Daphne walked up to the cottage, the damp path silent under her feet. Fat raindrops fell off the leaves above, striking Evander’s umbrella as she held it over her and Tigger. Her daughter was acting strange, which was unusual, as hanging out with Evander usually made her extra sparkly.

Daphne glanced back at Evander. His head was bowed, drops of rain sparkling in his hair as he cradled the soggy cardboard box of snacks. She felt a tug of fondness for the man, as well as something she couldn’t quite identify. It was almost a possessive feeling. One of wanting to make him happy, to lift his sorrows and love him until he smiled.

She was going to miss him when they moved back to their own house. Who in her life would let her take the umbrella and carry the snacks through the rain to a dilapidated old cottage? Who else would take care of all the little things so she could worry about being a mother?

Daphne swiped at her damp eyes. She really needed to stop thinking about Evander or it was going to be even harder leaving him when this was all over. As it was, it would be difficult enough.

She thought back to her job interview. She was definitely going to accept Environment Canada’s offer if it got her closer to a life like this, with fewer worries. It was ironic that the stability she’d mocked for years was what she now craved via a steady job. It was her own version of Evander. A constant, steady, reliable something to lean on that would take care of the details—which in her case would be the money side of things.

Taking this job would be a milestone in her life. One where she grew up and planned a bit more, so she didn’t end up in a corner where she couldn’t even pay the taxes on the cottage. It was time to join the rat race.

All she had left to figure out was Mistral.

No. It was her birthday. No thinking about a man who hadn’t done a thing she’d wanted in the past six years. He was a waste of dreams and energy. It was time to let that hope go and move forward so she could find something better. Someone more deserving. Tigger was worth it and so was she.

Evander gripped her elbow, steering her around the broken step, third from the top.

She stopped halfway onto the veranda. The main room’s glass door was open, leaving the cottage unsecured by the flimsy screen door that was closed over it. She turned to Evander, nearly knocking him with the umbrella. “The door’s open.”

Behind her, she heard the screen open and she turned to face the threat. She stepped back in surprise, arms flying out, crashing into the box in Evander’s arms.

People flooded out of the cottage, shouting, “Surprise!”

Behind her, she could feel Evander fumbling with the box against her back. Something tumbled past her on its way to the floor. Cool, moist splatters hit the backs of her bare legs and she turned to see Evander looking as crushed as the birthday cake lying on the veranda floor.

Without thinking, she reached up and cupped his stubbly cheek. He leaned into her touch as though about to collapse from disappointment.

“It’s okay,” she said softly, “I’m sure we can salvage some of it.” She glanced down at the ruined cake and began laughing. “We won’t even have to cut it, we can just scoop it out onto plates.” Her laughter took hold and she had to clutch her sides to support herself. Leave it to her to smash her own cake.

Hailey bent to fuss over the mess, and Maya, with an arm around Daphne, began laughing as well. Tigger dipped her finger into the creamy icing, licking it clean before aiming her finger at a broken sugar rose covered in splatters of pink icing. Melanie stopped her with a gentle hand. “No double dipping.”

The sisters saved as much of the cake as they could while Daphne greeted a veranda crowded with people she loved. Her environmental protest buddies. Her sisters’ boyfriends. Her mother and her friends. Even new friends such as Evander, Kyle, and Florence.

She turned to Evander. “Did you plan this?”

“The kid did.” He tipped his head toward Tigger, who was licking the icing off a bag of chips that had been in with the cake.

“Oh, boy. When the sugar hits—look out.”

“Don’t worry about Tigger. I’ll take care of her. You enjoy your party.”

Daphne watched Evander for a moment, surprised at the affection in his body language. Had it always been there? Had she just been so determined to make him into her enemy that she hadn’t noticed this sweet man inside the warrior? Or was it something new?

“Thank you, Evander.”

He gave a small shrug as if to say it was nothing.

“For everything.” She held his gaze for a long moment, to ensure he knew she meant more than just the party. More than just the offer to take care of a sugar-buzzed child.

He gave a bashful half smile before turning away.

Her love was changing the man. Or maybe he was changing her.

“Happy birthday, Daphne,” said someone to her left.

“Mrs. Star!” Daphne gave the woman a cheek kiss and a hug. She hadn’t seen her mother’s old friend in ages. “How have you been?”

“Like a snowflake in a sudden storm. Great!” She leaned closer to confide, “I’ve been winning several bets against my sister Elsie in Blueberry Springs lately. She owes me twenty bucks now. Although I may have to go to that little mountain town and collect it from her. You know how she is.”

“I heard about your bet over Hailey and Finian.”

Agnes Kowski, another friend of her mother’s, joined them, pushing her walker up close to Daphne’s toes. “I can’t believe you ruined the cake.”

