26. Flint
Ifeel cursed. Every time I leave the state, all hell breaks loose at home, and I’m pondering this as I sit by the pool, sipping on sweet tea. When I tell Aspen this, she teases me pityingly.
“Do you really believe that all this wouldn’t happen if you were here? The papers were for you, after all. And Caden’s always been a daredevil.”
“Look at me, Aspen! Look at me, Papa Flint!”
The little girl swings from the newly installed monkey bars of her treehouse play structure, delivered for her fifth birthday the previous afternoon.
“She really loves that thing,” Aspen comments, sipping her drink through a straw.
“I hope so. She’s been bugging us for one since she learned how to talk,” I chuckle. “I was torn about setting it up before her party, though. You know how little kids are.”
Aspen sits forward on her lounge chair. “Party?” she echoes. “You’re having a party for her?”
I stare at her. “On Saturday. I didn’t mention it?”
“No… You didn’t want me to help plan it?” She sounds hurt, and I immediately feel shame.
“Oh… no,” I offer. “We hired party planners.” I stop and take her hand. “It’s what we’ve done every year. Sonia was way too old to handle planning a party for a toddler. We’ve used the same planners every year.”
A grin touches my lips as I think of the two old-timers who run the party service, Irma and Thelma, twin sisters who look like they’re from opposite ends of the planet. But they know how to throw a party, involving the entire town in some form or another.
“That’s okay,” Aspen sighs, but I wish I’d thought to ask her.
I squeeze her fingers. “Hey.”
She forces a smile I’m sure she doesn’t feel and looks at me. “It’s fine, honestly.”
“You’ll have next year and every year after—or at least until Lily puts a stop to it. I promise.”
Aspen’s face brightens. “Really?” she asks, and I realize we’ve never really discussed what’s going to happen down the line. I raise her hands to my lips.
“Really.”
She settles back against the chair and stares up at the melting afternoon. The air has turned cooler with the evenings, but it’s still beautiful outside, made even more so by Aspen’s presence.
“Can anyone join this party?” Caden quips, opening the back door.
“Papa Caden! Look what I can do!” Lily hollers from the top of her playhouse.
“Oh, I’m looking, Lilbug! I’m looking hard!” Caden promises. His face has healed up nicely from his accident, but there’s still an edge to him. Those early mornings he was so diligent about working before suddenly evaporated, and he is back to sleeping in and scheduling fewer appointments.
“Where’s Pike? It’s such a lovely evening. Let’s all enjoy it.”
“He’s busy working on Lily’s present,” Caden informs me. “It’s top secret, apparently.”
“I suppose I better find something to wear. How many people are coming to this thing?”
I look at Caden, and he shrugs. “A hundred?”
“A hundred?!” Aspen chokes. “For a child’s fifth birthday party?”
Caden cackles. “You see? And she has childcare experience. I told you that’s too many people, Flint.”
“Welcome to Cypress Gardens,” I reply nonchalantly. “It’s how we do things around here.”
I don’t mind going all out for Lily… especially because I have no idea if this is going to be the last birthday that we have her. And she’s a well-loved figure, her parents sorely missed. Everyone is invited, as far as I’m concerned.
“What’s wrong, Flint?” Aspen asks softly, immediately noticing my mood shift.
“He’s thinking about the hearing,” Caden volunteers.
That guy knows me too well.
“What are our chances with that?” Aspen asks in a low voice, even though Lily’s nowhere near us.
“I don’t want to fixate on the hearing right now,” I say quickly, already feeling my mood dampening with the mention. “Let’s just get through Lily’s birthday party, and then we can get back to stressing out.”
“Cheers to that,” Aspen agrees, raising her glass.
* * *
Irma and Thelma have always done a great job with Lily’s parties, and this year is no exception. Amidst their incessant squabbling, fussing over what goes where, they put together a remarkable event that misses nothing.
