“I am tired.”
“Close your eyes, if you’d like.”
Still no acknowledgement of her big day. Even the TSA agent had wished her a happy birthday when he saw her driver’s license. Mia tried closing her eyes, but a jaunty version of the birthday song played in her head. She let out a sigh, sat up, and blurted it out. “Today’s my birthday.”
“Really?”
“Yeah,” she said, sounding grim. “I’m turning thirty.”
“Well, happy birthday.” He kept his eyes on the highway. “That’s a milestone.”
“A big one.” She waited for more, but he stayed quiet. Maybe he couldn’t hear well with the window cracked an inch. “I’m coming to the house for dinner tonight.”
“That explains it.”
“What?”
“Lucy asked me to pick up dinner at Castro’s.” He gave her an apologetic look. “Sorry, Mia. I didn’t know.”
“That’s all right.”
“I’ll make it up to you.”
She waited for more, but he steered the conversation to the weather. The weather? Really? She was turning thirty, her future was in limbo, and he was prattling about thunderstorms and the Echo River running high. The dull conversation grated on her even worse than the small talk from Captain Chatter on the plane.
By the time they reached the town of Echo Falls, she just wanted to go home. “Would you drop me off? I’ll drive myself to the house.”
“Sure,” he said. “But let’s stop at Castro’s first.”
“I’m beat. My house is only a couple blocks out of the way. Would you mind?”
Instead of answering, he reached for her hand and squeezed. Still silent, he steered the truck into an empty spot in front of the restaurant. Considering the street was packed with cars, the spot was a lucky find. Or was it? “Jake—”
He looked her square in the eye. “Humor me, okay?”
“What’s going on?”
“Come with me to pick up the food.”
“But why?”
“Because I’m asking you to.”
He grazed her cheek with a kiss, climbed out of the truck, and circled to her side. When Mia pushed open her door, he offered his hand, and they walked into the restaurant. She tried to stop at the register to pick up their order, but Jake steered her past it and down an aisle.
Mia dug in her heels. “Jake, what’s going on? Please tell me.”
Stopping abruptly, he faced her. “You’re going to have to trust me. That’s all I can say.”
“Trust you?”
“Yes.”
Mia didn’t trust easily, but she trusted Jake. She also spotted a “Happy Birthday” balloon bouquet bouncing near the ceiling in the back room. The pieces snapped together. Jake hadn’t forgotten her birthday after all. He was part of one of Lucy’s plots. The scoundrel!
Feigning irritation when she really wanted to hug him, Mia huffed air through her nose. “You lied to me!”
“About what?”
“My birthday.”
“Yeah, I did.” His eyes twinkled as bright as the Mylar balloons. “This assignment was undercover. Sorry to fib about it, but the ruse was necessary.”
She laughed, but pleasure was only one of the emotions roiling through her. “Do you have any idea how much I hate surprises?”
“I do. That’s why we’re standing here now.” He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “Are you ready?”
Gazing into Jake’s sparkling eyes, she basked in the knowledge that he knew her like no one else did, and wondered if maybe—just maybe—falling in love was worth the risk of another broken heart. But then the Mission Medical posters flashed through her mind, and she recalled Dr. Benton encouraging her and Dr. Winkler’s sun-damaged skin, a badge of honor in Mia’s eyes. Her commitment to Mission Medical called to her heart, but so did the love spilling out of the back room. Echo Falls needed her too.
Emotionally off balance, she rested a hand on Jake’s arm. When he covered her cold fingers with his warm ones, she took a breath and steadied herself. “Don’t worry. I’ll act surprised.”
“You better, or Lucy will kill me.” He gave her the lead, and she walked the final steps to the back room.
When Mia stepped over the threshold, the crowd shouted, “Surprise!” and broke into applause. The force of it nearly blew her hair back.
Lucy ran up and hugged her. “Happy birthday!”
“I’m—I’m stunned.” Mia held on tight. “You did this, didn’t you?”
“And Jake.” Lucy gave him a mile-wide grin. “It was his job to get you here without spilling the beans. Were you surprised?”
“Completely!”
