God. Talk about a rollercoaster.
“I’ll see you soon, my sweethearts.”
The whole sleepover thing was unnecessary, but since it’d been mentioned, I was certain there would be no chance of talking my children out of it.
I watched through the window as Piper ushered them out to the waiting passenger van. Theo leaned against the driver’s side door, looking all stealthy and terrifying the way he did, chatting with another man who was just as scary. One I’d seen guarding the cabin once before.
Piper helped Theo get them piled in, then the man dipped in and kissed her hard against the front quarter panel of the van before he sauntered around to the driver’s side.
Piper waved at them, and the engine revved before they pulled out, flipping a U and heading down the dirt lane.
The other man climbed on a motorcycle and followed along behind them.
Piper turned and hurried back up the steps, and Charleigh pulled one of the bottles of prosecco from the bag and waved it in the air. “And that, my friends, is our cue to get this party started.”
A flurry of activity swirled around me. These women I only met yesterday coming together to support me.
To care for me.
To make me feel so incredibly special my head spun.
They had me seated on a dining room chair in the middle of Cash’s bedroom.
The curtains pushed back and a portable salon light that Raven brought shining on my face.
Apparently, they thought of everything.
Affection billowed through my being.
That’s exactly what they did.
Thought of everything.
Getting everything organized and bringing it here.
Giving their entire morning to take care of me and make me feel special.
Their friendship so…easy.
I never had that before. Girlfriends. Women that I meshed with in a way that made me feel better when they were around rather than nervous and out of place.
I’d conceded to the idea that I would never have a close-knit group of people.
But as they chatted and laughed as they pretty much “tortured” me the way Cash had worried they would, I couldn’t remember a moment when I felt like I belonged more than I did right then.
“Cash is going to lose his damned mind,” Emery enthused from where she stood behind me, curling my hair. Raven was in front, dabbing something on my cheeks, while Charleigh was on the floor, painting myfreaking toenails.
Okay. I wasn’t all that familiar with the rules about friendship, but I was pretty sure that act alone shot her right up there to the best of besties.
“Cash has already lost his damned mind,” Raven said with an arch of a perfectly shaped brow. “That boy has it bad.”
“Yes, he does.” Piper glanced back over her shoulder from where she was inspecting the dress that hung against the back of the door, ensuring each bead was perfectly in place.
“How about you?” Charleigh asked from her perch on the floor. “How bad do you have it?” she teased.
They’d been pestering me nonstop the entire morning. No malice behind it. The drinks flowing and the giggles rolling for about the last four hours since apparently this primping thing took time.
I couldn’t help but get swept up in it.
