Chapter 35
35
AURORA
“Are you ready yet?” Bryce hollers from my living room.
I ignore her for the third time since she started asking and continue staring at myself in the mirror. Pinching the thin straps of my new sundress on both my shoulder, I tug them up and watch as my boobs lift to their proper height for a dress like this.
Going braless was Poppy’s idea, but considering the heavy sag I’m seeing right now, I’m one bad thought away from putting one on, straps showing or not.
“Your tits look great,” Poppy says. I look away from my reflection to find her peeking her head in the bedroom door. “Trust me, you don’t want to be adjusting your bra straps all day trying to hide them. You have bigger things to focus on.”
“Like meeting my boyfriend’s moms for the first time or having to do that while also pretending I love big social events like these?”
It’s been a week since Johnny and I got back from Toronto, and everything has been good. Really good. Fucking incredible enough that I haven’t had much time alone to think about what happened with Lee.
Eliza took one look at me my first morning back on the ranch and decided not to ask about the trip. I didn’t know how to tell her how much I appreciated that, so I said nothing, but she knew. Without hesitation, she began telling me about the upcoming barbeque Johnny’s moms invited them to, my trip to Toronto becoming nothing but a bad memory.
That’s how it’s been every day since. Work hours full of conversation with Eliza and lunches full of shameless flirting and kissing with Johnny. My nights are a mix of all of the above with him, if we manage to stay out of the bedroom long enough to talk. That hasn’t happened often.
The first time I got back on Frost after tearing my thighs up, we spent an hour exploring the ranch. Over the past few days, I think I’ve covered most of it. Johnny says I haven’t, but I think he just wants an excuse to continue riding with me.
He doesn’t need an excuse; I just haven’t told him that yet.
Poppy sways into the room and flops down on the edge of my bed. A quick glance down proves that she doesn’t seem to be experiencing the same sagging issue, even if her chest is undoubtedly bigger than mine. Somehow, she’s able to wear a sundress like mine without a bra and not look like she could toss her boobs over her shoulders and tie them in a knot.
“Boob tape,” she answers the question I didn’t ask. “I’ve got some in my purse if you want. I’m not trying to come on to you here, but I can help you tape yours up if you want.”
“I don’t think it would be a shame to have a woman like you come onto me anyway,” I mutter before looking back in the mirror. Cupping my boobs, I nod. “Get the tape.”
She hops up and out of the room, returning a beat later with Bryce in tow. Bryce doesn’t check out my chest the way Poppy did. Instead, she spreads herself out on the mattress with her eyes to the ceiling, in her own world.
Poppy ushers me into the bathroom, and I release a relieved sigh at the lack of other eyes on me for this. Bryce wouldn’t judge me, but me and Poppy . . . we’re more similar body-wise. There’s something comforting about looking at someone and seeing the same thick thighs and protruding belly that you live with every day.
She shuts the door with a flick of her wrist. “Okay, just pull down the top, and I’ll perk those titties right up.”
I huff a laugh and do as she says. It’s obvious that she’s done this a few hundred times as she snips the exact amount of tape needed and peels the backing off before methodically sticking it to my skin in every which way. I watch her work, trying to memorize the spots she tapes and which way she pulls my boob to lift it properly. By the time she claps and steps back, I look like I’ve gotten a goddamn boob job.
“You should sell classes on that,” I mutter while pulling my dress back up.
“If you knew how many sets of boobs I’ve touched while taping, you’d think I was the one in the group that was into women,” she teases before opening the door.
I glance at my reflection in the vanity mirror and feel a swell of appreciation build in my chest. Refusing to overthink it, I turn and pull Poppy into a hug.
“Thank you.”
She returns the embrace and squeezes me tight. “You’re welcome. Having best friends means you’ll always have someone to help lift your tits whenever you need. I’d have walked around behind you all day, lifting them with my hands if you needed me to. Any of us would have.”
Leaning back against the sink, I meet her gaze and jump over the last hurdle between us. “I have some things to tell you. Both of you.”
She nods slowly. “We’re here to listen. Come on, Bryce is probably snooping through your things.”
We leave the bathroom, and despite what Poppy expected, Bryce hasn’t gone through any of my drawers. Poppy perches on the edge of the bed and tugs on Bryce’s ankle to get her attention.
“Sit beside me,” she orders her .
Brow lifted, Bryce scoots down to sit beside her. “Yes, ma’am.”
The weight of their eyes on me makes my skin itch, but I ignore it. The kindness in the way they watch me is enough to settle me.
