At least, we were supposed to be.
I swung the front door open.
Standing on the porch was Brady Judd, supporting a giggling Bonnie. An unfamiliar minivan sat in the driveway, and MacKenzie Clark hung halfway out the passenger-side window, waving madly and shouting at her sister. I couldn’t make out the rest of the figures inside the vehicle, but at least two more people were moving around.
I looked between Brady and Bonnie. “What is going on?” I asked.
“Just help me get her inside,” Brady said.
“I amfine,” Bonnie insisted, but the toe of her white sneaker caught on absolutely nothing as she passed through her brand-new front door.
To save time, I scooped her into my arms. She squealed in my ear, and instead of her honeysuckle-sweet scent, I caught something bubbly and dry with a whole lot of orange.
“They got hammered,” Brady said from behind me as I settled Bonnie on the sofa.
I glanced his way, and he tossed his hands up in exasperation. “I don’t know, man. Mac called me and said they needed a ride. I had to borrow my mom’s minivan to get all their drunk asses home. Larry and Becca and Joan are in the car too. It was like herding cats, I swear. By the time I got one of them in the van, another left to go to the bathroom. They made me go through the McDonald’s drive-thru and pick up French fries.”
“And fountain Coke,” Bonnie added helpfully as she leaned back on the couch and closed her eyes.
“That was probably a good thing,” Brady said thoughtfully. “Something to soak up all the alcohol.”
“I thought they were going to happy hour and drinking mimosas at Lonely Mountain?” I asked, baffled by the turn of events.
Bonnie had left my apartment, where we’d been living during the renovation of the house. I’d wanted to surprise her tonight with dinner in the completed kitchen, so I’d told her to have fun with her friends and then meet me here afterward.
Brady winced. “Bottomlessmimosas, apparently. They were all trashed by the time I got there. Something about cheering Joanie up. I don’t know. I didn’t ask. My sister’s sleeping it off in the back of the van. When I left them, Becca was singing her a lullaby and Larry was taking pictures of her with her phone.”
I watched Bonnie reach out blindly and grab the blanket off the back of the sofa, eyes still closed.
“Smells good in here,” Brady offered before taking in the scene. Tall taper candles glowed softly on either end of the kitchen table. A flower arrangement with roses and sunflowers and carnations sat dead center. The two place settings were arranged and just waiting for the next phase of tonight’s plan.
“Thanks,” I sighed.
“Sorry, she’s ...” He gestured to where Bonnie was slumped over on the couch. “Like this.”
Just then, a series of aggressive honks came from outside.
Brady released a breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. “At least Bonnie gets sleepy when she’s drunk. Mac just gets more Mac-like.” Three more rapid horn honks sounded, followed by yelling. “Shit, I’d better go. See you at soccer practice on Tuesday.”
“Yeah, see you,” I said. “Thanks for bringing her home.”
“No problem, Jack.”
With that, Brady hustled back outside to the rest of the women.
I stared down at Bonnie, my hand finding the box inside the pocket of my jeans once more. Just to be safe.
Right then, her mouth dropped open, and a loud snore came from the back of her throat.
Smiling, I shook my head. At least she wasn’t sick this time.
I let Bonnie rest on the couch while I blew out the candles and packed away the lasagna in the fridge. I wiped down the newcounters and washed the few dishes I’d dirtied. Then I checked on Oreo and made sure she had enough food and water for the night.
The rabbit was ours now, officially. After winter break, Bonnie had talked to the second-grade teacher, who hadn’t even realized her rabbit went missing every weekend. She’d been thrilled that Bonnie wanted to take Oreo off her hands. Bonnie had offered to bring her in once a month to visit the classroom.
I was proud of her for asking for what she wanted. And now the furry little sock destroyer had the best of both worlds, social time and a stable home where she was loved and wanted.
After I finished tidying up for the night, I went back to the sofa and sat down next to Bonnie. My hand, once again, worried the box’s edge through the denim of my pants. As I watched the steady rise and fall of her breathing, I tried not to be too disappointed about my big plans. There would be more opportunities for romantic dinners and nights in. With the new full-time manager at Magnolia working five nights a week, my schedule had opened up. Bonnie and I had all the time in the world.
