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“Esther’s probably thinkin’ I’m gonna be wearin’ a suit,” I replied, smoothing my hair back from my face. It was longer than I usually wore it, but when I’d considered getting it cut before the wedding, the memory of Esther’s fingers running through it had made me reconsider.
“I have a feelin’ she won’t be surprised,” he joked, gesturing at my clothes.
I was wearing a white button-down and the only pair of pants I owned that weren’t jeans, but she was stuck with the workboots and leather. I didn’t have any other shoes, and I wasn’t getting married without my cut.
“They on their way?” I asked, glancing at the door behind him. The clubhouse was bustling with people and more were showing up every few minutes, but I hadn’t seen any of the women that were helping Esther get ready.
“Emilia said they’d be headed over soon,” he confirmed, glancing around. “Looks nice in here.”
“They rented the tablecloths,” I murmured, distracted. “So don’t spill anything.”
Micky laughed. “Nervous, huh?”
“I’m not nervous.”
“Bullshit. You’re talkin’ to me about tablecloths,” he said dryly. “Either you’re nervous or havin’ some kind of stroke.”
“They’re here,” I blurted, forgetting Micky entirely as I strode toward the door.
“I won’t spill anythin’,” he called out behind me, laughing.
“Well, don’t you look nice?” my little sister Myla greeted, setting down a large wrapped box on the bar.
“Who’d you ride with?” I asked, looking over her shoulder.
“Emilia and Rhett.” She laced her arm through mine and tugged me away from the door. “Mom and Dad are bringing Esther in a few minutes. There was some problem with her flowers.”
“What was wrong with her flowers?”
Myla waved off the question. “You ready to get married?” she asked me cheekily, bumping me with her hip. “I like Esther. She could’ve done way better.”
“You’re funny,” I replied flatly. “Ha. Ha.”
“Wait ’till you see her,” she said happily as Rhett and Emilia came through the door. “She looks gorgeous.”
“She always looks gorgeous.”
“Not this gorgeous,” Myla mumbled. “Just wait.”
“Nova’s right behind me,” Emilia told Micky as he helped take Rhett’s jacket off. “Have you seen Rumi? He’s not answering his phone.”
“He and Bird are around here somewhere,” Micky replied. “Everything good?”
“I think she got some news about her grandma,” Emilia murmured with a shrug. “But don’t say anything to him, I think she wanted to talk to him about it before she said anything to Bird.”
I ignored the rest of their conversation and distractedly greeted a couple of other people as they came through the door, forcing myself not to check the time again. Esther wasn’t late, but it felt like I’d been waiting a long ass time for her to show up.
“You’re acting like a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs,” my gram greeted as she came through the door.
“Hey Gram,” I replied, leaning down to hug her as my gramps slapped my shoulder and strode past us.
“Your parents are right behind us,” she whispered conspiratorially. “And it’s starting to sprinkle outside. Why don’t you grab an umbrella and go meet them?”
“Good idea,” I replied, kissing her forehead as I moved around her.
There were quite a few dressed-up women in the building who hadn’t wanted to get rained on, so for once there were actually a few umbrellas stacked against the wall just inside the front door. I grabbed one as I passed them and hurried outside, just in time to see my parents park.
My stomach flipped as I jogged toward my mom’s SUV. My parents were in the front seats, so I knew Esther must be sitting in the back behind the tinted windows.