By the time I venture downstairs on Saturday morning, the tents and chaffing dishes are already in place in the backyard, a safety gate erected by the pool to ensure no younger guests can wander through.
“Holy smokes, you weren’t kidding about a party planner,” Aspen gawks, a cup of coffee in hand as she watches the old ladies assemble the bouncy castle and temporary stage. “I feel like I’m at Lollapalooza.”
“Baby Lollapalooza,” I quip, wrapping my arm around her waist and kissing her neck.
“It’s my party today!” Lily howls, racing through the kitchen. “Will there be goats again this year?”
“Goats?!” Aspen echoes. “You had goats?”
“From one of the local farmers,” I explain.
“Are they coming, Papa Flint?”
I shrug and laugh. “I guess we’ll wait and see when noon rolls around.”
Aspen comes to see the benefit of the planners, despite her initial disappointment. “So we don’t have to do anything at all?” she says, wriggling an eyebrow.
“You probably should get dressed,” I tease, noting that she’s still in her pajamas and slippers. “I mean.”
She’s dumbfounded by the display in the backyard, balloons and streamers everywhere, a different setup in each corner as new people join the team.
“There’s a magician!” she cries, pointing out the window. “And a juggler!”
Her enthusiasm makes me laugh. “You act like you’ve never had a birthday party.”
Her smile falters. “I… was in the system.”
I wince, hanging my head in shame. There was no reason for her to tell me that again, for her to bring up those painful memories when I already knew that.
“I’m sorry. Bringing that up… I didn’t mean to?—”
“It’s fine. I’m fine,” she insists, putting her hand on my chest. “I’m just so excited to see what this becomes. Lily deserves every moment, and I’m so happy I get to be a part of it.” She leans in confidentially. “Is it wrong that I kind of hope there are goats?”
“Those things really make a mess,” I sigh, but for her sake and Lily’s, I hope so, too.
By noon, we’re both dressed, and the neighbors arrive with their gifts and platitudes. Pike still hasn’t materialized, and Aspen volunteers to go find him.
“Knowing Pike, he’s avoiding the crowds,” she whispers to me. I smile affectionately at her.
How well she knows us.
Zoe and Ryan join us with the girl of the hour, a glittery crystal tiara on her head.
“Happy birthday, Lily!” the guests coo, and she relishes the attention as I grin like an idiot. I had nothing to do with any of this, and yet I can’t help but feel a sense of accomplishment as I watch the five-year-old prance about, playing the perfect hostess for the neighbors.
The barista from Brewtiful Bean Café arrives with her young son and hands me a bag of homebrew.
“For your espresso machine,” she informs me.
“You’re a goddess,” I sigh.
The proprietor of the ice cream shop rolls in an entire tub of cookies n’ cream ice cream. Lily shrieks aloud, startling Irma, who scolds the juggler nearby.
“W-where are we going to put that?!” Aspen cries as I howl with laughter.
“I guess we’ll just have to eat it all before it melts,” Lily suggests innocently.
A flock of little bodies flood our yard with their parents, and I make the rounds with Aspen and Caden.
Allister shows up around one, looking frazzled.
“I keep forgetting which house is yours,” my brother grumbles, snatching a beer from the ice bucket.
“Nice to see you, too, Al. Did you say hi to your niece?” Allister gives me an odd look, and I glower at him.
“I bought her one of those make-up dolls that all the kids are playing with. Or at least that’s what the woman at the toy store said.”
“Thanks, Al.”
I see Aspen hurrying toward me, her face gaunt. “We might have a slight problem,” she says as my brother turns to look at her.
“Who is this?” Allister asks, eying me.
“This is Lily’s nanny, Aspen Palco. Aspen, my brother, Allister Sterling.”
Aspen flashes him a quick smile, but waves me aside. “It’s Pike?—”
“Where’s the birthday girl?!”
The loud, southern tone overtakes both the music and the din of the guests. My stomach curdles instantly as I spin around. Raya and Matthew march through the back gate with a shiny new unicorn bike between them.
