“Do we have to let Mom on the bus?” Lizzie asks around a mouthful of pastry.
“I should say ‘of course, she’s your mother,’ but I’ve been trying to figure out a way to keep her off of it.” My mom laughs as she says it from the front passenger seat.
“Dad, find a seat-buddy A-sap because you know she’s going to try and sit next to you,” Lizzie tells me.
“Shit.” I huff and shake my head. “As soon as she gets on, I’m jumping out the back and stealing a car.”
“I don’t think there is a back door. I didn’t hire a fucking school bus.” Amelia laughs. It’s an exchange like we would have had just a few weeks ago before I fucked everything up, and it brings a smile to my face.
Lizzie grins. “Let’s do that next time. Make it feel like a field trip.”
“Nope, not doing all this shit again for you, Bean. Next time, it’s Vegas, baby.”
“Ah, come on. What about New Orleans instead? Vegas is overdone at this point.”
“Vegas is overdone for a reason,” Amelia insists. “There’s a roller coaster on top of a hotel, slot machines everywhere, and a shit ton of celebrity impersonators.”
“True. Meh, we’ll see.”
“Honey, maybe the fact that you’re already talking about your second wedding the day before the first one should tell you something.” My dad looks back toward Lizzie from the seat next to me, a thoughtful expression on his face.
“I’m just being silly, Gramps. You know how we are.”
“Mmmhhmmm.” He gives me a look as he turns back that tells me he’s not convinced. The fact that I’ve been here for a week now and have yet to meet my future son-in-law has me seriously doubting this marriage.
Matt shows up with the bus just a few minutes after we get back. “Hello, my good people. I hear you need to get a bunch of people and a bunch of bags to the wedding venue.”
“That we do. And once we’re there, you get your choice of joining the groom on the golf course, joining the bride for the bridal shower, or enjoying the spa before the rest of us.”Amelia stops next to him and hands him a cruller. “Eat that before everyone else sees.”
He shoves half of it in his mouth before speaking. “I’m assuming Tiffany will be at the shower, so no to that. And the spa will be there later. I’ll go golfing.” He wraps an arm around Lizzie’s shoulder as he finishes the cruller. “Just don’t stick me with Calvin and the jerkwads.”
Amelia nods. “You got it. Bean, let’s hang the dresses up in the bus. Mathew, do not let anyone on that thing until Bean picks her seat. Especially Tiffany.”
He raises his hand to salute her. “Yes, ma’am. And do we really have to let Tiffany on?”
“I think we’ve decided that, unfortunately, yes, we do.”
“Damn.”
Barry and the boys start bringing bags out of the house, and it isn’t long before everything’s loaded into the storage compartments under the bus. Lizzie saves me a seat in the back, and Amelia sits in front of us. Tiffany glares at all of us as she takes a seat a few rows up. Almost as soon as we start moving, my mom starts seat-hopping so she can spend time with everyone.
We stop at Haven’s house first. A guy I can only describe as a giant follows her onto the bus. Raelynn climbs up next to Henry, and the two start chattering away at each other about their TV shows. The giant takes a seat in front of Grant, sitting sideways so they can chat. Haven walks toward us after Joan assures her that she’s fine keeping an eye on Raelynn, and drops to the seat directly across from Amelia. Amelia and Haven sit with their legs in the walkway so they can talk with Lizzie more easily.
“Um, I have questions.” Lizzie raises her hand like she’s in class.
“I bet you fucking do.” Haven’s eyes are a little wide. Amelia looks amused.
“First thing, where’s your mom and dad?” Lizzie asks Haven.
“They’re going to drive in the car. Mom wants to have it just in case we need to leave before Wednesday or something, but Raelynn heard ‘bus’ and ‘Henry’, and there was no way we were getting her in a car after that.”
“And your neighbor? The cute and sweet neighbor you’re crushing hard on? The neighbor who is trying hella hard to keep his eyes off you, but girl, he’s failing… Did you actually invite him as your plus one?”
“No, Grant invited Dax. I’m convinced he did it to drive me insane. How am I supposed to relax or concentrate or…I don’t know, anything, with Dax around?”
Lizzie smiles and claps her hands. “Oh, this is going to be so much fun to watch.”
Haven groans. “Just kill me now.”
