by Kristen Echo
“Four each,” Connie said.
He uncrossed his arms. The top three buttons on his dress shirt were open, drawing Gwen’s attention. A faint red mark and three scratches decorated the tanned skin. Remnants from their wild morning.
“Forget the food. You ladies have been hiding inside for too long. The sun has set.” He opened the door to outside, letting in a wave of hot air. “Let’s set off some fireworks.”
Connie added one more olive and then jumped off the stool. She raced towards her dad. “I don’t want to miss the Canada Day show.”
Gwen grabbed the noise-canceling headphones from the table. “Don’t forget these.”
Loud noises freaked Connie out, but she refused to go to sleep before the big display. “Thank you,” she said, taking them.
“Save room on the blanket for me,” Wes said with a smile.
So much had changed in a few short weeks. Moving to Winnipeg was the best decision she could have made for her family. Wes was thriving in her new role as Connie’s caregiver. At Spencer’s insistence, she’d enrolled at the University. Her daughter was taking her medication and her depression seemed under control. Some days were better than others, but the good days outnumbered the bad.
“Are you still heading out with friends for the concert downtown?” he asked in his overprotective father voice. “Make sure you bring your phone.”
Spencer treated Wes like a daughter. He doted on her and their bond was growing. Gwen tried not to tear up watching them interact. Likewise, his girls had captured her heart, and she loved them both dearly. She’d heard horror stories of blended families, having tough times connecting. This transition was seamless. It felt like one big happy family.
In addition to the added family, Westlyn’s social circle had expanded tenfold. Gwen trusted her daughter’s judgment. It helped that most of her new friends were hockey players and their entourage. Caroline had taken her under her wing and introduced her to a great group of people.
“Yeah. Altered Chords is hitting the stage at midnight. I promised Carly and Beth that Nico and I would pick them up.” Wes glanced at Caroline’s husband and gave him two thumbs up.
Nico stuffed two deviled eggs in his mouth. He returned the hand gesture, and everyone laughed.
“Wow, I didn’t realize it had gotten so late.” Caroline checked her watch. “Once the fireworks finish, I need to kick it to the venue.”
The group made their way outside into the muggy July 1st weather. The humidity hung in the air, threatening rain. After a long day at work, she looked forward to a relaxing evening with her family. The holidays weren’t an easy time for most people. She used to dread them too. As everyone sprawled across the sea of blankets, she struggled to catch her breath.
Spencer pulled her back against his chest. “Everything all right?” His chin rested against the top of her head.
Gwen looked around at her extended family and wished her sister was with them. After the call from Spencer, Cherie had asked for time. The invitation she’d sent her to join them had gone unanswered. As the days passed with no contact, she was losing hope. Leaning against him, she inhaled a full deep breath.
“I’m good.” She snuggled into his embrace.
They threaded their fingers together as the first burst of light blasted above.
Holding hands with the love of her life, she soaked in the amazing display. She smiled at the sky as hundreds of sparkles exploded. A blanket of twinkling lights painted the heavens in rainbows.
Canada Day with the Northcote’s was nothing short of spectacular. The fireworks brightened the darkness above for over ten minutes, showing no signs of stopping. Her cheeks hurt from smiling and her butt was numb. She shifted and caught sight of someone lingering on the deck.
Cherie.
“I’ll be right back,” she said as she climbed to her feet. Her younger sister had come. Gwen jogged across the lawn towards her and stopped at the bottom of the stairs. “I’m glad you came. Want to join us on the blankets?”
With her face angled to the sky, Cherie shook her head. “No. I… can we talk for a moment? Alone.”
“Of course,” she replied.
They sat across from each other at a long glass table, far away from the group. The pops and crackles of fireworks filled the silence. Gwen wiped her sweaty palms on her shorts. “It’s good to see you.”
Cherie adjusted the strap on her dress and stared at Gwen. “I’m embarrassed by my actions,” she huffed. “And I’m tired of being mad at you. It’s exhausting hating the nicest person you know.”
