A Perfect Storm
Page 94

Trace pulled Priss back to his side.
Playful insults ensued, along with lots of camaraderie and laughter. They all interacted so comfortably. They were a family, in the truest sense of the word.
But she had no idea how to fit in.
Her heart aching, Arizona glanced over at Jackson. In so many ways, he’d tried to include her. But he would soon marry Alani, and not long after that, he’d have a baby.
His own family. A real family.
Not for a second was Jackson oblivious to Alani—what she did, how she moved, probably her every thought. All through dinner he had watched her eat, his intense scrutiny of her mouth almost embarrassing. His awareness of her was palpable and very sweet.
How could she ever intrude on that?
Chris bumped his knee into hers, jarring her from her melancholy yet again.
She eyed him and caught his look of understanding.
“Don’t let the inmates get to you.” He handed her another gift.
“I like hearing everyone joke around,” she admitted.
“There you go,” Chris said. “Can’t beat ’em, so you may as well join ’em. Now stop hedging and open another gift.”
She received some funny T-shirts from Priss and Trace. One said, “Power in a Ponytail.” That made her laugh, especially since that was how she often wore her hair. Another said, “A Real Princess Can Save Herself,” and that was so absurd, she snickered. “Nice. I love them.”
From Molly and Dare she received a small bottle of perfume that smelled like heaven, along with some very feminine hair clips that, oddly enough, she liked, even though they were far more girly than anything she’d ever purchased.
Chris took one from her and stuck it awkwardly in her hair, making Molly laugh.
Dare leaned in and repositioned it. “Very pretty,” he pronounced.
“Really?”
Jackson laughed. “You could shave your head and still be stunning, Arizona, but, yeah, it looks great.”
“You have such amazing hair,” Molly said.
And everyone agreed.
Blushing, Arizona glanced at Spencer.
He winked, then handed her another gift. “This one is from me.”
She accepted the gift. “When did you have time to do this?”
“I found a website that’d expedite things, and then had it sent here overnight.”
“No way.”
“Way.” He smiled. “The hardest part was using the internet without you catching me at it.”
“Sneaky.” Amazed that he’d managed it without her knowing, Arizona took care not to rip the pretty paper as she peeled it away. Moving aside layers of tissue, she unveiled a stunning silver jewelry box with her initials ornately engraved in the lid.
It looked expensive, and incredibly personal.
Since she had only a few pieces of jewelry, none of it costly, she didn’t understand. But because it was from Spencer, she loved it. Coasting her fingertips over the engraving, she said, “It’s amazing.”
“Look inside,” Spencer told her.
“Oh, okay.” Without even realizing it, she held her breath as she lifted the lid—and found a matching jewelry set of bracelet, necklace, earrings and ring, all with her birthstone.
The pieces were delicate and so very, very pretty.
Sunlight glinted on the stones and in the silver. She lifted out the bracelet. “It’s all… It’s…” Moisture gathered in her eyes. Damn it, she would not cry. “I’ve never seen stuff so pretty.”
“Maybe someone should have gotten her a mirror,” Chris quipped, and the women quickly shushed him.
Spencer reached for her hand, took the bracelet from her and latched it around her wrist. Still holding her fingers in his, he said, “Everyone should celebrate their actual birth date.”
“Not a made-up date,” Jackson told her. “With us, it’s the real thing.”
“Although much as I like a party,” Chris added, “we could always celebrate birthdays real and staged.”
Arizona looked around at everyone, marveling at them.
Molly sat on Dare’s lap. He accepted that as ordinary, as expected, looping his arms around her and kissing her ear with honest affection. “Same here. Any excuse to get together with friends and family is okay by me.”
“Next will be the wedding,” Alani said, and she looked at Spencer. “I expect both of you there.”
“Arizona has already agreed to bring me along.”
Right. Spencer was the one who’d agreed so that she wouldn’t have to attend alone. But she appreciated his discretion.
When Alani spoke of her pregnancy next, Trace just smiled, hugging Priss closer into his side. She whispered something in his ear that made him go still, and, his eyes glittering, he whispered back, “Behave.” But he kissed her, and Priss, wearing an evil grin, rested her head on his shoulder.
Despite their career paths, the men were generous and attentive.
Despite the husbands they’d chosen, the women were confident and happy.
For Arizona, it was all such an alien concept—to be…content.
She’d never known contentment. She’d never known that level of peace. She tried to fake it around them, but even now, even with them going out of their way to include her, she knew she didn’t belong.
Given the way Spencer watched her, he probably knew it, too.
Now that she’d opened her gifts, Arizona thought about slipping away before they decided to swim. But…they’d only follow. Earlier, before they’d eaten, she’d tried that. But everywhere she went, they followed like she was the Pied Piper or something. They were determined to include her.