It was, in fact, not fine.
CHAPTER 7
Zoe
“Where is he?”
“I don’t know where any of them are.” Lila was scrolling her phone.
We were in the Honeycrisp building at the lodge and the small ballroom was tricked out with deep pink and dark purple dahlias with a healthy addition of white roses for some proper bridal fanfare.
It actually looked like a bridal shower more than a rehearsal dinner. Even the officiant was missing. Considering the man marrying us tomorrow was Flynn Sheppard, that wasn’t too surprising.
In fact, he was the one probably getting my Ian into trouble. I wasn’t the type to get overly worried where they were when they got together. I trusted Ian not to act stupid—mostly.
But for every male to be missing, including my brothers, I smelled a rat.
Of course it would be the one time I wanted to talk to Ian before all my family got here. The fact that I’d thrown up three times today between each primping session finally made me realize something very important.
A realization I wanted to share with him before anyone else figured it out. Including my very suspicious cousin.
Margo pushed through the doors with her daughter on her hip, wearing matching purple dresses. “Uncle Fred found them.”
I heard the singing before I could pry the full story from my sister-in-law to be. Me, Lila, and Margo rushed toward the vestibule.
A pack of men in varying states of obliteration were bumping into each other as they sang “Friends in Low Places” at the top of their lungs. And in the center of it was my older brother—who was usually the responsible one—Beckett and my future husband howling like tomcats.
I put my hands on my hips as I stood in the doorway waiting for them to figure out just how late they were. Instead, I got what amounted to a puppy wave from Ian.
“Magic! We’re here!”
“You’re late!”
His face went instantly contrite. “I know. But there were so many car bombs and wings. And darts! Your brother taught me how to play.” He hugged Beckett around the middle and leaned into him like a child. “He likes me now.”
Beckett grinned back just as wide. “I especially loved winning two hundred bucks off him.”
I rolled my eyes. Part of me was happy to see just how much my brothers had accepted Ian, the other part of me wanted to strangle him for being an absolute ass.
I would never hear the end of this from my mother. My shoulders scrunched up at her banshee-shrill voice behind me.
“What is going on here? Where have all of you been?”
The singing stopped abruptly save for one voice. The chorus of the Garth Brooks’ song floated up from the back of the back as Flynn sauntered through the pack of rockstars and farmers. He walked right up to me and gave me smacking kiss on the forehead.
“Zoe, darlin’, we are awful sorry for keeping your boy late, but we lost track of time.”
“And just who do you think you are?” Sarah Manning’s voice was icy with disdain.
“And you must be the mother of the bride.” Flynn swept over to my mother and kissed her full on the mouth before he hauled her into his arms. He grinned down at her. “I’m going to marry these two crazy kids. And you are going to be my date, Miss Sarah. How about a dance with the most beautiful woman in the room?”
My mother tried very hard to hold onto her irritation, but Flynn Sheppard was full of southern charm and ridiculously attractive. She didn’t stand a chance.
I breathed a sigh of relief as the DJ we’d hired took his cues from Flynn and played a lively Keith Urban song, allowing him to take my mother on a sweeping dance.
Ian came over with Simon and Rory flanking each side of him. “I swear I didn’t know we were going to the bar.”
I rolled my eyes, happy to see he wasn’t sloppy drunk like he was last night.
Simon came forward. “It was our fault. Well, it was really Flynn’s fault but I think he’s going to get out of any and all trouble based on how much Sarah is smiling over there.”
I looked over my shoulder and my mouth dropped open. My mother was actually blushing as she kept up with Flynn on each wild turn of the southern-style waltz.
Who knew?
Margo came up to mirror me with one hand on her hip and Raine holding her hand on the other side.
“Daddy, who’s that man over there?”
Simon went down on one knee in front of his daughter. “He’s what we call a charmer. And you’ll never go out with one.” He swung Raine up onto his hip with a grunt. “You’re getting too big.”
Raine’s musical laugh cut some of the tension. “Well, I like him.”
Simon bent slightly to kiss Margo. “We did lose track of time. These Manning men are a menace.”
“I’m sure it was the Manning brothers,” Margo said wryly.
Simon slid a hand around Margo and gathered her into his other side, disappearing inside.
Rory and Ian stood ruefully looking at their dusty shoes. I didn’t even want to know where they’d gone.
Ian peered through his wild curls that had fallen forward. “You look like the definition of your name, love.”
I crossed my arms. “We were worried. None of you could have even texted us back?”
“Ruby stole our phones and keys about an hour into the festivities.”
“Was that before or after we were singing and stomping on the bar like that old movie?” Rory asked out of the side of his mouth.
“Dear God.”
Ian rushed forward and unwound my arms to bring my hands up to his mouth to pepper with kisses. “I swear, my Magic. We only sang and drank.”
I spotted a single dollar bill coming out of his belt and twisted my fingers away to pluck it free. I held it up in front of him.
“Okay, maybe a strip tease or two.”
I blinked.
“We actually paid him not to take his clothes off, to be truthful,” Rory offered helpfully.
Since that definitely sounded like Ian, I could only laugh. He wrapped his arms around my waist and lifted me up to kiss his stupid mouth.
“We were celebrating just how happy I am to be part of your family. Our family now.”
His cheeks were ruddy from the drink and happiness and a little bit of awe. Everything I’d always wanted for him.
My aunt Laverne came in with a sleepy Bez on her hip before I could open my mouth.
“He just wanted to say goodnight.”
Bez reached for me and I collected him close between me and his father. I kissed his sweet-smelling hair, smiling over his head at Ian.
The two loves of my life.
And very soon there would be three if I could ever get my fiancé alone long enough to tell him we were having another baby.
“Ian, we need to talk for a second.”
Bez started wiggling between us and Ian swung him up high. “We will. And you can yell at me all you want right after we get this rehearsal going.” He tucked his face into his son’s neck until he giggled. “You’re going to be good for your Aunt Laverne, right?”
Bez shook his head.
My aunt laughed and took Bez back. “He’s been an angel.”
“Well, that’s a lie,” Ian said with a laugh. “But we appreciate that you’re taking such good care of him.” He took my hand. “Now what did you want to talk about?”