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“You two do know how to throw a party,” Meg said from behind them.
Nik turned to find Meg, Les, and Sam taking in the party. Meg and Sam both held coffee, but Les was munching slowly on a handful of popcorn from the bag she carried.
Jules hugged her friends in turn. “Are you OK?” she asked Les as she held her.
“Morning sickness,” Les announced, blushing. “Starchy food helps.”
Jules let out a happy squeal, hugging Les tight. “Already? You and Chase just got married at Christmas. How far along are you?”
Les smiled. “I hit twelve weeks yesterday. As of today, we’re telling everyone.” Meg and Sam grinned in response.
“She told us on the way over,” Meg said.
“I’m so happy for you.”
“We can celebrate another day,” Les said. “Today is Ava’s special day.”
Jules gave her another hug and turned to greet the three men who walked up. Nik recognized one man as the man who’d been bidding against Michael at the auction: Daniel, Jules had told him. He and Meg were together. Jules introduced the other two men as Chase Jeffries, Les’s husband, and Billy Cameron, Sam’s fiancé. Seeing Jules with her friends, Nik realized that these women were more like family than colleagues to her. After introductions were made, they gathered around the petting zoo to watch Ava.
“We parked at your place,” Daniel told Jules as he wrapped his arm around Meg. “We wanted to make sure there was lots of room for your other guests. You’ve outdone yourself,” he said to Nik appreciatively.
Nik gave a modest shrug. “We wanted everyone to have a good time.”
Meg slipped into the petting area and hunched down beside Ava. “Can I help?”
“Auntie Meg,” Ava said, throwing her arms around Meg’s neck. Meg tickled her until Ava giggled and let go. “Here, feed them this.” She held out the bag of animal food.
Nik lost track of time as he followed Ava around the carnival. She wanted to do everything: face painting, balloon animals, rides. After everyone ate lunch, he signalled the caterer to bring out the cake. He’d commissioned a sculptured cake based on her favourite cartoon character, and when the cake designer wheeled it out, Nik finally understood the expression “her eyes were as big as saucers.”
All the kids crowded around the cake, a few tiny fingers reaching to see if it really was cake, because they couldn’t believe it.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Jules stood next to him, trying not to laugh. “I know we agreed on a character cake, but I thought it would be a sheet cake with a design painted on it.Thatis incredible.”
“Sorry.” Nik gave her a sheepish look. “The party planner recommended the cake designer. It’s all kid friendly flavours, and there are even cupcakes available for anyone who is vegan or gluten intolerant. There are a few more adult flavours in the cupcakes too. I believe there was a chocolate merlot, if that might interest you?”
It had taken him less than a week to realize that Jules liked to unwind with a piece of dark chocolate and a glass of red wine most nights after Ava was in bed. When Nik had discovered the bakery offered boozy cupcakes, including ones that featured wine-enhanced fillings, he’d ordered several dozen to treat the parents. The chocolate merlot ones had been a special order just for Jules.
There was a suspicious brightness in her eyes that she blinked away before answering. “You really did think of everything. Yes, I would love a chocolate merlot cupcake.”
Nik dropped a kiss on the top of her head and went to retrieve a selection of cupcakes before they cut into the big cake for Ava and her friends.
Filled with cake and buzzed on sugar, Ava declared that it was time for a pony ride. The live pony rides had been Nik’s biggest idea. He remembered how much his cousins had loved them at the Toronto Zoo when they were growing up, and he thought Ava should experience that childhood memory for herself.
Like a pied piper, he led the kids over to the riding area, watching as they each picked a pony and were fitted with a safety helmet. Once they were ready, he lifted Ava onto the black-and-white pony she’d chosen and reminded her to hang on to the saddle as the handler led her around the grassy area dedicated to the ponies.
Nik moved back to Jules’s side and watched as the kids were led around the ring. Simone was talking to Jules about the face-painting station, laughing about the panda bear face they had done for her. Nik thought he saw Sergei and some of the Orcas arriving and was about to go greet them when a sharp scream of pain made him spin on his heel back towards the children.
Jules was already gone, running as fast as she could to where Ava lay on the ground, curled in a ball. The sight of her on the ground had Nik’s heart pounding with fear. Two of the handlers surrounded Ava while the rest led the children and ponies away from where Ava lay. The medical crew he’d hired were racing over from their post too.
“What happened?” Nik fell to his knees beside Ava, afraid to move her in case it made her injuries worse. Her eyes were closed, and she looked so small and fragile. A heaviness weighed him down, making it hard to breathe. This was his fault. If he hadn’t rented the ponies ...
“She let go of the saddle and slipped,” the handler said, her voice shaking. “She landed on her arm. I don’t know if she hit her head.”
The lead EMT knelt beside Ava’s tiny body, slowly examining her. Ava was conscious and whimpering, letting out a cry when the EMT touched her wrist. Pain lanced Nik’s heart at the horrible sound. His baby girl was hurting, and there was nothing he could do.
“She needs to go to the hospital and have this x-rayed. It might be broken. She should be checked for a concussion too. The good news is, she doesn’t seem to have any back or neck injuries.”
Nik barely registered some of the furrows smoothing from Jules’s forehead when the EMT delivered the news. He was too focused on the wordconcussion.God, don’t let her have a concussion.
