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Jules kissed him again. “Darn right I will. Now let’s plan the rest of this party.”
CHAPTER31
The day of Ava’s birthday had dawned bright and sunny, a nice change after the rainy spring Vancouver had experienced. Since the weather was cooperating and several of the activities were going to take place outside, Ava was dressed for outdoor play.
Their fight over the playhouse had been a tiny speed bump in their relationship, and their conversation after had deepened the intimacy. Everything was going too well. Jules wasn’t ready to put a name on her feelings for Nik. He had the power to hurt her, and that scared her. She was waiting for Nik to be called away again, or for something else to disrupt their happiness.
Adding to her tension, Giorgio and Cassandra were flying in for Ava’s birthday. It was their first opportunity to meet their granddaughter. Jules was happy to have Cassandra coming to visit but dreaded how critical Giorgio could be. Nik had been on edge all week, working all day and all night on both the merger and Ava’s party. It had left him tired and grumpy at times.
Not with Ava, though. No matter what, with Ava he was patient, engaged, and attentive. He was getting better about saying no to her every demand, being her parent instead of her friend, but he was never harsh or dismissive. In truth, sometimes Jules envied Nik his ability to remain calm under the pressures of parenthood, but then he’d been doing it for such a short time. Wait until he’d been up all night when Ava was sick and still had to drag himself to work in the morning. Or had to cancel a meeting because the preschool called. Or any one of the everyday events that threw her schedule into disarray. She did wonder if he’d ever understand the demands of being a full-time parent, considering how often he would have to travel for work. Which was one more thing eating at her. She wasn’t sure whether she was willing to accept a relationship where her partner was gone more than 50 percent of the time.
Jules reined in her thoughts and clipped Penny’s leash to her collar. Nik had told her to bring Penny, had told all Ava’s friends’ parents to bring their dogs if they wished. It turned the day into a real family outing, and Jules had readily agreed when Nik suggested it.
“Ready, honey?” She smiled down at Ava, who was gripping Simone’s hand.
“Daddy will be there when we get there? You promise?” All morning Ava had been worried that Nik would miss her party. Jules hated that Ava was worried, but Nik had needed to be on-site to ensure setup for the party went smoothly.
“I promise. He had to go early to make sure everything was ready for you.” Jules repeated the answer she’d provided every time Ava had asked.
Ava gave her a sunny smile, and any impatience Jules felt melted away. This was Ava’s birthday party, and it was time to go celebrate.
The community centre was less than a five-minute walk from their house, a gathering place where Ava had learned to skate, where Jules had taken her to parent-and-tot swimming lessons, and where her dance classes were held. But as they drew closer, Jules noted the carnival rides that she and Nik had agreed on. It looked like everything had come together as planned. A massive banner in glittering purple and hot pink was strung across the entrance to the parking lot:Happy Birthday, Ava!
Ava caught sight of her father standing under the banner and tore across the parking lot to hug him.
“He doesn’t do half measures, does he?” Simone murmured in amusement as they followed Ava. Jules had warned Simone what to expect, but the carnival was an awe-inspiring sight.
The event in front of them was any child’s dream. There were rides and games, face painting, and all kinds of fair food. An entire area of the soccer field had been roped off for pony rides and the petting zoo. Ava would be in heaven.
“Mommy!” Ava squealed. “Look at the animals! I want to go see them. And I see Noah, and Charlotte, and Liam.” Ava was vibrating with excitement.
Jules scanned the crowd, spotting several parents clustered around the picnic tables that had been set up. Jules was thankful to see they were laughing and drinking coffee as they watched their kids play carnival games. Everyone was having fun. Nik had promised the event would be well staffed to ensure the safety of the children, and he’d delivered. Each event had a group of young adults surrounding it to assist the children and keep them safe.
“She’ll be fine,” Nik assured her. “All the assistants are studying early childhood education and are first aid certified. It’s as safe as if they were in your backyard at home.”
Jules nodded at Ava and watched as she tore across the field to the petting zoo area.
“I’ll go keep an eye on her,” Simone offered as she gave Jules a knowing glance.
Grateful that her mother knew she wanted to talk to Nik alone, Jules waited until Simone was out of earshot before she turned to face Nik. She swallowed hard, finding the courage to admit Nik had been right about the party. The fact was, Nik was rich beyond her imagination. He’d wanted to throw this bonkers party for Ava, and it was perfect. “I was wrong,” she said simply. “This was a great idea. Ava loves it. It’s a little over the top, but she’ll remember it forever.”
Relief flashed briefly in Nik’s eyes, masked quickly.
“I talked to Sergei, and everything is ready to transition the party to a fundraiser early this afternoon. The players agreed to sign autographs for any of the parents or kids who want them as a thank-you. I think they’re bringing something special for Ava too.” Nik grinned down at her.
“They don’t have to do that. I’m glad you reached out to them so they could take advantage of all this.” Jules waved her hand to encompass the party. “Now let’s go find our girl.”
Jules grasped Nik’s hand and laced her fingers through his, ready to celebrate their daughter’s birthday.
* * *
Nik surveyedthe party they’d organized for Ava with satisfaction. It had everything they could think of to entertain kids of all ages, which made it perfect not just for Ava but for the kids the Orca players would be bringing over later. Ava was already giggling as she was licked by one of the baby goats at the petting zoo. Best of all, Jules was happy. This week had been a lesson in how to parent as partners, listening to each other and making decisions together.
“Mommy, Daddy, look! He likes me.” Ava was scratching the goat’s head and getting butted every time she stopped.
“He sure does. Want to give him a treat?” Nik handed her a small bag full of animal feed to share with the animals, and his heart felt like it would burst as he watched his daughter playing with her friends. Ava gave some of the feed to her friends, and they ran off to feed the baby animals.
“This was a good idea,” Jules said. “The petting area, I mean. Ava loves animals, and so do most of her friends. She’s in heaven right now.”