Laughter rippled all around them. Claire and Frank approached, Claire holding tight to Frank’s hand. She looked both confused and animated, as if she remembered what a party was but not why she was at this one, or who all the people were.
Mia hugged her. “Hi, Claire.”
“Hello, Mia.” She stepped back and smiled. “It’s your birthday.”
“That’s right.”
“Lucy planned it.”
“She’s pretty special.” Mia gave Lucy another hug, then noticed Sam at her side. “Hey, little brother!” She hugged him too.
Mia’s heart swelled to bursting. For the first time in her life, she felt as if she had a family. While Sam and Lucy were linked to her by blood and vows, Jake and his parents were linked to her by choice. No matter what the future held, she would treasure these bonds.
Lucy, her tummy bulging under a camouflage T-shirt that said “Soldier Under Construction,” went to the table with the balloon bouquet and clapped her hands for attention.
As the crowd silenced, Mia savored the sweet lump in her throat. Maybe not all surprises were bad.
Lucy raised both arms in a victory sign. “We did it, folks! We surprised a woman who’s never surprised by anything.”
Applause and whoops filled Mia’s ears. Jake, standing next to her, rested his hand on her waist. She stood a little taller, enjoying the light touch.
Lucy’s voice carried above the clatter of dishes and restaurant noise. “Before we get started, I want to tell you a little about my big sister. Most of you don’t know that she raised me from the time I was ten years old. She made a lot of sacrifices so we could stay together, and tonight I want to pay her back with something she gave me but never had for herself. A real birthday party.”
She paused while people clapped. “You’ve all heard of an over-the-hill party, right?”
Frank shouted, “Mia’s too young for that!”
“Oh, definitely!” Lucy raised her hands to ward off boos. “This is the opposite. We’re going back to being kids, so I’m calling this an ‘upside-down’ party. We have games like pin the tail on the donkey, a piñata, and pinball machines, thanks to Tanner Vending.” She pointed to a row of old-school machines in the back, including a claw-machine game.
The crowd applauded again. Lucy waited until the noise died down, then focused on Mia. “I hope you’re not expecting a pile of presents, because we did something different.”
Mia couldn’t imagine what Lucy might have cooked up. “I don’t need gifts. Just having everyone here—”
“Is only the beginning,” Lucy broke in. “Instead of buying gifts, we passed the hat and collected money for Mission Medical.”
“Lucy, that’s—that’s perfect. Thank you.” Choking up, Mia turned to the crowd. “Thank you all.”
A woman she knew from church handed Lucy a note. “We’re at $872 right now. Let’s aim for a $1,000, okay?”
Fresh applause broke out, and several people dug into their pockets. The generosity warmed Mia to her toes.
Lucy spoke up again. “Let’s get the party started. Games first, then we’ll eat dinner and cut the cake. But first—” She looked at Mia. “I just want to say that I have the best sister in the world, and Echo Falls now has the best nurse to ever walk the planet.”
Sam called ou
t, “My wife never exaggerates.”
“Never!” Lucy joked back. “Okay, someone put on music, and let’s have fun.”
Mia couldn’t stop smiling through the sheen of happy tears. Everywhere she looked, she saw friends and family. When Jenny from the Brownie Emporium came up to her, Jake excused himself with the promise of returning with her usual soda water.
Jenny hugged her tight. “Happy birthday, honey.”
While they chatted, a line formed. Mia hugged and thanked everyone, including Dr. Collins and his wife, who had stopped in town between RV excursions.
Kelsey, last in line, hugged her harder than anyone. “I’m so glad you were gone Thursday and Friday. I was terrified I’d slip and ruin the surprise.”
“You did great,” Mia said. “I didn’t suspect a thing.” Until Jake let the surprise slip a little on purpose.
“Excellent.” Kelsey grinned. “So how did the interview go?”
“Good. Actually, great.”
“You must be so excited!”
“I am.” Or I was. How did she choose between the town she now loved and serving God with Mission Medical? During the flight, she had stared down at the geometric patterns of crops and fallow ground, praying and wishing for that kind of definition in her life. Instead she had landed in a party spinning like a kaleidoscope made of family and friends.
