Author: Olivia Cunning

“Well, if you’d let me carry something,” Myrna complained.

“You are. You’re carrying my baby.”

Eric opened the door, smiling at the bickering couple. “Hey, I wasn’t expecting you two.”

“Oh yeah,” Brian said. He had a Crock-Pot under one arm, a large casserole dish in another, and several bags dangling from both hands. “Surprise!”

Myrna hugged Eric. “Happy birthday!” She slipped around his body to enter the foyer. Brian followed.

“Where’s the kitchen?” Myrna asked. “I need to warm stuff up.”

“I’ll show you,” Brian said.

“Make yourself at home,” Eric called after them.

Eric honestly didn’t think this day could get any better, and then another car pulled up in the driveway. It was Sed’s Mercedes. Sed and Jessica took awhile to get out of the car. They were too busy making out in the front seat. Eric stood patiently on the porch so he could let them in the house when they decided they were finished sucking face, and Sed finished doing whatever he was doing with his head under the dashboard.

Rebekah appeared beside Eric and handed him another birthday present.

“Should I open it now?” he asked.

“Yeah. I don’t want all the women staring at my fine piece of man meat all evening.”

He laughed. As if. He opened the box and found a black T-shirt. The words Dirty Old Man were scribed across its front in white lettering. He chuckled and pulled it over his head. He kissed her temple and murmured, “Later I’ll show you how dirty this old man can be.”

“I’m counting on it.” She reached up on tiptoes to kiss him and stroked his hair lovingly. “I’m going to help Myrna. It was so awesome of her to make us all dinner.”

“Who’s all?” Eric asked.

“You’ll see.”

He hoped all didn’t include Isaac.

Eventually, Sed climbed out of the car and dashed around the vehicle to open the door for Jessica. They shared a few more moments of locking lips, and then Sed went to the trunk. Jessica carried gift bags and Sed carried a big container that looked suspiciously like a cake box. In a sweet little sundress and matching short-sleeved jacket, Jessica looked as smokin’ hot as ever. No wonder Sed couldn’t keep his hands off her.

At the same instant, Sed and Jessica noticed Eric standing on the steps waiting. “Hey,” Sed said. “Happy birthday.”

When the couple climbed onto the wraparound porch, Jessica lifted a hand and patted Eric’s cheek. She read his shirt and laughed. “Dirty old man? Perfect.”

Jace and Aggie arrived a few minutes later. They had presents and food too. Jace offered Eric a playful punch in the ribs. “Sorry we’re late,” he said. “Aggie was finishing your present.”

Eric felt the blood drain from his face. “Please don’t tell me it’s a whip.”

Jace laughed. “You’ll have to wait and see.”

“You look happy,” Aggie commented, tucking her long, silky black hair behind both ears and kissing his cheek.

“I am happy. Old, but happy.”

A van pulled into the drive. It took Eric a moment to recognize it as belonging to Rebekah’s parents. Great. Eric’s smile faded. No doubt they’d brought Isaac along for kicks and giggles. He’d like to kick him, that’s for sure. And it would make him giggle. Trey climbed out of the drivers’ seat and opened the side door to lower Dave in his wheelchair to the ground. No one else emerged from the van. Eric sighed in relief.

Dave wheeled himself through the gravel and onto the sidewalk that led to the front porch. At the bottom of the steps he stopped and looked up at Eric. “The ADA is gonna have your ass, Sticks. How am I supposed to get up the steps?”

“Getcher lazy ass out of the chair,” Trey said.

Eric watched in stunned silence as Dave moved the foot pedals of his wheelchair aside, grabbed the banister, and pulled himself to his feet.

“You got it?” Trey asked him.

“Yep,” Dave said breathlessly. With tremendous effort and using the handrail for support, Dave slowly climbed the four stairs to stand on the porch. Eric grabbed him in a tremendous bear hug while Trey folded Dave’s wheelchair and hefted it up the steps.

“You can walk?” Eric said.

There was suddenly a smaller body participating in their hug fest. Rebekah was literally sobbing with happiness.

“Okay,” Dave said. “I need to sit down again. I’m still weak as a fuckin’ kitten. I can only move a few steps at a time.”

They helped him back into his chair and bumped him over the threshold into the house.

“Is everyone here?” Trey asked.

Rebekah nodded. “How’s Isaac?” she asked.

“He’ll be okay,” Trey promised. “I know just the guy for him.” Everyone in the foyer stared. “No, not me. You know how I feel about serious relationships.” He made a face of disgust and Rebekah laughed.

“And I wanted to date you,” she said. “Good thing I didn’t stay hung up on you for too long. Heartbreaker.”

“Cock tease,” Trey shot back.

Dave chuckled. “You’ve no idea how happy I am to hear him call you that.”

Rebekah glanced at Eric and turned beet red.

“How’s your mother doing?” Eric asked Dave, hoping to change the subject.

“Better. They’re trying her on some new meds. She sounded great when I talked to her a couple hours ago. You should call her, Rebekah.”

Rebekah nodded. “I will after Eric’s party.”

“She’s not stuck in her Isaac-and-Rebekah loop anymore.”

“That’s a relief,” Rebekah said. She stroked her brother’s hair and kissed his forehead. “You had to go and one-up me, didn’t you?”

