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“Remember there are kids present. Save those types of birthday celebrations until later,” teased Bently.
Brynn tensed in his arms. He pulled away, then hugged her closer to him, giving her back a rub as he tried to comfort her. “Now that the birthday girl is here, we can have dinner.”
“Yay!” shouted a few of the kids.
“What about cake?” asked Lyra, Remy and Mikel’s eldest daughter.
“That’s for after dinner,” Remy reminded her.
“And we have a feast prepared,” Atlas announced, motioning to the bar where there were several platters on warmers lined up buffet style. He’d been kind enough to prepare the food last minute and let Aaron rent the whole place.
Remy had insisted on supplying the cake as a gift.
Betty-Lou and Fred walked up to greet Brynn as Dani bounded over to Aspen. Aaron tugged the coat from his wife’s shoulders, exposing the dress he’d picked out that hugged her slender body just right. It reached the top of her knees, showing off a tease of her toned calves in the red-bottomed black heels.
“This turned out lovely,” his mother said as Brynn made her way through the room, smiling and thanking everyone for coming. Kids ran around as a few parents made their way to the food, fixing plates for their little ones.
“It did, didn’t it?”
She handed him her coat, which he hung on the rack. “I’m going to say hi to Betty-Lou and get some dinner.”
“Do you want me to get you a drink?”
She shook her head. “I can take care of myself. You go mingle with your wife.” His mother placed her hand on his arm, looking into his eyes. “She’s special. I can see why you chose her.”
Getting his mother’s seal of approval shouldn’t have meant as much as it did, but he was glad to have it. “She is.”
She patted his arm and headed towards the older couple in line for food. Aaron took a deep breath and made his way towards the gorgeous woman in the room, needing to touch her. Brynn’s eyes sparkled as she smiled and laughed at something Pippa said, her chin held high, her posture confident. Nothing like the shell of a woman he’d first met. Every day she grew stronger. Even after her setbacks, the woman had clawed her way out. A true survivor. A warrior of her own making. And he’d be damned if he let her go.
He slipped his palm to her lower back. She glanced at him, a warm smile spreading her gorgeous red lips. Gratitude emanating from her like rays of sunshine as she leaned into his touch. The world could be burning down around them and he wouldn’t notice, not when he was enraptured by her soft gaze and electric touch.
The party passed with laughter and stories, food and family. Everyone gathered around the large makeshift table where Brynn sat at the head on one end as Mikel carried the cake, with dozens of lit candles, then set it in front of her. Flames danced on her fair skin, flickering in the reflection of her eyes as everyone sang Happy Birthday to her.
“Make a wish!” Zoey, Jasmine’s five-year-old daughter, shouted.
Brynn giggled. “Okay, I will.” She cast a lingering glance towards Aaron. “This is the best birthday ever.”
He smiled. He’d set out to make her feel loved and special, and it seemed he’d done just that. “Make your wish.”
She stared at him a moment longer before turning towards the cake and blowing out every last candle.
He couldn’t help but hope they wished for the same thing.