While her mother never complained about the food at the nursing home, Mrs. Kowski, her neighbor, certainly made up for it by complaining double.

“Now, now,” Catherine said, from her position in a nearby wicker chair. “At least it isn’t red icing, and the girls managed to save most of it. I’ll make sure you get a slice.”

“The cake they serve at the home is a disgrace,” declared Agnes.

Daphne took a seat beside her mother as Hailey handed her a piece of smashed cake, ensuring that Mrs. Kowski got a slice, as well.

“We opted not to sing Happy Birthday. Is that okay?” Hailey asked Daphne.

“I tried to convince her you wouldn’t mind blowing out candles on a broken cake,” Finian said.

 Daphne assured them it was fine. Having a room full of people she loved meant so much more than a perfect cake.

“I told you so,” Hailey said to her boyfriend as they went to serve more cake.

Shawn McNeil, an environmentalist friend, handed Daphne a small wrapped gift.

“Oh, Shawn. You didn’t have to get me anything.”

He looked bashful. “I’ve had it for a while. I heard your birthday was coming.”

Evander stood off to the side, watching, not eating.

“Do you want cake?” Daphne offered her piece to him, but he shook his head and smiled, his eyes doing their typical flick around the area for potential dangers. The veranda’s perimeter was dotted with men she figured were the security agents the boyfriends had shadowing her sisters.

What a complete mess she’d made of things. Hopefully, next year would be better. Hopefully, she’d grow up with her new job and quit messing things up for others.

Daphne set the cake down and carefully unwrapped the gift. She held up three six-inch-wide slabs of wood, slices from a tree showing the growth rings. She glanced up at Shawn. “These are wonderful, thank you.”

The man ran a hand through his longish hair. “They’re heat pads. Like big coasters.” He took them from her grasp and laid them out on the coffee table in front of her. With gangly, awkward moves he snatched plates of cake from bystanders, setting them on top of the short stumps. He stood back. “See? But you put hot stuff on them.”

Daphne smiled. The gifts were so Shawn, who was training as an arborist. “They’re wonderful, thank you.”

He gave a smile and his body relaxed. “Yeah? You like them?”

She nodded.

Connor, who had been standing nearby, eating cake, said to Shawn, “Knock any trees down lately?” His voice with was without humor, and Daphne could tell that he still wasn’t over last month’s incident that had endangered Tigger. Shawn had been taking down some trees, as well as testing some of the bigger ones for rot, and despite his precautions, one of them had fallen too close to Tigger. If it hadn’t been for Connor, there would have been a funeral. Daphne’s gut clenched at the thought of what could have happened, and her fingers gripped her plate. Forcing herself to relax, she looked up to see Evander watching her.

“What happened?” he asked, coming to her side.

“No, nothing.”

“What did he do?” Evander’s neck was strung tight, veins popping as he fought for control. Fists bunched, he whirled to face Shawn. “What did you do?”

Shawn backed up so quickly he tripped over the coffee table and went sprawling, sending cake and tea crashing to the floor.

“Oh, dear,” Florence said, surveying the mess. “Evander, honey, please go get a dustpan.”

Daphne jumped up, not liking the way he was pulling Shawn to his feet. “What did you do to Daphne and Tigger?” Evander demanded.

Connor stepped in. “No harm, no foul. Tigger interfered with some safeties.”

“Connor saved her from a falling tree,” Maya said, giving her fiancé’s arm a squeeze, her engagement ring sparkling in the late afternoon sun streaming through the rain clouds.

“Mom! A rainbow!” Tigger came bouncing over, her eyes lit up, pink icing smeared around her mouth like clown makeup. “Come see! Come see! Come see!” She hauled on Daphne’s hand until she had no choice but to follow.

She glanced over her shoulder to where Evander was still burning holes into Shawn with his eyes. Then, with a short nod, Evander glanced around the gathered group to ensure all was okay, before heading to the kitchen.

 Dutifully, Daphne admired the rainbow until Tigger was satisfied. As she chatted with friends, she watched Evander host. He ensured his mother had all she needed, while he moved in and out of the kitchen with fresh pots of tea, juice boxes, and dirty dishes. All he needed was a frilly apron. Daphne smiled, loving to see the domestic side of the big burly man. He was constantly surprising her in ways that made her smile.

“Someone has a crush,” Simone said, sidling up beside Daphne as the group drifted away to talk to Melanie.

“On who?” Daphne asked her old friend.

“Your bodyguard. It’s very Whitney Houston of you.”

Daphne let out a bark of laughter, and Evander glanced her way, his shoulders loosening when he realized all was okay.

“You’re blushing,” Simone teased. “Please tell me you’ve brought that hunk of man to the island several times in the past week and a half.”

“Not on your life. I am not letting destiny get her hands on that one.”

“Why not?”

