to catch my first love and best friend in bed the night before I was going to stand before God and everyone and commit my life to her.
So no, my breath freshening, and cologne spraying was not to attract the opposite sex. It was born out of necessity. Last night, I’d been called out to a structure fire and sometimes one shower wasn’t enough to rinse the strong smoke odor off. Since I hadn’t slept, I’d had three cups of coffee and because I was a considerate human being who didn’t want to subject every person I spoke with today to dragon breath, I gargled some Scope.
As soon as I walked inside the foyer I was met with a large, oversized picture of Maisy Turner and Bentley Calhoun, the bride and groom, with a frame that guests were supposed to sign. I performed my expected duty using a Sharpie to write my John Hancock.
“Hey sweetie,” a familiar voice sounded behind me.
I turned and saw my mom’s smiling face. Of course, she’d be smiling, I was her favorite son.
“Hey, Mama.” I bent down and gave her a hug.
“You haven’t slept, have you? Was there a fire last night?”
There’s been a running joke in my family that Dolly Briggs knew all and saw all. With nine kids, I didn’t know how she did it, but she always seemed to be one step ahead of everyone.
My eyes narrowed as I searched her face to try and suss out where she’d gotten her information.
“Circles under your eyes, minty coffee breath, and smoky cologne.”
I guess I wasn’t doing as good a job as I’d thought covering up.
“You’re on tonight, aren’t you?”
“Yep.”
“You need to get some sleep,” she commanded in her mom-tone, the one she used with all her kids even the ones in their thirties, like me.
“I will.” I assured her before motioning to the sanctuary. “You comin’?”
“I’m waiting for JJ and Destiny.”
No, she wasn’t. “You mean you’re waiting for Lilah.”
My almost three-year-old niece and my parents first grandchild was the apple of my mom’s eye.
The smile that spread across my mom’s face was one of pure love. “I got her a new dress for her birthday tomorrow, but Destiny called this morning and said Lilah wants to wear it today.”
My mom had been an amazing mom, honestly the best. She loved all of us, didn’t take crap from any of us, and was somehow always there for us when we needed her. It was truly a testament to her that all nine of us were convinced that we were her favorite. But her grandma game was next level. My niece worshipped my mom and the feeling was mutual. My mom maintained that her bond was so strong because she got to have all the fun without any of the responsibility.
“But you go ahead.” She shooed me away. “Your sister’s in there and she looks rough, she might be in even worse shape than you.”
“Wow. Thanks, Mom.”
“Just sayin’.” She shrugged, totally unapologetic for insinuating that both of her children looked like shit.
As soon as I entered through the double doors, I saw that half the town was already seated. It didn’t surprise me. In a small town like Wishing Well, basically the entire population was invited to weddings.
It didn’t take me long to spot my baby sister. She was the brunette wearing sunglasses, seated in a hangover slump in the middle pew.
“You have a good night last night?” I asked Harmony as I slid in beside her. She’d spent the night at the bachelorette slumber party.
I knew that because she and the other slumberettes had prank called me. Eight times. From my sister’s phone.
“I think so. It’s a little blurry.”
“I can remind you if you’d like.”
Her face scrunched. “You weren’t there.”
“No. I wasn’t. I was in Parish Creek responding to a structure fire.”
I pulled out my phone and showed her my call log. Between two a.m. and four a.m. I had sixteen missed calls from Harmony and eight voicemails.
She lifted her glasses and squinted at the screen. “That can’t be good.”
Before I had a chance to play any of them, Harmony’s husband, Hudson Reed sat down on the other side of her. I had to give it to Hudson, he’d had some balls to get together with my sister. Not because of the eight brothers that she had, she was a helluva lot scarier than any of us.
“Hey.” I nodded at him, he nodded back.
Hudson was a sheriff in Clover County, and he’d been on