Page 87 of Wrath

“You did?” I gave Milo a scratch under his chin. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you might actually like the little guy.”

“He has his moments.” He opened his eyes and smiled. “Kind of like someone else I know.”

“Hey, you better watch it.” I gave Milo one last scratch, then stood and said, “We’re roomies now, and I know where you sleep.”

“Been here five minutes and already making threats.” He picked up Milo and lowered him to the floor, then stood and stepped over to me. “You get all your stuff?”

“I got what I needed for now.” I slipped my arms around his neck. “I’ll need a truck and set of strong arms to get the rest.”

“Consider it done.” He leaned down and gave me a quick kiss. “You hungry?”

“Yeah, I could eat.”

I was kind of surprised that he didn’t say more about me moving in. He didn’t seem all that excited about it. In fact, he didn’t even seem to care. I followed him into the kitchen, and my heart skipped when I saw there was a huge bouquet of white roses and a bottle of wine on the kitchen table. I stopped in the doorway and asked, “What’s all this?”

“Just a little something to welcome you home.”

“Awe.” I stepped over to the table and smelled the roses. “This is so sweet. Thank you.”

“Nothing I wouldn’t do for you, baby.” He kissed me on the forehead, then said, “Now sit, and I’ll bring you over some spaghetti.”

“Flowers, dinner, and wine?” I sat down and smiled. “You’re spoiling me already.”

“I’m just gettin’ started.”

We ate dinner; then Wrath carried my bags to the bedroom and helped me get unpacked. Once we had everything put away, we spent the rest of the night tangled in each other’s arms, celebrating our new living arrangement. The next morning, we slept in, and after a late breakfast and much-needed coffee, we headed over to Hadley’s for Willa’s birthday party.

When we pulled up to the house, we were both surprised at how many people were already there. We barely had a place to park, but we managed and made our way up to the front door. Wrath didn’t even have a chance to ring the doorbell before the door flew open and Tom appeared with a big smile. “Hey, you two. Hadley was wondering when you’d finally make it.”

“I thought the party started at twelve.”

“Yeah, I think that’s right.”

“We’re right on time, Tom.”

“Yeah, well, you know how your sister can be.”

“That I do.” Wrath chuckled. “So, where’s the birthday girl?”

“She’s out back with the others.”

Wrath nodded, then took my hand in his and led me through the living room. When we reached the sliding glass door, he paused and asked, “You ready for this?”

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be? It’s a party. It’ll be fun.”

“A whole backyard full of little kids and their overprotective parents.” Sarcasm dripped from his words as he said, “I’m sure it’s going to be loads of fun.”

“You’ll be fine.” I gave him a little nudge with my elbow. “I’ll be there to protect you.”

He let out a low grumble, then slid the door open and motioned for me to lead the way. I stepped outside and was immediately blown away. Hadley had transformed their backyard into a whimsical wonderland. She had colorful banners and bunting in shades of pink, purple, and blue draped over the eves of the house and swing set. There were balloons of all shapes and sizes scattered throughout the backyard. Streamers hung from trees and fences, and in the center of the yard, there was a sweet, little canopy draped with flowing fabric and little white lights, creating a magical play area for the children.

She had various games set up and an inflatable bouncy castle. And if that wasn’t enough, she even had a face painting station where an artist transformed the children into their favorite animals, superheroes, or fairytale characters. It was crazy and beautiful and the perfect party for a precious little girl.

Hadley spotted us and came rushing over. She gave Wrath a big hug, and then reached over and gave me one as well. As I hugged her back, I told her, “Everything looks amazing!”

“Tom thinks I went overboard.”

“Well, your little girl only turns two once.”

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