hair falls bone-straight along her shoulders, while her gray eyes pierce mine. “I spent hours on those flowers.”
“I loved them,” I gush, reaching over to pat her hand. “Thank you.”
“I’m glad you loved the charcuterie, too. Mom and I put that together for you,” Stella, Aiden’s other baby sister, adds. “I figured you’d flip for the French cheese when Aiden asked.”
I wiggle with excitement. “It was my favorite part—no, I take that back. My favorite part was just lying in the water, holding hands as we relaxed and enjoyed the silence. It was beautiful. Things have been so crazy lately.”
“Because, for some reason, you thought it would be a great idea to put on a circus, buy a house, and start a social media campaign while our boys did a Cup run,” Posey reminds me with a smirk. “One thing at a time, geez.”
I scoff. “Says the person who not only got knocked up during our run but also married?”
“Hey, that was an easy wedding,” she says, smacking her hands together. “Quick and easy…unlike your circus.”
I glare. “Stop calling it a circus.”
“Shelli, you have flamethrowers,” Amelia says with a chuckle.
“As entertainment for the cocktail hour!”
“A band would have been fine,” she insists, but I shake my head.
“You sound like your mom. Stop. I’ve always wanted a big wedding. You both know this. While a beach wedding was gorgeous and a field wedding was sweet, I want something over the top. It matches me—and Aiden. He’s a showboater, and so am I, I guess.”
“Basically, y’all are extra AF,” Emery jokes, and we all laugh as she smiles.
“Yes. Yes, they are,” Stella says with a grin. “But we wouldn’t change y’all for anything.”
Posey holds up her finger. “I’d get Aiden a haircut.”
Emery high-fives my sister. “Yes, girl. Yes.”
We all explode with laughter as I lean back in my chair, watching the women in my life. I love these girls. I’ve grown up with them, and I couldn’t imagine my life any differently.
When the side door to the special dining room at Brooks House opens, I squeal when my cousin walks through.
Ally throws her hands up. “Ah! Sorry I’m late!”
Posey scoffs. “We’re not surprised.”
I laugh as I wrap my arms around her, and hers come around my waist.
“Still, I’m sorry. Life is crazy, and y’all’s brother isn’t making it any easier.”
Emery rolls her eyes as Stella grins. “You love him, and you know it.”
“I do. I so do,” she says as she falls into the seat beside Stella. “Asher wants to buy a new house, closer to where I’ll be working since his commute in for the Assassins isn’t a big deal. But everything over there is so expensive, and I’m not getting paid yet.”
I waggle my brows at her. “Maybe next time, don’t spend all your money backpacking all over Spain.”
Ally beams at just the mention of her trip with Asher. They were gone for two months, and the pictures are incredible. They had a blast, and when they came back, they finally told everyone they were engaged. I don’t know why they kept it a secret for so long. Yeah, they were best friends, but my momma has told me over and over again, “Sometimes your forever is right there in front of you.” Would have been nice if Aiden had figured that out earlier, but I do love what I did before I met him.
Hell, I miss it.
I inhale sharply as I think about the email on my phone that wants all my attention, but I can’t give it any. Not right now. Not anytime soon. Aiden will freak.
“That was the best trip of my life with the most gorgeous man, and we had a blast.” Ally giggles, bringing me back to the room.
“So, have y’all picked a date?” Amelia asks, but Ally shakes her head.
“We’re not in any hurry. We’re going to have a long engagement, wait till I’m set up in my career and everything. We want to enjoy each other, and then after we get married, have kids right away.”
I nod happily as Emery gives her a look. “Or y’all got married while you were gone and won’t admit it until you’re ready.”
My eyes widen as I whip my head to Ally. “No way.”
“Please tell me that’s not true,” Posey begs.
But Ally is gawking at Emery. “What in the world would make you think that?”
Emery grins like a cat with a canary in its mouth. “From that picture of you two at the one church. Your dress