Chapter 45
Tyler
Walking hand in hand, we ring the doorbell. It’s Malloy’s surprise birthday party and Indy’s coming with me tonight.
It’s officially the first time we’ll be going to a function where we’re a couple together.
We’ve been on intimate dates, and gone places with Noah, but we haven’t hung out with all my friends.
She’s met them individually; however, she hasn’t met all the significant others—tonight feels like the real deal in many ways.
I feel like since I joined the firehouse, I’ve been the odd man out, but tonight there’s a sense of belonging for me having Indiana by my side.
In so many ways, I’ve always had to shield her from others regarding our marriage, but everyone in this room knows our past. It feels freeing to be here tonight, no secrets amongst this crowd.
This evening we are coming out as a couple.
River answers the door and his smile doubles. “Well, if it isn’t the Mr. and Mrs.”
“River.” I nod. I look over at Indy and she has a small smile across her face.
After a few seconds she says, “Hi, it’s good to see you again.” I’m not sure she knows the difference between the twins, but at this point, she’s met both of them.
“It’s good to see you again. Come on in.” River opens the door further to let us in.
“Is everyone else here?” I ask him.
“No. Kennedy and Abby left before we got back. They’re running some last-minute errands, and we’re still waiting on Sam and Ashton.
Marissa’s supposed to be here, so what the hell?
Baylee will text when she’s getting close with the birthday boy.
Clay and I have been tasked with getting things ready around here.
” River waves his hands around the place.
There are balloons decorating the apartment, along with some signs. I notice something’s missing.
“Where’s Lola?” I ask River.
He hangs his head. “I had to leave her with my mom. She was devastated.” He grabs his chest, I hold back a laugh. I doubt the dog was sad in any way. That pup loves being with River’s mom most of the time, but I won’t ruin his night.
Clay comes out of the kitchen with a package of plates he’s opening.
“Hey, guys. Good to see you,” he says.
“Hi,” Indiana greets him. “Where’s Ella?”
“She’s with my mom,” he and River answer at the same time.
Indy chuckles, while her eyes ping-pong between the twins.
“Dude, she’s asking me. Ella’s my kid.” Clay rolls his eyes.
“Yeah, but we all know she favors me.” River puffs out his chest.
“Sure. Keep telling yourself that.” Clay gives Indiana a hug, then comes to shake my hand, but I pull him into a hug of my own.
Luckily the brothers don’t take the disagreement any further because the doorbell rings.
River answers it and to my surprise it’s Marissa and another woman who I assume to be her girlfriend, Josie, from the way she’s holding her near.
“Hey, Marissa.” I give her a hug.
“Hunter! How’s my pseudo-boyfriend doing?” She smiles, winking my way.
I laugh, then pull Indy into my side. “Marissa, I want you to officially meet my wife, Indiana.” I feel Indy stiffen slightly, likely from the last encounter with Marissa at the restaurant.
“So, you two finally figured your shit out, huh?” Marissa has that signature Cheshire grin across her face.
“And you must be the one and only Josie.” I extend my hand to her girlfriend.
“Hi.” Indy says to both of them.
Marissa laughs. “You two really are stubborn little things, aren’t you?”
“Leave them alone, Mar.” Josie smacks her girlfriend on the arm. “They’re together now. Stop causing trouble.”
“What? I’m just pointing out the obvious,” Marissa says.
“Let them be.” Josie rolls her eyes. Then she turns her attention to Indy. “Please don’t mind her. She’s full of fire, but loyal to a fault. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Ditto. You live nearby?” Indy asks them.
“No, we both live in California. The timing worked out though. Marissa had a few days off. So I forced her to step away from the office and we came out to visit. Just happened to be during Malloy’s birthday, which was a bonus. This one’s a workaholic.” She points to her girlfriend.
Right then, the front door swings open, revealing Kennedy and Abby, food platters in their hands.
“The party has officially arrived,” Kennedy declares.
Kennedy turns heads when she walks into a room. As the CEO of the Boston Gaels, the Major League Baseball team here, she commands a boardroom and, apparently, a living room. She’s wearing a form-fitting, black dress, red heels, and her smile radiates as she takes each guest in.
“I’m so glad everyone is here already. Samara and Ashton are parking right now,” she announces.
We start grabbing items from their hands and set them in the kitchen. As we’re pulling lids off the trays and making sure everything is set up the way the party planners envisioned, River wraps his hands around Kennedy’s middle.
“Babe, just curious… if you ordered all this food, why did I see so many empty olive oil containers in the trash?”
