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For the past few months, her niece, who lived over two hours away, had been coming to Whisper Lake on the Friday after she got out of school and staying the weekend with Laura. She’d done it under the guise of working for her aunt on Saturdays. But Laura had a feeling that her niece's true motivation came in the form of a six-foot-tall high school football star named Bryce, whom Marissa had met three months ago.
The timing wasn’t exactly subtle for her niece's sudden interest in her aunt’s shop.
"The morning rush is over, so can I go?" Marissa put on her best puppy-dog eyes.
Laura glanced outside and saw a familiar red truck that belonged to the aforementioned high school football star. Marissa’s mom, Laura’s eldest sister Lori, didn’t allow Marissa to date. While Laura thought Lori was overprotective, that didn’t mean she could condone her niece sneaking around when she was supposed to be at work.
"You’re scheduled until four, so you need to stay until then."
Marissa’s shoulders dropped as she let out a heavy sigh. "Fine."
The teen turned to leave.
"But, if Bryce wants to come in and hang out, you can make him a sandwich. On the house."
Marissa turned back, rushed over and threw her arms around Laura’s neck. Her niece kissed her on the cheek before scurrying down the steps to the snack shack as she exclaimed, "Thank you, Tia. You’re the best!"
"I know!" Laura shouted after her.
Laura turned back to finish her second round of cleaning on the shower stall and caught her reflection in the mirror. Her hair, which fell midway down her back, was pulled up in a messy bun that most closely resembled a bird’s nest. Her olive complexion looked pale, and the dark circles beneath her eyes rivaled those her nephews put on when they played Pop Warner football.
The late nights she’d been putting in to finish the renovation of the rental were definitely starting to show. She turned to the side to check her profile and saw that the pizza and fast food she’d been eating while working on the apartment were also evident.
Thankfully, Laura had been blessed with her mother’s physique, and when Laura did put on weight, it went to her chest, hips, and backside. She hadn’t appreciated her hourglass figure when she was growing up. It was difficult for her because all three of her sisters were petite and she was not. But since the popularity of the Kardashians, JLo, Cardi B, and other women who embraced their curves, Laura had learned to love her body.
She started to turn her audiobook back on when she saw the time. If she was going to the wedding, she didn’t want to look like the walking dead, which meant she had just enough time to go home, shower, blow out her hair, and do a quick dewy makeup look.
"Wedding number sixty-nine," she sighed, then grinned at the suggestive number. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad after all.
2
"Areyou sure you want to go to this?" Ford asked Knox for the fifth time as they drove up the winding road to the castle that was set on a bluff overlooking Whisper Lake, where the nuptials were going to take place. "You don’t know anyone."
"What better way to meet people than at a wedding?" Knox couldn’t help but revel in his brother’s obvious irritation about his attendance."And you can’t stop me because I’m not your date."
Out of the corner of his eye, Knox saw Ford’s knuckles turn white as he gripped the steering wheel. As the car pulled to a stop, Knox couldn't help but poke the bear. "You really don’t want me to go, do you? Scared of a little competition?"
"Competition? For what?"
"Your lady friend." Ford hadn’t been very forthcoming with information about Chrissy all day. Knox had asked a few questions but only received one-word responses.
"Don’t call her that."
"That’s what Mom calls her."
"Mom also calls shit her poopsies. Are you going to say that, too, Kermit?"
Knox knew that he’d struck a nerve when he heard the nickname. Their grandad, who fought in World War II, had been a frogman in the Navy. It was a term used before Navy SEAL. In first grade, Knox had written that he wanted to be a Navy Kermit when he grew up. Once Knox became a SEAL, Ford called him Kermit anytime he wanted to get on his nerves.
The thing Ford didn’t know was that Knox actually thought the nickname put the adore in adorable. Ford wrongly assumed that it was a dig that would embarrass him, but what his older brother didn’t take into consideration was the fact that Knox had healthy self-esteem. Some would say a littletoohealthy. He’d always considered himself a cute kid, and the fact that he’d likened his grandfather’s position to a Muppet was just proof of his cuteness.
"Maybe…" Knox pretended like he was considering the use of the term "poopies." "I took a fat poopsies in your bathroom before we left the house." He grinned. "Yeah, that could work."
Knox watched as his brother’s nostrils flared, and he felt a level of pride in being one of the few people who had always been able to get under his skin. Before winning the lotto, Ford had spent his days on construction sites, and before that, he’d been in the Army. His older brother never let the guys he served with or worked with see his irritation. So just like his cuteness as a child, Knox considered the fact that he could annoy the shit out of his brother a badge of honor.
After they parked, Knox pointed out the window. "Oh, look, there’s my date." Knox hopped out of the truck, walked over to their cousin, and pulled Keaton into a one-armed man hug. He was surprised that he got the same warm and fuzzy feeling he’d had when he’d seen Ford. He’d also gotten it when he’d gone down to visit his mom.
For the two decades he’d spent being stationed all over the world and sent on deployments for months at a time, he’d never had this sort of reaction to seeing his family. Knox had to face the very real possibility that he was getting soft in his old age.
