I Get A Kick Out of You

Chapter 30

Ethan's party was in full swing around noon. All of his friends from school—which was practically the entire school—were here, including their parents. A couple of his teachers even stopped by. It was a lot of people. Thankfully, this house came with a giant backyard.

Even though it was Ethan's birthday, the star of the show was Maverick. He just adored all of the attention he was getting. If Ethan thought a kid was treating him to roughly, he was harshly remind them that Maverick was only six weeks and they needed to be careful. He was already so protective.

Cillian, of course, started asking Ben for his own dog once he saw the pup. As much as Ben would love to get him one, he's way too busy at work when Cillian isn't around to take care of it. Not to mention, Eleanore wouldn't dare let any four legged creature, especially with hair, into her house. So, Ben told him he'd think about it, even though he knew the answer.

The best part about the party, however, was the fact that Ben and Cassie didn't have to hide themselves and their relationship anymore. Ethan immediately told Cillian the news the moment Eleanore dropped him off. They both high-fived and were ecstatic about it.

Of course, those two couldn't keep it to themselves, so they told everyone at the party. That included her mom, her brothers, even her dad. She was worried about her dad finding out because he could be a bit overprotective. When she told him she was pregnant, she thought he was going to kick Joel's ass.

Then again, she always thought that no matter what Joel did. He hated Joel.

Thankfully, he seemed to love Ben. They hit it off almost immediately and haven't stopped talking since Don arrived. They each had a glass of scotch in their hand and were laughing like they were old pals.

Her brothers welcomed Ben with open arms and acted exactly the way they did on Thanksgiving. They got along perfectly and it made Cassie so happy to see.

A little later into the party, while she was talking to Donna, she noticed Ben playing with her nieces and nephews. None of them were above the age of five and they were a handful. Of course, the three most wild and untamed ones were her Godchildren. Keith was constantly bugging her for advice on how to get them to be well-behaved like Ethan, but she truly had no way to answer that.

Tucker and Charlie were playing around with Ethan, Cillian and their friends, while Casey stood by and sprayed them all with water guns. It was truly a sight to behold.

Once she called for cake and presents, all the kids came flooding over to the giant table Ben had helped her set up. They went into the kitchen to grab the cake when Ben grabbed her around the waist and started tickling her sides.

"Ben!" She giggled. He quickly spun her around and brought her in for a kiss. "I love you," he breathed out. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she told him, "I know. I love you, too." Just as she was about to lean in and kiss him, someone cleared their throat behind them.

When they looked to see who it was, neither of them were happy.

"Joel, what the hell," Cassie scoffed. "You were supposed to be here two hours ago!" Joel stood there with a present in his hand and a nervous look on his face. "I—I know," he said. "I'm sorry, things at work have been hectic and I had to go in today. Um...you seem to be moving on."

Cassie crossed her arms and gave him a dangerous look. "You moved on in the middle of our marriage," she reminded. "What Ben and I are is none of your business. Go put your present on the table outside. I'm just about to bring out the cake."

She was surprised to see him do exactly as she told him. "Let me know if he gets to bothering you," Ben told her. "I'll kick his arse if he does." She looked to him with a smile as she said, "I know you will. Come on, let's get this cake out before there's a riot."