Tessa cracked up. “Oh, the manners…but I’m way too young for someone to call me ma’am.” She said that out of the side of her mouth, whispering it to Juni with a tease slipping from her tongue.
“How olds are you, anyway?”
That time, a straight shot of laughter ripped from me. Scrambling forward, I put my hand over my daughter’s mouth and hauled her back. “We are actually still working on that manners thing.”
Tessa cracked up. “Oh, don’t even apologize. I love her.”
The woman smiled at me. “Seriously, I’m really glad you’re here. I need a little backup on my side since loverboy over there came and stole all my BFF time with my Eden.”
With an exaggerated pout, she hooked her thumb in the direction of Eden’s house. “She’s always over there after all that cake.”
My mind raced to keep up with her.
Cake?
“I mean, I can’t blame the poor girl, the man is h-o-t,” she rambled on, “kinda like his brother, if you know what I’m sayin’。”
She checked me on the shoulder with hers, words all kinds of suggestion.
Wow.
“Okay, I better bolt. It was so nice to meet you both.”
My head spun.
Before she made it a step backward, her face lit up. “Oh my gosh, wait.”
Her voice dropped with whatever epiphany she’d had, and she took me by both hands, as if we’d been friends forever, a secret on her breath when she buzzed, “Guess what?”
“Um…？”
Her voice dipped into an excited hush, the words barely breathed as she mouthed, “Trent is proposing on Friday.”
My heart panged, and I looked to the house where the woman who lived there had been so kind. One who’d welcomed us without question and apparently told her wild friend about us, too.
Home.
It whispered at the back of my mind. I shook it off before it took root.
“That’s wonderful,” I forced out.
She squeezed my hands. “Yes, we have this surprise planned for her at the school where we work. Both their families are going to be there, and oh my god, it’s going to be so romantic. Then Jud is going to take Gage camping that night, but we’re doing a big surprise celebration dinner for them on Saturday. You and Juni have to come.”
“Oh, I don’t—”
She cut off my refusal before I got the chance to get it out. “Um, you do. Eden already claimed you, which means I claim you, and apparently Jud has, too, so…”
She let that hang.
“Jud hasn’t…” I couldn’t even form the words.
A salacious grin took to her mouth. “Um, that bad boy is nothing but charm and charisma and cockiness, never missing a beat, and here you had him stumbling around like he didn’t know his feet from his ass. I’m pretty sure he has.”
A frown pinched.
“He did leave really super-fast, Mommy. Like he had ants in his pants. I’m pretty sure he has the nervous about his new adventure.” Juni beamed up at me, like the child had it all figured out.
Tessa laughed. “Oh, yeah, he’s definitely nervous about his new adventure.” She went to winking again then she reached out and tapped Juni’s nose. “I like you, sweet one.”
Juni beamed. “I like you, too.”
Tessa returned her attention to me. “Okay, I really have to run.”
She rushed in and squeezed me tight, shocking me again. But this time…this time…I hugged her back.
A fool.
A fool.
She backed away, talking as she did. “I’m going to swindle your number from Eden’s phone, and I’ll text you the details. Be there, baby. I won’t take no for an answer. Your presences are expected. And shhh…”
She made an exaggerated sound with her finger pressed to her lips.
“I can keep all the secrets, Miss Tessa, don’t you worry, not even a little bits,” Juni promised.
“I’m counting on you,” Tessa said before she spun and went darting back across the road and up Eden’s walkway.
A little hand took mine, Juni almost tsking, so matter of fact. “Whew…that one’s a whirlwinds, Mommy.”
And that was exactly what I felt.
Like I’d just gotten swept up in a whirlwind.
My gaze slid back to where Jud had disappeared.
And I didn’t know how to get off.
THIRTEEN
JUD
So, I wasn’t one to buck a family celebration, but shit, Tessa was taking this thing to a whole new level.
When me and my brothers celebrated?
It usually entailed knocking back a few beers while tucked in our booth at Absolution.
But this girl was flitting about the private room like a frantic bird pecking around her babies.
The private room in the upscale restaurant where clearly a hot-pink bomb had exploded.
Decorations spewed everywhere.
Streamers were strung from the ceiling, black and hot pink balloons everywhere, matching flower arrangements sitting on every surface, and a custom sign that hung from the back wall.
“Would you calm down?” I grumbled. “Eden already said yes. Pretty sure that’s the only thing that matters to the two of them.”
For the third time, Tessa had started rearranging this over-the-top display of cupcakes that were decorated with candy playing cards. All of them were aces, whatever the shit that was about.
She sent me a scowl.
“You shut it. I want it perfect. This is my BFF’s engagement party. When she walks through those doors to her surprise…” She waved a hand at the double doors that sectioned off the upscale room. “She needs to be wowed, shocked, her breath literally stolen from her lungs when she sees what we put together for her.”
She pressed her hand to her chest like she couldn’t believe I would think otherwise.
Girl was a nutter.
But she loved Eden like mad, so that was what counted.
Still, I couldn’t help but give her shit. Considering Eden was about the least pretentious chick I’d ever met, I was pretty sure she wouldn’t care if we were throwing together a barbeque with hot dogs and a few cold brews.
But whatever.
Place was nice and the food smelled like heaven, so I wasn’t going to complain too much.
“Besides, you don’t exactly look like a party planner to me. Your opinion on these matters doesn’t count.” Tessa needled that from the side, shooting me a mocking glare.
“Yet you don’t have a problem with me footing the bill.” My brow arched in challenge from where I was leaned against the long banquet tables where the servers were setting up. Four of them were scurrying around about as quickly as Tessa, bringing out these giant, silver chafing dishes and setting them over burners.
A full prime-rib, lasagna, chicken piccata, and a vegetarian entrée, plus a bunch of different sides and shit, too.
Other trays were filled with fruits, cheeses, and meats.
Not to mention this dessert fiasco Tessa was in up to her wrists.
“Only the best for Eden.”
“That’s right! Only the best for my dad and my new mom because they are the specialist in the whole world, and we love them all the way to the highest mountain. Right, Auntie, right?”
Gage had come skipping over, all eager smiles and delight as he pushed up on his toes to get a better look at the cupcakes. “Yummy!”