“Come on out and give your cousin Raya a hug, honey!” Raya hollers as I step forward.
I scan the crowd for Caden, and my eyes lock on his on the other side of the yard. He’s ready to pounce.
“I’m the birthday girl, but I don’t have any cousins,” Lily announces, showing herself.
“Oh, no…” Aspen breathes. “Do something!”
I spin around, looking for the sheriff or his deputies, any of which were supposed to have been following this psychopath. There’s no sign of anyone.
“Sure you do, baby! I’m your daddy Ryker’s cousin, which makes me your cousin, right?”
The shock of seeing them wears thinner, and I move through the crowd, Caden on the other end.
“Is that for me?” Lily asks, and I think of all those conversations we’ve had with her about speaking to strangers. All out the window with a shiny pink bicycle.
Rage boils inside me, but before I can reach my ward, I’m gently pushed aside by familiar hands.
“Lily!” Aspen’s voice sounds through the thick of the crowd, and the child’s head whips toward it as if they are joined by a thread. The nanny makes her way next to the girl as Raya’s clear eyes narrow to slits. I stop in place, my instinct to let Aspen handle it. Caden also freezes, despite his naked ire.
Lily fully turns away from Raya, causing the woman to visibly stiffen.
“And who might you be?” Raya drawls, clearly not recognizing this new player.
Aspen completely ignores her and crouches down to meet Lily’s eyes. “Say thank you and don’t forget about your other guests, okay?”
“Okay, Aspen,” Lily agrees. She glances at Raya. “Thank you.”
With that, she spins around and takes off back toward her playhouse, leaving Aspen to straighten up and face the clearly incensed Raya, who watches Lily disappear out of view. Raya’s jaw locks, and I step in closer to Aspen, sensing an altercation about to unfold.
“Aspen? I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure,” Raya purrs, extending her hand.
“Nor will you get the pleasure,” Aspen retorts, wiping the smug smirk off Raya’s face.
“That’s no way to treat a guest,” Matthew mocks her.
My phone is dialing Sheriff Lahey, but the call goes directly to voicemail. I am expecting him to attend today, too, but for the moment, he has left us blind.
“You’ve been warned about trespassing here,” Aspen says coldly as Raya balks, realizing she’s met her match in the pissed-off woman. “I don’t think you’re getting the message clearly enough. Security!”
“Don’t make a scene, you crazy bitch!” Raya hisses, all southern decorum out the window.
Two armed guards appear as Matthew runs for the bushes. “Get them out of here, and make sure they’re deposited outside the gate. Also, let me know who’s working the gates. They will need to be replaced for letting these two through.”
I get a semi listening to her as the party guests figuratively clutch their pearls, whispering amongst themselves as they speculate about what’s going on.
That’s our woman, I want to yell out, not caring about the talk that this will bring on tomorrow.
“She’s the nanny? Seems a little too strict,” Allister complains in my ear. I didn’t notice that he’s been following me through the party, and I glower at him.
“Those assholes are trying to take Lily from us,” I retort sharply. “She’s amazing.”
Allister sips on his beer, cocking his head as he watches Raya and Matthew be hauled away.
“She is really hot,” he admits. “She reminds me of someone…”
I tense, wondering if my brother will make the connection.
“Catherine Zeta-Jones,” he decides. “But a younger version.”
I exhale. I never have to worry about Allister.
“Go back to the party, folks,” I tell everyone. “It’s not an actual party if someone’s not trying to crash it, am I right?”
There’s a bit of nervous laughter, but the music rises and octaves. The guests return to their drinking and eating as if Raya and Matthew were just part of the entertainment, and the back door slides open again. I glance up as Pike stumbles out, almost falling onto the cement patio between the deck and the back door.
I gape at him in disbelief and remember Aspen’s urgent words to me before the cousin arrived.
It’s going to be a long day.