Love Undefeated (Unexpected #5) (32 page)

You don’t look at her the way you look at me.”

“How do I look at you?”

“Like the world would fall into pieces if I disappeared from your sight.” She sighed, restoring the calm in my galloping heart.

“You’re damn right, Nales. Damn right.” I swooped up her tiny frame in my hands, tossed her over my shoulder, unlocked the door, and laid her on our bed.

It was time for me to keep picking up the pieces and let things fall in their rightful places.

“This is a great party, girlfriend.” Complimenting Sedona wasn’t hard; she did everything perfectly.

She’d turned her house into a mini-Legoland for Nicholas’ party. He was barely a toddler, but you couldn’t tell with the way he turned the ladies into mush. He was a certified flirt. With his mom’s unique violet eyes and a dimple that deepened when he laughed, Sedona and Zander would have their hands full when their gorgeous twosome grew up.

“I had tons of help,” Sedona admitted, her eyes twinkling with happiness. Nicholas had gotten better two days after she’d brought him to the ER. Apparently he’d had a really bad case of the stomach flu. Thank God he was able to recover quickly. That little boy was loved by so many.

Tanya winked at me while she dipped her left index finger into the blue frosting of one of the cupcakes. “We know you had help, mommy-yo. You may be able to make up equations about cooking, but the reality is, cooking is not one of your talents.”

Sedona laughed, her right hand slapping Tanya’s fingers, which were ready to take a stab at another cupcake that Brynn had worked so hard on assembling into this huge cupcake stand with a bunch of Marvel superheroes. The Hulk, Captain America, and Iron Man were in the front because they were Nicholas’ favorites. Brynn outdid herself; she’d created a wonderful mesh of characters, and from what she had me taste earlier, the flavors were outstanding. How she maintained her figure with all the baking she did was a wonder.

Brynn joined us, her long blonde hair pulled to one side, her dark blue sleeveless shirt and shorts making her blue eyes appear darker. “Sedona, we need to call everyone to gather ‘round and sing happy birthday before the sun melts the Hulk.”

I eyed the palm-sized Hulk figurine standing tall on a green cupcake, and it did look like his hands were starting to melt. The last few times I’d visited Sedona, Minnesota didn’t have this warm of weather. Climate change was happening and it’s real. I dared those who contradicted to visit Iceland and witness the shrinking glaciers. Or go spend a week in Alaska and measure how fast the glaciers were melting.

“Alright, lemme call the boys,” Sedona agreed and walked towards the farther end of the pool where the guys were gathered.

“What moisturizer do you use, Brynn?” Tanya’s green eyes honed in on Brynn. Her question was so random, but that’s how Tanya was. You’d never know what she was going to say from one minute to the next.

“AKTA. It’s by Gunilla of Sweden,” Brynn responded, her hands busy rearranging the cupcake arrangement, trying to save Hulk’s arms from being dismembered by the sun. “Why?”

“Just wondering,” Tanya said nonchalantly. “Your skin looks really good.”

“Thank you.” Brynn smiled as she grabbed a bottle of edible glue from the small basket of baking supplies that she was carrying.

“Your skin’s glowing, too. Maybe it’s all that loving you’re getting from a certain Olympian,” Tanya teased, her eyes pointing to Kieran who was lounging by the pool. He was lying on his stomach in a pair of light blue swimming trunks, his long body stretched out on the chaise lounge. Was he sleeping? He’d looked tired when he greeted us earlier. He was already in the house when Xavier and I arrived from the airport.

Brynn grinned. “Kieran’s under a lot of pressure these days. It seems that everyone’s out there, trying to beat the records he’s set. He’s been training non-stop and I think it’s wearing him down.”

“Doesn’t he get vacations?” I asked. Kieran was Sedona’s best friend, and ever since Brynn became his girlfriend, she’d become one of our good friends, too. In the beginning, Brynn didn’t say much. She was shy and private. Tanya pulled the shyness out of her. Becoming Kieran’s wife suited her, she wore that extra glow these days.

Brynn shook her head, her fingers now busy with gluing Captain America’s shield. “Not when Pan Pacific’s in a few weeks, so Kieran’s been exerting himself. I apologize if he’s not much of a partier today. He only had three hours of sleep before we got here. He had a late training last night and I had to be here early, so we took the red eye.” Brynn and Kieran lived in Arizona where Kieran trained.

Brynn heaved a heavy sigh. “My brother’s actually going to be competing again.”

Her brother, Milo, was banned from swimming. I knew and all of America heard about it because it was a national headline. He had framed Kieran with a banned substance because of personal reasons. Brynn had revealed to us that it took her a long time before she was on speaking terms with Milo again.