Gwen laughed. “I’m not that nice.”
“Yes you are,” Cherie challenged. “I got the jewelry the other day.”
“What jewelry?”
“Mom’s stuff. Her wedding rings and the locket you lost when those druggies had raided your apartment,” she explained. “When the package arrived, I cried. Thank you.” She reached across the table and covered her hand. “Why didn’t you leave a note or call me?”
Another selfless act of kindness from Spencer. She’d told him about all the mistakes she’d made. Giving addicts the benefit of the doubt. Trusting the wrong people had cost her so many things over the years. Money and possessions never mattered much to her. But they mattered a great deal to others. Her heart skipped a beat as she glanced over her shoulder at her man.
“Spencer sent those. I had no idea,” she said as her eyes filled with tears.
“He must really love you.” Cherie cleared her throat. “I’m sorry I tried to hurt you by going after him. That wasn’t cool. I’m sorry for being jealous and pushing you away.”
Gwen turned back to her sister and squeezed her hand. “Apology accepted. I’m sorry for being needy and selfish. I never meant to hurt you.”
“Apology accepted.”
She let go of her sister’s hand and poured them each a glass of lemon water from the pitcher. “Can we start over?”
“No, but we can move forward.” She raised her glass for a toast. “Happy Canada Day, big sister.”
Gwen clanked glasses. “I love you. Happy Canada Day, Cherie-bo-berry.”
The sisters sat together and watched the last of the fireworks. As the smoke cleared, and the stars twinkled overhead, she switched chairs to sit next to Cherie. “Does this mean I can call you and you’ll answer now?”
“Probably. But I’m a workaholic. My schedule doesn’t offer much time for a social life.”
Spencer and the group joined them at the table. “Make time for your family. When people ask for the secret to my success, my answer is always the same. Surround yourself with great people and the rest will fall into place.” He leaned down and kissed Gwen, searing her lips with his heat.
When he finally released her, she was breathless. “I love you,” she mouthed, squeezing his hand on her shoulder.
“Thanks for the tip.” Cherie pushed away from the table. “I should get going. I didn’t mean to interrupt your family time.”
“Stay,” Gwen commanded. “You’re a part of this family. We’ve got food and plenty to drink. The kids are leaving shortly, and I’d love to catch up with you.”
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” she countered.
“It’s settled, you’re staying. I’ll be back with a glass of wine after I tuck Connie into bed.” He grabbed his daughter’s hand. After she’d said goodnight to everyone, he dragged her into the house.
The rest of the kids left for Caroline’s show, leaving Gwen alone with her sister. “Thanks for staying.”
Cherie finished her water and fiddled with the glass. “This is awkward.”
“Why?”
“I tried to keep you and Spencer apart,” she said under her breath. “Before you moved here, he’d asked for your number. I never gave it to him. Then I foolishly thought… doesn’t matter. I told you not to see him. The man probably hates me.”
“Spencer and I would always have found our way back to one another. Our timing needed to b
e right.” She smiled and glanced at the soft glow from the upstairs window. A soft breeze caressed her face. “You don’t know him. Once he set his sights on me, he would never have given up. He’s the most persistent human on this planet. I love that about him.”
Cherie tucked her hair behind her ears. “You two belong together. I can tell you love him.”
Gwen’s smile widened. “I do. He’s also the most forgiving man I’ve ever met. Don’t worry about the past. Let’s focus on the future.”
Cherie laughed. “You’re starting to sound like me. Where’s the wine hiding?”
The rest of the night involved plenty of laughter as they reminisced about old times. The mistakes of her past were left in the past. With her sister and Spencer by her side, her heart finally healed. Gwen forgave herself. The future looked bright and filled with nothing but love.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
H er teeth gnashed together as the caterer explained the snafu with her order. She sat in Spencer’s car, wishing for one thing to go right. This was the third call in the last hour identifying a problem. Everything that could go wrong was going wrong.
