Grandchildren, he thought again and his gaze drifted to Kendall.
“Well, my story dates back to when Rick was three.” Raina’s voice and his childhood memories brought a welcome respite from the thoughts stirred up by this birthday slash anniversary.
“I thought we were all the way past his high school days,” Roman said.
Like Rick, he obviously knew where their mother was headed and it wasn’t pretty. Rick shot his youngest brother a grateful look though they both knew Raina wouldn’t be deterred. They were right.
She ignored Roman and continued, twisting in her seat, facing the crowd for maximum impact. “Guess what my adorable child wanted to be for Halloween?”
“I take it it wasn’t something as basic as a ghost or goblin?” Kendall leaned into him, her breasts heavy against his arm.
He swallowed a groan, then shook his head. “Just listen.”
“Chase, Rick, and I were in the car when Rick announced he wanted to be a fairy godmother for Halloween.”
The crowd erupted in hoots of laughter and applause. That damn heat worked its way back to his cheeks. Dammit, he was getting too old for this. But he couldn’t help but laugh at the story, as did Kendall. She laughed hard, not stopping even when Rick poked an elbow lightly in her ribs.
“I’m sorry,” she said between gulps of air. “I just can’t imagine it.”
He rolled his eyes. “Me neither, but she swears it’s true.”
“Oh, yeah?” A sexy grin tipped her lips as she met his gaze and a heavy beat of sensual awareness pulsed between them. Completely inappropriate considering how much company surrounded them but altogether right just the same.
“Tell us more about the fairy,” a voice sounding like Samson called from the crowd.
Rick shook his head. There was nothing to do but grin and bear it. With Kendall keeping him hot and his thoughts occupied with taking her to bed, he could handle anything.
“Well since you asked . . .” Raina chuckled. “Rick’s grandmother had read him Cinderella and he’d taken a shine to the fairy who granted any wish. I knew darn well John would enroll him in military preschool if there were such a thing, so I swore him to complete secrecy and promised him packs of baseball cards if he never told his father.”
A round of applause followed. Rick exhaled a sigh, amazed that his younger antics amused these people and touched that they’d all shown up on his behalf.
“Okay, show’s over.” Eric took the microphone from Raina’s hands. “My . . . patient . . . needs her rest. There’s Norman’s best food on the island in the kitchen. Make yourselves at home. Eat, drink, and be merry.” He raised a glass to Rick. “Happy birthday, son.”
Rick blinked, unsure he’d heard the man correctly, thinking he’d meant son more as a warm term than a literal statement. But a glance into his eyes and Rick knew—that word held a wealth of meaning, for both his mother and for him. On the subject of Raina, Eric Fallon had nothing to worry about. Rick, like all her sons, wished Raina health and happiness. She’d found the latter with Eric. After twenty lonely years, Eric had given her something special and Rick felt he owed the man for that.
Though he didn’t have a glass, he met Eric’s gaze and gave him an approving nod. One full of man-to-man understanding. Rick hadn’t had a father in years, but if anyone deserved his mother, Eric did.
Rick stepped forward to shake the other man’s hand, then turned to Raina. “I love you, Mom.”
“I love you too. And, Rick—” Something suspiciously like moisture had pooled in her eyes.
“What is it?”
She opened her mouth, then closed it again before gesturing over to where Kendall stood. “Just that she’s waiting. And I know you care for her. That look in your eyes? You didn’t even have that around Jillian.”
“Well, at least I know the outcome ahead of time. Now don’t you have to rest?” Though she didn’t look quite as tired as he’d expected she would. With a weak heart, something worse than a heart condition as she’d explained to them months earlier, she tired easily and was at serious health risk. But she certainly didn’t look at risk now.
“You know no such thing,” Raina said, referring to Kendall. “When you want something badly enough, you have to go for it.” She patted his cheek. “Think about it. Now Eric’s right. I need my rest.” She took hold of the older man’s arm. “He said I could stay the night at his house so the party could continue here. He even offered to let me sleep in his bed.” A bright blush spread across her cheeks. “I mean borrow his bed while he sleeps on the couch while the party goes on till all hours here.” She turned pleading eyes on Eric. “Get me out of here before I make a fool of myself.”
“Already happened, sweetheart.” Eric shook his head and laughed. “But your wish is my command. Let’s go before you do get yourself in trouble. Make that more trouble. Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of her, Rick.”
“I have no doubt you will.” Rick inclined his head, giving his subtle blessing, then watched as the older couple worked their way through the crowd and out the door.
What a night and it wasn’t half over. Kendall still looked busy with her sister, so Rick headed for the soft drinks on the side table in the corner. Pouring himself a cola, he raised his glass and hummed. “Happy Birthday to me, happy birthday to me. Happy birthday . . .”
“Always sing to yourself?” Kendall came up behind him, snaking her arms around his waist.
Her chest pressed against his back and her warmth seeped inside him, softening his heart yet hardening his body to the point of burning need.
He laughed. “Caught in the act.”
“I loved that story about the fairy godmother.”
“You and everyone else in the room,” he muttered. “Had for a pack of baseball cards.” She pivoted around so she was facing him, her arms still tight around his waist. “I didn’t know you could be bought, Officer Chandler,” she said in a husky voice.
“Those were the good old days. And it wasn’t the cards, it was the gum.”
“I thought you said you didn’t remember the incident?”
She lifted her brows, causing a wrinkle of skin between them, and his desire to kiss her grew stronger. “I don’t remember. But assuming it’s true and not a figment of my mother’s overactive imagination, I was all of three years old. What do you think held greater appeal, the cards or the gum?”
She threw her head back and laughed. “Good point. And one that tells me you can be bribed.”
“Into felonies now are we?”
She set her lips in a pout that incited his already aroused hunger. “No, actually I’m into you.”
* * *
At Kendall’s words, low growl came from Rick’s throat.
“Now that I like.” Kendall forced a smile. She didn’t know how well he’d like it if he realized what was going on in her head. After a night of insight into Rick’s past, she’d discovered how much she didn’t know about him. How much she wanted to know. When she’d told him earlier that she was getting more information out of the show than out of him, she hadn’t been kidding. He hadn’t told her about his birthday. Hadn’t mentioned it at all.