The Birthday List(96)

“I asked if you wanted another beer.”

“Oh.” My cheeks flushed as I came back to reality. “Sorry.”

His forehead creased. “Are you okay?”

I nodded and smiled. “I’m great. And yes, please. I’ll take one more.”

“I’ll get it.” Brad grabbed me a bottle from the fridge before turning to Cole. “So I talked to the city manager again this morning. He’d like you to start sitting in on meetings.”

Cole tensed at my side. “Dad. No.”

“It’s just a few meetings. It won’t interfere with your caseload. But if you want to be chief, you need to get to know him.”

“Dad, I never said—”

“Hold that thought.” Brad held up a finger as he emptied the bottle of wine into Mia’s glass. “Let me get another bottle of wine.” He smiled at me, then walked out of the kitchen, heading back downstairs to their wine cooler.

“What’s going on?” I whispered to Cole when Brad was out of sight.

Cole pushed out a loud breath and nodded toward the living room.

I followed him out of the kitchen, waiting to speak until we were alone. “I thought you didn’t want to be chief of police.”

“I don’t. But I’m having a hard time getting through to Dad. I just . . . he’s got these plans for me and I hate letting him down.”

I gave him a sad smile. “I think the only way you could let him down would be by taking a job you don’t want just to make him happy. Don’t you think it would be better if you were honest with him about how you feel?”

Cole ran his hand over his face as he considered my advice. “You’re right,” he breathed. “I need to make him hear me. I’ll tell him when he comes back upstairs.”

I stepped into his space, wrapping my arms around his waist. “Want me to stay?”

He hugged me back and kissed my hair. “No. Thanks, beautiful. But I’ll handle it.”

“Okay.” I let him go and went back to the kitchen just as Brad was coming back upstairs. When Cole called him into the living room, Mia shut off the water in the sink and came to the island.

“Is Cole finally going to make Brad listen to him? It’s about time.”

“What?” My chin dropped. “You knew?” I hadn’t even known.

Mia shrugged and took a sip of wine as Evie laughed. “Oh, Poppy. Mom knows everything.”

“Just wait until we do presents later,” Zack said. “We make her tell us what’s in every one of her boxes before she opens them. In all the Christmases and birthdays I’ve seen, Mia has never gotten one wrong.”

“It’s true.” Evie nodded. “She’s been like that forever. None of us can pull off a surprise. Maybe you’ll be the one family member who can stump her.”

Family member. Those two words sent a surge of warmth through my heart as I realized just how true they were. I was a part of Cole’s family, just like he’d become a part of mine. Brad and Mia. Evie and Zack. They’d let me into their lives, their family, taking the love that Jamie’s parents no longer wanted.

I smiled at Evie, glad I could be part of this tradition. “Maybe I will get to surprise her. I doubt she’ll guess what we bought for her.”

“Please,” Mia huffed. “I’ve known for weeks what you and Cole got me.”

“What? Did he tell you?”

She shook her head. “No. I just figured it out.”

“No way.” There was no chance she’d ever guess our gift.

“No way, what?”

Cole and Brad walked back into the kitchen. Brad looked sullen but he was trying to hide it, while Cole’s relief radiated through the room.

No one brought up their conversation in the living room. Instead, Evie brought them both into ours. “Mom said she knows what Poppy and Cole got her for Christmas, but Poppy doesn’t think there’s any way she could have guessed.”

Brad chuckled. “Take my advice, Poppy. Just accept that there is no such thing as surprising Ms. Crane. The harder you try, the faster she figures it out. Save yourself the stress.”

“But, how could she possibly—”

“You got me a puppy like Nazboo.”

My chin fell open as I gaped at Mia. Impossible. Cole and I had just ordered the dog yesterday. The puppy wasn’t even weaned yet, so we’d had to wrap up a collar and leash along with a picture.

“How—I don’t—” I blinked and closed my speechless mouth.

“See what I mean?” Zack muttered.

I took a long gulp of my beer and looked up at Cole. “So much for our big surprise.”

Cole chuckled. “Sorry. I should have told you about Mom’s superpower. Honestly, I thought we might have had her on this one, but I guess not.”

“Are there any other family secrets I should know about?”

“Don’t tell her!” Brad shouted as both Mia and Evie opened their mouths. “If I’m lucky, it will take her a few years to figure out mine.”

The kitchen erupted in laughter as Mia kissed Brad’s cheek and went back to making dinner and Zack and Evie started debating baby names. And I just smiled and leaned into Cole’s side, happy to be part of it all.