“I could be your best man,” Charley said, adjusting her posture. “I always wanted to be a best man.”
“Don’t you want to be a bridesmaid?” Zoey asked. “We’ll all be bridesmaids, right?”
“If everyone’s in the wedding party, who will be in the congregation?” Faye asked. “Parents?”
Threading her fingers through Turner’s, Poppy skootched across the bed, trying to pull him down. “Sit with us for a while.”
He did sit, though only just on the edge of the bed. “I’ve gotta talk to Pres about going back and figuring things out with Ritchie.”
“You started to tell me something and I cut you off,” she said, tugging on his arm to wrap it around her. “You can stay a while, put your feet up.”
Although there was a grumble with his exhale, he did raise his boot-clad feet to the bed, which put a smile on her face.
“Tenants at the Eights put a petition together about the systems that need upgrading. Should reduce the number of repairs if the owner listens.”
“If the owner listens,” Poppy repeated, frowning at something that felt wrong. “Why does this feel weird?”
“Talking while we’re lying down with our sisters all around?”
But it wasn’t their audience. When she figured it out, Poppy smiled and climbed up onto him. “Slide over, you’re on the wrong side.”
He didn’t ask any questions, just did as asked, which let Poppy slither back onto her original side. It just so happened that was the way around they slept in bed.
“You can ditch the jobs now you have Poppy’s trust fund,” Charley said. “It’s not your problem anymore.”
“The tenants only got as far as the petition because of me,” Turner said. “If the upgrades are authorized, I want to be there to make sure they’re done right.”
Wriggling closer, Poppy leaned against him, so he hung an arm over her shoulder.
“You’re okay with him working himself into the ground?” Faye asked without disguising her note of judgement.
“I would never, ever dictate to your brother what he should and shouldn’t do with regards to his work,” Poppy said. “What’s mine is his. So it isn’t only my trust fund anymore, it’s ours. I think it’s a good idea to get another building, something he can work on himself or with Ritchie. To build something that he can share with the kids in the family… But he knows my feelings on him working all the time. Of course I want him to have time for our marriage, but that’s secondary to the time I want him to give our children. Still, that’s in the future. He doesn’t have to drop everything this minute. We have time.”
“At least nine months,” Zoey said. “I think you should have kids quickly.”
Casey gasped. “Me too!”
“They could be a little friend for Ashlee.”
“Don’t rush into kids,” Faye said. “Make sure what you have is strong before bringing anyone else into it.”
“Smart advice,” Primrose said with a nod.
Not that she had any idea what it was to have or raise children.
“Decisions about our marriage happen between Poppy and me,” Turner said. “We’re not taking suggestions.”
“They’re only trying to help,” Poppy said, relaxing her head against his torso.
“You’ll need to quit something to have time to plan the wedding,” Charley said. “How many people will you invite? Is it going to be in a church or a destination wedding? I vote destination.”
“Me too,” Zoey said, raising her arms. “The twins will as well. Casey?”
“Whatever makes you happy, honey,” Casey said. “Doubt my parents will let me come with you.”
“Casey has to be there,” Zoey whined, sitting up to appeal to Poppy and Turner. “She has to.”
“Where we do it doesn’t matter to me,” Poppy said. “So long as it’s not some big, ridiculous over the top deal like Violet’s was… no offense, sweetie.” Her sister just waved a dismissive hand her way. “I just want to stand up somewhere, say I do, then we all sit and eat together. That’s it.”
“Works for me.”
“You could just do it here,” Violet said.
“I said that,” Zoey said, raising a proud arm. “I think it’s beautiful here.”
“Maybe June next year,” Faye said. “Gives you time to plan.”
“Or do it right now,” Primrose said. “Everyone is here.”
“Isn’t there a waiting period?”
“Usually it’s three days,” Primrose said. “But Daddy knows all