“Well, I thought I’d do something nice for you.” She pats his forearm, looking up at him.
He gives her a quizzical expression. “What do you mean? Did you make something?”
She moves out of his grasp and leans against the counter. I finish my task and grab a beer from the cooler set out for the guests. I have a feeling I want to listen to whatever Kennedy is about to say. Something about her overly sweet smile gives me pause.
“No, sweetie. You know how Abby’s been teaching me how to drive a bit,” Kennedy continues.
River nods and I can see he’s nervous where this conversation is headed.
Kennedy doesn’t drive; her parents died when she was a child in a car accident. She survived the accident and since then, she’s avoided learning. She’s made it her mission recently to try, so Abby has been taking her out to learn when possible.
“Well, today, when I went down to your truck, the oil was low. So, I filled it up.” She shrugs her shoulders.
“Skipper, please tell me you’re kidding.” River’s face falls and I think he might pass out.
“What? And let your precious truck run the risk of getting ruined? Not on my watch. I filled it up for you with premium oil. You’re welcome!” She turns around and moves some of the napkins around.
River rubs his hand down his face and looks up at the ceiling; it sounds like he’s counting down under his breath. “Kennedy, for the love of all that’s holy. Please tell me you’re pulling my leg.”
Abby chimes in, “River, I helped her out. I made sure she used the pure olive oil. It was the imported kind.”
“Abigail!” Clay says. “You didn’t!”
Kennedy moves to the trash and grabs an empty container. It’s a mega-sized olive oil container and she shows River. “Look, there’s nothing to worry about. I only use the best for you. The car’s running fine!”
“You drove it?” He pulls on his hair.
“This is fucking fantastic!” Marissa snorts. “See, Josie? I told you this was worth coming to.” She grabs a carrot from the tray and takes a bite.
Ashton and his wife Samara walk in, and immediately Sam asks, “What did we miss?”
“Kennedy fucked up my car!” River throws his arms in the air.
I look over at Indy and she’s watching in fascination. It’s comical really. I’m leaning against the counter, as this whole thing transpires in front of us. I pull Indy into my side and kiss the side of her face.
“We were just saving you a trip to the shop, Riv,” Abby says. “I think ‘thank you’ is what you’re meaning to say.” She crosses her arms.
“I’m so sorry,” he says in mock surrender. “Thank you, soon-to-be-sister-in-law-again”—He looks at Abby. Then turns his gaze to Kennedy— “and my adoring future wife, you saved me so much time. But in reality, I think I’ll need a new engine!”
He looks over at Clay and groans in frustration. Meanwhile, Kennedy and Abby look nothing but gleeful. Their grins are only getting bigger and that’s when I realize this is all a joke for them.
When River looks at them, his irritation doubles. “Why the fuck are you smiling, Kennedy?”
“Because you’re so easy to rile up, baby.” She laughs.
“Excuse me?”
“We’re fucking with you.” She throws her head back and laughs maniacally. “It’s a trend on social media. Of course we didn’t put olive oil in your damn car.”
“I fucking swear, Kennedy.” He points at her. “You nearly gave me a heart attack.” He pinches the spot between his eyes.
“Oh please, you’re usually the one exhausting me. I may as well return the favor.” Kennedy walks up to him and kisses his cheek. “I love you.”
“Yeah, yeah. I love you too.” He wraps his arms around her middle, then kisses her nose. “You really fucking scared the shit out of me.”
“I know. I enjoyed it,” she admits, a smile spreading across her face.
“A little too much, I see,” he says.
Indy moves closer to me and whispers, “Is it always like this?”
I look over at her. “Wherever River is, chaos follows.” I wink and pull her closer.
We finish helping with the rest of the set-up, and soon we get word that Malloy and Baylee have arrived.
Everyone quiets down and the moment Malloy walks through the front door; we jump out to surprise him.
The look on his face is priceless. The stunned expression on his face is one I may never forget.
It’s hard to catch him off-guard, but I think Kennedy and Abby really got him good with this party.
“You owe me twenty, Hunter.” River sidles up to me.
“Damn it,” I say, pulling my wallet out.
“Why?” Indy looks between us, confusion marring her expression.
“You haven’t told her?” He eyes me, then looks to her, putting his arm around her shoulders.
“Don’t worry. I’ll corrupt you soon enough.
We bet on everything. And your hubby here took a bet he shouldn’t have.
” Pointing his beer bottle in my direction.
“He didn’t have confidence that I’d keep my mouth shut. ”
“Because you almost let it slip twice on one shift alone,” I confess, tossing my money in his direction.