I nod. “Has Birdie talked to him? He listens to her because she has a soft spot for him.”
“Yeah, same result. Something is on his mind.”
“I’ll talk to him.”
He slaps my back. “I’m glad you two have gotten close. It’s good for him.”
I press my lips into a smile. It’s good for me to have Witt. But now I’m wondering if he’s being weird because he knows more than I do about Annika and she’s here. He may have said five sentences at margarita night. I think he gets the analyzing portion of his DNA from Granny.
Granny finds us again. Looping her arm through Annika’s and pulling her toward a table. “Come here,” she says, “Let me tell you about this one.”
Sutton chimes in. “Don’t worry Granny. We’ve been filling her in.”
I groan.
“Granny don’t.”
“Oh I’m absolutely goingto.”
Annika glances back at me, eyes round and I’m not sure if I should stick around or head for the hills. I shrug and throw my hands up.
“Each day after school myLittle Bitwould call me. ‘Granny I got an A.’ ‘Granny I ran the fastest forty-yard dash.’ ‘Granny, I scored a goal.’”
I can feel heat rising on my skin. “I was young.”
“You were in high school. You were proud and couldn’t wait to tell me.”
When Annika’s gaze shifts to me, I suddenly feel ten years old again and my mind drifts to the ten year old picture of her that Witt found.
Granny pats me on the cheek. “He still calls. Almost every day. Called me two days ago to tell me he has a girlfriend.”
She just proved her point. I’m Granny’sLittle Bit.
Annika settles in more with every passing minute—laughing with Sutton, listening to Birdie’s groupie stories, holding Emma for Noelle while my sister finally has a chance to eat. It’s like she belongs here. With me. With my family.
And she does.
That’s what keeps catching me off guard. How she fits perfectly into our giant puzzle of a family without even trying. She’s who she is. I’m left thinking how rare this must be, J.D. and Greyson went through countless women, but none made it here to Granny’s house except Birdie and Sutton. And here I am with Annika, my second girlfriend in eight years.
After we eat, Granny opens her presents. She said no gifts, but I’ve learned never to come empty handed no matterwhat the woman says. I bought her a new saddle blanket with all our names printed on it.
“You ready to get out of here for a minute?” I ask Annika.
Her eyes drift up to mine. “Escape the chaos?”
“Yeah, the kids are too hyped up on sugar. And so is Granny.”
She nods. “Lead the way.”
We hop in the car and park close to the tree line. The path to the waterfall is worn and familiar. Every step, tied to a memory layered over other memories.
I feel her beside me, quiet again, but this time it’s different.
She’s just taking it all in as the sun dips lower. Nature’s glory and she hasn’t seen the best part.
“This is where my mom used to come,” I say as the sound of water starts to cut through the trees. “She said it helped her think.”
Annika doesn’t interrupt, instead listens.
