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“How old are you?” she’s asking my dad.
“Fifty,” he tells her.
“Wow. That sounds old.”
All the men around my father laugh uproariously.
I step forward. “Happy birthday, Dad.”
“Caleb!”
He holds a hand out to shake, since he has his arms full of Hazel. She leans into me once I’m in reach, wrapping her small arms around my neck and clinging to my chest. “I’m hungry,” she says.
“I’ll take you to get some food. Give dad a minute to talk,” Lennon says. “Happy birthday, Austin.”
“Thank you, Lennon,” my dad says, before she and Hazel disappear into the crowd.
“How’s the arm?” he asks me.
I rotate my shoulder. “Still solid.”
“Smart, leaving while you’re still on top.”
“Thanks.”
“I know you have plenty of money. And you should enjoy your family, especially with the new baby on the way. But we’d love to have you at the company, now that you’re out of the majors.”
I nod, already expecting the offer. “I’ll think about it, Dad.”
He nods back. “Good.” Then turns back toward the group of men. “You all know my son, Caleb?”
After visiting with my father’s friends, I end up in a long conversation with the St. Jameses. I haven’t kept in contact with Sophie since graduation, but they tell me she’s doing well, living in Los Angeles and working for an advertising firm. Colt, Jake, and Luke are all here, but we talk regularly enough there’s not that much to catch up on. We make a plan to get together for beers tomorrow night, at Matthews Farm.
Finally, I find Lennon talking to her boss’s wife, Mrs. Stradwell. Although Tom might technically still own theGazette, Lennon is the one running day-to-day operations now.
“Hi, Mrs. Stradwell. How are you?”
“I’m good, Caleb, thanks. Congratulations on your retirement.”
“Thank you,” I answer, hiding a smile. It feels weird to hear that from people, when I’m not even thirty. “Do you mind if I steal my wife away for a minute?”
“Of course not. I’m going to grab some food.”
I reach down and grab Lennon’s hand, then tow her along the edge of the patio, toward the stairs. She glances around. “Hazel…”
“I just checked on her. She’s with my mom, eating cake.”
Lennon grimaces. “She already had one piece. She’ll be bouncing off the walls when we get home.”
“I’ll hook her up to the hot walker.”
Lennon rolls her eyes, but she also lets me pull her off the side of the patio and in the direction of the stables.
“Where are we going?” She has to half-jog to catch up with me, so I immediately slow my steps. “I was just about to get some water.”
“Shit. Sorry. Let’s go back and get you some.” I was so focused on getting her away from the crowd, I didn’t stop to think.
Lennon grabs my tie before I can take a step. “I didn’t say I wanted to go back.” Her lips curve upward as she takes a step closer and wraps my tie around her hand, pulling me closer.
