Page 4 of Chasing Church
One thing I loved about Jackson Falls was the sense of family and community it fostered. My mother and two of my sisters had married local men. Because of those unions, I had an entire gang of people who rode for me and looked out for me, not that I didn’t have family and connections at home, in Chicago. I always had my mom and my sisters. It was just different in Oregon. I went from having four people I could always count on to having about fifteen I could count on. And as the saying went, there was strength in numbers.
My mother and her husband, Bayliss, were already at my new house when I pulled up. My sister, Collins, and her husband, Beckham, pulled up as I was parking. My sister Bailey pulled up shortly thereafter. “I brought breakfast!” I yelled as I jumped down out of my SUV. My smile was bright, and my spirit was light.
Bailey climbed out of her truck, her pregnant stomach leading the way. It was her second pregnancy with her husband, and they were having twin boys. Twins didn’t run in our family, and they were a generation or so removed from Bright’s, so he was proud of himself, like his virility caused the twin pregnancy. “I have your key.” She held it up for me to see.
I practically ran over to her to retrieve it. I gave her a hug before looking around her and into the truck. “Where is my nephew?” Her son, Brigham, was my only nephew. TheKingsleys were a family of women—our mother had four girls, Perkins had three girls, and Collins had one daughter and was currently pregnant with another. Brigham was treated like a little prince by us.
“He’s with his other grandmother. Mrs. Strong is in heaven right now. She has Brigham, and Blossom. Plus, she’ll have Perkins’ girls when they get out of ballet,” Bailey explained.
Blossom was Collins and Beckham’s daughter.
“That lady is on a grandbaby high right now,” Bayliss joked, exiting his truck and meeting us in the middle of my driveway.
I had a driveway. I couldn’t believe it.
“And I’ll be on the same high next weekend, when it’s my turn with all my grands,” my mother said as she joined us.
Beckham walked over, looking from his pregnant wife to Bailey. “All the preggos should plan to be either on sitting duty, eating duty, or watching duty.” He wagged his fingers at both ladies.
“Right!” our mother echoed, with Bayliss’ head nodding his agreement.
Bailey waved him off with a frown. She was naturally the meanest Kingsley sister, but when she was pregnant, she was hell on wheels. She had the right husband, though. Because Bright never let her attitude influence any of his actions. “I’m capable of more than just sitting, eating, and watching.”
“Speak for yourself,” Collins told her.
“I am.”
I gave a heavy, fake sigh. “Mama, the preggos are bringing me down,” I pretended to tattle. “It’s my day. Make them stop.”
“I’m not even doing anything,” Collins complained. “Where’s this breakfast you promised? I’m trying to eat.”
Bailey rolled her eyes at me. “Snitch!”
Beckham ignored them both. “Give me the keys to your truck and the U-Haul. Me and Bay will bring the boxes and the breakfast in.”
Perkins arriveda few hours after we’d started. “It looks good.” She took in the one-story cottage-style bungalow. “You guys are making good timing.”
Almost everything I’d brought with me in the U-Haul had been put away, arranged, or styled. Curtains had been hung, and rugs had been placed on the hardwood floors. Now, we were waiting for the moving men to deliver the actual furniture so it could be placed.
I turned to Bailey. “Please express to Bright how much I appreciate him making my house beautiful and having his cleaners come over and get everything spotless.”
She grinned because, apparently, a compliment for a husband was a compliment for a wife. “Thanks, boo.” She glanced at the screen of her phone. “But he’s pulling up now. You can tell him yourself.”
Bright was a ridiculously talented and popular builder in our area. I was thankful to be related to him. Otherwise, it probably would’ve taken months for me to get on his calendar. As it was, he was only able to complete my house before he had to move on to another job. He wasn’t able to even start the addition I needed. He did tell me that he would put one of his teams on it. He was bringing over the foreman that he wanted to lead the project so I could meet him.
The furniture store delivery truck pulled up at the same time as Bright and the new foreman. My sisters waved me off and assured me that they could handle the furniture delivery. Itrusted them, especially Bailey, because that girl knew her stuff. She owned and operated Jackson Falls’ only bed and breakfast. She’d decorated it super cute and upscale, making it into a hugely popular destination for tourists. Even locals loved to book weekend getaways for the luxurious experience.
I walked past the delivery truck in my driveway and met Bright and the production-room foreman by Bright’s work truck. I was surprised to see ol’ boy from the night before standing next to Bright. He was dressed in loose-fitting jeans, a white t-shirt, and combat boots—looking like the prototype for the construction worker stripper at a bachelorette party.
I glanced at him briefly before giving my attention to my brother-in-law. I gave Bright a quick hug. “Hey. You know you’re my favorite brother-in-law, right?”
He smirked as I released him. “I’d better be. I ain’t wanna say nothing when you put the offer in on it, but this place was a fucking dump. I literally worked magic.”
“So humble,” I muttered at the same time Jones grumbled what sounded like,“this dude.”
Bright jabbed his thumb. “This is my little cousin?—”
He jumped in and cut him off. “Little cousin? Dawg, you were like two when I was born. You ain’t even understand life, and now I’m the little cousin?”
