“I want Jayden to know Dane’s side of the family and you’re his aunt,” Iris responded. She’d secretly gotten Fallon’s info from Morgan and called his sister. Iris sensed Dane wanted to ask her to invite them, but was afraid of stepping on her toes. But that wasn’t possible. Jayden could never have too much love.
And the Stewart family had brought it in abundance. It was supposed to be a small party, but they’d literally come with a delivery truck and unloaded box after box for Jayden. All his gifts were overflowing on the table in the backyard.
“What can I do to help?” Fallon asked when Iris rose to get them some refreshments.
Her mother and Shelly were already in the kitchen putting the finishing touches on the meal. Dane had ordered the birthday cake, which had been Jayden’s only request. Dane had wanted to do something and she’d seen no reason not to let him. Morgan had brought the cake with her, telling Iris she was under strict orders to ensure the cake arrived in one piece. Iris had invited Morgan to stay for the festivities too.
“Not a thing,” Iris replied. She looked at Fallon. Dane’s sister could easily be a supermodel with her café au lait skin, hazel eyes and slender yet curvy body. While Iris had small breasts and narrow hips, Fallon had curves perfectly suited to her. She wore a wrap top and skinny jeans and looked like she hadn’t seen a mop or a broom in her lifetime. “I want you to get to know your nephew. Plus you might want to keep an eye on your son—he’s pulling out Mom’s roses.”
“Omigod!” Fallon jumped and rushed off to get Dylan, who was into everything. “Gage, help me... Please.”
Gage was dreamy if you went for the tall, dark and handsome corporate type in trousers and a button-down shirt. Iris preferred Dane’s rugged style. Gage wore his hair neatly cropped like he went to the barber weekly. His warm caramel-toned skin complemented his brandy-colored eyes. Eager to help his wife, Gage sprang from his chair and sprinted after Dylan.
Iris smiled. She remembered that age when Jayden was a Tasmanian devil and had to touch anything not bolted down. She was glad those years were behind them. She just hoped Jayden would be allowed to get the chance to grow up. A well of emotion surged through her and she could feel her eyes becoming misty.
“You okay?” a deep masculine voice asked from behind her. Iris turned to find Dane’s older brother, Ayden, standing by her side. He appeared equally amused as she to see sophisticated Fallon and Gage being bested in a running competition by a toddler.
“I’m fine, just a little nostalgic.” Iris sniffed.
“Time goes by fast, doesn’t it? It’s hard to believe I only connected with Fallon and Dane nearly two years ago. It seems as if I’ve known them forever.”
“Was it hard gaining a family so suddenly?” Iris wondered if Jayden would be overwhelmed or excited by the prospect of so many aunts and uncles.
Ayden cocked his head to one side. “Not really. I’d always known they existed, and was kind of jealous of them at first. But I know now that it wasn’t quite roses and sunshine for them either.”
“I appreciate your candor,” Iris said. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. So when is my nephew getting here?” Ayden inquired, glancing around. “I’m eager to meet the little fella.”
“Dane took him for a haircut and a new outfit. He wanted some father-son time alone. They should be here any minute. They’ll both be surprised to see you.”
* * *
Thirty minutes later, Dane couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw his siblings and their spouses and children milling around in the Turners’ backyard. He looked around until he found the person he wanted to thank—Iris. He’d had no idea when he stopped by Iris’s earlier to pick up Jayden that she’d planned this.
The day hadn’t started out great. Jayden hadn’t wanted to go shopping, but once Dane told Jayden he could select his birthday outfit, his son had been thrilled. Jayden claimed his mother never let him wear what he wanted because it didn’t match. They’d settled on jeans and a Puma T-shirt. Jayden was looking smart and hip. The most important thing for Dane was that Jayden was happy. It was why they’d kept the birthday party a secret from everyone except family and Morgan who was quickly becoming like a baby sister to him.
But when they left the store, the trouble started. They were mobbed by a large crowd eager to get their first look at Dane and his son together. The store manager had to usher them through the back door to leave and get back in time for the party.
