Chapter Sixteen Charlie
Chapter Sixteen
Charlie
I’d never experienced anything like the whirlwind that was Violet Beaumont in party mode. Harper was still floating on air after waking up to a roomful of balloons and dancing around the house that the birthday fairy had come to visit her.
I personally was still floating on air that the birthday fairy and I had shared a hot kiss in the kitchen this morning.
I didn’t know what to make of it.
She was so hot and cold with me, and I couldn’t read her.
Violet had insisted that I take Harper to the Brown Bear Diner for pancakes so she could get the inside set up for the party, as she wanted to surprise my daughter with the decor.
I normally bought some paper plates and cups and a cake, but this year, I’d agreed to let her do all the shopping for the party and take over the whole thing.
When we pulled up to the house, I sent her a text, per her instructions.
She was a bossy little thing.
Harper unbuckled and climbed into the front seat once we were parked in the driveway.
Me: We’re home. Can we come inside now?
“What did she say, Daddy?” Harper asked.
“I’m waiting for a response. Seems kind of silly that we can’t go in our own home, doesn’t it?” I grumped, even though I thought it was sweet that Violet wanted to set this up for Harper.
“I don’t think it’s silly. Violet likes to make everything special. I can’t wait to see what she did.”
My phone dinged with a text.
Firefly: Come on in!
“All right. We can head inside,” I said, and my daughter was immediately out of the truck and running toward the house.
That’s when I noticed the front porch now had a bunch of balloons, and she’d moved the banner I’d put up this morning in the kitchen out front and strung it across the railing on the front porch.
“She even did stuff out here, Daddy!” Harper shouted just as Violet opened the front door.
“Welcome to Harper Huxley’s Pinkalicious party,” Violet said as my daughter lunged herself into her arms.
Harper had grown attached to Violet, and as much as that made me nervous, I understood it. They were drawn to one another, and it wasn’t my place to stop my daughter from having those connections.
I didn’t want her to be closed off the way I was.
“Thank you, Vi!”
“Come on, let’s go take a look.” Violet set Harper down on her feet and took her hand, leading her inside.
My jaw hung open at how much she’d gotten done in just the time that we’d been gone.
The foyer had a grand pink-and-white balloon arch, with gold crown balloons and a giant number seven balloon.
In the kitchen, the island was covered in pink-netted fabric, with flowers and platters labeled where the food would go.
Pinkalicious Pinkerton turkey subs.
Pinkerton potato chips.
Pinkalicious fruit kabobs.
What the hell was a fruit kabob?
Pink and white lanterns hung from the ceiling, some striped and some with polka dots. There were streamers and more balloons every which way we turned. A photo booth with a huge backdrop said Harper’s Pinkalicious Party.
“Violet!” Harper’s voice cracked, and I startled when I saw tears streaming down her face. “This is the prettiest party I’ve ever seen. Thank you.”
“Oh, Harps.” Violet bent down to get eye level before wrapping her arms around my baby girl. “You deserve the most beautiful party. You’re seven years old, after all. And you and your daddy have been so nice to let me stay in the guesthouse. It’s the least I could do.”
For fuck’s sake.
I was at a loss for words now.
“Daddy, what do you think?”
“It’s perfect.” I cleared my throat. “Thank you.”
Violet stood up, and I noticed that she blinked several times as she looked down at my daughter. “I’m glad you guys like it. I know your daddy got you the pretty pink dress, but I have a little something for you too.”
Violet walked to the kitchen table and brought over a rectangular box wrapped in pink-and-white-striped paper with a big pink bow.
She handed Harper the package. Harper’s eyes were wide as she tore it open, and then she gasped when she lifted the lid.
Inside the box was a pair of pink high-tops covered in pink stones with pink ribbon laces.
“Are these real diamonds?” Harper asked as she ran her fingers over the shoes.
“They’re rhinestones. I put them on the shoes because I wanted you to have the sparkliest shoes to wear to your party.” Violet bent down and hugged her.
“These are the most prettiest and most sparkliest shoes I ever saw.” Violet bent down and slipped the shoes on, and I helped get them laced up.
“I’m so glad you like them,” Violet said.
“They’re my favorite.”
“You should go get dressed, because the food will be here in twenty minutes, and then guests start arriving in less than an hour. We can take some photos of you in the photo booth before everyone gets here.”
“Okay, I’ll be right back!” Harper giggled all the way down the hall as she ran to her bedroom.