First, his parents had called because they missed their flight. The next option wouldn’t get them back in time. Knowing how much family meant to the birthday boy, they were supposed to be her big present. Instead, she had a lame set of engraved cufflinks.
Then the hotel had called, asking her to come and discuss an issue with the venue. They wouldn’t tell her the problem over the phone. Now this. She parked the car in front of the hotel and listened to the lady tell her they had no cake.
It took a lot to rattle her, but this party was going to put her in an early grave. Things were falling apart. She should have hired a party planner like Caroline had suggested. Instead of enjoying a lazy day in bed with Spencer, she was running around the city trying to salvage his surprise birthday party.
“Fine. It’s not that big of a deal.” She ran her fingers through her hair, wishing she had a hair tie. “You ran out of buttercream frosting. I don’t care. Slather the cake in cream cheese icing and deliver it on time.”
She disconnected the call and dropped her forehead against the steering wheel. “As long as there’s something on the cake table no one will care. Assuming there is a cake table.”
She opened the door and a flash of heat accosted her. A couple walked by holding hands and eating ice-cream. The sweltering summer sun blasted her bare arms as she walked inside. She expected an instant reprieve once she entered the lobby, but it never came. The inside was even warmer than outside. She marched to the front desk, tapping her flip flop impatiently as she waited for her turn.
Sweat dripped down the cheek of the clerk. “Hello, how can I help you?”
Gwen fanned her face. “We have the ballroom booked for this evening. The reservation is under Gwen Eastman. Someone called and asked me to come down.” A bead of sweat dripped down her spine. “Tell me your air-conditioning isn’t broken?”
The young girl broke eye contact. Never a good sign. She searched through some paperwork and pulled out a manila folder. “I’ve got your reservation here. The AC is fine,” she replied, and Gwen exhaled the breath she’d been holding. “But, the power is out. It’s been down for a few hours and I’m not sure when it will return.”
“This is a nightmare.” She balled her hands into fists. “Even if you get it back up and running, there’s no way the room will cool in time for the party.”
“I apologize for the inconvenience. We are working as fast as we can to fix the power.” The girl dabbed her face with a towel. “We can cancel your reservation if you wish? I’ve been authorized to offer refunds and—”
“Great. The party is in two hours and we have no venue.” Gwen pulled her phone from her purse. “It’s not your fault. Please refund the deposit and I’ll figure something out.”
Once back in her car, she blared the cool air and pounded her fist against the dashboard. “Always in threes. No venue, no cake and no present. Perfect birthday. Way to go Gwen.”
After several deep breaths, she dialed Caroline.
They talked about alternatives on such short notice. The backyard was big enough but wouldn’t work since Spencer was home. Trying to set up around him would be impossible. The only place that would accommodate an entire hockey team, his business associates and all his friends and family was the arena.
There was no way they could pull this off with their limited time. Caroline offered to handle the venue and notifying the guests of the location change. It was Gwen’s responsibility to deal with the rest, including getting Spencer there.
“We’re going to have to cancel the surprise.” She blurted. “We can’t pull this off. I’m the worst girlfriend in the history of girlfriends.”
“Don’t panic,” Caroline said. “The arena is set for a concert tomorrow, so we won’t have to cover the ice. It will work. I’ll get my bandmates to help make the calls. Just stick with the plan. Dad’s never had anyone do something like this for him. Trust me. He’s going to love it.”
“I’m freaking out. My shirt is soaked in sweat and I’ve got no idea how I’ll get your father to the arena.” She stared out the window at the bustling downtown traffic. An idea popped into her head. “But I’ll figure it out. Thanks Caroline.”
They disconnected and Gwen put her plan into motion. Rather than return home, she headed for the mall. She bought a simple, black dress and a pair of killer silver pumps. When the time came to pick up her leading man, she waited. The clock continued to tick until she was officially late. Then she called him.