“Huh?”

“I plan all this stuff for Eric’s birthday, and you show up and promptly start walking.” She shook her head as if annoyed. “Figures.”

“Sibling rivalry at its finest.” Dave grabbed her around the waist and tumbled her onto his lap so he could tickle her. She laughed and squirmed, finally landing herself in a heap on the floor. Smiling broadly, Eric helped her to her feet.

They made their way into the kitchen where Myrna was busy getting the meal heated and appropriately served. Brian was at underfoot as he tried to help. Eventually, she grabbed him by both arms and gave him a hard shake. “I know you want to help, but will you sit down and let me get this done? Back off! I’m fine. I’m not the first woman to have a baby, you know!”

“But you’re the first woman to have my baby.”

Myrna stared at her husband and then burst into tears. She hugged him against her and kissed every inch of his face. “I’m s-sorry I yelled at you. I love you so much.”

“Hormones,” Sed grumbled. “Hey, Jess. You aren’t going to be like that when I knock you up, are you?”

Jessica poked him in the ribs. Hard. “Ask me that again, and you’ll be incapable of ever having children.”

Sed covered his crotch protectively with both hands.

The meal was amazing. Myrna had made her homemade lasagna. The Italian bread, with its crisp outside and melt-on-your-tongue center, was also homemade. Everything was perfect. The meal. The company. The love of his life playing footsies with him beneath the dinner table. Everything.

Perfect.

They covered Eric’s cake with candles and made him blow them out. “Don’t forget to make a wish,” Rebekah encouraged.

He couldn’t think of anything else he could possibly want or need. And then he remembered that Rebekah had her MRI the next day. He wished for perfect health for his woman and then blew out the candles. A second later, Eric found his face shoved into the cake, and then a full-fledged cake-flinging battle ensued in his kitchen. Hiding with Rebekah under the breakfast bar from the chocolate cake and buttercream frosting projectiles, Eric smiled as she began to nibble the cake and frosting off his face.

“This is delicious,” she said.

He laughed and smeared his cheek against hers so he could sample his birthday cake for himself. “That is pretty good,” he said, licking frosting off her face, “but these are much sweeter.” He kissed her and was still kissing her when eight pairs of eyes peered under the counter to stare at them.

“Time to open presents,” Sed announced.

“I could get used to this,” Eric murmured and kissed Rebekah again before hauling himself from beneath the counter. He helped Rebekah to her feet and turned to find Jessica sucking frosting off Sed’s huge biceps. Brian and Myrna were feeding each other bits of cake with their fingers. Aggie was nibbling on Jace’s jaw, none too gently, if his raspy breathing was any indication of his level of excitement.

Trey crossed his arms over his chest. “If you all don’t stop it, I’m going to have to start making out with Dave here, and no one wants to see that.”

“I do,” Aggie said and emitted a husky chuckle.

Damn, that woman was delightfully wicked. Eric could only imagine what she’d made him as a birthday gift. It turned out to be a custom-made black leather corset with blue butterflies embroidered down one side for Rebekah. Eric totally approved.

Sed and Jessica had bought him a personalized license plate frame for the Corvette that read Drummers Do It with Rhythm.

Myrna and Brian gave him a box of sex toys that came with their stamp of approval.

Trey didn’t get him anything. “I practically gave you that wonderful woman of yours,” he explained with a wink.

Dave gave him a new cymbal for his drum kit, which he had to try immediately.

Rebekah handed him yet another gift.

“You’re spoiling me,” Eric said. He laughed when he opened the box and found a pillow shaped like a pair of breasts.

“So when you’re on the road, you’ll have something to remind you of me. Something you can play with while you’re sleeping alone. And you will be sleeping alone, Eric Sticks!”

“No, he won’t,” Sed said.

“What do you mean he won’t?” Rebekah bellowed.

Before Eric could assure her that she had absolutely nothing to worry about, Sed said, “You’ll be there with him. The band talked about it, and we decided we want you to stay on as our permanent soundboard operator.”

Her smile could have lit the heavens, and then she glanced at her brother. “Dave—”

“Dave will also be our soundboard operator. That job is big enough for two people. There are things he won’t be able to do for a while yet, so you can help him, but honestly, with both of you on the job, Sinners is gonna rock everyone’s face off,” he said in that front man roar that made the crowds go wild.

Eric was so happy he could’ve kissed Sed. So he did. He got slapped alongside the head for his misplaced affection, but he didn’t care. He wouldn’t have to be away from Rebekah for weeks on end. Or ever. She would always be by his side.

“So do you want the job?” Sed asked.

“Are you kidding?” Rebekah cried. “Of course I want the job!”

Sed didn’t slap her alongside the head when she kissed him, but Jessica’s eyes flashed a warning.

The doorbell rang. Eric glanced at Rebekah in question.

“Happy twenty-eighth birthday, baby.”

“Did you get me a stripper?” Eric teased.

Trey slapped himself in the forehead. “Why didn’t I think of that? Then I’d have someone to play with too.”

“Go get the door,” Rebekah urged.

Eric gave her a strange look. Everyone he knew was already here, but he went to answer. Jon stood on his threshold. Well, Eric’s birthday had been going perfectly. Only seemed fair that something would fuck it up. Why would Rebekah invite him?