store, does it?”
“No, it doesn’t.”
“What about…” Nala turned to me. “What’s the name of the larger town north of us?”
“Golden Falls.”
“Do you know if they have a fabric store?”
I shrugged and looked at my sister to see if she had any idea.
“There might be. I don’t sew, so I’ve never noticed if there is one.”
A few minutes later, Nala had the answer she needed. “According to Google, there’s one in Golden Falls and a larger store in Mill Valley.” Which was three hours away. “Can you ask your cousin if it’s okay if Abby’s dress is pink? I can make her one. I just need to get fabric and supplies and borrow a sewing machine from someone.” To me, she asked, “Can you drive me to the other towns so I can find what I need?”
“Of course.” Anything to make Abby happy.
A couple of minutes later, Hazel responded to Sarah’s text. “She has no issues if Abby wears a pink dress.” My sister looked ready to hug Nala.
But not only because Nala had offered to make Abby a new dress. She hadn’t judged Abby for being who she was.
Some people’s favorite hobby when it came to other people’s kids?
Yup, that’s right—telling the parents how to raise their child. That was bad enough. But “bad enough” was nothing compared to when it came from people who were fucking clueless about Down syndrome and the challenges (and joys) associated with it.
Their advice was as helpful as a comet landing on the Titanic.
Nala dropped to Abby’s level once more. “Would it be okay if I made you a pretty pink dress for the wedding?”
Abby nodded, the beautiful smile I loved back on her face.
“I need to sketch the dress first, so I have a better idea of what you would like. Can you help me?”
Abby nodded again.
“Is it possible to delay the horse riding for another day?” Nala asked me.
I texted Sophie West. Her fiancé, Jake Daniels, ran a horse ranch with his brothers, TJ and Noah. She was what they referred to as their horse whisperer. There wasn’t a horse she couldn’t train.
Nala and Abby were sitting on the couch in the living room, working on a sketch for the dress, when Sophie responded.
“We can go riding Friday afternoon,” I told Nala.
From next to me, Sarah watched Nala with great interest. “I thought you said Eddie’s an elementary school teacher.”
Yeah, about that. When Mom asked me what Edith did for a living, I told her my fictitious girlfriend taught second grade. Kiera Ashdown, the organizer of the silent auction, was an elementary school teacher.
“She is. Sewing is her hobby.” I inwardly cringed at the lie—one of many I’d already told my family when it came to Nala.
The next morning, Nala and I headed to Golden Falls to find material for Abby’s dress.
Like the drive to Copper Creek, the trip was entertaining.
For a workaholic, Nala had a fun streak to her. Not at all what I’d expected when she’d admitted to being one.
“The first time you masturbated?” she asked.
A loud laugh erupted from my lungs, and I briefly took my eyes off the road to glance at her.
“I can’t believe I said that.” Her hands were now covering her face, her words muffled.
My gaze switched back to the road. “I can’t believe you said it either, but I’m not complaining. It means I get to ask you the same question.”
“I don’t remember that in the rules.” Her voice was no longer muffled.
“It’s in the fine print. Contestants have the right to ask the same question as soon as the last person asks it.” Considering we’d already asked almost every question under the moon, there weren’t many topics left to cover.
Until her question, the topic of sex had been side-stepped around.
I, for one, was more than thrilled to venture into this new territory.
“Sounds like you’re stalling.”
“All right, I was eleven years old, and I had a thing for the girl next door.” Who happened to be eighteen years old. “When did you lose your virginity?”
“I thought you were going to ask me the masturbation question.”
“Changed my mind.”
“I was nineteen and in college. He was my boyfriend at the time, but we broke up shortly after that.”
“Was that your choice or his?” In other words, was he one of those douchebags who told a girl that he loved her so she’d have sex with him—but then dropped her after he got what he wanted and moved on to the next girl?
“It was more of a