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“Tomorrow I’m shutting off my phone.”
She laughed. “Okay.” Rising on her toes, she brushed a kiss on his lips, and he drew back in surprise. It was the first time she initiated it. She smiled up at him. “I know this wasn’t what you wanted to do tonight, but … try to have fun.”
“I’ll have as much fun as one can possibly have waiting on a bunch of drunks.”
“Maybe it won’t be as bad as you think.”
She was sweet to think so.
When he reached the bar, the lot was packed. “Great.”
He wasn’t usually such a spoilsport about picking up extra shifts, but nothing about today had gone his way. As far as birthdays went, this was one of the shittiest ones.
He parked in the back and entered through the kitchen. Jackson Browne played on the jukebox. He headed out to the bar to tell Sue that Finn wouldn’t be coming in after all.
“Surprise!”
Ryan staggered back as fifty loudmouth Irish lunatics screamed at him from the other side of the bar—his mother, father, and brother standing right up front. “What? Pat? What the hell is going on?”
Kelly—who was supposed to be out of town—appeared to his left and handed him a shot of whiskey. “Happy birthday, Ry. Now go change your pants. You look like you just shit yourself.”
He frowned. “You’re supposed to be at an art show.” He scanned the crowd and found Luke and Tristan grinning. “And you’re supposed to be out of town.”
Finn stepped forward, Mallory at his side and four healthy kids hanging off their limbs like monkeys on a tree. “Gotcha.”
Ryan blinked, completely confused. “Is this a surprise party?”
“Happy birthday, darling.” His mother stepped around the bar and pressed a kiss on his cheek. “It was my job to distract you all day, so you didn’t find out about the surprise. This week when you come over you can help me put all that stuff back in the curio cabinet.”
He scowled at her. “You’re not moving it?”
“Of course not. Who keeps a curio in the hallway? It’s a dining room piece, dear.”
One by one they all wished him a happy birthday and gave him a hug. Everyone was there—except Maggie. His head was spinning. They completely shocked him.
His brother, Pat, approached with a face full of laughter. “They got you good.”
Ryan couldn’t believe he was there. “Aren’t you supposed to be off playing doctor?”
Pat leaned in and gave him a warm hug. “I’m exactly where I want to be. Happy birthday, bro.”
Holding onto his younger brother for an extra second, he got the chance to shut his eyes and let it all sink in. “I thought tonight would suck.”
Pat eased back and grinned. “Don’t count your chickens too early. I’m pretty sure you’ll be puking your socks up before dawn.”
“There’s the man of the hour!” Sheilagh shouldered her way passed Pat. “Let others have a go at him. No one likes a Ryan hog.”
“Devil,” he said affectionately, pulling her into a hug.
“I’m so glad you’re older than me,” she teased.
He laughed. “Thanks.” Turning to her husband, he held out a hand. “Hey, Alec, thanks for coming.”
Alec, always the proper Brit, shook his hand and did a not so subtle glance around. “Did you come here alone?”
“They told me I had to work.”
“Then they surprised you?”
“Shocking, with all the loudmouths in this family, but yes.”
Alec nodded. “Well, enjoy yourself. The night’s yours.”
Ryan was handed beers, shots, and cocktails and instructed to drink each one as it arrived. They sat him at the head of a banquet table, a throne suited for a king as they handed him one gift after another.
Most of the presents were household items—toasters, picture frames, laundry baskets, bath towels. He was grateful for everything.
Music pumped from the jukebox, and the mood only grew rowdier as the hours passed. He didn’t get a second to himself until seven o’clock.
Sneaking into the back hall, he plugged a finger in his ear and dialed Maggie. His cousin Kate exited the lady’s room just as the call began to ring. Ryan waved and she blew him a kiss. As he pretended to catch it, he realized how drunk he was.
“Hello?”
“Maggie May…”
“Ryan?”
“Yep. You’ll never believe what happened to me tonight.”
There was a pause then she laughed. “Well, are you going to tell me?”
He smiled and leaned into the wall. Her voice had a way of crawling into him, soothing him. “My family tricked me. All of them. Fuckers.”
“How did they trick you?”
“They threw a surprise party for me. I had no idea. And now I’m drunk. No idea how that happened either.”
Another pause. “And why would they throw you a surprise party?”
“Because…” The wall was really holding him up now. “They love me and it’s my birthday.”
She was quiet for several seconds. “Happy birthday, Ryan.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I just didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. All I wanted for my birthday was to be with you, but I barely got to see you today.” He tripped over his feet and sidestepped into the door. His hand caught the doorknob to the loft and he had an idea. “Will you come here?”