Spencer answered on the first ring. “Hello, Darlin’. Where are you? I tried calling you a few times, but it kept going to voicemail.”
She smiled and shook her head. He’d called over a dozen times. She knew he’d worry, and he’d wait for her.
“I’m so sorry. We’re going to be late for our dinner reservations because I’m stuck downtown.” She was a horrible liar and her cheeks heated with each word. “I’ve got a flat tire. After fighting with the jack and the bolts, I’ve given up. Do you think you could come get me?”
“I’m on my way. The girls left over fifteen minutes ago, but I told them I wouldn’t leave without you.”
“You’re so sweet. I broke down by arena. We can meet there.” Gwen hit the mute button as a horde of guests passed her in the hall. She smiled and waved as she shuffled into the closest restroom. “Why don’t you park in your spot and we’ll walk to the hotel together. It’s not far.”
“Won’t that make us even later?” His suspicious tone made her palms sweat.
“What’s an extra five minutes? It’s your birthday, and I missed spending the afternoon with you because of this stupid flat. Let me steal a couple minutes alone with you before we rejoin the family.”
Spencer didn’t answer right away, making her squirm.
“Have I told you how much I love you lately?” she asked.
“I’ll never get tired of hearing you say those words.” A deep chuckle followed. “As I recall, our relationship started because of a flat tire.”
She smiled. “I remember. Car troubles followed by a kiss inside an arena. Park the car, come inside and we can kiss by the ice for old times sake.”
He growled. “I’d be happy to skip dinner all together and spend my birthday night with just you. Wait for me by the south entrance. Call the kids and tell them we’ll be extra late.”
Her plan worked. By the time he entered the arena, all the guests had arrived, and everything was perfect. She stood in the empty walkway. He stole her breath as he sauntered towards her. The tailored, dark suit hugged his body, making her mouth water. He wore the blue tie that matched his eyes. She loved that tie. His eyes twinkled with mischievous thoughts. She knew because the same naughty ideas raced through her mind.
“You look ravishing,” he said, pulling her flush against his body. His fingers toyed with the ends of her hair near her shoulder blades. Tingle
s raced down her spine.
With the added height from her heels they were only a few inches apart. She kissed his lips and stared into his eyes. He was so damn sexy.
“Happy birthday, my love.” She nibbled one last time on his delectable lips and then took his hand, guiding him towards the party. “Ready for some ice time?”
He followed along. When she glanced over her shoulder his attention was focused on her ass. She opened the door to the eerily quiet and semi-dark main floor as his hand cupped her bottom. He squeezed hard, and she mewled. Her step faltered, but she kept moving forward.
“I don’t feel a panty line.” He gripped her dress, slowly lifting the back. “I hope you told the kids we’d be very late.”
“Or right on time.” Gwen smiled, tugging the hem line of her dress down as a spot light landed on them.
“Surprise,” over two-hundred of his family and friends yelled simultaneously.
Spencer’s lip quivered for a second before he tossed his head back and laughed. He tugged Gwen in for a hug and kissed her soundly. “You got me,” he said, adjusting the front of his slacks and using her to shield him from the crowd. “What have you done?”
“Brought everyone you love together.” Her hand rested over his heart. It raced as he looked out at his loved ones and then back at her. “Happy birthday.”
They’d pulled off the coup of the year and surprised him. His birthday bash was a huge success. Caroline and Nico had worked their magic and transformed the arena into party central. Round tables draped with blue tablecloths and elaborate centerpieces covered most of the space. In the corner, she saw the three-tiered cake and enough food to feed an army.
“This is amazing.” He kissed her temple. “You’re amazing. I’m blown away. Thank you.”
She stayed by his side as he greeted each and every person in attendance. The place was packed. All the hockey players were there. She could tell he was touched by their attendance. He alluded to it as he introduced her to the new faces. Some she recognized.