Page 92 of Save a Wish

And I was certain there would be days when our auras dimmed because life was sometimes tricky, you know? But we’d be there for each other to make sure that burnout wasn’t permanent. We’d rally each other and get back up to full glow together.

I walked back to my house, having a ridiculous urge to skip there such was my mood. I refrained, however, because if one of my siblings caught me in the act, I’d never hear the end of it. I grabbed my tablet and special DJ Bluetooth speaker system, piled them in my car, and drove back to the farmhouse with everything. With the help of Logan and Ashley, we had the speakers set up around the side yard and the playlist my brother and his wife had made shared to my tablet.

As morning shifted to afternoon, the women of the family collected in the farmhouse with my mother to get her and themselves ready. At first, Sadie had hung back with me as we helped my brothers and Spencer set up a tent that a few tables and chairs would go under for reception time, but my sister wasn’t having any of that.

“C’mon, Sadie.” She hooked her arm around Sadie’s and tugged her toward the farmhouse. “We need the input of a princess to make Mom and the girl gang look magnificent.”

I gave Sadie a wave. “Have fun.”

“After you’re done setting up, make sure the men get into their best suits, Beckett,” Vanessa ordered. “I’m putting you in charge because you have the best fashion sense out of the group.”

I saluted her. “Yes, ma’am. I’m on it.”

With a nod, Vanessa bustled Sadie into the farmhouse with the rest of the women. I missed having her with me, but I couldn’t wait to see her dressed up for the wedding.

My brothers, Jimmy, Spencer, and Hunter made quick work of organizing the reception space.

“Who the heck is coming to this thing anyway?” I asked as I tucked in the final few chairs around one of the tables.

“I don’t know beyond you folks,” Jimmy said. “I’m not exactly popular for the right reasons in town so I don’t have a guest list. Anyone who shows up is due to your mother being so well-loved.”

“Well, shit, then,” Logan said. “We probably don’t have enough tables and chairs.”

“True,” Darius said. “It might end being a standing-room-only situation if everyone who loves Mom finds out about this wedding today.”

I arced my arms out. “It’s not as if we don’t have the acreage to accommodate. Hartley’s Nest is big enough to host the whole town.”

And as guests trickled in after I’d fulfilled my promise to get the menfolk looking sharp, it appeared the whole town was RSVPing. The best part was the small-town custom of bringing food to functions because every guest who meandered over had a dish or platter or pan of something yummy. Logan had to make a few makeshift tables out of plywood and sawhorses to hold all the incoming food.

Patty from Patty’s Pit Stop ambled over to me and I actually stumbled back a bit.

“Patty! You have legs! I’ve only ever seen you from the waist up behind the counter at your store,” I said.

She looked down at her black dress pants and black boots, wiggling her legs a bit. “You should see the two size-9 indentations on the floor behind the counter where I’ve spent way too many years standing.” She scanned the decorated yard and the assembled guests. “It feels good to come out into the world. Especially for such a great occasion.”

I took the brownies she’d made, set them on the food table, and guided her to one of the log benches. That sequence of events repeated itself as I took on the role of usher at this impromptu wedding and welcomed our friends to the celebration.

Then Sadie came out of the farmhouse with the rest of the girl gang—except for Mom—and my brain could register nothing else but how exquisite she looked. She wore a harvest orange dress with a cropped, matching jacket that accentuated all her assets.

And man, her assets were many.

Her hair had been curled and half was pinned back so her face was unobstructed and the curls cascaded in layers down her back. Her makeup was subtle and tasteful. Just enough to highlight her natural beauty.

Her lips . . . Good God, her lips had a shiny gloss over a peachy-pink color and I wanted to kiss that until I made a genuine mess of it.

I was honestly mesmerized by her beauty, and when her green eyes finally landed on me, I was happy to report she looked a bit bespelled as well.

Slowly, she walked over to me, a single sunflower tied with green, cranberry, and gold raffia in her grip.

I instantly forgot we were in the presence of probably the entire town. At that moment, only she and I existed.

“Vanessa will be pleased if the rest of the men look as good as you do,” Sadie said.

“They’re trying their best, but I’ve set a high bar.” I ran my hands down her arms and closed them around her wrists. “As have you.” I pressed a kiss to her cheek, not messing her lipstick as I’d fantasized doing. “You look incredible.”

“Let’s take a picture. I’ll show it to Orla and Fionn the next time I go to Verdalach,” Sadie suggested.

I pulled out my phone, snapped a selfie of the two of us huddled together, and sent it to Sadie. “You miss them, don’t you?”