Page 68 of Silver Lining Love

And now, after seeing his reaction to Kane being interested in someone my age, he’d cringed. My age. Strike three.

I didn’t have to have a World Series ring like JJ to know that three strikes meant you’re out.

30

WYATT

“Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” ~ Gamma Mary

“Areyou sure it’s no trouble?” Whitney asked my sister-in-law Destiny for the third time.

Destiny had always sort of felt like family. She and my sister Harmony had been best friends growing up, so she was always at the house. I’d known that she’d been in love with my baby brother. It was obvious. I was happy that the two of them had worked out.

Her and my brother JJ’s relationship reminded me a lot of my mom and dad’s which was the epitome of a successful marriage. Destiny was loyal but she was no pushover. She was feisty and always put JJ in his place, but I also knew that she would always take care of my brother. And she was a great mom. And JJ’s face lit up every time he saw her and from all the groping I’d just witnessed during the movie, it was clear he couldn’t keep his hands off of her.

“No trouble at all.” Destiny shook her head back and forth, her long red hair fanning out behind her.

Whitney looked up at me and I could see the hesitation in her eyes. “She’s never had a sleepover. I don’t know how she’ll do.”

“I think she’ll be okay, but if not we’re just a phone call away.” I didn’t want to tell Whitney what to do, I could see that this was a difficult decision for her.

Alice and my niece Lilah, who was about the same age as Alice, had become fast friends. Best friends, according to the girls. After the movie ended, Lilah asked if Alice could spend the night.

“Please, Auntie!” Alice begged beside us.

“Michael can come, too, if he wants.” Destiny offered, motioning to where Michael stood with JJ at the snack stand. “That way her brother would be there, too. I mean, if he wanted to.”

Whitney looked up at me, and we both smiled as she answered, “He’d want to.”

The kid hadn’t left JJ’s side since we got here. He’d sat next to him during the entire movie and followed JJ like a shadow as he went over to talk to his friends Colton and Hayden. The kid would jump at the chance to spend the night at his idol’s house.

“Are you sure it’s no trouble?” Whitney repeated the question.

Destiny smiled widely. “None at all.”

“Okay, I guess tonight is your first sleepover.”

Alice and Lilah jumped up and down in a circle holding each other’s hands.

“They can ride with us, and we can stop by and get their stuff.”

“Actually,” I put my hand on Whitney’s lower back. “I was going to take Whitney for a drive.”

“You were?” she looked up at me.

“Yeah.” I nodded.

“What about your mom?” she shook her head.

“I cleared it with her before we left.” I’d asked her earlier in the day if she wouldn’t mind watching all the kids when we got back so I could take Whitney on a drive, and she’d happily agreed. Once this activity had come up, she’d said she’d put them all to bed for me.

“Okay!” Destiny clapped her hands together. “Well then, JJ and I will head over to the farm and grab their stuff, and then it’s sleepover time.”

The girls clapped and cheered and started running around the grass area that was emptying out as people collected their chairs and blankets.

“Um, let me just say bye to Mikey and let him know what’s going on.” Whitney walked away and I could feel Destiny staring a hole into the side of my head.

“What?” I asked without looking in her direction.

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