I stopped by the table where Sandy and Jordan sat. Both looked well, although they had slowed down considerably. But Sandy’s smile was wide, her greeting effusive. I kissed her downy cheek.
“I saw the bagels in the freezer at the house,” I told her. “Thank you.”
She never forgot how much I loved bagels and always made sure there were some waiting for me when I arrived.
“Always, dear boy.”
I headed to Reed and Heather, kissing my daughter and shaking his hand.
“One party wasn’t enough?” I asked.
Heather laughed. “We couldn’t let this momentous occasion pass, Dad.”
“I would have been happy to let it.”
“Nonsense. It’s just us—family—enjoying the night.”
I had to laugh. “Just us” with this bunch meant eight families and their children’s families blending together to make one very sizable gathering.
“And me,” said a voice.
I turned and met Luc James’s blue eyes. He was smiling, holding out a bottle of champagne. “Congrats, Richard.”
I shook his hand, thanking him. “Thank you, Luc. Good to see you.”
“You as well. You’re looking good.”
I scoffed. “For an old man, you mean?”
He chuckled. “Whatever, Richard. None of you seem to age. You all look the way you did while I was growing up.” Then he stepped back, encircling the waist of the woman beside him. “This is my girlfriend, Ashley. Ashley, this is Richard, Heather’s dad.”
I observed her as she greeted Heather and Reed before turning to me. As Heather had said, Ashley was tall. Willowy. Long, straight hair fell past her shoulders in a dark sable color. She was elegant and classy, wearing a formfitting dress and high heels which added to her already statuesque height. She was lovely, with high cheekbones, green eyes, and perfect posture.
“Richard,” she said with a smile. “Nice to meet you.”
Something struck me as familiar when she smiled. Up closer, her eyes were more blue than green, and she was reserved but cordial. I accepted her hand, the fingers long and elegant in mine. She glanced down, her gaze widening, and a brief look of shock passed over her face. For a moment, she stared, transfixed. I glanced down, wondering if there was something on my hand, but I saw nothing out of the ordinary. She pulled back as if I had burned her, surreptitiously wiping her hand on her dress. Before I could react or ask her a question, Katy appeared, holding another plate. I tugged down my jacket sleeve that had ridden up and accepted the plate Katy offered.
“There you go, my darling. Wouldn’t want you to waste away. Oh, hello! You must be Ashley. My Heather has spoken highly of you.”
She reached out to shake Ashley’s hand. Ashley suddenly seemed jittery, shaking Katy’s hand quickly and stepping back, her shoulders tight and her tension obvious. I caught a glimpse of animosity as she looked at Katy, then at me. I swore I saw a flare of hatred before it passed and her gaze became neutral. It unnerved me, leaving me feeling off-kilter.
“I see where Heather gets her looks,” she said, directing her attention to Katy.
Katy smiled warmly. “I think she got the best of both of us. All of our children did.”
Once again, Ashley’s gaze skittered my way, calm and detached. I must have dreamed the flash of hatred. It had to be the lighting. She appeared more relaxed now. Perhaps I had imagined the whole thing. I was probably hungry. That had to be it.
Heather sidled up beside me, wrapping her arm around my waist.
“You’re not really upset, are you, Dad? We wanted to give you a party.”
I kissed her head. “Never, my girl.” Then I frowned. “No colors in your hair?” Heather loved wild streaks in her hair, changing them to match her mood.
She shook her head. “I haven’t had streaks for a bit. I wanted my hair natural for the wedding pictures. You don’t like it?”
I pressed a kiss to her head. “I love your hair now or when it was colored. The blue was a personal favorite.”
She laughed. “I’ve been phasing it out for a while. Just took you longer to notice it. Mom saw right away.”
I exchanged an amused glance with Katy. “Of course she did. Your mom is awesome that way.”
Heather leaned up, kissing my cheek. “You’re pretty awesome too, Dad.”
I grinned. “I know.”
That made her laugh. I got another kiss, and she took Reed’s outstretched hand. “Go enjoy your party, Dad. We’re going to mingle.”
I turned to Katy, catching the eye of Ashley, who seemed to be watching us closely. Again, I felt some animosity in her stare, and I frowned in confusion. She looked away quickly, turning her back. She walked away, glancing over her shoulder, her gaze piercing. Familiar.
Had I met her before?
Maddox appeared beside me. “The star of the show is being far too quiet, Richard.”
I laughed, elbowing him. “You want to dance with me or something, Mad Dog? Start the ball rolling? Show these kids how it’s done?”
He laughed. We had once tried to teach Reid Matthews to dance so he could impress his then-girlfriend, Becca. The evening involved a lot of cursing, pizza, alcohol, laughter, and sore toes. We managed to at least teach him the basics, and he impressed her enough she married him.
“Maybe later. I need more whiskey first. Maybe you should start with your wife.”
“You’re right.” I tugged off my suit jacket and loosened my tie. I unclipped my cuff links and rolled up my sleeves, winking at Katy.
She leaned close and kissed me. “You look as good taking off your suit as you do in it,” she murmured.
“I’ll take it all off for you later,” I promised, sliding my cuff links and tie into my jacket pocket. I laid the jacket over the chair and took Katy’s hand. “Dance with me, sweetheart.”
She smiled. “I thought you’d never ask.”
6
RICHARD
I woke up the next morning, slightly worse for wear. I rubbed a hand over my aching head with a small grimace and sat up gingerly. The sun was high in the sky, and I could hear the muted sounds of laughter and talking coming from outside. Glancing at the clock, I shook my head. I couldn’t recall the last time I had slept until almost noon. I also couldn’t recall the last time I had danced and laughed so much. It had been a great party. Lots of food, top-shelf liquor, hilarity, and love. The standard family get-together with this group. We had stumbled home around two, my arm thrown over Katy’s shoulder, stopping every few feet to kiss her mouth and tell her how pretty she was or how much I loved her.
It took us a long time to cover the short distance.
On the nightstand were a bottle of water and a couple of Tylenol, which I swallowed gratefully. As usual, my Katy knew what I would need and took care of it in her quiet way. I shuffled to the bathroom and took a long shower, the water and heat washing away the rest of the aches the Tylenol hadn’t touched. I felt better after a shave and donning fresh clothes. I headed downstairs, poured a cup of coffee, and found Katy on the deck, her Kindle in hand, relaxing.
I bent and kissed her head. “Hey, sweetheart.”