Annie looked over her shoulder until she spotted them. She grumbled and turned back to the last of her food.
“I’m seeing a lot more of your boys this trip than I was expecting to,” June said.
Annie made a face. “Try living with them. They think it’s clothing-optional at our house.”
“And the Robinsons’ back yard,” Jed said.
The woman gave Annie a once-over. “Honey, you look like you’re about to pop. You aren’t fixing to give birth during the wedding, are you?” She laughed, missing the look of death Annie shot her way.
“I’ve got two and a half months to go.” Annie stood from the table, one hand cradled beneath her belly. “I think I need some cobbler.”
“Oh, honey, you want to be careful with that, the baby weight gets harder and harder to lose. It’s one of the worst things about pregnancy, you know.”
Annie took a deep breath like she was gearing up to let Miss Opinionated have it, but Marilyn spoke first.
“I’m not sure about that, Peggy.” Marilyn’s voice came out sugary sweet. “I always thought receiving unsolicited advice was the worst thing about pregnancy.”
Peggy pursed her lips as if she’d had a taste of something sour, then gave a pert little nod. “Good seeing y’all.”
She sauntered away, and the minute she was gone, Jed burst into laughter. “Nice one, Marilyn.”
Annie grinned at her rescuer. “Thanks.”
“Some people need to learn to keep their thoughts to themselves.” She stood and put an arm around Annie. “Now let’s go get that cobbler.”
The two women walked off toward the dessert table arm in arm. June smiled at Clint as though he had been the one to swoop in and save the day, and he just smiled back, apparently as pleased as could be.
“I don’t think it’s going so well for Wade.” Jed nodded in that direction.
We all turned to see Wade chasing after one naked kid, with a second tucked under his arm like a football. Every time he got close to the loose one, the one he’d caught laughed and kicked until the kid nearly slipped from his arms.
“That’s really not my wheelhouse. Is one of you going to help him, or are we just going to take videos?” Jed pulled his phone out of his pocket and tried to get a bead on them.
“I’ll help him,” Clint said as he left the table. “I’ve been down this road a time or two.”
He wandered off while Jed captured the moment for posterity.
June laughed, and it was all I could do to contain my own laughter for fear of the spasms of pain it would cause. Her arm brushed against mine, and she still held my elbow with her other hand, sending a tingling warmth cascading through me.
I gazed down at her, and the whole world seemed to pause so I could take her in. Her eyes were full of joy, her smile all for me. Being with her was the only place I ever wanted to be. My thoughts were foolish, but if I had to be a fool, at least I was a fool over a woman like June.
As though the world knew just how to ruin a moment, I looked over her shoulder to see Bret in the crowd.
THIRTY-FOUR
june
Sittingunder that old tree with my family and Ty, another pang of what I’d been missing back in Austin tugged at me. I needed this sense of belonging and togetherness, being surrounded by the people I loved. And itwaslove tying me, not just to my family, but to this quiet man at my side. The way Ty gazed down at me, I would have sworn he felt it, too.
He glanced away, and his expression darkened like a storm cloud rolling in. I turned to see what had caused his happiness to so totally disappear, knowing what I would see before my eyes reached him. Bret stood not far away, overdressed for the warm day in a dark blue suit jacket and slacks, reminding everyone he was a big shot lawyer.
All the cozy, comfortable feelings that had been swirling inside me turned sour. Bret watched me with an odd look on his face.
I turned to face Ty. “Did you know he was coming tonight?”
His scowl deepened. “He didn’t tell me a thing.”
Jed seemed to realize something was up, and he, too, turned to see what it was. Bret walked toward us through the crowd, pausing a couple of times to shake someone’s hand, but moving ever closer.
