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"Brantley? As in Zeke Brantley?" I slid the iron of her hair and let the newly formed curl bounce. Satisfied it looked good, I started on another section of hair.
"Is that their brother, the musician?" She turned her head to inspect the curl. She seemed to like what she saw.
"Musician? He's only the hottest rock star in the whole world." I rolled my eyes at myself for sounding like a fangirl.
"Good looks must run in the family then," Mum said. "For a while there I had dreams of setting you up with one of their two youngest brothers, Hunter or Parker. They're both a couple of years younger than you though."
"Yeah, hard pass on younger guys." I wrinkled my nose. Although, if they were half as hot as Zeke, they'd be a fun package deal for some girl someday. But not for me. Not to mention two and a half guys was enough. Five might be way too much.
"There's always Joshua," Mum said. "He's a few years older than you, but he's a very successful lawyer."
"Thank you, but I have my hands full, like you said." I finished another curl and started on another.
"I'm thinking ahead, in case it doesn't work out with those boys. It's always good for a girl to have her options open."
"Do you have your options open?" I asked teasingly.
She laughed. "Of course not. I have my one and only option, but I'm not twenty-one, with my whole life in front of me. You might decide you'd prefer to look around. Sow your wild oats, whatever that means."
"I think it has something to do with farming." In particular, ploughing, but I wasn't going to have that conversation with my mother.
"I didn't think it had to do with porridge," she said sarcastically. "Although, that's probably a euphemism for something."
"Everything is a euphemism or an innuendo if you think about it hard enough." I stepped back to inspect her hair. "How's that?" I'd only done one side so far, to see if she liked it. If she didn't, I'd try something else.
She turned her face to get a better look at my work. "That's perfect. If you can do it like that on Saturday, I might even look presentable."
"When have you ever looked anything other than presentable?" I stepped around to the other side and started to curl that.
"Never," she conceded. "But there's a first time for everything." She sighed and added, "I have to admit, I'm nervous. I know it's normal to feel that way before my wedding, I'm more jittery than usual. That was one reason I wanted to bring the wedding forward. If we waited months and months, my nerves would have gotten the better of me."
"I can't imagine anything getting the better of you, including your nerves," I said easily. Mum was the kind of person who pushed through and landed on her feet, no matter what was thrown at her, or what she went through.
"I'm good at hiding it," she said with a laugh. "Don't get me wrong, I'm excited. I can't wait to marry Leo. He's the most amazing, handsome, intelligent man I've ever met. I'm a lucky woman to have found him."
I scoffed. "He's lucky to have you. You're beautiful, smart and have the best daughter in the whole wide world." I grinned at her in the mirror.
She cocked her head, pulling against the iron slightly. "I didn't realise I had two daughters."
I laughed. "Do you really want to say that when I have a hot iron next to your head and your hair in my hand?"
"You would never hurt me," she said. "You're right, I do have the one, best daughter in the whole world. Those boys better do right by you. If they break your heart, they'll have me to deal with." Her eyes were steely. They always were when she was in full tiger mother mode. Since most of my life, it was just her and I, she had always been super protective of me. And I'd always been protective of her. Mum and Kennedy against the world. Just because Leo was in the picture now didn't mean we wouldn't look out for each other.
"If that doesn't make them shake in their boots, nothing will," I teased. I doubted those guys would be intimidated by Mum, unless Leo took her side. Things might get ugly then.
"Of course it will, I'm terrifying." She bared her teeth, but the effect was ruined when she smiled. "Okay, maybe not, but I know people who are." She looked surprised she said that out loud.
I decided a change of subject might be a good idea right about now. "I think your hair looks great like this. It's going to look perfect with your dress. Do you want my hair to look the same?" I was good at curling her hair, but I sucked hairy donkey balls at doing my own. Just like she struggled doing her own.
She looked both thoughtful and glad to be on a different topic. "I think having your hair up would suit your dress better. Don't you? I could braid your hair when you're done with mine and see how it looks. And then after that, ice cream andSleepless in Seattle. Maybe some vodka."
I snapped my fingers. "I knew I forgot something." Before she looked too worried, I added, "I forgot to book the strippers." I watched the expression on her face as she went from slightly freaked out to realising I was joking.
The relief on her face was obvious.
She laughed. "Can you imagine Leo's face if strippers turned up here? Like he said, he's not into sharing. That includes me looking at half-naked men, and them grinding on me."
"Yeah, I see why he might be uncomfortable with that." The idea made my face heat. The last thing I wanted to see was some guy grinding onto my mother.