Jake arrived with her soda water, handed it to her, and greeted Kelsey with a bland hello, his tone cool but still friendly.
Poor Kelsey blushed a pretty pink. Grinning, she punched Jake in the arm. “We did it. We surprised Mia.”
Jake let the we hang in the air, then glanced at Mia to include her. “So were you surprised?”
“Very.” But not too surprised, thanks to you. She couldn’t seem to pull her eyes away from his. She felt the sparkle to her toes, but then her skin prickled with the awareness of Kelsey watching them. Self-conscious, Mia turned to her.
Kelsey wilted in front of her eyes. Mia knew how it felt to love a man who didn’t want you. Some of the party joy went out of her, like air leaking from a balloon.
To her relief, Kelsey put on a smile and suggested they play pinball. “I hear Jake’s an expert.”
“I am,” he said, “but no pinball for me. Consider me a retired champion.”
“Show me,” Kelsey said, trying yet again.
Jake started to shake his head, but when Mia saw Kevin Romano and his buddies at one of the machines, she saw an opportunity to distract Kelsey. “Let’s all play.”
The three of them crossed the noisy room to the machines. When Kevin saw them, he strode forward with a mischievous grin. “It’s the birthday girl!”
Before Mia could react, he kissed her on the mouth. She wasn’t naïve about over-the-top flirting. That was all the kiss was, but it annoyed her, and she pulled back fast, fighting to stifle a grimace.
Jake shot to her side, hooked his arm around her waist, and tugged her close. “Watch your manners, Romano.”
“Whoa!” Kevin raised both hands and backpedaled. “Sorry, Jake. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
“It’s all right,” Jake replied. “Just don’t do it again.”
Mia’s heart did a back flip. No man had ever been so ready to fight for her. When she looked up at Jake, protectiveness glinted in his green eyes. If they’d been alone, she would have turned fully into his arms and kissed him. Instead they traded a long look, one full of questions. Easing away from his side, she started to make a joke to erase the tension. But then she saw the crushed looked on Kelsey’s face and couldn’t think of a thing to say.
Mumbling something, Kelsey pivoted and hurried away, shattered the way Mia had been when she walked in on her college fiancé with her roommate. The circumstances weren’t at all equivalent, but the feelings matched exactly. Hurt. Disappointment. And most brutal of all, the knowledge you weren’t enough.
Mia felt sick inside. Unable to stand still and do nothing, she started to follow Kelsey.
Jake stopped her with a touch to her arm. “Let her go. There’s nothing you can say right now.”
“I could try—”
“Mia, don’t.” He whispered into her ear. “She’s been doing this for months. Maybe this is for the best.”
“She’s my friend.” And her office manager. Monday morning would be horrible if Mia didn’t make peace now. On the other hand, wounds needed time to heal.
Inwardly sagging, she kept her feet in place, but her mind followed Kelsey out the door. Was love worth the risk of that kind of pain? With Jake’s arm around her, she wanted to sing out, Yes! Yes! Yes! But life didn’t come with guarantees. And on top of everything, she had made a commitment to God to serve with Mission Medical—if they asked. Confusion crashed down on her like stars falling from the sky.
She barely heard Kevin’s offhand challenge to Jake for a game of pinball. Another firefighter joined them and suggested an impromptu contest. Jake and Mia both bowed out, but Kevin prodded Jake until he gave in.
Lucy came up and looped her arm around Mia’s elbow. “You’re the birthday girl. You need to take the first crack at the piñata.”
Mia made eye contact with Jake to excuse herself, then went with Lucy. Together they made the rounds from the piñata to the musical chair game, and finally to the cartoon donkey pinned to the wall with a dozen tails everywhere but where they belonged. Mia still felt bad about Kelsey, but for Lucy’s sake she laughed and joked. After twenty minutes or so, the buffet opened for dinner.
Jake came up to them. “Let’s eat before Kevin and the crew clean out the tacos.”
“Don’t forget Sam,” Mia said. “He eats enough for the entire US Army.”
Mia and Jake went through the buffet line, then found seats with his parents and Sam.