“Because we’re total opposites.” Liar. At first, she’d believed it, but the more she got to know him, the more she discovered that they were more alike than different.

Simone gave her a smile that suggested she didn’t believe her for one second. “I’m going to go find me a hunk and get you to bring us here to see if the island’s magic works on honorary Summer sisters.”

Daphne laughed.

“There’s nothing to lose. Oh, speaking of nothing to lose, when did you want to have a show of your paintings in my boutique?” She rubbed her hands eagerly. “I can’t wait to premiere Daphne Summer.”

“Can you hold a show tomorrow so I can make a few grand by Friday?”

“Tax deadline?”

“Yeah.”

“Unfortunately I’m just finishing up a show, but in September I could.”

Daphne sighed. Once she started her new job she probably wouldn’t have time for painting. Not while balancing being a mother, too.

Why did it seem as though any time one good thing came into her life, she had to let go of something else?

Tigger bounded over, trailing a string of balloons, and dropped to the floor, grabbing Simone tight around the ankles before shoving her shoulder behind the woman’s knees, toppling her.

Daphne reached out for Simone, who caught herself against the veranda railing.

“Tigger! What on earth was that?” Daphne scolded. “Enough sweets. You know what sugar does to you.”

“Evander taught me that!” Tigger chirped loudly.

A few feet away, Evander smiled with pride.

“What’s he going to do next? Teach you how to fire a gun?” Daphne muttered.

“He says I’m too young and you have to say yes first. Can I? I’m not that small anymore. I get to go to kindergarten next month.”

Across the veranda, Evander bent over to allow Mrs. Kowski to whisper in his ear while she pointed at Tristen.

“No guns. Are you okay, Simone?” Daphne asked.

“Oh, yeah. Fine. Good one, kiddo.”

“Don’t do that again,” Daphne told her daughter.

“But now Rigby doesn’t pick on me at the babysitter’s anymore,” Tigger said, looking pleased with herself.

“I imagine if you used that move on him he found out pretty darn quick who he was dealing with,” Simone said. “But a nonviolent takedown? Love it. That’ll serve you well in life, little ninja.”

“Rigby didn’t even see it coming,” Tigger said, bouncing in place.

Evander was laughing with Mrs. Kowski now, and Daphne frowned. She didn’t realize the woman knew how to laugh. He was turning everything in Daphne’s life upside down, and right now, she wasn’t sure how that made her feel.

“You keep telling me to solve everything with love, light, and forgiveness,” Tigger said. “And sometimes understanding. But Evander taught me how to get even.” She smacked her small fist into her waiting palm and narrowed her eyes before cruising the room for more goodies.

Daphne shut her eyes, unsure whether to be mad at Evander or relieved that he’d helped her daughter in what had hopefully been a not-too-violent takedown. Drawing a deep breath, Daphne reeled herself in. It wasn’t as though he’d taught her how to give the boy a knock-out punch. It could have been worse, and if she was honest with herself, there’d been times where she’d lain awake at night, worried that her sweet daughter would be taken advantage of or forced to do something she didn’t want to. She didn’t believe in violence, but she did believe in self-defense.

Therefore, upside down was good. Evander was good.

“Tristen Bell,” Melanie said in a strong, loud voice.

The party grew quiet and Tristen, licking his lips uncertainly, pushed his way out of the cluster of people he was talking to, his teenaged daughter, Dot, looking concerned.

“Yes, Melanie?”

Melanie, eyes teary, dropped on one knee. Daphne’s heart constricted as the women around her let out happy sighs.

“Will you marry me, Tristen?”

The man was across the veranda in a heartbeat, pulling Daphne’s sister to her feet in order to kiss her thoroughly.

“That must be a yes,” Simone whispered to Daphne, smoothing her form-fitting dress. “I tell ya, you’ve got to get me in on this cottage action.”

Daphne snorted, feeling oddly alone despite the crowd gathered in her honor. Forcing a smile, she joined the cluster congratulating the couple.

With the hubbub still going on, she went to stand in a corner with a cup of tea from Evander, and watched Tigger’s antics. First her daughter hit up her grandmother for more sugar—but Catherine knew better. Then she moved on to her next mark, like a druggie in need of a fix. Daphne caught Evander eyeing the girl from the edge of the crowd. He had a slice of cake and was eating while he watched, not missing a thing. His wistful smile grew as Tigger worked the crowd, and Daphne found herself wondering what Evander was wishing for.

Then his back straightened and the window she’d been peeking through shuttered closed, blocking off the real man behind the bodyguard persona. His attention flickered over his checkpoints with practice precision and she wondered if he ever truly relaxed. If he’d ever marry. If he’d ever know love like her sisters Melanie and Maya did with their fiancés, and Hailey with her boyfriend.

It was sad to think that a man who had begun to mean so much to her couldn’t enjoy the small things most took for granted.