“Oh, sweetheart, this is wonderful.” Our mom hugged Will from behind, her eyes shiny with tears.
“Gettin’ in a little good trouble, I see,” Gran said as she squeezed Will’s hand.
“Not intentionally,” Will said. “But maybe that’s the best kind.”
“What’d Finn say when you told him?” Mac asked.
I raised my brows. “Haveyou told him?”
“Yeah. He’s…” Will glanced down, a small smile on her face. “He’s already ordered onesies with The Willow Tree logo on them.”
My sister was always beautiful, but right then, she was stunning. Especially with all the women in our family surrounding her…supporting her. I held up my camera, needing to document the moment, despite that I wasn’t in it. That was the whole reason I’d gotten into photography in the first place. Wanting to capture those pockets of time that slipped past all too quickly. Ones we could never get back.
I snapped several shots, feeling a little smug that if I hadn’t brought my camera, this wouldn’t have been captured, regardless of the other photographer on the payroll.
“Holy shit,” Avery said, shaking her head as she squeezed Will’s hand. “I can’t believe you’re gonna be amom.”
Will breathed out a watery laugh, her eyes wet. “I know, right?”
“That’s enough of that now,” Rory said, blotting a tissue under Will’s eyes. “We don’t have time to redo makeup, so there’ll be no more tears.”
“You heard the sergeant.” I tucked my camera back in its bag. “No cryin’ allowed.”
“Well, this has been quite the month, hasn’t it?” Gran said. “Three of the Haven girls married, one pregnant, and one steppin’ right into a built-in family…”
The smile slipped from my lips as Gran’s words sank in. Yeah, I’d stepped into a built-in family, all right. One I wasn’t going to get to keep when this was all said and done. One I’d never wanted for my life in the first place.
So then, why did the thought of leaving when this was all over fill me with so much dread? Why did I miss them before I was even gone?
I shoved that thought down and cleared my throat. “It’s not quite a built-in family yet. We’ve gotta get custody first. The late nights and early mornings have been real, but it’s all just temporary for now.”
“Are y’all really worried about Asher gettin’ permanent custody?” Momma asked, shooting a concerned glance to Gran. “I thought you were just sparrin’ with your daddy when you mentioned it at our house.”
I lifted a single shoulder. “I don’t know if I should be, but, yeah. I am. The Haywards haven’t even called to check in on the kids, but they’ve got money. Connections. You know as well as I do exactly what that means.”
Ironic that I was facing down the one thing I’d run away from my whole life.
“Well, surely Judge Seville will do what’s best for those kids,” Momma said.
“C’mon, Momma, Seville’s a good old boy, and he and Asher have bad blood. Hell, all three of us do, except Daddy got me out of that trouble, like he did everything else. I just hope it doesn’t affect the outcome.”
Because I didn’t know what I’d do if the Haywards were granted custody. I’d always liked June and Owen, having hung around them whenever I’d been home, but in the weeks I’d spent in their presence practically twenty-four seven, I’d come to love them. And Asher…losing them after his sister would be a blow I wasn’t sure he’d come back from.
There was a knock at the door before Daddy poked his head in and froze, his eyes meeting each of us in turn. He stepped into the room and cleared his throat.
“Y’all just about ready? The minister says it’s time,” he said, his voice gruff.
“Just gotta get my dress on, Daddy,” Will said from her perch, still wrapped up in her silk robe. “And I guess Nat does, too.”
He stood there for a moment before nodding and then turning away. “Two receptions in one month is hard enough on the wallet. Sure hope I’m not payin’ by the minute for this,” he grumbled, shutting the door behind him.
“Stubborn ass can’t even say we look nice,” I said with an eye roll.
“Yeah, well,youdon’t.” Mac shoved my garment bag at me. “Get dressed while we help Will, would you?”
“Still, he could’ve saidsomething,” I said as I draped the dress over the back of a chair.
“You know Daddy complains about money when what he really means is I love you,” Rory said, unzipping Will’s dress as Avery held it up so it didn’t drag on the floor.
