“Sure, but aren’t we singing and cutting the cake soon? Can’t have the birthday girl miss that. Plus, Chiara will want to help you blow out the candles,” Mom said, pointing to her granddaughter.
“Of course. This should only take a minute or two.” Ryan tapped my back twice like a signal to hurry and escape.
“Thank you,” I said once in the back hallway. “You’re officially my hero.” And Ryan really was a hero. He’d served as a Navy SEAL for twenty years, only retiring because it’d been medically necessary. His family had been our next-door neighbors growing up, and now he was happily married to my sister.
It still struck me as strange that Natalia had started seeing Ryan at all, since she’d first dated his brother. Anthony had been all wrong for her. A cheater, too. Mom was to blame for that relationship, of course.
Ryan, though, was far from a bad guy. He’d kept his feelings hidden from my sister for more than a decade, doing his best never to cross any lines even when she was single. Then fate brought them back together.
“Does Natalia really need me?” I asked as he pushed open the kitchen door, and my heart went to my throat at the sight of Enzo. He had his back to me while talking to my sister. His black chef’s coat was on, as if he’d been busy in the kitchen even though we were closed tonight for the party and Natalia had hired someone else to cater so no one had to work.
“She does,” Ryan replied as Natalia peeked around Enzo, smiled, and waved me over. “Hey, you. How are you holding up?” He went to Natalia and took a knee before her and kissed my sister’s pregnant belly before rising to his full height of six-two.
He had stars in his eyes for my sister, acting like he hadn’t just seen her and their unborn son five minutes ago, and I freaking loved it.
Natalia smoothed her hand over her abdomen and winced as if she’d been jabbed in the ribs. Her son was as active at six months as Chiara had been in my belly back in the day. “I wanted to show you the cake before we brought it out. Enzo and I collaborated to come up with something special.”
“Oh?” I looked around but didn’t see anything.
Enzo finally faced me, and his eyes combed over my pink-and-white sundress. He took me in inch by inch, and goose bumps scattered over my bare arms. “I’ll get it.” He headed for one of the industrial refrigerators on the other side of the kitchen, and I couldn’t take my eyes off his tall, muscular body as he sauntered away.
A tall, dark-haired “heartbreaker” inked in tattoos.
“You look pale. You okay?” Natalia stepped forward and set the back of her hand to my cheek as if checking for a fever.
“Mom was just being Mom, and you know how that goes.” I sighed, and Natalia pulled her hand back and exchanged a quick look with Ryan. He shrugged, as if not too optimistic Mom would ever truly change, either.
But people do change, right? Maybe not Mom, though.
My gaze switched to Enzo as he pushed a rolling cart in our direction with the sheet cake on top of it.
“What do you think?” Natalia beamed and stepped away from her husband to hook her arm through mine.
I forced my attention up to the other side of the cart where Enzo stood, hands in his pockets, eyes focused on me. “It was your sister’s idea. I can’t take credit.”
“He’s being humble.” Natalia elbowed me. “What do you think? You’re not talking.”
I studied the large sheet cake, which had a bookshelf painted on it in frosting. There were books on each shelf with printed titles on the spines.
“Twenty-nine books for your birthday,” Natalia continued, since I was still searching for words. “I went through your bookshelf at home. I figured whichever were the most worn were your favorites, so those are the titles I chose. Plus a few throwbacks I remembered you reading as a kid.”
“It’s incredible,” I whispered. “Thank you.” The Hunger Games was on the top shelf. And I was back in Hudson’s office again, remembering when I’d channeled my inner Katniss to face off with the man before me now. “I’m . . .” Going to cry. On the middle shelf there was a Baby-sitters Club book, a reminder of Bianca. She’d introduced me to that series one weekend in the Hamptons when I was ten.
“Could we have a minute?” Enzo’s rumbly voice had me looking up at him, tears brimming in my eyes; had he read my mind? Did he know I was thinking about his twin?
“Yeah. Just roll the cart out when you’re ready so we can sing. I’m sure everyone is excitedly waiting.” Natalia smiled, and Ryan took her hand as they left.