“Wanda is my sister,” I blurt, ripping off the Band-Aid. “We share a father, and I came here to find them both. To learn about them.”
“Oh, wow. I didn’t see that coming,” Bryce says, the first to recover from the news.
Poppy frowns, tapping at her knee. “Wanda Wanda? Like Wanda Rose?”
“Lee Rose is your father?” Bryce asks.
I nod at them both. “I should have told you sooner. And I know Anna isn’t here, but I didn’t want to wait any longer.”
“You didn’t need to tell us shit, Aurora,” Bryce huffs, leaning forward slightly. “If you weren’t comfortable sharing, then that’s that. You’re telling us now, so it doesn’t matter what happened before.”
“You three have been nothing but kind to me, and I was keeping this from you. I’m not the most open person. I don’t make friends easily, clearly , and I was just freaked out to tell you so much and then leave once we grew close. It’s a stupid thing to fear, but that’s me. An overthinking grump,” I admit.
Poppy reaches out and takes my hand. “We’re human. We get afraid and worry, so we tell ourselves a million bad things just because we can. That doesn’t make us bad people.”
“You’ve been really good friends to me. Better than I’ve ever had.”
“You deserve it,” Poppy says.
Bryce’s stare is intimidating, but not necessarily in a bad way. “Is there anything we can do to help? Does Wanda know?”
I exhale a laugh. “Yeah, she knows. We’ve only spoken a few times, but things are . . . tense, to say the least. ”
“It’s an odd situation for both of you, I’d imagine. Have you spoken to Lee? Does he know?” Poppy asks.
“He knows,” I answer tensely before dropping to sit on my ass in front of them and explaining everything that happened in Toronto. About every dismissive look and sharp, disbelieving comment.
By the time I’m done speaking, they look like they’d push the man in front of a moving car if given the chance. I smile at their protectiveness, knowing exactly how lucky I am to have them.
“I always knew he was a fucking prick not worth everything he’s gotten in life,” Bryce mutters.
I tuck my leg beneath my ass, humming in agreement. “I’m thirty years old and made it through the majority of those years without knowing him. I’ll be fine once I get over the sting of rejection, but I just wanted to know all these random little things. Like if I have more family out there and if we have any genetic issues I should know about. What if I have aunts and cousins out there too? Maybe all of this is silly, but I still wanted to know.”
“It’s not silly at all. Whether or not you need him, it has to be impossible not to want to know him still. You share his DNA, Rory. That isn’t nothing,” Poppy says.
“Wanda could give you some of those answers. She’s always said she isn’t close with her family, but she’ll still know some things,” Bryce suggests.
I know they’re right. But Wanda terrifies me. Maybe more so than Lee does. While he’s a righteous asshole, she doesn’t seem all that bad. Her acceptance is the one I want most, so what happens if I can’t get it?
“Do you think she’ll be at the barbeque?”
I don’t know if she’s even still in town. I’ve heard nothing from her since before I left, but I hope that she’d at least say something if she were leaving again.
“Johnny’s moms invited nearly the entire town. If you were going to find Wanda anywhere, it would be there,” Bryce says.
“Daisy will be there.” Poppy smirks at Bryce .
Bryce glares at her, and maybe it’s the lighting in here, but I swear her cheeks are pinking up. “Obviously. She’s a Mitchell.”
“Am I missing something?” I ask.
Poppy leans into Bryce. “Well, since we are in honesty hour right now, Bryce has had a crush on Daisy Mitchell for what . . . four years now?”
“I don’t have a fucking crush. I’m not a teenager,” Bryce snaps.
“An obsession, then.” Poppy looks at me, that evil gleam still in her eyes. “Daisy’s been gone for school, but she’s got to be almost done by now. Have you met her yet?”
“I met her once. She helped me out when I needed it.”
“Not surprising. Daisy and Johnny are like two halves of the same person.”
Bryce stands and crosses her arms over her chest. She ignores Poppy and stares right at me. “That’s exactly why you can’t say anything to Johnny. God, with the mouth on him, everyone would be talking about this by tomorrow morning.”
I straighten my spine. “In Johnny’s defense, I don’t think he’d tell your secrets to anyone. But yeah, this stays between us. I promise.”
“Good. Because it would be rumours, anyway. I’m not obsessed with Daisy. Poppy’s just trying to poke at me.”
“I wouldn’t need to use Daisy to poke at you, Ice, and you know it. The sooner you admit to yourself that you want that girl, the easier it’ll be for all of us. I can only take watching you pine over her for so long.”
