“Come to the wedding.”
“What?” I croaked.
“I want you to go to the wedding with me. They’re getting married soon.”
I shook my head and attempted to stand up. “Not a good idea.”
“It’s a good idea.”
“No. I just... I can’t, Nate. It’s too much. If they find out, they’ll—“
“If they find out, they’ll what? Be overjoyed? Smother you in hugs? Wonder where you’ve been for the last couple years? Yeah, that’s generally what family does.”
I stood up, brushing the grass from my legs. “No, Nate. I can’t. Nola would never forgive me. Your parents.”
I shook my head and marched back to the Jeep.
Nola was getting married. We’d promised each other that we would be there next to each other on our wedding days. And now she was getting married, and I wouldn’t have a part in it.
I climbed into the driver’s seat and started the car. The drive back down the mountain was especially tense. The silence felt heavy in the air—not like the comfortable silence we shared on the mountain top.
“You’re going to have to take a good long, hard look at yourself, Riley. Because I want to be your Nate. But I also want you to be my Riley. I don’t want to be your dirty little secret. And I know I can’t keep you a secret for long.”
With that, he climbed out of the car and shut the door.
And me? I laid my forehead against the steering wheel and cried.
Chapter Seventeen
Nate
I’d hoped Riley would change her mind and come with me to Nola’s wedding.
Except she didn’t. I couldn’t exactly go in her trailer and drag her out, no matter how tempting it was. This was something she was going to have to work through on her own. I could stand by her side and support her, but there were some dragons she was going to have to slay on her own.
I planned on being early to the wedding. I hadn’t seen Nola in a couple months, and I’d never met Bane. With that in mind, I dressed early, combed my hair, and made a travel cup of coffee for the road.
Riverly was less than an hour away, but I didn’t want to waste time stopping at a coffee shop.
“Hello there!” A voice distracted me from locking my front door. I turned around and found a tall man standing in my driveway. I didn’t recognize him, but that didn’t mean much. I didn’t spend much time on the far side of the trailer park.
“Hello,” I said as I climbed down my stairs. “How’s it going?”
“Great! Say, I can’t help but notice you look like a guy going places.”
I glanced down at my suit. It did seem a little out of place in front of my single-wide. “Yup. I’m going—“
“You don’t want to go there,” he cut in. “I’ve got an even better business opportunity for you. Have you heard of multi-level marketing?”
“Do you mean a pyramid scheme?”
“No, no, no, nothing like that. This company is designed to make money for everyone, down to the lowest entry.”
“I’m actually doing fine. Don’t need a job.” I wondered if it would be considered assault to elbow past him and climb into my car.
“No, trust me, you’ll regret not getting in on this for the rest of your life. This company is in on a groundbreaking product. We’re constantly selling out, and you can earn a high commission as long as you join my team.”
“You know, I’m going to have to pass on that,” I started to say.
The man took my coffee cup out of my hand and thrust a magazine at me. “Here. I’m not a pushy guy, so I’ll let you make the decision all for yourself. But I know you’ll be giving me a call soon. I wrote my number on the back. You have a good day now. I’m going to run over and say good morning to my daughter.”
I watched in fascination as he crossed the street and walked up Riley’s driveway.
Peculiar. I glanced down at the magazine in my hand. Composting toilets. The next big job.
Wow. That was painful to read. I unlocked my car and climbed in. I was halfway to Riverly when I looked at my empty cupholder and realized I didn’t have my coffee. I wondered briefly if I had left it on my kitchen counter, then I remembered the salesman was still holding it when he walked away.
Now, I really was going to be late to the wedding, because I needed a coffee.
When I arrived at the wedding, I stood at the back of the seated guests, unsure where to go. I didn’t recognize any of the other people there. However, there was a large white dog roaming around who looked like he wanted to plant some dirty paws on my suit.
I couldn’t believe Nola hadn’t bothered to introduce me to her fiancé—or even mention him, for that matter. Dad told me it was a story I would only understand if I heard it in person.
Mom walked around the corner of the house, and her face lit up when she saw me. “Louis! You’re here. I was so worried you were going to be late.”
“To my one and only sister’s wedding? I don’t think so.”
Mom hugged me and planted a big kiss on my cheek. “You look so handsome.”
She grabbed my shoulders. “Did she come?”
“What?”
“Your date!”
“I’m not sure what you’re talking about, Mom.”
“I’m talking about the girl you’ve been dating. Nola said you’ve even been asking her for advice. We were all hoping you would bring her today.”
Acid churned in my stomach. “Erm, no. She couldn’t make it.”
The music sounded, and the last few standing guests filed to their seats. “Who are all these people, Mom?”
“They’re people from the neighborhood and some of Nola and Bane’s friends.”
I scanned the crowd. I spotted Sharon and Rob, Riley’s foster parents. They had a row full of children with them. The music played, and a man stepped out from the sliding glass door. It must have been the officiant. He was much too old for Nola—I hoped.
