunch. The guys don’t say much, but they eat a lot.
After the most awkward dinner ever in the history of dinners, Mom lights the candles on the cake.
Kenz and Mom lead the guys in the most surreal version of “Happy Birthday” in my life. Luke stands close to me as I lean in to blow out the candles. I don’t know what to wish because I don’t even know what’s going on in my life right now. Do I wish the guys out of my life or do I wish for a pony? I mean, neither wish will get me far. Maybe I should just wish to get into college.
Luke brushes his fingers across the back of my hand as I blow out the candles, and my mind goes blank. My heart skips a beat, and the candles are blown out with no wish in sight.
Mom takes the cake back to the island and cuts it. Kenz hands me her present. I unwrap the box and open it to find Kenz’s prom dress from last year.
“I’m not going to wear it again and I know you loved it. I figured you could wear it to homecoming since you probably have at least one date to take you.” Kenz glances around at the guys. What she really means is I don’t have to hide at home and miss out on the dances this year.
“What a fantastic idea.” My mom lifts the dress out of the box. It’s a shimmery silver dress with a pretty sheer overlay. We both tried it on last year and both loved it. Since I wasn’t going to prom and she was, she bought it.
“Thank you, Kenz.” I avoid looking at any of the guys. We haven’t really discussed social activities outside of the ones where they get me naked, but I’m sure it will come up. I haven’t even been to a party before. Everything was off limits because of potentially falling prey to one of the horsemen’s notice.
Mom doesn’t say anything as she returns the dress to the box. Taking a breath, I hold out my hand to my mom. “The guys got me this ring. They gave it to me earlier today.”
Her eyes widen as she looks at the ring. Yeah, a ring is a lot for someone you aren’t even dating, but they do want a lot from me.
“That’s gorgeous. Well done, guys.” Mom’s eyes squint a little as she tries to figure out why the four of them would get me one ring, and an expensive looking one.
“Let’s eat cake.” I try to distract her from the fact that if four guys are trying to woo me, why would they all chip in on one gift. Complicate that with Kenz practically calling them my boyfriends, and I’m pretty sure I could give my mother a coronary by saying I have four guys, not just one.
Or maybe she’ll just assume I’m playing the field and dating around instead of settling on one guy. Seems like a reasonable assumption. I’m young and don’t have to have a boyfriend when I could date four guys who are all cool with the situation. Right?
She doesn’t have to know that they want to do other things to me together, and that I want that too.
