“Maverick, you sure know how to make an old lady feel better. How are you, dear? Business going good?”
“I’m doing good. Business has been busy all day. I snuck over here as soon as I could to get one of your chicken wraps.”
“You want your usual on it?” She asks, grabbing the wrap and piling on the grilled chicken.
“There’s no other way to have it,” I grin at her. “So, how have you been? When are you going to retire so you and Mr. Anderson can chill on the beach all day and drink pina coladas?”
“You know I can’t get that man to slow down. He loves this place, so as long as he’s working here, I’ll be by his side like I’ve always been.”
I swear the Andersons have been here since my parents were little. It’s sweet, though, how they’re still together and love this place so much.
“Tell him I said hi when you see him.”
“I will. He ran home to get something and will be back soon. How is Noah and Emma’s wedding planning going along? I hear they’re getting married soon. Your mom and Sage must be in heaven with all this planning.” She rolls up the wrap and puts it in a bag for me.
“You would think they were professional wedding plannerswith all the binders and folders they have.” Laughing, I take the bag she hands me. Even though they want a small, intimate wedding, they decided on a bigger reception so a lot of people from town could be there. “You should be getting your invite to the reception soon, and you better make sure to save me a dance.” I wink at her and follow her over to the register.
“I’m sure your dance card will be filled. One of these days, I’ll be dancing at your wedding.” I grab a protein bar and a bag of chips for her to ring up with my wrap.
“Don’t hold your breath.” I laugh and swipe my card to pay for the order.
“Your girl is out there. Just follow your heart, and it will lead you to her.” She hands me my receipt as thoughts of a blue-eyed beauty enter my mind. Where the hell did that come from? I tell Miss Mary goodbye and walk back to my store. It’s only because I’ve been fighting with her lately, and she’s on my mind. That’s got to be why Bell entered my mind. I dismiss the thought and sit down to eat my lunch before it gets busy again.
I pullup to Noah’s parents’ house a little after six. I had a rush of customers in the late afternoon before closing and made a few big sales, so I’m in a really good mood and excited to relax with a margarita and some good Mexican food. I grab the hat for Bell before going inside. Nala and Hurley come running over to greet me.
Hurley is Sage and Jax’s golden retriever and Nala’s dad. Nala belongs to Noah, and unlike Hurley, this golden is a ball of energy, but I love her to death. Bending down, I scratch behind their ears. “Hey, you two, having fun playing?” I get rewarded with kisses from them both before they bound off to play again. Laughing, I stand up and walk overto the kitchen.
Noah’s making margaritas at the kitchen island. Perfect timing. I slap Noah on the back as I walk up behind him. “Hey man, how’s my almost-married friend doing? God, I still can’t believe one of us will be married soon.”
Noah turns his head and grins. “Well, believe it. May can’t come soon enough. I thought you would show up tonight, so I brought extras.” He hands me a glass, and I take a sip.
“Mmmm. So good. Where is everyone?” I look around at the deserted kitchen.
“Everyone’s outback already. Mom has the enchiladas in the oven now, so we’re just relaxing by the pool. I came in to make a second batch. We got here early to go over some wedding planning. I would happily marry Emma in my sweats in the living room, but I want to make this day special for her. I know it’s going to be tough without her parents here.”
“Yeah, that’s going to be rough. We’ll all be there for her, though, and make this the best damn wedding our small town has ever seen.”
“I’m glad the wedding is small and intimate, but the reception will be talked about in this small town for years to come.” He laughs and clinks his glass with mine.
“Damn, straight it will. I love that you’re having it at a hotel on the beach, so I can just ride my drunk ass up the elevator to my room after it’s over.”
“That’s the plan for all our guests,” he laughs. “They just renovated the whole hotel, and it’s beautiful inside. Most locals will probably Uber home, but we love the idea of having a suite upstairs to go to before we leave for our honeymoon the next day. It will be easy for the out-of-town guests, too.”
I help him load the drinks on the tray. “Have you decided where you’re going on your honeymoon?”
“We just booked our flights and resort stay last night.” He grins at me like a kid on Christmas. “Two weeks in theMaldives. Wait until you see this place. We have a whole little hut to ourselves right on the water. There are even some see-through spots on the floor to see the fish swim by. I can’t wait.”
“You guys will have a blast. I can’t wait to see the video footage and pictures.” I open the door for Noah as we go outside to the deck. I see everyone on the outdoor couch and smile. This has always been my second family, and I love them like my own. Sage gets up to hug me.
“Mav, I’m glad you came. I knew ifI bake it, he will come.” She says, laughing.
I hug her back and laugh. “You know the way to my heart.”
“Have a seat, Maverick. We were talking about the wedding party and the pairing up.” Mimi gives me a smile and gestures toward the empty seat by Bell. Noah’s grandparents, Mimi and Papaw, added an apartment above Sage and Jax’s garage. Both are in their seventies, but you would never know it. Mimi takes a drink from the tray and hands one to Papaw before taking her own.
Emma comes over, and I pick her up in a hug. “Hey, beautiful. How’s my favorite girl doing?” I couldn’t be happier for Noah when he found Emma. I’ve never seen a stronger connection than the two of them have. I still like to tease her about how I tried to hit on her before I knew who she was to Noah. Plus, I know it gets under Noah’s skin a little, which makes it fun.
Noah rolls his eyes, and I laugh as I set Emma down. “Hi Mav. I’m glad you came tonight since you’re in the wedding party too.” She sits beside Noah and curls against him as he hugs her tight.