Lucy followed Mia, sat next to her with a loaded plate, and reached for the bottle of ketchup she’d asked for earlier. “Beanie Baby loves this stuff. You’d be surprised how good it is on guacamole.”
Everyone at the table groaned, especially Sam. When the joking died down, Mia whispered to her sister, “Have you seen Kelsey?”
Lucy’s eyes darted up and down the tables. “Her mother’s sitting with her own friends, but I don’t see Kelsey. She did a ton of stuff for the party. She should sit with us.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Uh-oh.” Lucy lowered her voice even more. “This involves Jake, doesn’t it?”
“Unfortunately, yes. I have to find her.” Mia pushed her chair back. If Kelsey’s mom was here, there was a chance Kelsey hadn’t left the restaurant.
Lucy clasped her arm. “You can’t leave now.”
“But—”
“You have to cut the cake.”
Nodding, Mia settled back in her chair but couldn’t eat another bite.
“I think it’s time to light the candles.” Lucy signaled Sam, and they went to the front table where a sheet cake was on display. Sam pulled out a book of matches, and they went to work lighting the wicks.
After a pause, Jake glanced at Mia’s half-full plate. “Are you feeling all right?”
“I’m fine.”
Lifting one brow, he studied her face in a way that made her feel as transparent as glass. “Now who’s lying?”
“Good work, detective.” She tried to smile but grimaced instead. “It’s Kelsey. I’m worried sick—”
Before she could finish, Lucy motioned for her to come up front. Mia pushed out of her chair and walked forward to a chorus of “Happy Birthday.”
She really did feel like a child tonight, but not in the good way Lucy hoped. With the candles burning bright, Mia ached like the little girl whose father never came home; the teenager who knew too much about chemo. And finally, with thirty candles blazing in the shape of a heart, the virgin with five years left to her best-by date.
A male voice, maybe Hank Jeffries, an older man at church who liked to tease her, hooted in the back. “Good thing the fire department is here! That’s a five-alarm bla
ze if I ever saw one.”
“Get the pumper truck!” someone else shouted.
Some people laughed while others good-naturedly booed. Smiling at the jokes and in spite of them, Mia blew out the candles and gave a fist pump. “To the big 3–0!”
Lucy leaned in and handed her a knife. “After you cut the first piece, I want this back.”
“Why?”
“I’m going use it to give Hank a brain transplant.”
Mia couldn’t help but smile. “Don’t bother. I’d have to stitch him up.”
Lucy hugged her hard. “I love you, Mia.”
“I love you too.” No matter how Mia felt about Kelsey and the age jokes, she wouldn’t let anything ruin this night for Lucy. “Thank you for my party. I’ll never forget it.”
They broke the hug, and Mia sliced the cake. A line formed, and she served up square pieces while Lucy scooped ice cream. The smiling faces blurred in her mind until she handed a paper plate to Jake.
She saw him with utter clarity—the set of his jaw, the gleam in his eyes, one dark brow arched slightly higher than the other. Her heart melted and froze all at once. If he took her home, they would have to talk about the incident with Kevin, the kiss after the fire, and everything those moments implied. Something more than friendship. A future together . . . or not.
As badly as Mia wanted clarity, she wouldn’t find it tonight—not after seeing her own worst fears so plainly in Kelsey. Mia needed time to think and consider her choices, and if at all possible, she wanted to see Kelsey tonight and repair their friendship. Avoiding Jake was an added bonus.
His husky voice filtered to her ears. “We can head out of here anytime you’d like.”
She set down the knife. “I was just thinking about that. I really do need to speak to Kelsey. She’s here somewhere. It might be best if I caught a ride home with Sam and Lucy.”
Chapter
18
Jake didn’t like what he was hearing at all. Kelsey? Was Mia serious? Or was she using Kelsey as an excuse to avoid him? Something was wrong, and he wasn’t about to let her leave without probing deeper. No one was driving her home except him. For one thing, her birthday present was in the center console of his truck. For another, he was fired up after that little incident with Kevin and ready to say a few things.
The Two of Us Page 18