theirs since we were already married and kept it to immediate family only. Which, with my family, is a lot of people. Susan, Lloyd, and Zane came up from Idaho too. This time around, Lloyd gave Lucy away. Things aren’t perfect between her family and me, but it’s better than it was.
When I came home that day with Lola a year ago, I found Susan in our driveway, tears falling down her cheeks while she sat in her car.
After I proposed to Lucy, I told her to forgive her mom. To give her a chance. You only have one mom and I know what it’s like to lose her. We went to the inn and had a tense and awkward dinner, but it was a step in the right direction.
“How’s Bernie?” I ask Cade, trying to hold back my laugh.
He rolls his eyes. “I’m hiring another dog trainer. He’s chewing the deck. What the hell?”
I laugh. Lola is so chill we haven’t had a ton of issues with her, whereas Bernie should’ve been named Cujo.
“It’s not fucking funny. Fucking Cam messaging Presley about those damn dogs.” He shakes his head.
I clasp him on the shoulder. “Good luck, man, you’ve got years with that dog.”
“I don’t know. He might run away.” He smiles, but Presley hears him and the girl’s got a death stare that would scare Satan.
“So how was the girls’ trip?” Presley asks Molly when she comes over and pours a few beers.
“You can’t come behind here and pour your girl a beer?” she asks Cade.
“I’m paying you to do it,” he says.
“What’s up, guys?” Jed comes out from the back with a quesadilla in his hand. He slides it between Lucy and Presley. “For my favorite sisters-in-law.”
“We’re your only sisters-in-law and technically I’m not official yet,” Presley says.
“We don’t need a marriage license to make you family.” Jed walks away into the crowd.
Mandi, Posey, Clara, and Xavier walk in, and we move to the table by the window so we have more room. It’s only a matter of time before the rest of the Greenes join us.
“Where’s Nikki?” Mandi asks. “I want details on the Vegas trip.”
“You don’t want details on our trip?” I ask.
“Why would we wanna hear how many orgasms you gave each other?” Posey says. “The rest of us aren’t in serious relationships.”
Lucy’s hand finds mine under the table. I kind of wish we were at home alone.
The rest of our family arrives, Hank and Marla coming in last. Marla has a hairdo that suggests they were fooling around somewhere. They like to go to the football stadium and make out, which is embarrassing as fuck. I mean, they own a huge house, get your kinks there. Poor Rylan.
Marla goes right to Molly. “Where’s Nikki? I need to talk to her.”
I hit Lucy on the thigh under the table and she grabs my hand, squeezing it. She’s adamant that this isn’t our business to share, but Nikki’s the one who had everyone in Sunrise Bay stopping Lucy to remind her about her past.
Sadly, Lucy hasn’t had too many more memories resurface. Dr. Lipstein gave her hope that she might one day, not to count it out, but she’s accepted it may never happen. I told her we’ll make new, better memories anyway.
“Oh, what did you need?” Molly asks. I can tell she knows exactly why Marla wants to speak to Nikki.
How long did Nikki think she could keep something like this hidden?
Lucy pokes me in the stomach, and I look away from Marla and Molly. My wife glares at me. I relent and turn around to join the conversation with the rest of my siblings. We shoot the shit—Jed complains about the tuxedo he has to wear for Cade’s wedding, Posey volunteers to do everyone’s hair, and I order Lucy honey barbeque wings.
A half hour later, I spot Nikki walking through the square toward the brewery. When she comes inside, she heads straight to the bar and whispers something to Molly. Molly eyes Marla and they whisper again.
I slap Lucy’s thigh to tell her it’s coming. She rolls her eyes, giving me that damn look again. How can she not be as excited as I am? This is the kind of shit siblings live for. I wish I could’ve told Cade. He’s gonna love this.
“Nikki.” Marla stands, but a group of people get in her way.
Nikki has a panicked look on her face now and I’m about to burst out laughing until Lucy pinches me