Page 80 of Small Town Boy

“A moment? Sylvie, try twenty years,” Willa interjects.

“Are y’all gonna let me finish?” Holding up their hands in surrender, Willa and Kenzie turn their focus back to the cake. “Thank you. As I was saying…I didn’t believe him, and I almost lost him because I let that get in the way of what was in front of me. So…don’t be me.”

I nod, hearing her loud and clear. I don’t know all of her and Camden’s story—only that he’s loved her pretty much their whole life and it took a lot for her to finally see that, after some mix-up with an anonymous donation—but it seems like she knows what she’s talking about here.

“Thank you.”

“We got you.”

A pretty lavender box appears at my side, a single string tied into a bow around it. I look up at Alice, her smile just as bright as when she dropped off the sample slices.

“Wasn’t sure what time your dinner is, so wanted to make sure I got that to you.”

“I don’t need to leave until…” I glance down at my watch. Oh shit. “Damn it, it’s later than I thought. I need to get home and change, and then over to the Kellers’ and⁠—”

“Go!” Kenzie says. “But I expect a full report after dinner! I wanna know how it all goes!”

I nod, grabbing the box and heading to the door. I have one arm outstretched for the handle when it hits me. I didn’t pay. Twice now today I’ve walked away without finishing a transaction. I’m starting to think I’d lose my head if it wasn’t screwed on.

I whip back around but don’t have time to say anything before Willa answers for me.

“We’ll charge it to Hayes; no one will know. Just go get cute for your man! And future in-laws.”

Future in-laws…

I swallow hard and head out, those words rattling around in my brain. So much for feeling calmer about tonight.

23

NOEL

Leaning against the doorjamb of the double pocket doors that separate the kitchen from the dining room in my childhood home, I can’t help but smile. Both doors are tucked away, same as they always are, creating a wide opening for everyone to come and go as we prep dinner. I should be setting the table, a stack of forks resting in my fist, but instead my eyes are locked on the beautiful woman with honey-colored hair and matching eyes as she gets a family history lesson from my grandfather.

“This right here is the very first photo of Keller Nursery,” Pops explains. “My great-great-grandfather took this photo the day it opened. His best friend, Agustus Hayes, paid for the photographer to come out special for the occasion. We’ve taken a picture every time we passed the business down since. They’re all lined up at the nursery itself, but this is the one of me passing it on to Jack.”

Pops points to another photo on the large wall that’s covered in frames in the living room, documenting many of the most important moments in my life. Bronwyn nods, peering at the photo of Pops handing a set of keys to Dad, Mama on the other side of him, looking as proud as can be, Nash and me chasing each other at their feet.

“Good to see the twins were as well behaved then as they are now,” Bronwyn comments.

I laugh, loving that our antics are what she notices.

“They were in the middle of a game of tag. And who were we to stop them?”

I watch as she takes a step to her right, scanning the photos. I have to fight the urge to slink up behind her, wrap my arms around her waist, and pull her close to me. There are so many great memories on that wall, and I want to tell her about each one. To let her in on who the Kellers are. To fully welcome her into this family.

“Is that Auggie next to Jack?” she asks, pointing to a photo of four men and a baby. Pops nods, a serene smile taking over his face. My heart squeezes, waiting on whatever she’s going to say next. “Look how young they are. Which one of the twins is Jack holding?”

“Dustin.”

I can see the surprise all over her face, even though Bronwyn is turned away from me. That was an answer she wasn’t expecting.

“You didn’t think your generation was the first little friend gang, did you?” Pops laughs. “The Hayeses and Kellers go way back. Two of the original families in Hickory Hills. The Nobles showed up shortly after. Fast forward a hundred plus years, and Helena Wilder finally admitted she was expecting. She held on to that secret for a bit, at least publicly, since she was already surrounded by a bit of small-town scandal, and her being unwed and pregnant only added to that. There was no hiding it once that bump started making an appearance though.”

Pops’s voice is hushed, conspiratorial, and I can tell he’s getting a kick out of sharing this.

“It all blew over pretty quick though, once Belle Hayes, Mallory Noble, Lisa Forde, and Lucy all shared they were pregnant as well. A set of five close friends all due within weeks of each other? What were the odds? Well, come time, Helena gave birth to a boy who we all now watch on the TV, little stinker. And being the men they are, Auggie, Jack, Ken, and Jerry were there to celebrate, as if he was theirs.”

Looking over Bronwyn’s head, I stare at the photo as Pops keeps talking. Taken a few weeks after Willa was born, and a couple of weeks before Nash and I were, the versions of the four of them from my childhood smiling back look like they’re on cloud nine holding that baby.