Wildfire (Maple Hills, #2)(77)
“Thanks for being so clear and concise, buddy.”
We’re almost there when he throws an arm around my shoulders. “She gives you the puppy eyes. You don’t know how scary she can be to the rest of us when she chooses to be.”
I can cope with a cake on my birthday if it makes Aurora happy. Having a birthday during summer break has always meant people are busy and my mom’s attempt at a birthday celebration always turned into some kind of drama, so I stopped making an effort.
I haven’t checked if anyone has tried to reach me today to wish me happy birthday, but last night when I used it to google the Roberts family—which feels embarrassing to admit now—I had no missed calls or messages from my family. I haven’t heard from anyone since the hospital and, even though I made it clear I didn’t want to be contacted, I’m still surprised they listened. I don’t even have any money requests from my dad, which is more suspicious than surprising.
Xander clears his throat, dragging me out of my head. “Listen, I need to blindfold you and I really need you to not punch me.”
“Please tell me you’re joking. What could I possibly need a blindfold?”
“Does this feel like the kind of thing I’d joke about? Maybe Clay’s going to jump out of your cake and strip, I don’t fucking know.” He pulls one of the blindfolds we use during one of the kids’ games from his pocket. “I’m not tough enough to fight you, big guy. Let’s not make this difficult. She was very clear that you need a blindfold.”
He places the material over my eyes as I huff. “You knew this was coming and you still let me moan about my feelings?”
“Told you, you’re a fool.” Letting Xander navigate me while blindfolded is now considered my personal hell. It’s totally silent as we come to a stop and part of me worries he’s about to push me into the lake or something. “I’m taking the blindfold off. Remember to act surprised about your cake,” he whispers as he unties the material at the back of my head.
I squint beneath the sunlight as my eyes readjust and everyone shouts happy birthday all at once. I’m immediately piled on by multiple bodies and it’s not until they free me from their clutches and step back that I realize who’s in front of me.
Henry’s pushing Nate out of his personal space, while Robbie maneuvers himself out of Kris and Bobby’s way. JJ’s arm lands on my shoulder and my jaw still feels like it’s on the floor. “Happy birthday, kiddo.”
“The girls and Joe send their love,” Robbie says. “We wanted to video call them, but you weren’t joking about the service here.”
“What the fuck is happening right now?”
Two of my campers, Sadia and Leon, push their way through my friends and hold out a huge handmade birthday card. Sadia frowns. “You can’t say curse words in front of us.”
Crouching down, I try to drag myself back into work mode as I gratefully accept the card. “You’re right. I’m sorry, I’m just very, very surprised.” There’s a painting on the front of it but I can’t work out what it is. My friends are at Honey Acres and this birthday card looks like it lost a fight with a paint gun. “Give me a clue, guys.”
Leon points to blue blobs. “It’s you crying about Kevin’s turd.”
“Your friends are really noisy,” Sadia says, looking around them all. They are being noisy, cheering and shouting as they try to control their visible excitement. Each of them has a yellow lanyard around their necks with the word visitor printed on it.
“Being slandered by an eight-year-old,” Mattie says quietly to Robbie.
“I slander you all the time, Liu,” Nate snorts.
They’re not quiet enough because Sadia hears everything. “It’s not slander if it’s true—my mom’s a lawyer.”
“Okay, legal eagle,” Jenna says, making her way through the people crowding around me. “We’ve had Russ to ourselves for lots of weeks. Why don’t we let him have one more minute with his college friends and then we can start his party.”
“Party?” I repeat, swallowing.
“You really thought she was going to let you get away with not celebrating?” Jenna says. There’s something in her tone. Something that tells me maybe she knows what I don’t want her to know and, weirdly, it makes me feel better, because she hasn’t fired me. “Fat chance of that. She got everyone here in under twenty-four hours. She goes all out for people she cares about.”
Looking over the shoulders of my friends, I spot her talking to Emilia near the entertainment stage. I don’t know why she’s hanging back, when all I want to do is wrap my arms around her. “I’ll be back in one minute,” I say to the guys, immediately heading towards her.
Her face lights up as I approach and it takes every fiber of my restraint to hug Emilia first, so it doesn’t look suspicious. I let Emilia go and hold out my arms to Rory until she wraps her arms around my waist and I bury my head into her hair.
Aurora is glowing as she leans back and smiles up at me. “Happy birthday, Callaghan.”
“You’re incredible.”
“Happy birthday, Russ,” Emilia says, slapping me on the arm, as she leaves Aurora and I alone.
I don’t want to let go but I know I have to. She knows too, which is why she takes a step backwards. “You didn’t give me any time to get you a birthday present,” she grabs a small paper gift bag from behind her, “so it isn’t very good, but please know it caused me a lot of stress and took so freaking long to do because I’m out of practice.”