She met my gaze, her eyes twinkling.“Butter,” she mouthed.
I chuckled and shook my head even as I scooped up another bite.
“All set!”Nash grinned as he came back into the room.
A cheer went up.I set my pie aside and went to Jasmine, hoisting her in my arms to another loud cheer.
“We’re getting married,” I murmured in her ear.
She looped her hands around my neck and nuzzled my neck.“I can’t wait.”
Chapter16
Jasmine
Nerves slithered over my arms and settled into my scalp, causing a faint thudding pulse.
“You sure it’s all ready?”I asked Kate.
“Yes, Mama.”She dabbed at her mascara before backing up to primp, showing off her lovely, curvy form in the satin, blush one-shoulder pant suit that nipped in tight at her waist before flowing out into wide-legged pants that settled atop her sparkling matching stilettos.“Now that Carter and Regan made it…” She stuck her tongue out at her sister-in-law, who shook her fist back.
“The fog was bad,” Regan said.
“The fog is always bad,” Jenna said, bopping Regan in the hip.“Which is why you should make Austin your permanent base, not San Francisco.”
“Steve was wonderful to get his pilot buddy in there,” Aya said, smiling at me.“He’s a problem solver.”
“He sure is, but I wouldn’t have wanted you to try taking off if the fog was that bad—” I began.
“It was bad, Mama,” Regan said.The kids used to call me Mama Grace, but over time, they all slipped into simply calling me Mama.I thrilled I was close enough will all my girls for them to use the moniker.“But Judson had no trouble.Steve sure knows some quality people.”
“I know,” Aya said.“We have most of them on staff now.”
“How is Steve taking to the overseer role?”Jenna asked.
Aya nibbled her lip.“It’s been a challenge because, like I just said, he’s a doer.But I think it’ll be much better for you two—give you more time together if Steve plans our security and the logistics from here rather than continue to live on the property and handle our day-to-day security.”Aya sighed.“But I’m going to miss his cooking.”
My eyes widened.“Oh!The caterer?—”
“Is setting up,” Kate said from behind me.She’d adjusted my earrings, the flowers in my hair and the drape of my skirt now.That girl just needed to flit sometimes.
“The paparazzi?”I asked, shooting a sneer toward the doorway.
Jenna smirked.“Aren’t yet aware, thanks to our big convoy and decoy SUVs going out to Dripping Springs.Those who figured out that we stayed in Austin will be deterred when they discover that Cam, Nash, and Regan are?—
“And Aya, and Rye and Kate, and Cater, the zillionaire, and you, my darling,” I said.
Jenna laughed.“There’s no pecking order.And if there were, by dollars, those clickity-click monsters would follow Carter and Nash and leave the rest of us non billionaires alone.”
“Small mercies,” Kate tossed over her shoulder.
“Teeny,” Aya said.“Oh, don’t eat Mommy’s hair, Levi!”
“So they haven’t found y’all yet?”I asked.
“No, Mama,” Kate assured me.“And if that does, like Jenna said, the small militia Nash, Cam, and Carter hired will deter them.”She straightened the tea-length silver silk sheath she’d chosen.
Regan wore a pink dress overlaid with a metallic silver lace, and Aya had gone for a rose halter dress with silver embroidered flowers.They all looked lovely and cohesive while still showing off their individual style.
