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Leaning down, I flick my tongue over her ear. “Just me?”
“Just you.”
“Hmm.”
“Is that okay?”
“Uh huh. I’m gonna be the best uncle.”
“You already are.”
My chest swells with pride as my hand wraps around Claire’s face, covering her mouth. I smile against her cheek as her teeth press down on the flesh of my palm. “I’m about to fuck you wild, little strawberry, so be good and stay quiet.”
Releasing her, I turn her face to mine, my tongue sweeping into her mouth.
“I love you,” she murmurs against my lips.
My hand claps back over her mouth, swallowing up her scream when I pull out and slam into her as hard as I can.
“I love you wild.”
***
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
Claire
Truthfully, I haven’t enjoyed a birthday so much as this one since my nineteenth. It was the year I was finally legal drinking age, and my parents and brother took me out and pretended like I hadn’t been drinking illegally for the last three years. We spent the day visiting wineries and breweries and went to a fancy dinner overlooking the lake.
I was drunk by the time dessert came around.
After dinner, Casey and Dex took me out. Oh, we also snuck Charlee into the bar. It wasn’t hard. The bouncer played hockey with our brothers for years. He winked at Charlee and let her in the back door. Totally illegal.
But every birthday since then has been difficult. My nineteenth was also the last one I celebrated with my mom by my side.
Actually, that’s not entirely true. She was there for my twentieth birthday, but she was sick as hell in the hospital, and I didn’t feel like celebrating. I snuck off for the day and spent it by myself on the edge of the escarpment, overlooking the town below, the Toronto skyline on the other side of the lake. Casey and Charlee found me just before sunset, towing along a bag of Crunchwrap Supremes.
Now, every year on my birthday, I regret my selfish behavior. I regret letting my emotions get the better of me, because I lost out on one last birthday with my mom. And as much love as I’ve always been surrounded with on this day, I’ve always felt incomplete. Something’s always been missing.
Charlee’s arm wraps around my waist as she tugs me into her side, my head tipping onto her shoulder. I gaze out at the lake, at all the men I love splashing around down there, acting like a bunch of…well, men. I hear a shriek and look over my shoulder.
“Don’t you dare, Wyatt!” Harper screams, arms braced between them while Wyatt ignores her demand, barreling down the hill toward her. He grabs her around the knees and throws her over his shoulder while she shrieks—whether it’s with laughter or anger, I’m not sure. Probably a bit of both. “Wyatt!” I swear, her scream echoes across the lake.
He just keeps on ignoring her, flashing us a grin and a wink as he runs past us and launches himself—and Harper—off the dock and into the lake. When they emerge, Harper jumps on top of him, attacking him while he laughs in her face and easily fends her off.
Vivi walks down the hill with Avery’s mom’s hand in hers, waddling in her life jacket, two buns on top of her head, the sun catching those red strands and making them shine. “Uncle A’wy!” She waves her hands high in the air like she doesn’t already have all of his attention. “Uncle A’wy, you catch me? I jump!”
Avery’s smile lights up his face as he wades closer to the dock. He opens his arms. “Jump, baby! I’ll catch you!”
Charlee moans beside me. “Like, stop it. So freaking adorable. She’s so in love with him.”
She is. She spends most of her time attached to his hip. Or his knee, because that’s about as high as Vivi can reach. She’s been glued to him all weekend, and if he minds, he certainly doesn’t let it show.
And so, as I take it all in, glued to my best friend’s side, looking over the gorgeous lake, I realize how full I am. Utterly happy. Complete.
Beyond that, though, I feel my mom, here with me, with us.
“Look, Claire,” Charlee whispers in my ear, nudging me with her shoulder. She points to the sky and I blink through the glare of the bright sun, spotting one small white cloud, and the tiny patch of rainbow that colors it.