“That’s not—“ I stopped when another man followed the first outside. That had to be Bane. “Well, he’s not too bad.”
“He’s as sweet as sugar is what he is. And if you even think of being mean or picking on him like you used to do to all of Nola’s and Riley’s boyfriends, I will personally come after you.”
Some things never change. That feeling of petrified fear when faced with your mother’s threats—no, promises? Yeah, that feeling was still real.
I mock-saluted her.
“Behave yourself. He really is a good man. Your father has gotten to know him quite well, and you know how hard to please he is.”
“That’s true. If Dad’s willing to let this schmuck marry Nola, he must be a good one.”
Mom patted my arm. “I’m so glad we’ll finally be together as a family today. You don’t have to hurry away for work or anything like that, do you?”
“No, Mom, I’m all yours.”
“Oh, thank goodness, because I’m going to need someone to hand me clean tissues. I already feel like crying. My baby’s getting married. Usher me to our seats up front.”
Mom didn’t even make it halfway down the aisle without a couple of tears taking a leisurely stroll down her cheeks.
We took our seats in the front row.
The background music played. Eventually, a single bridesmaid walked up to stand across from the only groomsman.
Bane looked uncomfortable and impatient, like at any moment he might march back to the house and see what was keeping Nola.
And then the bridal march was playing. Nola wasn’t one to shirk tradition. I was a little surprised she’d opted for such a small backyard wedding, but it felt cozy and real. Less production-oriented and more relationship-focused. And when Bane’s eyes landed on her, I knew he’d be a perfect fit. He stared at her like she hung the stars.
This was not how I’d envisioned finally welcoming a new brother to the family.
I’d expected to get to ask him exactly four-hundred million questions. If h
e passed those, then I would move on to telling him every possible embarrassing story about Nola.
But apparently, Dad was the only one who had gotten to know him before they decided to get married.
I was told I should pretend like I knew Bane well. This was supposed to be a vow renewal ceremony. Only Bane and our family knew they were getting married for the first time.
What kinds of friends were these that they didn’t realize what was going on?
The wedding ended, and I found myself walking Mom back up the aisle, Dad trailing behind us.
Bane and Nola waited for us inside Dad and Mom’s house. It was Dad’s semi-retirement present to my mother. (Because honestly that man would never completely retire.)
Nola reached up and wrapped her arms around me. “Oh, I’m so glad you’re here. I was so worried with it being such short notice. I just wanted you here so badly.”
She rocked me back and forth as if I were a small child, not her brother who was a good four inches taller.
“I missed you, Nols. You didn’t come visit me like you said you would.”
She let me go and glanced over her shoulder at Bane. “I was a little busy.”
“Don’t look at me.” Bane shook his head. “I didn’t know your brother lived so close.”
I leaned around Nola and held my hand out to Bane. “Since my sister will probably never introduce us, I’m Nate.”
“Bane.” He shook my hand. It was a good handshake, and it made me immediately like him.
Nola pinched my arm. “Did you bring a date?”
“Hey, this is your day. This is about you guys, not me.”
The door burst open, and the wedding guests filtered in. Could fifty people fit in a house? We were about to find out.
Nola and Bane got pulled away by friends and family, and I stepped out of the way of the stampede out of pure self-preservation.
I found Dad in the corner, a cold beer in his hand. He handed me one. He must have had it stashed in his pocket for a rainy day.
“What do you think of Bane?” I asked him as I cracked the lid off.
“Honestly...I couldn’t have picked better if I’d done it myself.”
I could feel my eyebrows competing against each other for the highest perch on my forehead. My dad rarely approved wholeheartedly of anyone. “Come again?”
“He values your sister. He protects her over and over again. Oh, remind me to tell you about the dog burglar. He’s a real estate agent. He’s a budgeter. He cleans up after your sister. He brings out a lighter side to her. He loves her kids. What more could I ask for?”
“Where can I find one?” I joked.
Dad smirked. “I think you’ve already found yours.”
I took a long sip, hoping he’d let it go. He didn’t.
“You’ve found her, haven’t you?”
“How do you always do that?”
“Because your mother told me you had a special someone in your life. And you’ve been texting me more, asking questions.”
“This world is full of people! It could have been literally anyone else.”
Dad shook his head. “But not for you. You’ve loved Riley for as long as I can remember.”
“How come you never said anything?”
“And embarrass my high-school-aged son? Yeah, no thanks. I might be dumb, but I’m not stupid.”
“Well, when you put it that way...”
We stood there quietly, watching the people milling around Dad’s living room.
“She’s something, Dad. She’s—she’s only gotten better.”
“That’s called maturing.”
“She’s still just as funny, smart. But there’s something else. She’s softer and harder at the same time. I don’t know how to explain it. It’s like the years have only refined her to perfection. She’s soft and kind to the people who deserve it, and fiercely protective of them.”
“What happened to her temper?” Dad asked.
“It’s still there. I had to dig a little to find it, but it came out. She tried to throw me out of my house.”
Dad grinned ear to ear. “She probably was a little surprised to see how much you’ve grown.”
