Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 124005 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 620(@200wpm)___ 496(@250wpm)___ 413(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 124005 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 620(@200wpm)___ 496(@250wpm)___ 413(@300wpm)
My high school hockey buddies start showing up, as well as Wills’s student council friends who delayed their trip home so they could celebrate with us. Wills introduces them to the girls, and for a moment I sense her nervousness, but her Badass Babe Brigade always has her back, and her student council friends were always nice people who respected and appreciated Wills, so it makes sense that they all seem to get along.
My high school hockey buddies try to play it cool, but they’re all Terror fans, so the energy gets a little frenetic. My brothers and sister arrive around noon with more food and coolers of drinks.
Paris caps a beer and surveys the crowd. “Where are the Sheep’s Asses? Or are they too good to show their faces?”
I frown. "They should know better.”
“That’s putting a lot of their in them that they don’t deserve.” She tips her chin in Wills’s direction. “Badass Babe Brigade?”
“They’re Wills’s girl squad,” I explain.
Paris links her arm with mine. “She’s so different than she was in high school, but the same, you know? This place was too confining for someone like her. She always had to fight to be herself, and now she’s the center of everything, isn’t she?”
“Yeah, she really is. She’s a big part of the reason we’re all as tight as we are.”
“You did good, big brother. She’s the perfect woman for you.”
“Yeah. She is.”
The loud whir of an engine momentarily makes conversation impossible. It’s followed by a gust of wind that has people scrambling to keep their plastic glasses from toppling over. A seaplane passes above us, and suddenly Wills’s moms are rushing to the end of the dock, arms waving over their heads.
“What the hell is going on?” Flip shouts.
“My brothers are here,” Wills calls out. She excuses herself from the table to join her moms on the dock.
“Is Hemi’s brother a pilot or something?” Ash sidles up beside me and Paris again.
“Or something,” I say. “Isaac owns a massive company, and I have no idea what Sam does, but I would not be surprised if he was a secret agent or a fixer.”
“Huh.”
“I should probably go over there and say hi.”
“Probably, yeah,” Ash agrees.
But I don’t make a move to join them on the dock. Mostly I’m preparing myself for the onslaught of unbridled energy. And I’m still a little terrified of her brothers.
“Holy crap. Is Sandy just tiny, or is Sam that huge?” Paris asks.
“He’s that huge.”
“He was kind of a legend.” Paris twirls her hair around her finger.
“In what sense?” I give her the side-eye. “What is this?” I flick the back of her hand that’s all tangled in her hair.
She drops it and shrugs. “He was the high school quarterback. Dorie’s older sister went out with him a few times, and there were ru—” She waves that away. “He was just larger than life, and apparently he still is.” She shoves me forward. “You should go say hi. He’s going to be your brother-in-law.”
I leave the safety of Ash and Paris and head for the dock. But the second Sam steps out of the plane—looking like a 007 agent of death with his groomed beard, aviator glasses, black suit, and black dress shoes—he’s mobbed by our former classmates.
Isaac sidesteps him with a roll of his eyes. He’s dressed for the occasion in khaki shorts, a polo, and Birks. Aside from the shoes, he looks like he stepped off the golf course. Wills’s moms flank Isaac. He pulls me in for a hearty back-slap man-hug. “Great to see you, man.”
“You too. Thanks for flying in. We appreciate the support,” I say.
“As if we’d miss our baby sister’s engagement party. It’s a big deal.” He glances over his shoulder and lowers his voice. “Plus, high school wasn’t the easiest for her, so we’d planned to show up today anyway in case she needed us to bury anyone.”
“No funerals to plan,” I assure him.
“Funerals are for people who die. We’d just make them disappear.”
I chuckle, but it kind of dies in my throat. Seriously, I can’t tell if he’s joking.
“Isaac, my man! It’s great to see you!” Manning comes in for a hearty back pat.
“It’s been some years.” Isaac returns the man-hug.
“Let’s grab a beer and catch up.” Manning guides Isaac toward the food and drink tent.
Sam makes his way through the throng of excited partygoers, his arm slung over Wills’s shoulder. She’s tucked into his side, and despite the fact that she doesn’t look like her moms or brothers, it’s clear that they are the very definition of family.
“We need pictures now that we have everyone here!” Georgie says, clapping. “Both families. Everyone together!”
We assemble, my family on one side and Wills’s on the other, and our friends snap photo after photo. Wills hugs my arm and smiles for the camera. I’m in my glory, but I worry about where she is.