Something passes over Bryce’s face then. Longing, I think. It’s so intense I nearly flinch.
She recovers quickly, steeling her expression in a way I’m familiar with. “We need to leave before we’re the last to arrive and everyone stares at us when we walk in.”
Poppy plants a big fat kiss on her cheek, whether because she just felt like it or as an apology, before standing and offering me a hand up. I touch Bryce’s arm as we leave my bedroom, and she dips her chin at me in answer, a silent agreement coming to life between us.
One that promises we’re in this together and that I’m here for her the same way she’s here for me. I’ve never been happier to promise someone something before.
The Mitchells’ soft-blue-painted bungalow is adorable. The lawn is well-kept, with flowers in the beds beneath the windows and a stone walkway leading up to the front door with handprints sunken into every second stone. With the fence gate open, it’s easy to see into the massive backyard and the crowds of people already there.
I shut Poppy’s car door and step onto the curb. Bryce meets me first, and then Poppy joins us before we head up the stone path to the gate.
“What are his moms’ names again?” I ask, starting to panic.
“Jennifer and Rachel. And his sisters are Giana, Josette, and Daisy. I don’t think you’ll meet Giana today. She hardly comes home anymore,” Poppy says, rubbing my back.
“Right,” I whisper.
Poppy pulls the gate the rest of the way open for us to slip through. “They’re going to love you. This family is one of the best ones I know.”
“There’s my girl,” Johnny drawls, striding toward us.
I hear Bryce snort beside me as I check him out in his Wrangler jeans, boots, and that deep brown cowboy hat. I’ve been trying to scoop it off his head and plant it on mine for the past week, but it’s always the first thing he tosses off when he gets me in the bedroom. Maybe I can change that tonight.
His arms loop around my back as he tugs me into his chest and flicks his hat up before kissing me in front of everyone. My heart pounds at his proximity, and I kiss him back, throwing all my caution to the wind.
I’ve missed him, and I just saw him this morning. The ease with which I can admit that to myself goes to show how different I am from the person I was when I arrived in Cherry Peak. I think I like who I am now much more than I did then.
“Alright, Johnny. Save it for later. I’m literally right here,” Bryce mutters.
He licks at my lips, and I let him in, letting him taste the shot of tequila I took before heading over here. Chuckling low in his throat, he pulls away and blows a kiss at Bryce.
“Stop turning down every single person who tries to take you out, Bryce, and you wouldn’t have to be the only single one.”
“You make a good point, but let’s not forget about my brother,” Poppy says.
“Darren’s single because no woman can bear to be near him for longer than ten minutes at a time with his terrible romance skills,” Bryce corrects her.
Johnny drapes his arm over my shoulders and tucks me into his side with a kiss to my temple. “You could always give him a shot. You wanna be a stepmommy, Brycie?”
Bryce’s features twist into a look of pure disgust as she says, “Don’t ever say that again. I’m perfectly fine with being an honorary aunt but never a stepmommy.”
Poppy laughs beside us as we move along the side of the house toward the group of people blatantly staring at us. One face in the crowd has me a bit more alert. Wanda offers me a small smile before taking a swig of a beer.
“I’ve long since accepted that Bryce will never be my sister-in-law. We all know she’d eat Darren alive. I’ve made my peace with that,” Poppy says.
“You make it sound like I’ve done you some great disservice by not being attracted to that ass.”
“I love my brother, but he’s not good enough for you, anyway. Besides, I always pictured you marrying a woman.”
“I see that too,” I add .
“Because I’m such a girl’s girl?” Bryce asks with a laugh.
“Nah. It’s just a vibe I get. You’d look beautiful beside a woman. Maybe one with red hair.” Poppy pats her cheek and then swings out of the way as Bryce tries to swat at her. She laughs and starts to back away from us. “I’m going to find Garrison. I’m sure he’s sitting alone sulking in a corner right now without me.”
“Yeah, you run, Pops. Go hide behind your boyfriend before I kick you in the ass,” Bryce threatens.
“You two are so fuckin’ weird,” Johnny says.
Bryce snorts before staring at the drink table and leaving us. “You’ve got no idea. I’ll see you guys later.”
“See you,” I call.
Clouds of smoke drift our way, the smell of barbequed meat growing stronger. My stomach rumbles, making Johnny laugh.
“Did you eat today?”
“I was too busy having a wardrobe malfunction.”
Tucking his face into my hair, he breathes over the back of my ears. “You look gorgeous. I’ve never seen you in a dress before.”
“It was Poppy’s idea,” I murmur.
