Page 73 of Silver Lining Love

Cara had been sick growing up. She’d had leukemia and there were a few times it didn’t look like she was going to make it. It didn’t surprise me that the two of them seemed to be hitting it off. They both knew what true pain and loss were.

I’d seen a different side of Whitney today. I realized this was the first time I’d ever spent time with her in a large group setting. She really did shine in social situations. She had what some people described as the “it” factor. People naturally gravitated toward her.

It was strange, after knowing her for so many years, to see this new facet of her personality. Just like I’d discovered how nurturing and patient she could be when the kids came to stay with her. Every layer that was peeled back made me fall deeper in love with her. I felt damn lucky to be the man who she loved. I was going to do everything in my power to live up to that honor.

A hand waved in front of my face, and I turned and saw that it was my sister Harmony. “Wow, you did not hear a word I said, did you?”

No. I was totally unaware she was talking to me. “Sorry.”

“I’ve been talking to you for at least a minute,” she explained.

I shrugged. I hadn’t heard a word.

She smiled like the cat that ate the canary. “Destiny told me that you had it bad, but damn bro, you have itbad.”

“I’m not the only one.” I motioned across the room to her husband, Hudson Reed. He was a sheriff and on duty, but he’d stopped by to wish my mom a happy birthday. Hud was staring at my sister as he talked to Dixie Porter, who was JJ’s wife Destiny’s grandma.

It was funny to me that the two of them had ended up together because Harmony and Hudson had always had a love-hate relationship growing up. I guess love won.

“He’s so hot in his uniform, isn’t he?” my sister perused.

“Yes, he is,” I agreed as I sipped my beer. “Is that what you came over to tell me?”

“Uh, no. I came to tell you I’m proud of you.”

My eyes narrowed. It’s not that my siblings didn’t give each other compliments, it was just that they were usually precursors to asking for a favor or for forgiveness.

“What did you do, or what do you want?”

“Whoa!” She pretended to be offended as she clutched at her chest. “I’m hurt. Can’t yourfavoritesister just tell you that she’s proud of you?”

I gave her a look that told her that I wasn’t buying it.

“I didn’t do anything, and I don’t want anything, I swear. I was just telling you that I’m impressed. You tamedWhitney in the Wild. Honestly, I didn’t think you had it in you. Cooper, definitely. Sawyer, maybe. Even Jackson, but not you.”

“Funny,” I said flatly.

“Seriously, though. I approve. I love her and the kids. You did good, bro.” She reached out and gave me a quick hug. “Okay, I have to go give my husband a proper goodbye.” She wagged her brows before heading across the room. I didn’t want to think about what that was.

My sister’s sentiment had been the consensus today. Everyone loved Whitney. Even my high school football coach had given her the stamp of approval, and he didn’t like anyone. She fit in here like she’d been born and raised in Wishing Well.

I finished my beer and figured since Cara and Whitney were still deep in conversation, I decided I would go and check on Michael. I hadn’t seen him around for a while. Alice and Lilah were decorating cupcakes with Destiny, who owned a bakery, in the kitchen and my mom had Benji superglued to her hip. But I hadn’t seen Michael for at least an hour.

I walked through the house looking for him but had no luck. It wasn’t until I walked out on the back porch that I saw JJ had set up his old pitching machine, and Michael was hitting.

My brother was standing off to the side a good distance away, watching him. I walked up beside my brother and JJ turned to me. “The kid’s got something.”

“I know.” I nodded.

“I wish he lived here. I’d love to work with him at the training facility.”

Since retiring, JJ had opened a baseball academy. Kids came from all over the country to work with him.

“I’ll see if I can get him down here more often.” I’d love to get him down here permanently. In fact, that reminded me I needed to catch Jan Jenson before she left. She was Wishing Well’s sole realtor, and I wanted to know what was on the market.

“He talked about you a lot last night.”

“He did?” I turned to my brother.

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