Page 11 of Unraveled

“And what if that doesn’t last?” Jenna quietly spoke. “What if your grief has been holding you together, but now that you’re healing and moving on, you grow apart?”

“Exactly.” Mom tossed a hand up, but I shook my head as Tucker’s deep voice cut in.

“If you think that, Mom, then you don’t know us at all. Ibreathefor this girl.” He squeezed my waist again. “She’s it for me, and I willneverdo anything to ruin it.” He glared at my mom at the end, her comment obviously still fresh.

“And if you get pregnant again?” Mom’s eyes narrowed back.

“Then it’ll happen.” I shrugged. “We’re using all the precautions we can. Hell, we didn’t evenstarthaving sex again until last night.” I immediately flushed, cringing at that admission.

“Getting married doesn’t have to automatically mean babies,” Tucker continued for me. “We’d give anything to have Zoey back, but I’m not rushing to have another. Neither of us are.”

I watched as relief fell over all of their faces.

“I just don’t like this.” Jenna shook her head. “Y’all are going off to college in just a few months. There will already be so many changes in your lives.”

“I don’t think either of you realize how hard being married young can be,” Mom added.

“You and Daddy made it,” I whispered.

“Your dad and I are beside the point. Not all couples that young make it.” Her eyes darkened, and I frowned, reading something beneath the surface but not sure what.

Jet leaned forward in his chair to look down the table. “My parents were eighteen and seventeen when they got married. They’re still together.”

“And you and Aunt Rosa were freshmen in college when you got engaged.” Annie looked at Uncle Blake. “And Gabe just married Julia last year. They were twenty-one. You and Aunt Rosa didn’t fightthem, right?”

“We didn’t.” Uncle Blake met her gaze when she mentioned our cousin.

“Sounds like we know a lot of couples that married young and are doing fine.” Jet shrugged.

Tucker sighed and ran his hand back through his hair. “This is getting off track. Mom, Dad, Bridgette, we didn’t bring y’all here to ask your permission. We just wanted an amazing weekend with our families in grandpa’s old house where we could hopefully all celebrate our news. Izzy and I are getting married, whether y’all like it or not. Can we please have y’all’s blessing?”

“When?” Chuck finally spoke.

I looked at Tucker and back at him. “When?”

“When is it? Do you have a date?” He stared at us, and a tiny, happy bubble began to form in my chest. Because I could see it. How close we were to his acceptance.

“It’s next summer on our anniversary.”

“Late July,” Tucker clarified.

Chuck nodded, the movement slow. “I think that sounds alright.” From the movement of his arm, I could picture him giving Jenna’s thigh a gentle squeeze, and she swallowed, nodding to herself before giving us a smile.

“Welcome to the family, Izzy.”

Mom’s shoulders dropped then, her allies gone, and she released a deep sigh. “If this is happening, then yes. Welcome to the family, Tucker.” She raised her champagne glass for a toast. My throat grew tight, meeting her gaze as we all raised our drinks.

“Thank you,”I mouthed, relief touching me when she gave me a small smile.

Chapter 5

JET

After dinner, the women gathered outside to gossip on the back porch while the kids went to play down at the beach. Tucker and I headed upstairs, beers in hand with our mom’s not close by to comment, and we sat back at the wet bar to watch our dad’s play a game of pool.

Tucker took a long swig, a content smirk on his face, but when my dad asked Chuck how Micah and Ryder were doing, it vanished.

“What’s up with you?” I asked over Chuck’s groan.

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