Chapter 11
eleven
. . .
Miles
“Mom, I can’t thank you enough for all this,” I said warmly, surveying the house and backyard. Luke and Sofia had gotten here early as well and were just as impressed as I was. Vicky had the workmen add strings of lights around the yard, lit with what seemed like hundreds of Edison lights.
Straightening some pillows on the outdoor furniture, Mom answered, “I only put in some calls after giving Vicky some ideas. This? This is all her magic.”
“Yeah, she’s like a fairy,” MJ said, her eyes lighting up as she took in the changes. Out here and in the house, additional seating was carefully arranged in groups to encourage conversation, Vicky explained to Mom when she was told that a large part of the staff was newly hired.
An event rental company delivered an outdoor oven at her request so the catering staff could use it to make and serve individual pizzas, easing the kitchen traffic.
They had been instructed to place some high-top seats arranged around matching tables near the makeshift outdoor kitchen for those who wanted to watch the pizzamakers work. It was tight but cozy.
One thing was certain: Vicky was much more than an interior designer. She made everything around her beautiful, and her carefully curated ideas created opportunities for people to feel at home and comfortable.
My phone vibrated with a text. Slipping it out of my pocket, I frowned when I realized who it was from.
Katy: Hey! I’ve been thinking about coming to see my girl but not sure when.
I quickly shot off a text, putting my phone away before MJ saw it.
Me: Please don’t do this to her again if you’re not serious.
“Everything okay?” Mom asked, her eyebrows furrowed.
“Yeah, just a frustrating text,” I said. “Nothing to worry about.” I was determined not to let my ex bring down my mood.
When the doorbell rang, MJ raced for it, yelling, “I’ll get it. Maybe it’s her!”
There was no need for me to question who she meant.
MJ was as captivated by this woman as I was, no matter how much I tried to suppress my growing attraction.
But even after the conversation with Luke and Sofia, I knew deep down that pursuing anything wouldn't benefit any of us.
I needed to continue building a friendship with Vicky, and nothing more.
Starting tonight. My mind was made up.
“Knew it was her,” my daughter announced, partially dragging a smiling Vicky by the hand to where Mom and I stood outside.
“Wow.” The whispered word slipped from my lips without any way to hold it back.
MJ had chosen the perfect word. She was a fairy. Wearing a form-fitting white sundress with bright yellow lemons scattered across it, she looked like a woodland fairy, complete with white daisies pinned in her hair.
Mom cleared her throat, probably trying to snap me out of my catatonic state.
“Vicky, you look absolutely lovely,” she said, giving her a hug while MJ stared up at her as if she was witnessing the same magic I was.
“Thank you, Angelica. So do you,” she answered sheepishly before greeting Sofia, Luke and Dad with a hug. “Dean, it’s so nice to see you again.”
“I’m so glad you came. You’ve done a phenomenal job,” he said.
I’d gone to introduce them, but remembered that Mom had mentioned he had stopped by the first time Vicky had come to my house.
“Thank you so much.”
Vicky turned to me with a shy smile. I tried, I really did, to say something, but it was like watching the most beautiful sunset in the harbor or hearing a piece of music that leaves you breathless. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, threatening to break free and go to her.
“Hi, Miles. Do you like what they’ve done for the party?” she asked, her eyes expectantly meeting mine. She was seeking my approval, her voice uncertain.
Without taking my eyes from hers, I answered, “Beautiful.”
“Daddy, do you need something to eat again?” MJ asked, looking up at me with a smirk that mirrored my mother’s when I looked around. Luke and Sofia were making faces at each other like the children they were, not even trying to be subtle.
Laughing loudly in my nervousness, I said, “Uh, no, silly. But you can grab one of those cheese balls you’ve been eyeing since the caterers arrived.” Luckily, the promise of cheesy goodness was all it took to send the little imp away.
“Vicky, everything is beautiful, like I was saying,” I replied, avoiding Vicky’s amber eyes. “Thank you for all this. I’m sure it’s going to be a great night.”
“I’m so glad you like it. I wanted your guests to feel comfortable.
Anna said she emailed her regrets but asked me to apologize again.
She had a prior commitment, and Elena is still in Los Angeles,” she said as I mindlessly picked things up only to put them back down.
I noticed my mother’s amused expression as I turned to her and held back my grumble.
“Oh, wait. I have something for you and MJ. A small housewarming gift,” she said, holding up a gift bag I hadn’t even noticed.