“Jayden, c’mon. I want you to meet your aunt Fallon.” Dane rushed over to his sister. She met him halfway, and he hugged her tight. He didn’t realize how much he needed his family until they were here with him.
“It’s okay,” Fallon whispered so only he heard her. “Your big sister’s here.”
He squeezed her tightly one more time before letting her go. He shook Gage’s hand, kissed his sister-in-law and gave his big brother a one-armed hug. “I can’t believe you all kept this secret from me.”
“Trust me, it wasn’t easy,” Gage said. “Every time Fallon talked to you I thought she was going to spill the beans.”
“Hey, hey, I know how to keep a secret.”
Dane crouched down to Jayden’s height. “I’d like you to meet the other half of your family, Jayden. This is my sister, Fallon, and brother, Ayden. They’re your aunt and uncle.”
“Pleasure to meet you,” Jayden said formally.
“And this is my husband, Gage.” Fallon kneeled down, looking into Jayden’s eyes as she spoke. “So I guess that makes him your uncle Gage and Ayden’s wife, Maya, your aunt Maya and then there’s Dylan running around here.”
“That’s a lot of names to remember.” Jayden scrunched his face.
“It’s not a test, Jayden,” Dane said. “In time, you’ll remember their names.”
Jayden nodded. “Is that all my gifts over there?” He eyed the mound of wrapped presents sitting on the table.
“All for you, nephew,” Ayden replied. “We couldn’t come empty-handed.”
“You guys are the best!” Jayden ran to the table.
Dane stood and watched Jayden shake each gift, trying to figure out what was inside. “He’s awesome, isn’t he?”
“It’s hard to believe he’s sick,” Maya said quietly.
Dane glanced at his sister-in-law. “I know. You’ll be able to tell as the afternoon progresses. He’ll become more and more tired. He gets drained from doing normal activities.”
“How long before he can get the transplant with your bone marrow?” Fallon inquired.
“A few months. He’s going through the pretreatment chemo first to wipe out his immune system. Then he’ll get the transplant and have to stay in the hospital for months to ensure he doesn’t reject my bone marrow.”
“I’m sorry Jayden has to go through this,” Fallon commented.
“My son is strong.” Dane glanced across the yard at Jayden. He’d seen their resemblance from the start, but as time went on, he’d seen a resilience in Jayden that reminded him of Iris.
Fallon smiled when her gaze connected with his. “Your son.”
“Who’s ready for some lunch?” Iris yelled from across the yard. “Come and get it!”
“Isn’t she amazing?” Dane said aloud to no one in particular. Dane couldn’t get enough of Iris. They’d made love twice this morning and he was still excited about being with her tonight. “I love that woman!” The words were out of his mouth before he realized he’d said them.
Dane glanced at his siblings and they were both looking back and forth at one another. He laughed nervously. “I didn’t mean that how it sounded. It’s just she’s so thoughtful, bringing you all here.”
“Sure, bro,” Ayden said, patting him on the back. “That’s exactly what you meant.” He smirked as he walked off with Maya toward the picnic table laden with fried chicken, potato salad a
nd a fruit-and-veggie tray. Gage scooped Dylan up in his arms and walked off, leaving Dane and Fallon alone.
“C’mon, sis.” Dane stepped farther away from the group. “No need to give me that look. It was a slip of the tongue.”
“Who are you fooling, Dane? Certainly not me, but maybe yourself. I saw the way you looked at Iris when you realized she’d pulled off this surprise for Jayden’s birthday party. You were touched. Deeply.”
“I’m attending my son’s birthday party for the first time. Of course I’m affected, Fallon. I never thought I was going to be a dad—parenthood wasn’t in the cards. That was going to be something only you or Ayden did. But this, this came out of nowhere and blindsided me, but in a good way, ya know?”
Fallon nodded. “I do, so I’m going to give you a piece of sisterly advice and you can do with it as you like. Leave the past in the past. Mom and Dad don’t have the perfect marriage. So what if they aren’t madly in love? That doesn’t mean true love can’t exist. You can be happy, the three of you. You, Iris and Jayden, as a family. Don’t rule it out.”
