The Arrangement Book 6

“Okay, gather ’round, kids!” I crowed. “It’s picture time!”

I smiled as a chorus of excited squeals and annoyed groans rang out. All the little girls grouped together for the photo while the boys did their best to escape.

I remembered dreading taking group pictures as a kid.

I gazed around at the beautiful landscape.

A wide-open meadow of lush grass was framed by a maze of flower beds. The forest that ringed the property swayed in the summer breeze. A massive party gazebo provided shade for tables filled with food and refreshments.

It looked like a scene right from the pages of a fairytale.

“Taking in the sights?”

I turned to find Em, with an ice-cream cone in one hand and a camera in the other. I took the camera from her with a smile.

“Shouldn’t you be used to this place by now?” she asked.

“Doesn’t mean I can’t stop to smell the roses,” I replied.

“Yeah. Roses.” Em looked around at the flower gardens. “And tulips, and daisies, and lilies, and orchids, and gardenias…”

I laughed, remembering when I used to work part-time at Em’s flower shop.

That seemed like a lifetime ago.

It was hard to believe that my life had changed so drastically in just a few years.

But it was all real.

A lot of people had gathered at my and Xavier’s home for the special day.

Lucille stood dutifully at his side, handing out plates and napkins to the eager folk who wanted a taste of Dad’s cooking. She still helped around our new home in Connecticut, but no longer on a full-time basis.

I spied Marlena Marlboro and Penny underneath the shade of the gazebo, deep in conversation. I had no doubt they were talking shop. The art mogul had been great friends with Brad, and it seemed that she’d taken a shine to his successor.

I laughed as I saw Lucas and Danny trying to corral the kids in for the group photo. A lot of friends had brought their families, and the day was alight with song and laughter.

“Not bad, Angie,” a familiar voice called out, “but where are the marble statues? Where is the pièce de résistance to mark this special occasion?”

I rolled my eyes as Dustin walked up behind me, a brilliant smile on his face.

“Late as always,” I quipped.

“The guests of honor are always late,” he replied breezily, enveloping me in a hug and kissing both my cheeks. Dustin turned and did the same to Em.

“Where’s your hubby?” I asked Dustin. He and Jake had been practically inseparable ever since their wedding.

“Right here!” Jake walked up behind him with a little boy in his arms. He smiled at me, his eyes twinkling. “Say hi to Auntie Angie and Em,” Jake said to the toddler.

The boy looked up at us, his large, brown eyes wide and curious. He smiled and let out a little gurgle of a laugh.

Em and I melted, crowding him.

“Oh hi little baby,” I cooed, making kissy faces at him.

Dustin and Jake had adopted a son, and I’d planned this whole gathering to celebrate.

Little DaVinci deserved a grand welcome.

When Dustin and Jake had first told me they were planning to adopt, my heart melted. Little DaVinci was from the Republic of Congo, and if it weren’t for Dustin and Jake, he would’ve lived a very hard life.

Dustin and Jake planned to give little DaVinci the world, and I admired them for it.

“DaVinci’s just in time for the group photo,” I said. Lucas and Danny had finally finished rounding up the kids.

The little toddler laughed and clapped his hands, and Dustin smiled proudly. “He yearns for the spotlight,” he said melodramatically.

“I wonder where he gets that from,” Em teased.

Jake moved to bring DaVinci over to the other kids. I stifled a yawn. I’d had to burn the midnight oil to plan the perfect celebration.

I went to go follow him with the camera, but Dustin put a hand on my arm.

“Are you okay?” he asked me, his voice suddenly serious.

I blinked, surprised by his question. “Of course,” I said. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You look…tired.”

“They can be a handful,” I admitted. “But I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.”

I loved my children to the moon and back.

The lights of my life.

The apples of my eye…

“Hey, Angie.” I turned to find Lucas walking over. “I can’t find Leah and Ace. You see them around?”

I quickly scanned the backyard, making sure to check in my kids’ favorite hiding places.

They weren’t there.

A spike of fear ran through me, but I pushed it away. It was just my maternal instincts kicking into overdrive. They weren’t in any danger.

I handed Dustin the camera. “Go make use of your artistic talent, will you?”

I didn’t even hear his response. I took off inside, looking for my kids.

I frowned at my Rolex.

“How much farther, Marco?”

