She reached into the open case and pulled out a violin.
When she stepped up beside her husband again, she lifted her voice to address the group. “I didn’t have a wedding planned.”
Theo beamed at her with so much love on his face that it made Summer feel like a voyeur.
“But I guess that’s because I already had everything I wanted.” Her voice thickened.
The crowd silenced, a ripple of emotion running through all. Even Ben and Navy had stopped to take in the serious moment.
Juliette’s gaze moved over everyone gathered in the yard. “Thank you for being my family. And Theo…” Her expression turned openly emotional. “You’re my world.”
Theo looked completely overwhelmed by the words.
Then Juliette tucked the violin beneath her chin and began to play.
The music rolled, warm and aching, across the ranch. The family drifted closer around the couple, and Summer found Vander beside her.
His hand slid into hers like it belonged there.
She heard Willow’s words.Give him a chance.
She squeezed his hand back.
Maybe it was time.
Chapter Eleven
Pope had faced enemy fire and more than one mission where the odds looked like a dare.
None of it prepared him for Summer’s parents pulling up to her house in an RV.
Nervous energy flooded the kitchen as she bustled around cleaning things that were already clean and glancing toward the front window every few seconds.
Ben had been vibrating since breakfast, backpack and little suitcase packed and his shoes on an hour early in anticipation of his spring break adventure. Every time he ran into the kitchen, Summer would smooth his hair and tell him his grandparents would be there soon.
As Ben whirled and raced back to the living room, Pope stepped closer to Summer. “Can you smooth out my hair too?”
That brought a twitch to her lips. She reached up and brushed the short strands, then giggled.
“I’m anxious for nothing. My parents are wonderful. You’ll see.”
Hearing that heaped a little more pressure on him, but he’d learned a lot in therapy and not much bothered him these days. But he wanted to make a good impression on Summer’s parents because…
Well, he cared about her a hell of a lot.
She leaned against the counter, looking more relaxed now.
“I have no experience meeting parents,” he admitted.
She turned her head to look at him. “None?”
“Unless you count senior prom.” He shook his head. “And I have no idea if they liked me. It was a blind date.”
Her lips curved in another beautiful smile. “How did that go?”
“Her father warned me not to sleep with her.”
She turned to face him. “Well, did you sleep with her?”