“I said no gifts, but this was so thoughtful of you to do. Thank you.” She clasped her hands behind her back as she watched me peel away the tissue paper and lift out the most beautiful piece of art I’d ever seen.
When I looked at her, she said, “It’s from a local artisan. She creates her pieces from olive wood and resin. But this one, she used a Japanese method called kintsugi.”
“Oh, like the bowl Aria has,” Sofia said excitedly. “It’s used to put broken things back together.”
My finger followed the sparkling gold vein running through the piece. I couldn’t help but wonder if there was a deeper meaning behind her gift.
“It’s so unique. Thank you again. I’ll be sure to show it to MJ later.”
“She may add kintsugi to her long list of new interests,” Vicky said with a warm smile.
I loved that she always found a way to include my daughter.
“I should, ah, go check out everything inside. Make yourself at home. I want you to feel comfortable, too,” I said, making the mistake of looking at her, the memory of my blunder the week before making us both blush. I was pretty sure Mom snickered, but I didn’t stick around, hightailing it inside.
Almost two hours later, the house was filled with people from the office, as well as Luke, Sofia, and Dad.
Trendy music mixed with oldies played in the background, and a few people were dancing in the living room, making us all laugh.
They truly were a great group of people, and I was lucky to have them.
Susan and her husband were playing a game of oversized outdoor Jenga in the corner of the yard, surprising us all. She was quite competitive. Luke said he’d given up trying to make her smile when he’d sneak up on her while she was pulling out pieces.
“What a great party. Looks like everyone’s having a good time,” Dad said, sipping on his drink. We had all hoped this would be the year he finally retired for good.
I looked around, already a bit tired from my host duties since I wasn’t much for parties. MJ and I had led such a quiet life together all these years, and I knew I’d have to get used to this from time to time.
“Yes, that’s as much to Vicky’s credit as anyone else's. She had a vision for bringing people together. The icebreaker games were a brilliant idea,” Mom said. “MJ dominated at trivia." We all chuckled at that, not one bit surprised.
“Yeah, I think your office nerds were even impressed,” Luke said before wolfing down some kind of pastry.
“Pfft, at least my office nerds aren’t as boring as your…”
“Boys, please behave yourselves.”
“Yes, ma’am,” we said simultaneously. When she wasn’t looking, I knocked the rest of his pastry out of his hand, making Sofia laugh as he glared at me.
“Speaking of Vicky, where is she?” Dad asked, looking around. “I’ve hardly had any time to talk with her tonight.
I saw the gleam in Sofia’s eye immediately as she used her glass to point to a spot at the far end of the yard.
“There she is. She’s talking to one of your guys, Miles. Can’t remember his name, but he’s really handsome.”
“Hey,” Luke muttered, his eyebrows lowering and lips tightening.
She yanked him to her for a kiss that was gratefully PG. He sighed as he rubbed her growing belly.
Glad to look away from all that PDA, my eyes automatically went to where Sofia had pointed.
When my eyes landed on her location, my stomach clenched in knots.
Vicky was standing under the lights, their glow reflected in her eyes as she gazed up at Nathan, one of my new coders.
My hands were fortunately empty as they clenched into fists without my consent.
If I had superhero powers, flames would be shooting from my eyes, carving a scorched trail between us.
“Should we go break that up? I mean, Enzo wanted us to look after her. Keep her focused on her work,” Luke said, aiming his remark at me. I wasn’t sure from his tone whether he was sincere or mocking my pain.
“Vicky and I are just friends.” I had no idea why I’d said that, as it didn’t make much sense in the context of this conversation. I was pretty sure I was talking to myself, trying to convince myself not to fire Nathan on the spot.
“Friends? Well, is Nathan a good guy? Friends wouldn’t let friends be taken advantage of by a jerk, right?” Sofia asked, her teasing tone clear to anyone within earshot.
I wished I could say he was a jerk, but I’d seen him step up and be a team player more times than I could count since he started. He volunteered at homeless shelters with his church and had dinner with his grandparents every Sunday.
The jerk.
I mean, not jerk. Shoot, he was a great guy. A great first boyfriend for someone as inexperienced as Vicky.
If that were true, why did the thought make me feel like I was breaking out in hives?
“Honey, are you alright? Your nostrils are flaring.” Thanks, Mom.
“Fine, I’m fine. Gonna look for MJ,” I spit out.
“Oh, look. He’s making his move,” Sofia said excitedly. I no longer liked my sister-in-law.
Don’t look. Don’t engage. Retreat! Retreat!