Chapter 1

1: 1

Half an hour before the month-old celebration, my husband suddenly stripped away every decoration that had my daughter's name on it.

He lit a cigarette and explained, "My brother passed while Bonnie was still carrying Hunter Abbott. Hunter's already a year old and he's never had a party."

"The baby just turned a month old. She won't remember any of it. Let's turn this into Hunter's first-birthday party instead."

I went cold all over.

My phone was still lit up. My parents, all the way out in the country, had texted to say they were almost downstairs.

Now the month-old celebration had become my nephew's first birthday. How was I supposed to explain that to them?

Seeing me frozen, Nathan Winfield spoke up.

"You gave way once already. Giving way one more time is no big deal, is it?"

A year ago, at our wedding, all it took was Bonnie saying she envied my ceremony, and Nathan handed her my wedding dress on the spot.

He coaxed me then.

"My brother went so fast, Bonnie never even got a proper wedding. He and I were twins. Think of it as granting a widow's wish. Be understanding."

Back then my parents were far away, and I'd just found out I was pregnant.

I didn't want them to worry, so I could only stand there and watch my widowed sister-in-law and my husband go through a wedding ceremony.

Now the gold bracelet and the safety lock I'd prepared for my daughter were both on my nephew instead.

My nails dug hard into my palms.

The wedding ceremony went to the widow. The baby's party went to the widow.

Then this family might as well go to the widow too.

1

The emcee was still running through a nervous rehearsal.

Nathan's decision had come so late that the whole team was in chaos.

Bonnie Rowe sat dead center, holding Hunter, watching the crowd rushing around for her, a smile in her eyes.

The banner with my daughter's name on it lay under her feet like trash.

I drew a deep breath, pulled the banner out, wiped off the black shoe prints, and put it in my bag.

"I'm going down to meet my parents."

Before I'd finished, the emcee reached out and stopped me.

Her tone was unpleasant. "For the first-birthday party later, we're short someone to clear the floor after the confetti cannons."

A broom was already shoved into my hands. She went on, "You sweep up after that, then leave right away."

I looked at the broom and, for some reason, laughed. "You want me to do the cleaning?"

"That was my idea."

Nathan came over at the sound of it.

He'd changed into the suit custom-made for the baby's month-old celebration, and it made him look sharp and polished.

Catching my eyes on him, Nathan gave a soft laugh. "In a bit I'll go up on stage, standing in for my brother as Hunter's father."

"It's a first-birthday party, after all. A child can't be without a dad."

"So this time, bear with it and handle the backstage work."

"I'll make it up to you next time. I promise."

I'll make it up to you next time.

Since I'd married into the Winfield family, I'd heard that line more times than I could count.

You cook this New Year's Eve, I'll make it up to you next time.

You were away on business when we took the family photo, so you're not in it, I'll make it up to you next time.

Bonnie's baby is too little and you're pregnant, so we won't visit your family this Spring Festival, I'll make it up to you next time.

But next time was always followed by another next time.

The day that promise came due never arrived.

The emcee came hurrying back, flustered. "Mr. Winfield, Ms. Rowe just said she wants her parents at the head table, so Ms. Fox's parents…"

Her eyes darted between me and the widow, full of unease.

"Put Bonnie's parents at the head table."

Ignoring the disappointment in my eyes, Nathan went on, "Lois Fox, there's an empty corner over near the storage room."

"Have your parents sit there."

"It's Hunter's first-birthday party, after all. There's no reason for your parents to be at the head table."