A Cosmic Kind of Love(23)

“Well, I’m not a bored fifty-year-old housewife.” She wrinkled her nose as she looked around the pool area. “I can’t believe you get paid for this shit.”

“Watch your mouth.” Althea stepped up behind me.

Alison’s bravado faltered.

“Ladies, how’s it going?” My dad stepped out into the yard, beaming at us. “Look at this place.” He stopped beside Alison, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. He drew her to his side. “What do you think, Cupcake? Hasn’t Hallie done an amazing job?”

It was like getting punched in the gut.

Cupcake?

I stumbled back a little and felt Althea’s hand on my shoulder.

“Yeah, it all looks fine. I’m going inside. Mom’s making me a smoothie before my friends arrive.”

“Sounds good.” Dad turned and winked at me. “Place looks awesome, Hal.”

Watching them walk away together, I tried to ignore the burn in my chest.

“Hey, you okay?” Althea suddenly stood in my path.

Blinking rapidly against an onslaught of unwelcome tears, I nodded, trying to numb myself.

“You don’t look okay.”

“It’s stupid,” I whispered.

“Hallie.” Her voice was stern.

I met Althea’s gaze. “My whole life, my dad’s nickname for me has been Cupcake. He’s never called me Hal. It’s like . . . it’s like he wants a do-over with her. With them.” I shrugged, feeling immature as I turned away to fix the balloons. “It’s fine. I’m being childish.”

“No, you are not. That’s really hurtful. And we do not have to stay. We can leave. Right now.”

“No, it’s fine.” If we left, it would end in a confrontation, and I didn’t want to deal with that.

“Okay, if you’re sure. But I swear if that kid speaks to you like that again, I’m going to pop her head right off.”

A bark of laughter burst out of me, and I smiled in gratitude. It was on the tip of my tongue to thank Althea again, but she’d probably just pop my head right off. The thought made me snort, and she cut me a bemused but relieved look.



* * *





A few hours later, seeing that the food laid outside by the pool had diminished, I’d left Althea at our spot at the back of the yard to go into the kitchen to replenish supplies.

“How’s it going?”

I startled to find my dad’s girlfriend in the kitchen doorway. To my annoyance, my dad and Miranda had disappeared into the house with their friends, leaving Althea and me outside to supervise and keep the food coming.

Your daughter is a spoiled brat and this is the longest day of my life. “They seem to be having fun.”

Miranda gave me a sweet smile. “If I haven’t said it already, thank you so much, Hallie. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you putting all this together for Alison. Sometimes she doesn’t make it easy to get along with her but—” Something weary, sad even, moved across her eyes. “Her dad has hurt her a lot. I think it’s all just coming out now in attitude, and she doesn’t trust your father yet and . . . Anyway, I don’t want to bore you with all that. All I wanted to do was let you know it means a lot to me that you would take time out of what I know must be a crazy schedule to do this for us. I told your father not to bother you.” She gave me a commiserating look. “I don’t think he truly understands the magnitude of stress you must be under to pull off the kinds of events you do. But you said yes, and that just blew me away. I’ve been bragging all week to my friends that Alison’s party is being planned by Lia Zhang Events.” She flushed, laughing at herself. “You’re such a sweet person, and I really hope the more time Alison spends with you, the more maybe she’ll see that we’re in a good place now.”

Dammit. Why did she have to be so nice? “Thank you, Miranda.” I was a little choked up, but this time not with frustration. “You have no idea what it means to me to hear you say all that.”

By the time I wandered out to the party again, I no longer felt resentful about being there. In fact, I laid out the food and skirted the teens to find Althea to tell her what Miranda had said.

“I swear if one more sixteen-year-old comes on to me, I’m leaving,” Althea said before I could speak. She shuddered. “It’s giving me the willies.”

Snorting, I pulled her up to her feet. “Come eat something while I tell you the lovely things Miranda just said to me.”

“Oh, I gotta hear this.”

But as we walked along the edge of the pool toward the food, Alison and a friend blocked our path. While her friend was in a bikini, Alison was still in her super-short dress and completely dry. What was the point of the pool party if the guest of honor wasn’t interested in being in the pool? Or was the whole point to just flaunt the fact that you had a pool?

“There you are.” Alison flung her hands to her hips and stuck her freckled face in mine; I’d never bemoaned my short height more. “This party sucks. Why isn’t there live music?”

“You have a deejay.”

“Ew.” She rolled her eyes. My God, she was a like a caricature. “And the boys are complaining about the food. Why isn’t there a grill? We wanted burgers and dogs. If Justin Myers leaves because you’re incompetent, I’ll—” Her words were cut off by Althea’s palm covering her face.