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“One day soon,” I promised.
I hastily changed into a suit and darted over to the church we’d been going to since I was little. My mom had been an avid churchgoer, even before she found out about the cancer. Of course, we hadn’t known how bad it was until she was on her deathbed. But it made sense now why she had been so religious about the church service. She must have been scared with five children and a life-threatening illness.
I arrived just in time to make the service. Jensen, Emery, Austin, Morgan, Sutton, Maverick, and little baby Jason were all seated in the front row, like a defending army. Even though my family was super fucked up and carried more baggage than an airplane in a year, we were always here.
Lubbock was one of those towns where church service was mandatory, but we Wrights took it to an extreme. It was new for me though. I’d been gone for a long time. I’d only gone to church when I was home for the holidays. I definitely hadn’t gone when I was in Tampa. So, remembering that this was a thing we always did tripped me up on Sundays.
“Sorry,” I muttered as I sank into the seat Jensen had left for me at the end of the aisle.
“Where were you?” he asked.
“My alarm didn’t go off.”
Jensen shot me a look that said he didn’t believe me. And he was right. Not that I’d let him know that.
Emery leaned forward and waved. “Hey, Landon.”
“Em.”
Her eyes said enough to me without words. She asked, How’s Heidi?
Doing okay.
Good. I worry.
I know. I’m watching out for her.
She nodded her head at Jensen. You going to talk to him?
I sighed and nodded. Yeah.
Thank God. She breathed out in relief and sat back.
Jensen shot me a questioning look, but the service started before he could say anything. My mind was filled with the conversation that I knew I needed to have with Jensen, and I couldn’t seem to concentrate on what was being said. I also felt pretty shitty about leaving Heidi in my bed even if she was going to just sleep away the rest of the morning.
Luckily, the service was over soon enough, and the congregation stood and began to mingle. Emery jumped up and hurried over to her sister, Kimber, who was holding her youngest daughter, Bethany, and trying to corral Lilyanne. Austin fingered his pocket for what I guessed was a flask and tried to leave, but Morgan was smacking his arm and silently arguing with him. I knew it wouldn’t do much good. Also, I should probably help, but I didn’t.
Sutton was the one who came over. “Here, hold your nephew, you heathen,” she said, thrusting Jason into my arms.
I laughed and softly cradled the baby. He was completely passed out and hadn’t made a peep all service. And holding him in my arms like this made my chest ache. A family was something I had wanted ever since my father died.
“He’s too cute and little,” I told her.
“He’s adorable, and thank God. With how little sleep I’m getting, he’d better be.”
I laughed, and she grinned.
Sutton was the baby, only twenty-one years old, and, she’d somehow had her own baby before everyone, except Jensen. It was almost unfair. But I couldn’t begrudge her the happiness. She was still glowing with joy. We had all thought that Sutton’s shotgun wedding was because of this little guy in my arms. Yet she seemed to genuinely love her husband, Maverick. Against all odds, Sutton was the happiest of us all and the one with the least amount of baggage. Maybe because she had only been one when our mom died and eleven when our dad died, she didn’t have as acute memories of the pain. Either way, I envied her.
“What are you doing for your birthday?” I asked. “It’s coming up. Big twenty-two.”
“Ugh,” she groaned. “Jensen planned the freaking Charity Benefit for the same weekend. So, probably getting a babysitter and going to the dumb event.”
“I didn’t schedule the date for the Benefit,” Jensen said. “I wouldn’t have put it on your birthday, but Emery and I would be happy to babysit the night before if you would like a night out.”
Her eyes lit up. “You’re serious?”
“I know a thing or two about babies. We can manage.”
