Page 36 of Secret Heart
I quickly swallow the jealous growl wanting to rip out of my throat and shake away the urge to punch something, opening the soda with trembling fingers.
“No, it’s fine.” I take a long drink of the soda to hide the rasping envy in my voice. “ Just pretend you didn’t see that.”
It’s not like I’ve done anything to claim the Omega who gave me the flowers. I didn’t even have the bravery to say something to him yesterday before he left when Penny needed to take her first nap.
Caleb doesn’t look convinced, and it has Mom frowning now, too. She looks toward Camden and understanding softens her features. Of course Mom saw the flowers he’d brought me. They probably sat on her counter before they moved to mine. She deftly moves until she stands between me and Caleb, looping herarm in mine. He raises an eyebrow but heads down the driveway without comment, kissing Brielle’s temple on his way to stand with his dad.
“Yesterday went well, then,” Mom says once it’s just the two of us on the porch. Her voice is quiet enough to be lost in the din of all the conversations and toddlers laughing.
I shrug, not sure I can be trusted to say anything that won’t come out a half-formed pleading scream. She squeezes my hand and rests her head against mine for a heartbeat, her silent show of support and comfort.
Penny’s happy squeal cuts through the crowd, my ears trained to the sound. My stomach twists over itself, my vanilla pulsing stronger with that territorial edge, as she runs right to where Triston’s joined Caleb and Mark and Scott. His jeans are the same cut as the ones he wore yesterday, the hat one I’ve never seen him wear here, though it’s identical to the one worn in all of his competition rides. He wears a light black and gray flannel unbuttoned, revealing a black t-shirt that clings to his chest even more than the one he’d worn yesterday.
He looks down as Penny slams into his leg, his hand cupping the back of her head like it’s the most natural thing in the world. His hold as he perches her on his hip isn’t as awkward as it was last week, his touch more comfortable. She has the bunny blanket clutched in her arms with nothing less than a death grip. Mark and Scott both smile. Caleb holds up his hand in a wave, and Penny tucks her face against Triston’s shoulder, the exact same way she does with us when she’s shy and doesn’t want to interact with someone.
Confusion and envy and jealousy mix together into an indescribable ball, making it nearly impossible to breathe. Triston brushes his lips against her temple, and the ball burns hotter than the sun itself. My scent flashes out from me, so strong it’s a miracle no one notices it. I accidentally crush thesoda can. With a curse, I hold it out from me, barely avoiding the sticky liquid spraying all over the porch. The party’s busy enough no one notices my loss of control. I shake off the worst of it and then wipe off the mess on my hands with a couple of the ice cubes from the cooler. The frozen liquid burns, but it helps alleviate some of the festering jealousy still bleeding out from my chest and into my limbs.
“Oh, Emmy baby,” Mom whispers. She takes the ruined can and tosses it in one of the small trash cans scattered around the edges of the party. “It’s not a weakness to want him, too, darling. I know he wasn’t here, but it’s clear he’s torn up about it. Give him a chance to explain himself.”
I shrug. He already has explained himself, tears in his eyes and absolutely stricken with horror in our family’s barn, when he asked why those he’d put in charge of his safety hadn’t told him about the messages I’d sent him.
Before I have to admit to any of the messy things twisting up my stomach and confusing my mind, there’s a sudden, loudpopas one of the balloons explodes. Jonas laughs as several people curse. A baby’s cries fill the following silence.
Hudson rushes across the driveway, abandoning whatever conversation he was having with Paul to scoop up Jonas.
Olivia sighs. “Damn it,” she groans. “I’m so sorry, Brielle.”
Brielle gives a small smile. Ethan’s by her side in another few moments, running his finger along Naomi’s cheekbone. Her crying fades away within a few seconds, soothed back to sleep between his touch and Brielle’s warmth. He bends down and whispers something to Brielle, and stress falls away from her shoulders. He looks across the party, and Caleb nods without missing a word of what he’s saying to Mark.
“How about we do the cake?” Mom whispers just as Joan steps out of the house and adjusts her cardigan. She loops herarm with mine again. “Some of the kids are needing a break, including Penny, and it’ll be getting dark soon.”
“That’s a lovely idea,” Joan says. “I’d like to get some photos of you all in the golden hour light while she’s still in that adorable outfit. Those boots are to die for, Emily. And the way they match that new cuddle blanket perfectly? It’s so cute. How did you find them?”
Mom drops my arm and grabs my brother’s elbow when he tries to pass by.
He stops without complaint, his eyebrows furrowing.
“I didn’t.” I swallow and plaster on a fake-as-all-hell smile to answer Joan’s question. “Triston did.”
Ethan’s eyebrow slowly rises in very real surprise. His gaze snaps to Penny, and he whistles. It’s obvious he recognizes the brand on the small tag of the boots. Any person who ranches would.
Joan’s smile is even wider than before. “Oh, that’s so sweet! He did a fantastic job. She’s not liked any blanket quite that much, has she?”
A lump crowds my throat, impossible to form words around. My scent pulses again, and Ethan grunts like he’s been punched. Mom and Joan are both oblivious, but I try to calm my breathing anyway. The last person who needs to know my mess of a mind is my brother.
“What’s up, Mom?” he asks, dropping his attention away from me.
“Will you grab the cupcakes with me, please?”
Joan’s quick to help facilitate the transition. She cups her hands around her mouth and calls across the party. “Hudson, come help set up for cake, please.”
That sets everyone else in motion, too. Camden and Mason—the four year old of Jake’s pack—cheer and clap and thenrush to the patio. Paul’s three year old boy follows after them, abandoning the chalk drawing he’d been working on.
“Are they green?” Mason asks. “Green cupcakes are my favorite.”
“We’ll have to wait and see,” Joan says, her voice warm. “Why don’t you boys help Mark move a couple of these bubble toys so there’s a spot for Penny’s chair?”
As she directs them to the space, everyone slowly converges. Beau chuckles as Paul says something, shaking his head. Another pulse of my scent pushes away from me, smaller than before but no less revealing. Penny’s still plastered to Triston’s side, her new blanket held tightly in both hands. Brielle’s eyes lock on me, and her brows furrow in concern. Jake’s pack doesn’t make a comment, but Melissa tenses.
