Touch by Touch (Riggins Brothers #4) - Kaylee Ryan Page 0,4
through is a welcome sight. Grant brought her back to life, and I’ll forever be grateful to him for it.
After a round of hugs for Mom and Lena, I stand to go as well. “You’re leaving?” Aurora asks.
“Yeah. Grant will be here soon, and I don’t need to be here for all that.” I pretend to gag, and she pushes at my arm.
“Stop. We’re not that bad.”
“I know. I’m just giving you a hard time. I need to get some laundry done, and I’m going to get a head start on packing since I’m leaving earlier than everyone else.”
“Are you sure you’re okay with that? Driving there and staying on that mountain all alone?”
“Rory, it’s the Smoky Mountains, and there is civilization just down the road, and at the bottom of the mountain. It’s not like I’m going to no man’s land.”
“I know, but I just worry about you.”
“I’ll be fine, big sister. You just worry about keeping yourself stress-free for this wedding.”
“I love you, Aspen.” Her voice cracks.
“I love you too. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“See you.”
“Do you have your cell charger?” Aurora asks.
“Yes, Mom.” I fight the urge to roll my eyes.
“And you have cash on hand, right?” The look on her face tells me that she’s going through her mental checklist.
“Aurora, it’s a three-and-a-half-hour drive. I’m not driving across the country,” I remind her.
“Hush. I just worry. You’re doing this for me.” She shrugs like that explains her constant nagging questions she’s been giving me all morning.
“I’ll be fine. I’ll call you when I get there. I have my phone charger, plus my phone is fully charged. I have the address in my GPS and the printed direction you gave me just in case I lose reception.”
“I packed a cooler of drinks and snacks. It’s already in the passenger seat of your SUV.”
“Thank you.” I don’t remind her again that the drive is only a few hours. She’s entitled to a little obsessive-compulsive tendency. She is getting married in six days.
“And my dress is hanging up in the back seat.”
“I’ll take good care of it.”
“I know you will. Aspen, I can’t thank you enough for this. Knowing that you’re going to be there to handle everything is a huge stress relief for me.”
“A few days in the mountains on my own isn’t a hardship. I have my e-reader full of new books, and to be honest, I’m looking forward to sleeping in for a few days in a row.”
“Me too,” she agrees. “Okay. Drive safe. I love you and can’t thank you enough.”
“I will. I love you too, and when the day comes that I get married and become full of nervous energy, you can repay me the favor.”
“I’m not full of nervous energy,” she denies as she rubs her hands together.
Reaching out, I place my hands over hers. “Breathe, Aurora.” It’s then that I wonder if it’s really just nervous energy. “Are you having second thoughts?”
“What? No. Never. I love him, and I can’t wait to be his wife. I just— I want it all to be perfect.”
“Perfect is overrated,” I tell her. “Just roll with it. I promise you it’s all going to turn out the way that it’s supposed to. Now, I’m going to get on the road. I’ll call you when I get there.” We both move to step outside, and I pull my coat tight around me. I’ll be taking it off as soon as I get in the car. I don’t want to drive all that way feeling like a snowman.
“Love you.” She wraps her arms around me in a hug.
“I love you too. I’ll see you in four days.”
“See you then.” She steps back and allows me room to remove my coat.
I toss it into the passenger seat, climb behind the wheel, and offer her a wave before putting the SUV in Drive. I’m looking forward to a road trip where I can crank up the radio, maybe listen to an audiobook, and just enjoy some me-time. And tomorrow, this girl is sleeping in.
Chapter 2
Conrad
It’s Saturday night, and I’m sitting home alone on my couch. It’s balls cold outside, and I’m just not in the mood to go out. Next week is going to be a crazy one as we leave for our family’s cabin in the Smoky Mountains on Wednesday for Grant and Aurora’s wedding. I need to pack and do laundry, which is another reason I’m sitting home alone on a Saturday night.