“Violet,” I said, my voice gruff.
She turned to face me. “Yes?”
“That was—” I blew out a breath. “That was really kind of you. Thank you.”
“Of course. I wanted this to be special for her.”
“Well, you’ve succeeded. I saw the charge on my card for the food and the cake, but you didn’t charge me for half of this stuff.”
“I’ve been living rent-free in your home. You’re also renovating my home for me. I would have paid for the food as well, if you hadn’t been so pushy about making me use your card.” She chuckled. “I wanted to thank you for everything you’ve done for me.”
I nodded, fighting the urge to pull her into my arms.
Damn this woman for getting under my skin in every possible way.
“Thank you. I appreciate it,” I said, moving a step closer as her tongue swiped out along her bottom lip.
I placed a hand on the side of her neck, my thumb stroking along her jaw.
And the motherfucking doorbell rang.
Violet chuckled as Harper ran down the hall in a pink dress with a big gold crown on her head and her pink sparkly shoes.
“I wonder if it’s my Pinkalicious cake!” she shouted, moving toward the door.
I beat her there and pulled the door open. Caroline stood on the other side.
There was an awkward silence as my daughter processed who it was.
It wasn’t her cake.
It wasn’t her sandwiches.
It was her mother, who showed up once a year to spend a few hours with her.
“Happy birthday, Harper. Do you remember me?” Caroline’s blond hair sat on her shoulders, and she had a smile plastered on her face. Our daughter had her mother’s green eyes, but everything else from her hair color to her golden skin color to her expressions seemed to come from me.
“Hi, Caroline.” Harper’s tone was colder than usual, which had alarm bells going off in my head.
Maybe these visits weren’t healthy for her anymore.
“Well, are y’all going to make me stand out here all day? I came for the party.” Caroline chuckled as if it was perfectly normal to show up to her daughter’s party when they hadn’t spoken in a year.
I stepped back. “Sure. Come on in. I wasn’t sure if you were coming, because you said you didn’t want to do the big party thing.”
“Well, you refused to move it, so you didn’t give me much of a choice. And this is the only day I could come. I’ve got a wedding to plan, and we’re building a new home,” she said as she fluttered her hands around. “Look at my ring, Harper. I’m getting married.”
Harper glanced down at the gargantuan diamond and shrugged. “Okay.”
“Wow. This place is very pink. You don’t usually decorate quite this much. Who did the decorating?”
“My Violet decorated for the whole party,” Harper said as we moved toward the kitchen.
“Who is Violet?” Caroline asked, not making any effort to hide her irritation.
It was hard to wrap my head around the fact that this woman flew in once a year and had the audacity to be annoyed that we had our own shit going on.
“This is Violet,” Harper said, running over to wrap her arms around Violet’s legs as she stood at the counter filling a large white tub with waters and sodas.
“Are you a party planner?” Caroline asked, and her tone had an edge to it.
I forgot how rude she could be.
“I’m a wedding planner, but I also do parties for special little girls,” Violet said as she adjusted the ponytail on Harper’s head. “You must be Caroline?”
“Yes. I’m Harper’s mother.” Caroline crossed her arms over her chest.
What the hell was she doing? She was going to give Violet attitude for decorating Harper’s party, when she didn’t even want to come to it?
“Well, you’re only my mama one day a year,” Harper said, and Caroline gaped at her.
I was surprised she’d said it as well, but it was the truth.
“I just come to visit one day a year. I’m always your mother,” Caroline snipped before setting her purse on the counter and handing a gift bag to Harper. “I’d like you to open this now, before the guests arrive. I probably won’t stay for gifts.”
Shocker.
What the fuck are we even doing having her show up like this once a year?
Harper looked inside the turquoise bag and pulled out a matching box. She opened the lid and stared down at the necklace. “Is it a necklace?”
“It’s a necklace from Tiffany’s. They’re very expensive, so you need to take extra-special care of it.”
I rolled my eyes. She was seven years old. She didn’t want a fancy necklace. She liked to play outside in the dirt. She liked to swim and run and have fun. She was a kid. But we’d put it in her drawer with all the other expensive gifts from Caroline.
“Okay. Thank you.”
“You aren’t going to put it on?” Caroline asked, and Harper turned to look at me.
“Listen, it’s a party. She’s going to be playing outside. This isn’t the time to put it on,” I said.
Violet arched a brow as my gaze met hers, and I could read the look easily.
This entire interaction was insane, and she was right.