Page 15 of A Wilder Wedding

“And the next wedding is yours, we’re getting close,” Alexis said as Aurora beamed.

“You mean the next family wedding. I’m pretty sure we have like twenty weddings before that.”

“That is true. But yes, the next family wedding. Now we need to just get the other Wilders settled down, and we’re eleven for eleven,” she said, including the final Wilder who happened to live in Colorado with her family.

“Naomi, you’re up,” Sidney said, before she winced and looked down at me. “I’m sorry.”

I shook my head. “No, don’t be sorry. I am the only single one in this room. Which should be more depressing than it is, but I don’t know which Wilder is for me. There’s the broody one who builds things that doesn’t actually ever speak to me,” I said, thinking of Brooks. But I knew Brooks had gone through hell and he had a reason for that.

“That is true,” Aurora said with a laugh.

“And then there’s Gabriel.” I let out a dramatic dreamy sigh as the rest laughed. “The voice of an angel who literally is in the news every week with a new woman he’s allegedly slept with.”

“Never trust the media,” Lark said, and I sobered slightly, knowing that the media loved calling Lark a slut even now that she was married.

“I am pretty sure that Gabriel doesn’t even know my name, and while I love you guys, I’m not going to marry a Wilder. Sorry, they’re the bosses.”

“I don’t know, it’s nice calling my Wilder my boss,” Maddie said into her wine, and when we all giggled, she set down her glass. “Perhaps I’ve had too much to drink.”

I snorted again, and listened as they all discussed their plans, and what was coming up at the retreat. Because no matter how much we wanted to have time off and not stress about work, we lived and breathed it.

Another reason why I couldn’t leave.

When we all disbanded and cleaned up after ourselves, I headed towards the main inn, deciding to take a detour through the vines.

I loved walking through here to smell the earth and grapes. It always changed no matter what time of day I went, and it was like a new yet familiar feeling.

When my phone buzzed, I wanted to ignore it, but it could be someone who needed me, or it could be Amos.

No, it wouldn’t be him. Why would I think it would be him?

I answered without looking because I had let my mind wander and could have kicked myself.

“Naomi, where do we keep the Band-Aids?”

I closed my eyes at the sound of my brother’s voice.

Why was he calling? Why couldn’t they just leave me alone?

“Are you at Dad’s house?” I asked.

“Where the fuck else would I be? It’s not like you’re here to take care of him like you should. Like a good daughter would. No, you’re making me and my wife do this.”

“I’m just going to hang up if you keep talking like that. And why the hell would you think I know where the Band-Aids were? I don’t live there.”

“But you’re the one who organized it last.”

Considering it had been nearly nine months since I had been there, I was a little worried about exactly how long it had been since anyone cleaned. My dad was fine. He was just a drunk. He worked and he ate and he drank. That was about it. But he was capable of taking care of himself. He just didn’t want to. My brothers were slowly, and sometimes not so slowly, turning into him.

“I put them in the closet on the third shelf from the top when I was there.”

My brother began to curse again, grumbling as I heard him walk through the mess of the house and towards the closet.

“Found them. Hell, we only have two left.”

“Then buy more.” I paused. “Why do you need the Band-Aid? Is everyone okay?”

My brother laughed. “Like you fucking care. You left us. And Dad got a splinter. We took it out, but it’s still bleeding.”

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