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Unfortunately, she was as quick as that damn hummingbird I’d carved last night. Flitting from one person to another as she pasted on a big, bright smile and made sure the wedding was perfect for her sister.
Hell, I was doing the same thing, minus the manic smile—moving tables, putting up tents and displays, as well as a massive photo wall my mother had come up with at two in the damn morning. It was a nice touch and didn’t require much out of me other than tearing apart an old wood pallet from my dad’s store.
In the end, the rustic entry piece was a statement to Brady and Tabitha. My mother had printed out a shit-ton of black and white photos she’d gathered from the two families on her mini printer. From babies all the way through to their engagement party and shower, she’d managed to amass quite the collection to show off the happy couple. And of course, the sonogram showing the baby took center stage.
The golden child.
I wondered if my own news about our baby would garner as much excitement. Or maybe they’d take up a collection for a nanny because my whole family thought I was incapable of being responsible.
Wincing at the nail I’d hammered in crooked, I took a deep breath. Maybe I’d hammered a touch too aggressively.
“Everything all right over here?”
I flipped around my hammer and wrenched out the bent nail to replace it with a fresh one. “Fine.”
“Seems kinda intense for a Brad nail. Don’t crack the piece of slate. I don’t have a backup.”
I blew out a slow breath. “I won’t, Ma.”
She rubbed the spot between my shoulder blades only she seemed to be able to find. Huh. Funnily enough, Van had found it a few times, now that I thought about it.
Which made my shoulders tense up again. How could she not know how good we were together?
“Girl trouble?”
“It’s about Brady and Tab today, not my love life.”
“Is that what it is?”
“Ma,” I said with a sigh.
“I don’t want to know the particulars, but I mean, about the love part.”
I dropped my hand and turned to her. “We don’t have time to talk about this.”
“We always have time to talk. You know you can always come to me. I know your father is the fun one, but I’m the logical one who is a problem solver. You obviously have a problem.” She slid her hand down to wrap her fingers around my wrist. Her eyes were so much like mine, dark and intense. But hers had that mama bear fierceness lurking just behind them.
“I can’t talk to you with the tacked curls, Ma.”
“What?” She touched her hair. “For God’s sake, have I been walking around with these all morning?”
“Maybe?”
“You all are the worst.”
I shrugged. “I thought it was to keep your hair out of your face.”
She pulled the bobby pins out and slipped them in her pocket. “There. Now tell me what’s going on in that big beautiful brain of yours.”
“It’s not a big deal. I have to get this finished and then move on to the sign in table.”
“You’re wasting more time waffling than if you would just spit it out.”
I tipped back my head. Not a goddamn cloud in the sky. At least my brother was getting a perfect day for his wedding.
I exhaled. It wasn’t my news to tell about the baby yet. Not with how Van had been acting since we got the results.
“I love a crazy woman.” That was the truth and an easier admission to go with right now.
