Page 142 of Return to Us

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Next is Delia, who gives me a playful wink as she passes.

Winnie, Jessica’s maid of honor, waves her fingers as she passes.

Her mother is last, and I pull her in for a hug when she gets to me. “You take care of my girl.”

“Always.”

“You know,” she says softly, “I always hoped it would be you. You’re a good man, Grayson Parkerson.”

“I think it was always going to be us, no matter what.”

Mrs. Walker smiles. “I think so too.”

And then it’s just her and Amelia. The two of them start to make their way to me, carefully avoiding rocks as Amelia waves randomly. They are both smiling, and I swear, my heart could fly out of my chest. I’ve never known a person could hold this much love.

“Hi,” Jess says first.

“God, you’re gorgeous.”

She beams. “I’m glad you think so.” Amelia looks up at me. “And you are so pretty.”

“Thanks, Daddy. Are you ready to get married?” Melia asks.

I look to Jessica, our eyes locked and I nod. “Yeah, Monkey, I sure am.”

* * *

“Never thought I’d see the day,” Josh says as he hands me a beer.

“That I’d get married?”

“No, that you’d convince Jessica to marry you.”

I laugh. “I did something right.”

“I notice you invited Mom.”

She’s currently dancing with Oliver, and we’ve barely said a handful of words to each other.

“I didn’t want to regret it later.”

“I get it. Does she know we’re all about to wreck her life?”

It’s doubtful that she does. When the five of us demand a buy-out or threaten to sell our shares, my mother is going to have a rude awakening. The lifestyle she’s been afforded will be gone because my father will have to scramble to come up with the money, which means less alimony.

That house will probably be the first thing he tries to sell.

“Not really my concern today.”

“I know, I just . . . I’m glad you invited her, that’s all.”

“It was the right thing to do.”

“Yeah, the women in our lives are pains in our asses, but we love them,” Josh says before taking a long pull of his drink. “Speaking of, where did Stella run off to?”

“I don’t know, I wanted to dance with her.”

“Me too.”

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