Noli:Send us a picture!
I scroll through the photos I covertly snapped during the ceremony and find one where Ed and Piper are smooching at the altar. I send it along.
Rose:They look stunning!
Noli:Agreed, but I meant a picture of you. Rose said you picked the sequined wrap dress. Let’s see it.
I open my camera app, flipping the view around so I’m staring at myself. I might not feel good about my relationship at the moment, but at least I look good. I did a dramatic smoky shadow around my eyes, and that, coupled with the golden color of the dress, is making my eyes look morestorm at seathaneveryday blue, which is fitting my mood perfectly.
I give them my best Tyra Banks smize, keeping my lips closed and doing my winningest impression of a fierce-looking, catwalk-strutting model. I send it to my sisters. Their responses are immediate, and just what I expected.
Noli:Dang! Smoke show!
Rose: You’ve never looked better.
Poppy:I wish you both were here. Holland has left me to fend for myself.
I nibble my lip as my message sends. I don’t want to worry my sisters, but I also need someone to talk to right now. I catch sight of Holland on the other side of the granary. He’s surrounded by a circle of admirers, and he’s regaling them with some story. They’re hanging on his every word—and both his arms—and he’s eating up the attention like a proud puppy. Would it be too much to ask for him to throw me a bone and introduce me around? I know literally less than ten people in attendance at this shindig: the bride and groom, who have more on their mind than little ol’ me; Holland; Holland’s parents; and—
A throat clears to my left.
I set my phone face down as relief washes over me. “Big! Hi!”
“Is this seat taken?”
I laugh a slightly manic laugh. “Um, no.”
He sits down next to me, the starched fabric of his groomsman suit pulling tight against his thighs. Unlike the other groomsmen, who have been hitting the Miller Lite hard since they arrived at the granary, Mack’s tie is still in place.
“You look like you need to loosen up.” I reach over and tug on the knot at his collar.
He flips his gaze to me. “You have no idea.”
He stares at me while I work the tie looser.
“There.” I pat his peck. “Better?”
“Much. You having fun?”
My phone vibrates four times in quick succession. I’m about to ignore it, but then it goes off twice more. I can’t leave Noli and Rose hanging, so I shoot Mack an apologetic look and reach for my cell. “Sorry. It’s my sisters.”
Rose:Do you need me to fly back and beat some sense into him?
Noli:What is his problem?!
Rose:Seriously, he may be semi-famous, but I’m famous for my right cross.
Noli:Are you sure you’re okay, Pops? Sorry for stealing Rose away. I feel bad.
Rose:I love to know I’m in such high demand. I feel very needed at the moment.
Rose: Hey, where’s Mack? You could hang with him.
I read through the sequence of messages, and my spirits rise. I love my sisters, and now that Mack is sitting next to me, things feel a little less bleak. It’s amazing what a difference it makes to not be sitting by yourself in a corner. Patrick Swayze was on to something.
I scooch my chair closer to Mack’s. I hold out my phone in front of us and rest my chin on his shoulder. “Smile.”
I take the photo and glance down at it. Instead of looking at the camera, Mack has his eyes directly on my smiling face. It’s a great shot of his chiseled jawline. “Look at your face!” I squeak. “Have you ever considered a side-gig as a model? People pay big bucks for your God-given bone structure.”
