“You fixed it out here. It looks great.”
Not as good as it was but it would do. “Jess helped.”
“I am sorry, babe.”
After a minute, she stepped away. “It wasn’t your fault. Silas is quick.”
“He didn’t understand what he did wrong. I know it was a disaster but I really do wish you could have seen him laughing as he sprayed everything in sight. He was just like any other kid, up to mischief.”
“But he’s not like any other kid, right? You have to watch him every single second. He could have pulled the hot barbecue grill over on him.”
“I only had my back turned for a second. I might not be the world’s greatest dad, but I know how to keep an eye on my kids.”
The defeat in his voice made her want to hug him and tell him he was a wonderful father, but the doorbell rang, announcing the Whitakers, and the moment was gone.
25
Nate
From the instant he walked into the McBrides’ lovely backyard overflowing with flowers, Nate sensed a subtle tension in the air.
He couldn’t quite figure out the source and wondered if he was imagining it. Everyone was cheerful enough, welcoming him and his family. The cute little McBride girls ran up and hugged Sophie, who seemed to lap up their attention. To his surprise, the youngest girl, Ava, then hugged him, too.
“Hi, Mr. Nate,” she said. Apparently, they had bonded during the evening he spent with them and their aunt.
“Hi there, Ava.”
“Guess what? Freckles is going to have puppies!”
“That’s fun.”
“Yeah. And I hope we can keep every single one of them.”
“We can’t,” Rachel said, which was obviously a position she had taken before and would probably have to reinforce over and over until after the puppies had a new home.
“Hey, want to see our playhouse?” Grace asked Sophie. “We got a new table in there. Our dad made it.”
“Sure. Let’s see it. Come with us, Silas.” She reached for the boy’s hand and he let her take him toward the playhouse with his sisters.
Sophie had always loved kids. She was so good with them. A complete natural. She must have inherited that skill from his mother.
As soon as the children were gone, Eleanor immediately turned to Rachel. “Where would you like my salad? Over on the long table?”
“Yes. That works. Thank you.”
“How can I help?”
“Everything is ready. We just have to get things on the grill, which shouldn’t take long,” Rachel said with a smile that seemed not quite genuine.
“I can help with that,” Nate said, heading in Cody’s direction.
“Sure. I would appreciate the company,” the other man said.
The two of them talked about the various construction sites they were working on while the three women brought out salads and appetizers.
It was a beautiful evening on the coast, one of those perfect, seaside spring nights. Though the McBrides’ yard did not have a view of the ocean, he could hear it ever present, murmuring somewhere not far away.
Jess seemed slightly restless, as if uncomfortable at being the center of attention. Even as she smiled and made conversation, Nate somehow had the feeling she wanted to be somewhere else.
His mother was the complete opposite. She seemed in her element. She helped Rachel with the food, she entertained the children, she held Silas on her lap when he was about to throw what looked like an epic tantrum during dinner and distracted him by folding her napkin into a paper airplane.
What was the story between Rachel and Jess? Though it was clear they cared about each other, he sensed an uneasy edge between them.
“Thank you, everyone, for coming to this special celebration,” Rachel said after they finished the delicious meal of tender grilled chicken and juicy, flavorful steak kebabs.
“Everything was so good,” Eleanor said. “You have to give me your marinade recipe.”
“I’ll email it to you,” Rachel promised.
“Is it time for cake yet?” Ava asked eagerly. “I can’t wait. I’m starving.”
“You just had two chicken kebabs and tons of fruit salad. You’re not starving.”
“But chicken and fruit salad aren’t cake. I’m starving for cake,” she said.
He couldn’t fault her logic and had to smile. Jess smiled, too, her face looking bright and amused in the flickering garden lights. He didn’t want to look away.
“I guess we should get to the cake so I can get you three to bed, since you girls have school tomorrow. Ava and Grace, why don’t you come into the kitchen with me to help me light the candles for your auntie Jess’s birthday cake.”
“Cake,” Silas said from his spot in a high chair next to Cody.
“Did you hear that? Did he say ‘cake’?” Cody stared at his son.
“It sounded like cake to me,” Jess said, beaming over at the toddler with a soft light in her eyes.
“Say it again, sweetheart. Tell Mommy what you want,” Rachel urged.
“Cake,” he said clearly.
Judging by everyone’s excitement, he gathered Silas didn’t have much to say most of the time.
“Good job, kiddo,” Cody said gruffly.
“I should have known one of his first words besides the basics would be cake,” Rachel said, rolling her eyes.
“Count your blessings, I suppose. It could be something worse. Nate’s first word was poop,” Eleanor said.
The girls giggled and looked at him with wide eyes while Sophie groaned with disgust.
“Thank you for sharing that, Mom,” he said dryly.
She gave him an angelic smile. “You’re welcome, darling.”
Rachel took Ava and Grace inside, and a few moments later, they came back out carrying Jess’s birthday cake, a lovely concoction covered with tropical flowers. On top were two candles, one the number three and the other a zero.
“Oh wow. It’s so gorgeous,” Jess said. “Thank you. It looks too pretty to eat.”
“Guess what?” Ava said. “You can even eat the flowers! Mama made them out of frosting. They’re really good. I ate one of the leftovers.”
“That’s beautiful,” Eleanor said. “You are so talented, my dear.”
“I didn’t get a leftover flower,” Grace complained.