Page 277 of One Wild Wish

Rachel and Ainsley stared at me, wide-eyed, as I laid out my crazy day and the diary details, how August had kept the information from me, that act leading to the biggest case us two Badass PI partners had ever cracked: my father and the woman who’d raised me were dead, but my aunt was my mother…and she was alive.

“You never found your father, but you found your mother instead,” Ainsley said, awed. “I’m barely standing after that revelation. How are you on your feet?”

Rachel wiped a tear from her freckled cheek. “Because she’s the strongest woman we know.”

I glanced down at my body. August had unleashed a sexy growl when he’d seen me in my leather pants, three-inch heels, and red strapless top. He’d said he loved how strong I was.

Standing here, still on my feet after my insane day, wasn’t because I could do burpees and box jumps. Growing up in a cold home had toughened me. I’d learned to breathe through stress, repeat stupid movie titles if needed. Play not-very-good guitar. Now I had a man who loved me and the best friends a woman could want. I’d earned this inner strength.

All I said was, “Of course I’m here. I wouldn’t miss our birthdays.”

The three of us hugged, our twenty-seventh year almost over. Year twenty-eight would knock it out of the park.

“With August gone, we’ll have to rally.” Ainsley rubbed my arm. “I’ll bake you my famous spinach brownies.”

Rachel and I traded horrified looks. “It’s not necessary,” I said.

“Of course it is.”

“It’s really not.”

“Owen loves them. I’ll make a double batch.”

Those vegan brownies tasted like cardboard mated with grass. If Owen ate them, he either had the palate of a starving prisoner, or he was the best boyfriend this side of Canada.

“I’ll make extra for you, too,” Ainsley told Rachel.

“Will you look at the time?” Rachel glanced at her slender wrist, which didn’t house a watch. “Pretty sure it’s almost midnight. We should get back to the boys.” Crafty girl, dodging the brownies.

She kissed my cheek before we moved. “But Ainsley’s right. Not about the awful brownies, but about us rallying. We’re here for you. If you need a breather, come visit me in Napa. If you need me to make an emergency trip here, just say the word.”

I squeezed her elbow. “I’d be lost without you ladies. And you realize what this means, right?” When I had their attention, I pulled three folded papers from my front pocket.

They both gasped.

“I forgot we did that,” Rachel said.

This time last year, we’d made resolutions that would change our lives. We’d written them on papers to hold ourselves accountable. Rachel and Ainsley had fulfilled theirs months ago. Mine had seemed impossible, the distant hope to know my father having slipped through my fingers when Mary had died.

I may not have met him, but I’d discovered his name, my history, and I’d hopefully be meeting my birth mother in the coming months. “I’d say we rocked the shit out of our birthday wishes.”

“Was there ever any doubt?” The pride in Ainsley’s voice was contagious.

I gave the girls their papers and pocketed mine. “To another amazing year.”

Ten minutes before the clock struck midnight, we joined our men. Jimmy pulled Rachel’s back into his chest and wrapped his arms around her. Owen did the same with Ainsley and played with the pendant hanging from her necklace.

August winked at me and picked up a glass of red wine from the bar. “Figured you’d want this.”

“You’re a mind reader.” I did want the wine. I also wanted him. In a simple white T-shirt and faded jeans, he was lickable. My libido revved back to life.

He tucked me into his side and raised his glass to the group. “Is there a birthday wish on tap this year?”

“I don’t need a wish to get what I want,” Ainsley said. I expected her to make a show of kissing Owen, but she batted her Lancôme lashes at his brother. “If Emmett doesn’t tell me what Owen’s tattoo means, I’ll tell his boyfriend about the gift I’m buying for Emmett’s birthday this year.”

Emmett narrowed his eyes at her. “Nice try, but this guy”—he flicked his thumb toward Cameron, whose hand was in Emmett’s back pocket—“knows what I’m packing below.”

Playing along, Cameron waggled his eyebrows. “Any bigger and I’d be in trouble.”