“Hotness is going to be in the pool again?” Tanya exclaimed. She had a crush on Milo Tanner. You couldn’t blame her. Every breathing woman had a crush on Milo. Milo’s dark looks and athletic body was definitely a winning recipe.

Brynn’s face colored and she chuckled. “You know he’s engaged to my best friend.”

Tanya harrumphed, “Ava’s a lucky bitch.” She twirled her Chanel sunglasses in the air with her fingers.

“Who’s getting lucky?” John’s voice boomed behind Tanya. “I know I am. Every day.” With a sneer he grabbed Tanya, dipped her body lower than his, and kissed her.

Tanya shrieked, Kieran woke up from his nap, and the rest of the guys arrived in various states of undress. Zander was decent in a Hawaiian shirt and shorts, Dom was wearing red trunks, and why was Xavier in Dr. Seuss trunks? I’d packed a black pair for him, hoping he would actually wear it and keep it on.

You never know with these guys, someone always ended up being the butt of all the jokes.

Xavier walked closer to me and wrapped his arms around my stomach, lifting my blue midriff shirt higher. “Dom gave me an early Christmas present.” Really early, because Christmas was months away.

“Don’t worry, Nalee. I washed it with bleach after I bought it at a garage sale,” Dom said with a smirk. “I had John try it, but since he’s a giant, it fit better on Xavier.”

“What’s the catch?” I asked. With these boys trapped in men’s bodies, there’s always something brewing.

John, who had now set Tanya on her feet, answered, “There’s no catch, Nalee.”

Zander rolled his eyes. “Xavier lost a bet.” He was carrying the birthday boy who was squirming to get out of his daddy’s hold. Nicholas’ eyes grew as he eyed the Marvel characters baked by Brynn.

“Another one!” I exclaimed. Xavier had lost on some silly bets before where he’d end up doing the most absurd things such as walking on the beach in his boxers, running on stilts in a park, and diving half-naked in a public fountain in front of tourists.

I saw Kieran as he stepped closer to Brynn, put on his aviators, and brushed her hair with his hands. He grinned at me and said, “Xavier’s record is atrocious when he bets against Dom.”

“Whatever, dude,” Xavier brushed him off. I felt Xavier’s hand skimming my waist. It was a hot day in Minneapolis and his hands were making my temperature spike a few degrees more. “Dom’s stupid.”

John lifted a brow. “What does that make you then? You bet that you’d win that arm wrestling without using your arms.”

Arm wrestling without arms?

“We could use our feet,” Xavier defended. Jeezus H, how? How did these guys function in society?

“Hey, kids.” Sedona’s eyes zeroed in on where Xavier, John, Dom, and Kieran were conglomerated. “It’s time to sing.”

Zander propped Nicholas on the table, birthday boy was decked out in superhero gear – he had a Hulk shirt on, Ironman for a hat, and Captain America sunglasses. His sister, Sofia, stood in front of her mom, sparkling in a light blue Cinderella outfit that had many layers of tulle.

I’d told Sedona earlier, “Sofia must be burning in that outfit.” It was literally over ninety degrees.

Sedona had replied, “Better that than the Frozen one. She’s in the costume stage right now. We can’t even go to the grocery unless she’s wearing her pink Belle outfit.”

Zander’s parents waved at Xavier and I. They’d arrived a little after all of our friends did. Sedona had mentioned they came from overseas and was hoping they’d make it on time. I’m glad they made it.

I saw Sloane, Sedona’s dad, chatting with Zander’s parents. He hadn’t changed, he looked good. He took care of his grandkids when Zander was on away games and Sedona had late shifts at the hospital. Nicholas and Sofia had doting, caring grandparents.

“Lemme take the lead,” John’s announcement rang in the air to which everyone responded with groans. John was a talented defender on the football field; his vocals needed to be thrown on the field.

John, not a man to be deterred, started singing, “Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you…”

We had no choice but to follow, plus birthday boy’s eyes and squirms were active indicators that he was ready to jump on the cupcakes any time now.

As the song reached the end, I looked over at my friends. John touching Tanya’s cheeks, Brynn leaning against Kieran’s chest, Sedona holding Zander’s hand as they watched their kids smudge each other’s faces with the frosting, Dom laughing at something that Sloane was saying.

I clasped my hands with Xavier’s.

I remembered what my mom used to say to Geniah and I when we bugged her to buy us things, stuff we probably didn’t need.

She’d always quote the wise Buddha. “Happiness does not rely on what you have or who you are. It solely relies on what you think.”

Listening to the joyous chatters of friendship and the atmosphere of family around me, I knew that there’s no other place I’d rather be.

I think that was what true happiness felt like.