She left him standing there, watching her as she walked away. Was she right? Was he projecting his misconceptions about love and marriage onto him and Iris? He’d thought he came to the table with a clean slate and they had only Iris’s insecurities to face, but perhaps she wasn’t the only one who needed to heal. He was afraid to admit to Fallon and maybe even to himself...that he was in love with Iris. It scared the living daylights out of him, because he’d never been in love. Until recently, he didn’t even know what it was. All he had to go by was his parents’ train wreck of a marriage. But seeing Fallon and Gage and Ayden and Maya gave him hope that love was worth the risk to his heart.
* * *
“I’m impressed,” her father told Iris when she went into the kitchen to top off the beverages.
“With what?” Iris asked.
“Dane and his family. Considering he’s famous and they’re rich, they’re down-to-earth people.”
“I told you, Daddy.”
“Yeah, you did, but I had reservations,” he replied. “But seeing how Dane is with Jayden and how he looks at you has made me realize I misjudged him.”
“How so?”
“He’s an actor, Iris. I thought he was snowing you, but I can see he really does care for you both. And if I’m not mistaken, I’d say the young man has stars in his eyes when it comes to you.”
“Oh, Daddy. There’s probably something wrong with your eyesight.”
“I know what I saw. I haven’t seen you light up this way in years, baby girl.” Her father stopped her from adding bottled waters to her tray. “I’m happy to see that spark in your eye. After the accident, you lost it, and I thought you’d never get it back. But Dane—he’s the reason, isn’t he?”
Iris shrugged off his question. She wasn’t ready to talk about her tender feelings for Dane aloud to anyone, at least not yet. “Dane coming into our life has brought us so much joy, especially because Jayden has such a long road ahead.”
“C’mon.” Her father nodded his head toward the terrace. “Let’s go make this a birthday Jayden will always remember.”
“You go on.” Iris handed her father the tray filled with drinks and watched as he left the room. “I’ll be there in a minute.”
Her father’s words had reminded her of Jayden’s illness. If he couldn’t withstand the treatment or if the stem cells from Dane’s bone marrow didn’t take, this could be her last birthday with him. The sadness Iris had been keeping at bay washed over her, and she covered her mouth with her hand.
“Iris?”
Dane’s voice brought her back to reality and she quickly brushed the tears away from her cheeks. Taking a deep breath, she turned around to face him.
“What’s wrong?” Sensing her distress, Dane immediately came forward.
She sighed. “I was so happy and then it dawned on me, Jayden might not—”
Dane reached for her and grabbed her by the shoulders. “Don’t say it, Iris. Don’t even think it, okay? You have to stay positive. Jayden is going to pull through this.”
“How can you be so sure?” The odds weren’t in their favor. She would never forget when Dr. Lee had first shown her the graphs and charts of Jayden’s life expectancy if he didn’t get a transplant. It had been frightening.
“Because...he’s a fighter like his mom and dad.”
Iris couldn’t resist a small smile forming on her mouth. “How is it you know exactly the right thing to say to keep me from being a Debbie Downer?”
“Because I have bucketloads of charm.”
Iris chuckled and looped her arm through his. “You’re so arrogant, but I adore you.” She glanced up at Dane. She’d nearly said the L word but caught herself in time. They weren’t in a place to have that particular conversation but it was coming. Sometime soon.
* * *
“Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday, dear Jayden,
Happy birthday to you.”
Jayden’s blended family sang to him. Dane was so grateful Fallon and Ayden had made the trek to LA. Being here with Iris and her folks along with his made the moment more poignant, because Dane hadn’t felt this way about family in a long time. Was he getting soft?
“Make a wish,” Iris said.
Jayden closed his eyes and then blew out his birthday candles on the Transformers cake Dane ordered. Dane had made sure Morgan had found the best baker in all of Los Angeles because only the best would do for his boy.
