20. Isaac
20
“Baby, you need to relax,” I murmur to Reece, pressing a kiss to the top of her head as I draw little circles on the small of her back.
“Coat closet.” Vienna coughs dramatically and I can’t even roll my eyes because it gets Reece to crack a smile.
“I wish,” Reece says dreamily, like being partially naked surrounded by cleaning supplies would be better than this. Honestly, she’s probably right.
Today has been exhausting, and most of it hasn’t even been about me. The standoff with Maddox in the parking lot had been a shit show and not how I wanted him to find out about me and his sister.
But it was also cathartic too.
For all of us.
We’d all made mistakes, but they didn’t have to define where we went from here.
“It will be over soon, I promise,” I say, pulling my girl against me, and God does it feel good not to have to hide.
“Maddox looks happy,” she says, her gaze following him and Marigold as they walk around the room.
“He should be—got his girl and his sister back all in the same parking lot.”
“I’m so sorry I missed that,” Vienna muses.
“You got the highlights,” Reece says with a shrug.
“Completely unrelated…”—I pause looking between the two of them—“I forgot that I put an ad out for a brewmaster; everything happened so fast over this past week, but I got a reply yesterday.”
“That’s great. Do you think they’ll interview?” Reece asks and I nod.
“I spoke to him on the phone, just a casual conversation, but he said that he’d be moving and would need help caring for his daughter and asked if I had anyone who might be interested if he got the job.” I stare at the side of Vienna’s head until she turns toward me.
“What are you looking at me like that for?”
“I dunno. I just thought you might be interested in nannying?”
“Trying to boot me from the bar, Nowak?”
“Of course not,” I say as Reece snickers. “I just thought you could use a little extra to help get your flower shop up and running.”
Her eyes snap to Reece. “You told him?”
“Because I was so excited about us both being here and staying. It’s an incredible idea, and you’re going to be amazing, and I just couldn’t keep it to myself.”
Vienna’s gaze softens as she wraps Reece in a hug. “I don’t deserve you sometimes.”
“You deserve all the things.”
“Hello, everyone,” Reece’s father says into the microphone, his wife by his side. Their relationship was one I’d never get used to. Bill always seemed too nice to be with Candee, but I guess stranger things have happened considering this party is to celebrate a marriage milestone.
Bill goes through the general thank yous before Candee asks Reece and Maddox to join them on stage. I can tell that Reece would rather get a root canal than go up there by the way her shoulders stiffen.
I could almost kiss Maddox when he walks over and offers her his hand, walking up together.
A united front.
Thankfully.
Because when Candee makes another passive-aggressive comment about Reece being a teacher in Love Beach, it’s Maddox who takes the mic.
And it’s all I can do to stay rooted in my spot.
My best friend goes on about how he’s always wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps—it’s a story I know by heart—but that’s not what has a lump forming in my throat.
No, it’s the way that in front of this crowded room, Maddox finally gives Reece the love and acknowledgment she deserves. He talks about how Love Beach High School sought out Reece to teach there, about how proud he is of her.
But most importantly, it’s directed at Candee. It’s something she can’t ignore, and I hope she doesn’t.
She seems…moved—like maybe she truly couldn’t see the harm her words had done to her daughter.
“Fucking finally,” Vienna mutters next to me, my head whipping to her as I catch Candee hugging Reece out of the corner of my eye.
“What?” I laugh.
“He finally pulled his head out of his ass and stood up to their mom.” She shakes her head. “My brother is a lot of things, but hell hath no fury like Montana Greene when someone messes with his family.”
“That’s amazing.”
“What’s amazing is that you’re in love with a girl who looks like your best friend.” Vienna smirks and I bark out a laugh.
“Ouch.”
“I’ve been dying to use that one, and it’s taken forever for the right moment.”
“Well, I’m glad, because this will be a moment I cherish for the rest of my days,” I deadpan, and she does a dramatic hair flip that has me shaking my head.
“As you should.”
“Just you wait, Vienna. Some guy is gonna sweep you off your feet, and you’ll be just as dopey as the rest of us in love.”
She wrinkles her nose and scoffs. “Why would you say such horrible things to me?”
“What are y’all talking about?” Reece asks, coming over and wrapping her arm around my waist as she sags against my body.
“Just telling Vienna I can’t wait for her to fall in love and live happily ever after.”
Reece snorts and Vienna rolls her eyes. “You can keep your happily ever after. I’m perfectly happy with just right now.”
I open my mouth to speak when Logan’s voice rises above the rest.
“Can I have everyone’s attention? It’s time to cut the cake!”