Georgia scoffed at her sister and flicked her giant bun. “Then last night can be the final time I have you overnight here, Ginny. How about that? No more slumber parties for you.”
Dakota sighed and rolled his eyes. “Ginny, you would have slept in your own bed at home until two PM, and—in your wildest dreams—Lakeland Lovett would not have been looking at you. Ever.”
Ginny pinched her lips and crossed her arms. Her green eyes flared. “Whatever, Kota.”
Dakota had thrown himself across the small, floral couch which took up the better half of the living space, snacking on pistachios he’d found in the pantry and surely leaving a trail of shells and crumbs in his wake. This left his sisters to lay across Georgia’s full size bed together, after a full-blown argument about why she’d not allow Caroline and Ginny to eat those same pistachios in her bed. They were cramped and exhausted, but in the best way. Georgia adored having her siblings in her space, even amidst the constant teasing. Spending time with them was far preferred, when she so often found herself alone.
“Don’t take it personally, Ginny,” Caroline spoke as she bumped Georgia lightly with her lower half. “It’d be awfully difficult to make heart eyes at you when I heard it was all Lake could do to tear those baby blues away from Georgia today.”
Georgia burst up from her position, laying flat on her back between her two sisters.
“What?! He was NOT! Dakota, I can’t believe you told them that!!” She shot an annoyed look at her brother, who at that moment looked like the Cheshire Cat, waiting for a treat. She growled, “He was… “
Dakota leaned back, threw another pistachio in the air and caught it in his mouth, totally unaffected by his sister’s ire. “Gazing. That’s the word you’re looking for. The man was straight gazing at ya, Georgia.”
Georgia huffed and jumped off the bed.
“And,” Dakota went on, “I didn’t say a word to them about it.”
Caroline perked up, giggling. “He didn’t have to. Mama nearly had your wedding date set before we finished with lunch. She told me all about it. Y'all used to be sort of friends, right? I don’t see what the big deal is. And, good gracious, he sure is beautiful, Georgia.”
Ginny huffed again and threw her hands over her face.
Georgia had never told her family about her interactions with Lake in high school and how putting her trust in him senior year had only ever led to disappointment. Instead of responding, Georgia merely shrugged and changed the subject.
“I’m starving. Who wants to order pizza?” She jumped up from the bed and avoided any further discussion about Lake Lovett and their former friendship.
That night, long after they’d gorged themselves on pizza and wings from their favorite local place, and the others had fallen asleep sporadically throughout the tiny space, Georgia lay awake. Staring at the ceiling fan, restless and overly warm, she tried to dissect her feelings about Lake’s reappearance. The frustration and annoyance she knew well. But the flutter that had occurred each time she spoke to him as a teenager, and had so easily returned that afternoon despite her misgivings, made her wonder how she would react if and when she set her eyes on Lake again. And if, maybe, he really had beengazingat her..
Georgia, and a delighted Ginny, didn’t have to wait long to make googly eyes at Lakeland Lovett.
When the Remillard family arrived for Sunday morning service at Living Hope Church, Lakeland was there to greet them. He stood beside his parents and Evan, shaking hands and offering warm smiles to members and visitors alike as they entered the building. While Lakeland had been wherever he’d been the past few years, and Griffin, the oldest Lovett brother, had supposedly settled down in Utah, Evan had taken on the role of youth pastor at Living Hope.
Looking completely put together in a button down, navy blazer, and worn jeans, Lake was a far cry from the boy she’d known years before. He towered over his mother and stood shoulder to shoulder with the pastor and Evan. And, somehow, he’d grown irritatingly more handsome.
Georgia came to an embarrassing halt when Lake lifted his gaze from an older couple he’d clearly just enchanted and noticed her family approaching. It took everything in her not to fidget with the tiny buttons of the light blue, cotton dress she’d chosen that morning. Caroline, on the other hand, had no problem avoiding subtlety and nudged her sister forward with a barely suppressed snort of laughter at her sudden lack of movement.
“Gazinnnng,” she said in a sing-song voice, loud enough for her family to hear.
Georgia elbowed her as they approached the pastor and his family. “Shut it.”
Lake’s eyebrows raised in surprise, as if he could infer exactly what the sisters had notquitebeen discussing, and he turned his attention to the rest of the Remillards.
“Welcome. Good morning, y’all.” Pastor Lovett and his wife shook hands with each of them. “You remember our youngest, Lakeland? He’s finally home after all this time. Griffin should be back by Christmas, too, and he’s bringing our grandbaby, Theo, with him.”
“Of course we do. That’s so sweet… to have all those boys home with y’all for the holidays.” Georgia’s mother smiled like the sun was raised and put to bed in the faces of the two young men standing before her.
“Lakeland, it sure was good to visit with you on Friday at the shop. You left so fast, though, I didn’t have a chance to ask you over for supper one night this week so we could all catch up. Of course, Evan, you’d be welcome along, too. It’s not often enough we get the chance to entertain such fine young men. Maybe Tuesday evening?”
“Mama,” Georgia cut in, barely maintaining normal pitch levels for conversation, given her discomfort. “I doubt these guys wanna come to our place when they could be visitin’ with their own family.”
Lakeland took a small step forward and pulled Georgia’s mother’s hand into his own. “Mrs. Remillard, we wouldloveto have dinner with y'all. Wouldn’t we, Evan?” He side-eyed his brother, who nodded his quiet agreement, a knowing smile on his lips.
“Oh, please, call me Joan, Lakeland. No need for all those formalities.” She playfully slapped his hand and batted her eyes.
Georgia sighed as her countenance fell. The pastor’s caring wife took notice, mistaking her sullenness for concern and not disappointment.
“Oh, Georgia, don’t you worry about us. Pastor and I have plans that night anyway. We won’t miss the boys too much while they're gone.” She winked at Georgia and then directed a conspiratorial smirk at Georgia’s mother.
