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“Ice?”
“Neat,” she said, widening her eyes.
Okay, that was interesting.
After we showed him around the small bungalow and he excused himself to go to the bathroom, I gave Hope a questioning look. “Problem?” I whispered.
“Just like pulling teeth,” she said under her breath. “All the way from New Orleans.”
“He’s just nerv—hey!” I said as he came back into the kitchen. “So, are we ready to go into town?”
“The most boring town on the face of the earth?” Hope asked, tilting her head. “Yes, please!”
We took my Jeep and picked up Grace, and with my sisters in the back and Matthew in the front passenger seat, I was able to pull him out of his shell a little.
“Grace said she wants ice cream,” Hope said with a shake of her sleek, dark head.
I frowned. “Before dinner?”
“Geez, Mom, you gonna go tell?” Grace said, poking me in the shoulder. “Come on, buzzkill, where does it say we can’t have dessert first?”
I turned and raised an eyebrow at Hope. “Did we pick up the wrong pregnant woman?”
“Are you feeling okay?” Hope asked, holding the back of her hand to Grace’s cheek.
“Oh, shut up, you two,” she said, swatting Hope’s hand away.
“Grace has a rulebook for her rules,” I explained to Matthew. “Structure is her love language.”
“Yeah, well, this little monster doesn’t give a shit what language I speak,” she said, rubbing her large belly. “He wants ice cream. Every day.”
“He?” Matthew asked, making my heart cringe just a little bit.
“Yes,” she said, oblivious. “My husband tried to say we needed to wait to find out, but I argued we had to find out as soon as possible so I could plan and decorate the nursery.” She smirked. “I won.”
“Did I mention the structure?” I said under my breath.
“Do you know how hard it is to plan for a surprise?” Grace said.
“You mean like people have done since the beginning of time?” Hope asked.
Grace huffed and poked my shoulder again. “Diner. Ice cream.”
I laughed, and Matthew did too, and it was one of those moments. Those magical family moments that happen by pure accident, when everything is easy and good and even the air feels right. When you’re with your people.
My heart felt light for the first time in a while, and I’d forgotten what that was like. I caught my sisters’ gazes in the rearview mirror, and they seemed to be feeling it too.
I pointed out all the pertinent places in town on the way, with the exception of the rubbled remains of our childhood home. That felt a little creepy. Instead, I pointed out the lawyer’s office he’d be hitting up tomorrow to discuss his trust and inheritance of the church.
“We’ll go there after the ice cream,” Hope said. “I need the sugar high before stepping foot in the Redemption Road Church again.”
I saw Matthew’s narrowed gaze at her darker tone, and I knew I’d have to explain more later about our complicated relationship with the reverend and the church. It was a conversation to be had over something stronger than ice cream, for sure.
“There’s the tattoo shop,” I said, pointing as we slow-rolled past.
“The hottest men in town work there, I hear,” Hope said playfully.
“That’s the rumor,” I said.
