“Lily worm!”Jerry Lee squawks from his cage.
“Lily? Killing a vibe? Never.” I shake my head. If anything, shebringsa vibe. That woman can light up any room she walks into.
“Jizz!”Jerry Lee adds.
“Jerry Lee, I swear,” Mrs. Baker scolds. “I’m going to make Trish take him back before the salon is ready.”
“I like him,” Ethan announces proudly.
“Me too,” I add.
“Parker, you’re more than welcome to let him live with you then,” she offers.
“I would, but I don’t think Franki would like that very much. And I don’t think Jerry Lee would like to be left alone while I’m on shift.”
“It was worth a try.” She sighs.
Ethan and I put up some of the decorations I got. A banner that says, “happy birthday” and some multicolored streamers. Lily loves when people make a big deal out of her birthday, it’s cute. I haven’t talked to her much today other than wishing her happy birthday this morning, so I don’t think she’s expecting anything other than a family dinner.
We display the cupcakes on a tray, forming them in an “L” for her. Ethan tries to sneak one early, but I bat his hand away. “Not yet.”
The chicken and dumplings Mrs. Baker’s cooking smell so good, and my stomach growls. I look outside to see Lily bringing Boone into the barn.
“I’ll be back,” I announce to anyone listening. Ethan got sucked into whatever is on the TV, and I jog out to the barn as Lily is putting her horse back in her stall.
“One of these days you’re going to have to race me again,” I say, startling her.
“Jesus Parker. Warn a bitch next time,” she scolds as I close the distance between us, wrapping my arm around her back and hauling her into my chest.
“Sorry, Lil, let me make it up to you.” I drop my lips onto hers in a deep kiss that has her melting into me immediately. Her arms wrap around me, and I’m seconds from lifting her and fucking her against the stall door right here. It hasn’t even been that long, but any second away from her feels like forever now that I have her back. I pull away reluctantly but keep her in my arms. “Happy birthday.”
She hums. “Do I get a present?”
I drop my voice to answer, “Of course.” I move my hands to her hips, pulling us apart and she pouts. “But not yet, that comes later.”
“I hope that meansIcome later.”
I bark out a laugh, bringing her into me again with my arm around her shoulders, and kissing the top of her head. “Anything you want, baby.”
I considerdinner with the Bakers a family dinner because Lily and I grew up so close. Plus, with my mom here, she’s the only family I have aside from the Bakers. Of course, that means the dinners we have usually have some sort of chaos. Usually at the hand of Lily, but as Ethan gets older, he’s becoming more and more like his sister.
It brings me a sense of peace to be all together again like we used to. My mom and Trish joined us a little before dinner was ready. Jerry Lee let everyone know how he feels about the company by barking and screaming obscenities.
Tulips showed her feelings by rolling onto her back after slip and sliding all over the wood floor. She’s been hanging out under the table while we’ve all been eating. I can only imagine how sad she’ll be when she’s full grown and huge, unable to do that anymore.
While everyone at the table is lost in conversation I stand up to get one of the cupcakes to put a candle in and bring to Lily. She looks up at me, and I wink at her. I love how this feels like how it used to. It never mattered where the other was in a room, we could find the other like a magnet.
I light the candle, cupping my hand behind the fire to make sure it doesn’t blow out, before I’m able to set it in front of her. Lily’s mom starts singing happy birthday, and we all join in. I stand behind Lily’s chair, setting the cupcake in front of her as thesong comes to an end. I rest my hands on her shoulders because I feel like I need to be touching her at all times.
She blows out the candle as I lean down to whisper in her ear. “What’d you wish for, Lil?”
She turns her head which brings our faces less than an inch apart. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
“Don’t be gross, I want a cupcake,” Ethan announces loudly, causing laughter around the table.
I press a quick kiss to the top of Lily’s head, knowing that the night is only going to get better from here.
"Hunky Parker!"Jerry Lee squawks, causing more laughter.