Page 104 of Beneath the Starlight and Storms

“Put these on and meet me in the dining room.

Yours, Hook.”

I roll my eyes and smile at hisrequest. Yet I take the dress and put it on anyway. Just as I expected, it fits me like a glove, the thin fabric extremely soft against my skin, the length of it hitting just below my knees.

I head downstairs to the dining room, ready to get some answers. Not only about the abundance of gifts I’ve been showered with but also what else Hook has been keeping from me.

A bundle of nerves rushes through me as I walk down the hall and into the room. But as soon as my eyes find Hook’s and the warm smile he wears, they quickly disappear. He’s wearing black trousers and a white shirt with the top part unbuttoned. He looks relaxed and happy but as soon as his gaze finds mine, they grow heated and trail down my body, making my skin tingle and heart race.

As if drawn to him, pulled by that tether between us, I move toward him, the question on the tip of my tongue. I open my mouth to ask him when someone clears their throat beside us.

Turning, I find Ryland and Cash wearing matching boyish smiles and an amused glint in their eyes. Both are wearing suits. The dark black and blue one Cash has on is more tailored to his lean body whereas Ryland’s plain gray and black one looks a tad too short for his muscled frame. As if he outgrew it years ago.

I glance around and realize we’re all dressed up. But for what?

A delicious smell hits my senses, and my eyes finally notice the table of food with a large brown and gold cake in the middle.

“What are we celebrating?” I ask them.

Cash gives me a funny look. “Your birthday, of course.”

It’s… My birthday?I try to remember when it is and when I do, I realize my birthday is this month. It’s been so long since I attempted to celebrate it, that I completely forgot. But it’s tomorrow, not today.

My eyes find Hooks and he gives me a knowing look. One filled with a hint of sadness.

“But it’s not until tomorrow.” I glance between them.

“Hook planned it this way.” Cash smiles, tilting his head toward him. “He wanted to make up for twenty years of missed birthday presents and he wanted to give you your twenty-first present on youractualbirthday.”

“Hook…” I turn to look at him as my heart fills with emotion.

His eyes are soft with a tender look in them, a vulnerability that he only reveals to me.

“Get a room,” Ryland coughs out wearing a mischievous smile, breaking up our little moment.

Cash laughs but it’s quickly cut off when Hook gives him a hard look followed by Ryland.

Ryland clears his throat and both him and Cash suddenly find the rest of the room extremely interesting.

Hook places a kiss on my hand. “We thought you’d like to celebrate your birthday with a family meal.”

Family… My heart stutters at the thought. I glance around at each of them and realize that’s how they see me. As part oftheirfamily.

My throat tightens with emotion. I have a family now. A true one that really cares. Cash has looked out for me from the very beginning while Ryland slowly became someone I could lean on and talk to, and Hook…he was more than family.

Hook glances at the others before looking back at me. “We may not be the most conventional family around, but none of us would leave the other behind. We’re here for each other always. No matter what.”

A slight burn niggles at the back of my eyes as I take in his words. I glance away and try to blink back the tears threatening to spill and it’s only then I see what else they’ve done for me.

Decorations of shooting stars fall from the ceiling. Flowers adorn every vase while another small table sits off to the side, full of my new favorite snacks and treats.

“This is…” I shake my head, not able to find the words. Hooks takes my hand as if he knows just how I feel.

“It’s perfect… Thank you.” No one has ever done something so thoughtful for me. My birthday was never celebrated in the Fae Realm and by the time I found Neverland, I’d nearly forgotten about it.

Hook asked me once and I told him. It was just before he left Neverland, and I didn’t want to remember it again after that. But it seemed he never forgot.

“We all know about your little addiction.” Cash gives me a secret smile pulling me from my thoughts. My mind flits to Hook and last night but then Cash tilts his head toward the table and the large cake in the middle.

---