Dane laughed when his nephew stuck his finger in the icing. “Dylan!” Fallon reprimanded him, but he didn’t seem to care. He’d already gotten what he wanted and was licking his fingers.
“Are you ready for one of those?” Dane asked Ayden, who was a couple of feet away.
“Yeah.” Ayden nodded. “I actually think I am.”
Dane pulled him aside. “You know, it’s a lot harder than it looks. I’ve been getting a crash course on fatherhood.”
“I know, but I’ll have the next six months to prepare.”
Dane glanced up at his big brother. “Are you saying...?” He let the words trail off because the goofy grin on Ayden’s face was a dead giveaway. “Have you told anyone yet?”
“Naw, man, you’re the first. We were waiting until the second trimester, but Maya’s nearly there and I’ve been dying to tell someone.”
“Congratulations.” Dane pulled Ayden toward him and they embraced. “I’m happy for you both.”
“Thank you, thank you.” Ayden glanced behind him and when he laid eyes on Maya his entire demeanor changed. Dane wondered if that was how he looked when Iris was around. “I’m a lucky man. I’m so thankful she came back to Austin. If it hadn’t been for Maya coming home for her niece’s baptism and her mother’s cancer treatments, I may have never seen her again.”
“How is her mother doing?”
“Thanks for asking. She’s in remission,” Ayden said. “It was touch and go there for a while, but she pulled through. It even brought Maya and her sister, Raven, closer.”
“Adversity will do that,” Dane responded. He glanced at his son, who was devouring a piece of the chocolate cake. Icing was all over his face, but he looked content.
“He’ll be okay.”
Dane looked up at Ayden. Though they’d reconnected two years ago, they hadn’t seen each other much. Lately, however, their bond was becoming stronger. “Thanks, Ayden. I appreciate it.”
“Before I forget to ask you... Your assistant, Morgan. Who is she?” Ayden inquired.
“A film school dropout who is working for me. Why?” Dane inquired.
Ayden shrugged. “I don’t know. There’s something familiar about her.”
“I’m sorry to break up this bromance,” Fallon called out as she said h
er goodbyes to the Turners, and Iris and made her way toward them, “but we’re going to head home.”
“Back to Austin?” Dane asked with a frown. “You just got here.”
Fallon stroked his cheek. “And we’ll be back. Now that we’ve met our nephew and Iris, you’re going to be seeing a lot more of us. Maya tells me she has a doctor’s appointment she can’t miss tomorrow.”
Dane smiled knowingly. “Of course. Thank you all for coming.” He squeezed Fallon in a tight hug. “Gage.” He shook his brother-in-law’s hand. “Take care of my sister.”
“Always,” Gage responded.
When Maya came over to him to say goodbye, Dane hugged her close and whispered, “Congratulations.”
“Ayden Stewart.” Maya turned her full gaze on her husband. If it was possible for a grown man to tuck his tail between his legs and run, Ayden would have done it right then. He had guilty written all over his face. Maya smiled at Dane. “We’ll see you again soon.”
* * *
“Today was fantastic, Iris,” Dane said once they’d put an exhausted Jayden to bed. On the way home, he’d talked incessantly about the party, all his gifts and his new aunties and uncles. He’d even taken a shine to Dylan, who’d followed him around like a puppy dog.
And they hadn’t even had too much trouble with the paparazzi. When they’d arrived at Iris’s, a few tabloid reporters had yelled happy birthday to Jayden, and one had asked if having Dane as his father was the best birthday gift. Dane wanted to deck him, but knew the best approach was not to ignore him and not feed into the mania.
Now Dane and Iris were going to bed. Dane had gotten rather used to spending the night over at Iris’s. At first, they’d been worried about how Jayden would react. They needn’t have bothered. When Dane had come out of the bathroom wearing his boxers one morning, Jayden merely said, “Hey, Daddy,” and went back into his room. It was the first time he’d called him that and Dane had been overjoyed. Iris had still worried about the impact on Jayden. But over bowls of cereal later that morning Jayden had told her he liked having Dane around, saying he felt safe. And that was that. Dane began staying over more often.
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