“Just a few minutes,” he told me.

I sighed as I looked out the window, the beautiful Connecticut landscape zooming by in a blur. It was a far cry from the concrete jungle that was the heart of New York.

Driving through this place felt like going through Central Park.

If Central Park was an entire state.

But the beautiful scenery couldn’t distract me from one simple fact:

I was late.

I had no doubt my beautiful wife would be upset that I was late, but it couldn't be helped.

X-Label was taking off, and the stars were my target.

I was in my element. I’d secured lucrative deals with distributors from LA to Tokyo. In the course of five years my distillery in Brooklyn was thriving. We even had plans to expand to new locations in every continent.

It hadn’t been handed to me.

Xavier Knight was back, and better than ever.

But all the success in the world couldn’t compare to what waited for me at home.

No business deal could ever have me on the edge of my seat with my heart full and a stupid grin on my face—at least, not like Angela could.

Marco finally pulled up our long, winding driveway. I practically leapt out of the Beamer when he came to a stop.

I walked around and popped open the trunk, removing a few bottles of X-Label whiskey. I could hear the laughter and music from the backyard, and I took a moment to appreciate it all.

Life was perfect.

And our beautiful home of stone and glass was a perfect place to raise our family.

I followed the bright, marble path that circled around the house to our backyard.

“Gosh darn it!”

I found Angela’s business partner Zoe struggling to push a massive cart nearly twice her size. A protective cover was draped over it to hide whatever was underneath.

“Need a hand?” I called.

Zoe turned, her face flushed.

“Please,” she said. “This is probably the heaviest cake in the whole galaxy.”

“The event is for the king and king of the entire universe. At least, according to the Sterlings themselves.” Zoe said, as if that explanation would justify the sweet monstrosity.

Together we pushed the cart into the backyard. I looked around at everyone gathered for the party.

I searched for my family but couldn’t find them.

Ken looked up from a bench as we walked by.

“Well, look who decided to show up,” he jabbed.

“I brought cake,” I said, tapping at the hidden cart. Ken looked exhausted, a light sheen of sweat on his forehead. “You okay?”

“Fine,” he grunted. “You’d be pooped too if you’d been flipping meat all day.”

“Have you seen Angela and the kids?” I asked.

“They’re probably inside somewhere,” he said. “Good luck finding them in that mansion. I got lost trying to get to the bathroom.”

“We usually put up signs at parties…”

Ken barked out a laugh. “You know something’s wrong when you need a map to take a piss.”

Zoe and I trundled along. She guided me to the gazebo, ensuring the cake was central to the party.

“Alright everyone!” Zoe called. “Who wants cake?”

Everyone began gathering around, eager to get a glimpse of what was underneath the casing. I saw Dustin and his husband walk forward, their kid cradled in between them.

“He’s a cute kid, isn’t he?”

I turned to find Penny standing next to me.

There was a time when I would’ve recoiled from her. Cussed her out of the party. But that was ancient history.

Despite our...complicated past, we’d become close friends.

I turned back to Dustin and his family.

“They named him DaVinci, right?”

Penny nodded.

“Yikes. Hopefully he turns out all right and keeps both of his ears.”

“That was Van Gogh, Xavier.”

“Whatever.”

Penny laughed, and I couldn’t help but smile too.

“Hey, have you seen—” But before I could finish my sentence, I saw her. It had only been a few days since we’d parted, but I felt like I was falling in love all over again.

Her blonde hair burned golden in the sun; her eyes shone bluer than the cloudless sky above us. I felt my lips pulling up into a smile, but my heart suddenly sank.

Angela looked terrified.

I instantly moved toward her, enveloping her in my arms.

“What’s wrong?” I asked urgently.

“I can’t find Leah and Ace,” she said, her eyes wide with fear. “I think we should call the—”

“Tah-daahhhhhh!” Zoe exclaimed. She pulled back the cover and revealed the cake…

A gasp of shock rang out through the partygoers. Because inside of the glass case there wasn’t a cake.

Instead there were a young girl and boy. Both of them were covered in cake guts, frosting layered into their hair.

Leah was grinning from ear to ear while Ace just sat there, his big-rimmed glasses fogged with sugar.

I had to laugh; Angela looked on with an expression of relief and horror.

Just another day in paradise.