Do you think it’s time for you to come home too? You always have a place to stay wherever I am little brother. Be safe.
Love you,
Hannah Banana
35
CASE
The week following our greenhouse adventure, Hannah had to work a double at the Tap and Table, and I managed to wrangle my brothers for some quality demolition time.
“Explain the plan to me again?” Waylon asks as he looks around the unused side of Rhea’s building. My sister had purchased the entire place but wasn’t ready to commit to the work needed on this side yet. She’d been more than willing to let me take it off her hands.
“We’re makin’ a bookstore.” Spreading the plans on the chipped Formica counter, I go through each of the things that Marlee had helped me design. I’d explained to her the things Hannah is passionate about—the dreams—and Marlee had turned this tired space into something truly beautiful.
“We come bearin’ gifts,” my father says from the doorway with a couple of coolers and Cullen in tow.
“What are y’all doin’ here?” I ask even as I feel the warmth spreading through my chest.
“I know a thing or two about wooing a lady.” His lips twitch in a classic Vincent Thayer smile. “I’m still wooin’ your mama every day.”
“I’m here to mostly supervise,” Cullen says, resigned. “Hank, your wife is scary.”
He nods at his father-in-law with the goofiest grin I’ve ever seen on him. “I know.”
Otto snorts and Hank cuffs him on the back of the head. “Ow! What was that for?”
“Felt like the right thing to do,” Hank says and Waylon chokes on a laugh. My father glares and Cullen snickers which is so weird considering the guy was really buttoned-up when he came to Clementine Creek.
“Anyway,” Sorren says as he pushes off the wall to our left, “those cabinets and that counter come out, and this wall is coming down. I already made sure it’s not supporting anything important so we’re good there.”
“Man, I love when you talk construction to me—you should try it with the ladies.” Otto winks dramatically and Sorren looks from Otto to Hank. No words are exchanged, but Hank cuffs Otto on the back of the head and Sorren nods. “Y’all are no fun.”
Otto takes a giant step away from everyone and crosses his arms over his chest with a pout.
“Dad, can you take Otto and work on the cabinets?”
“Sure thing.” My father nods. “Your mother packed lunches and snacks and Gwen sent over that cooler of drinks.”
“Mama’s the best,” I say and he nods. “Can you work a broom?” I ask as I turn to Cullen.
“I think I can manage.”
“Great. Everyone knows what we have to do, right?” Murmurs of agreement go up around the room and then Waylon is hooking up his phone to the speaker and a song by Descending North echoes in the space.
“I heard a rumor that the lead singer is friends with your lakeside neighbor,” Otto says to Hank as they each work on their respective assignments.
“Isla would know more than me; her cousin loves this band.”
“It’s cute that you know that,” Waylon says before throwing his head back and laughing as Hank glares at him.
“They do that video chat thing and Emerson is supposed to come down soon. She wants to throw a baby shower or something with balloons and confetti. I have no idea what any of it is. I’ll just show up when she tells me to.”
“The gender reveal party,” Cullen says as he sweeps in his golf shirt and khakis. You can take the man out of the city but not the other way around apparently.
“A what?” my father asks, his brows knit together.
“Oh, those are great!” Otto says enthusiastically. “I totally vote confetti—it’ll look great in your hair.”