“She—I think she was surprised. Surprised to like me.”
“What does she think now?”
“She wants to be with me but is scared of it at the same time.”
“You’re not going to be able to fix her.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” I set my beer bottle down on the counter a little too loudly. “She’s perfect.”
Dad just shook his head. “Her fears. Those aren’t going to go away, son. Those are a part of her. Don’t try to fix her. It will only make her run farther and faster. The best thing you can do is listen to those fears. Reassure her that you won’t leave. Again and again. Where some people might be fine hearing it once from their partner, Riley is going to need that reassurance verbally, physically, and emotionally for the rest of her life.”
“Are you saying I shouldn’t date her?”
“No. You know we love Riley. I’m only telling you the things I’ve learned over a long life. Some things people deal with aren’t things that go away. She had a tough start in life. That will affect her for the rest of her life. I’m only warning you to tread lightly. Don’t make her feel like her fears are her fault.”
I picked up my beer and drained the last of it. “You know, Dad, every once in a while, you come up with some pretty good stuff.”
Dad grinned. “Don’t tell your mother. She’ll expect better conversations out of me.”
I smiled and took Dad’s empty bottle from him.
“I’m going to go try to talk with the happy couple again.”
“You mean that happy couple?” He pointed at Bane and Nola where they were dashing out the front door.
“Wait, they’re leaving? Already? They didn’t even stay for their own reception.”
“They’ve been living together for a couple months. I’d say they’re ready to get away on their honeymoon,” he chuckled.
Chapter Eighteen
Riley
“Why are you covered in chip crumbs?” Wren asked as she dropped her purse on the counter and shut the front door. She just got back from going to dinner with Frank at the fast-food restaurant around the corner. He’d probably had a coupon. After a long day of going around the trailer park, trying to get recruits for his latest money-making scheme, he decided he was hungry and wanted to treat his daughter to dinner.
“No reason,” I mumbled as I shoved another handful of barbecue chips in my mouth.
“You’re moping,” Wren stated.
“I’m not moping!” I cried. I was moping. I was a wreck of a person who was too scared to love someone—someone amazing and perfect in every way. I was going to light my five-year plan on fire. It didn’t matter anymore.
Wren stomped over and wrenched the bag of chips from my hand. “I’m cutting you off. You’re going to go get dressed and go to the wedding with Nate.”
“It’s already over!” I sobbed like a disgusting little wretch, spewing snot and chip crumbs everywhere. “It was a morning wedding.”
Wren sighed and sat down next to me. “I’m not sure when I became the responsible one out of the two of us, but it’s obvious you need someone to set you straight.”
“Set me straight?”
“Yes. First of all, you’re going to stop moping. Second...” She paused and took a sniff. “You’re going to shower.”
She reached over and picked a chip out of my hair.
“Third...“
“How many things do I have to do?”
She glared at me. “Third, you are going to announce to the world that you are dating Nate Mercier. You’re going to call Nola. You’re going to tell her everything. We are going to go and do anything we want. I’m so tired of thinking about what Frank will think or do. You know what? Forget him.”
“But he’ll be asking the Merciers for money. He�
��ll be asking us for money if he knows we’re around them.” I was secretly worried he’d use Wren as leverage.
“How many times do we make our decisions based on what he could do?”
She wasn’t wrong. And that was what hurt. When did our lives turn into walking on eggshells? When did we stop living because we were worried he might use Wren as a bargaining tool to get favors and money from people?
“Riley. He doesn’t want to raise me. Sure, he likes to swing by and say hi, steal our lemonade and cookies, but he doesn’t want a kid. That would cost too much money. Heck, even if he did decide he wanted me, the courts would probably see him as neglectful.”
“But you never even lived with him...”
Wren grinned. “Exactly. All manner of neglect there. Besides, he doesn’t need me for anything. Stop worrying about me for one minute and think about what you would do if it were only you.”
If it were only me, I’d stand on the rooftops and tell the world that Nate was mine.
“Exactly.”
I moaned. “Did I say that out loud?”
Wren spun around and rested her head on the pillow and laid her legs across my lap. “You’re going to have a boyfriend. And that boyfriend is going to be Nate. I can’t handle having a grumpy old single lady as my guardian. You need him. I need him. He gives great advice on boys, you know.”
“I know,” I cried, thinking of all those times growing up when he’d advised me on which boys weren’t worth my time. He’d been right every single time. Now that I knew he liked me, I realized he might have been overzealous in steering me away from them. But that only made it that much sweeter.
“He likes me. No—he loves me.”
Wren let out a long breath as she leaned her head back against the couch. “Oh boy, this is going to be a long night.”
She wasn’t wrong. I fell asleep in a pile of chip crumbs and lemonade stains.
The next morning, I felt so much better. Taking a shower didn’t hurt either. Wren wasn’t going to hate me if I got into a relationship. In fact, her ultimatum was more along the lines of, “Date him, or else.”
Miss Trailerhood Page 13