Page 60 of No Place Like Home
She stood and checked herself in the mirror. First her front, then her profile. She brushed her hands lightly over her small baby bump.
“You look beautiful, Darlene,” Lilly said.
“You do, Dar,” I said.
She beamed. “Thanks, y’all. So do you two.”
“I can’t believe you only have four more months,” Lilly said. “And then there will be another baby in the family.”
“Maybe you and Jamison will add a baby soon also.”
Lilly shrugged. “You never know, though getting married first would be a good start.”
I turned from the mirror and their talk of babies. “Let’s go see Kora. It’s almost time for pictures.”
We walked across the house to Kora’s room. I knocked softly and opened the door. The three of us froze.
Kora stood in front of the bay windows, the sunlight streaming in wrapping her in a glow. Not that she needed any help glowing today.
She and her father, Nigel, were finishing up their pictures. As soon as they were done, Darlene and Lilly rushed to her side and gushed all over her.
I held back.
Nigel came over to me. He’d just arrived from Florida, where he’d retired to, and looked tanned and handsome in his tux. I noticed there was more gray in his dark hair since the last time I’d seen him. “Hello, Summer.”
“Hi, Nigel.” He never liked me calling him Mr. Mitchell. We hugged in greeting. “Kora looks beautiful,” I said.
“Yeah, she does.” He sighed deeply.
“Are you going to be all emotional today too?” I asked him.
He chuckled. “Unfortunately. I can’t help but wish her mother were here to see her. She’d be so proud.”
Kora’s mother died a long time ago. I was surprised Nigel hadn’t found someone else by now. He had always been a handsome and hardworking man with a big heart. He loved his daughter, was an amazing father, and had never questioned me when I spent the night during the school week back when my parents split up. He was like the father I never had, parenting me when I needed it and allowing me under his roof like his own daughter.
“Summer, come here,” Kora waved me over.
“Gotta go.” I smiled at him and walked to my friends. Kora made a beautiful bride. I hugged her tightly. “Kor, you look . . .”
“Don’t be getting all serious, Summer. I need you to keep things focused and reined in. I’m counting on you for your lack of emotions and ability to tell it like it is.”
Darlene and Lilly wiped their eyes.
I took a deep breath and did what I was told. I reined it in. “You got it, Kor.” I gave her a hug. “I promise I’m not bullshitting you when I say you look absolutely stunning. If Kai doesn’t want to throw you over his shoulder, run you down the aisle, and fuck you against the first wall he comes to, I’ll have to make sure he gets his head examined.”
That got the reaction I expected. All three laughed and wiped their eyes. “Good,” I said. “Now we can do this and not worry about the makeup I spent hours working on getting smeared. It’s time for pictures.”
Chapter 27
Rowan
This “helping with the wedding” as a runner thing was such a joke. The guys were already dressed and hanging out at the small groom’s cabin behind the wedding pavilion. The cabin was a newer building, built for the wedding venue just last year. It contained a dressing area, two bathrooms, a small kitchenette, and a game room which contained a dart board, television, and pool table for killing time before an event.
I sat on the oversized couch in the game room with my feet up and a beer in my hand, waiting. I had nothing else to do. Susie was with the women, and, according to her texts, she’d been pretty busy. Meanwhile, not much had been going on here except for a lot of trash-talking, alcohol consumption, and dart-throwing.
“Hey, bro.” Bryson fell into the cushion next to me and threw his arm over my shoulders, Jamison falling into place on the other side. “What’re you doing by yourself?”
Jamison smacked me on my thigh. “Here, brother pic.” He held up his camera and we all squished together. They smiled, I lifted mybrows, and he snapped the picture. “Yeah. You’re quiet,” he said as he tapped away at his phone and sent the picture.