“Yeah, I bet it was. She’s always wearing them to terrorize Garry. Now I know exactly why he’s always complaining about them.” He retreats enough to stare into my eyes, his grin toothy and pure. “What are you wearing beneath this dress, darlin’?”
“It’s a secret.”
“Fuckin’ right, I bet it is.”
“Behave and I’ll let you see the moment we leave.”
His smile drops into a smirk. “That right, baby? What if I reached beneath it right now and felt for myself?”
“I think you’d have to explain yourself to your moms,” I whisper as I stare at the two women looking at me from over Johnny’s shoulder. “I’m assuming that’s them looking at us.”
He moves slower than he should, keeping his arm slung over my shoulders. I make no move to wiggle out from beneath it. The heavy weight of it is comforting .
“How long have you been watching us like two creeps?” he asks the two older women, his grin returning.
The woman with the thick-rimmed glasses and deep brown eyes is the first to step in our direction, her pace hurried. The second woman follows after her, the similarities between her and Johnny taking me aback.
“Rory, this is my mama, Rachel,” Johnny says, looking at the woman in the glasses before glancing at the second woman. “And this is my mom, Jennifer. Moms, this is Rory.”
I thrust my hand out for them to shake, but Rachel swats it away and hugs me instead. The move is so similar to one Eliza would make that it drags a laugh up my throat.
“It’s nice to meet both of you,” I say.
“Oh, you as well. We were starting to think you were a figment of Johnny’s imagination,” she blubbers, rubbing my back in a soothing way.
Jennifer offers me a warm smile over Rachel’s shoulder. “Are you a hugger, Aurora? We should have asked if you were okay with hugs first.”
Rachel gasps and shoves herself away from me, guilt shining in her eyes. “I’m so sorry! I just got so excited and messed this all up already.”
“You’re fine. Hugs are fine,” I say quickly, offering one to Jennifer in hopes my actions speak louder than my lack of words.
She sweeps me into her arms without another moment of hesitation. Lowering her voice, she tells me, “Thank you. My wife would have worried about this for weeks.”
“I’m not sure I could be with your son without being okay with hugs.” Stepping back and looking at Rachel, I add, “You’ve raised an incredible son.”
She raises a hand to her chest. “Thank you. I’m very excited to get to know you. Johnny hasn’t stopped singing your praises.”
He comes back to my side and slides his arm along my back, palming my hip. His wink makes my stomach flutter. “Don’t try and freak her out, Mama. She’s here to stay.”
Here to stay. Is that what I am?
I’m still here, aren’t I? There should be no reason as to why I haven’t gone back home now that Lee is a lost cause. Wanda doesn’t seem to want much to do with me. I haven’t even attempted to approach her again to get a clear answer as to if she wants to get to know me. Instead, I’ve lingered, doing everything I can to keep myself from thinking about going back to Calgary.
That city isn’t my home anymore. But the weight of that realization is too scary. I’ve been ignoring it out of fear. Once I admit it to myself, I have to make a decision far bigger than I was ever expecting to make on this trip.
Johnny’s fingers stroke my hip, the heat from them warming me through my dress. I turn my head to stare up at him, wishing we were alone. He’d know what to say to help settle my mind. I need him to say a million things to me right now, and that desperation is sinking deeper and deeper as we stand here.
Feeling the weight of my gaze, he drops his to look at me, his expression growing tender as he takes me in. “I think it’s time we get some food. You good with that, darlin’?”
I jerk my head in agreement. My smile is strained when I flash it at his moms and let him start guiding me away. My goodbye is weak. “We’ll talk again today.”
The two of them don’t look put off by our quick retreat, and I release a heavy breath at that.
“They’re going to hate me.”
“Who? My moms?” Johnny asks, doing a visual sweep of the backyard.
“Yes. I’m so fucking awkward.”
“They loved you, Rory. Trust me.”
I do. That’s the only reason I haven’t ducked out and run off. “Do they really know all of these people?”
“This is a small turnout, believe it or not. If Brody weren’t on tour right now, he’d be singing a couple of songs, and people from towns over would have come to see.”
“And this happens how many times a summer?” I ask, my tone heavy with anxiety.
He laughs, kissing my temple. “Just this once, I promise.”
“Alright. I can do once.”
Tugging us beneath the draping willow tree in the corner of the yard, he takes my chin between his fingers and crowds my face, blocking out everyone around us.
“What happened back there? You looked upset. Like you were stuck in your head.”
“I don’t want to talk about it here.”
“But we will talk about it, right?”
I focus on the soothing feeling of his fingers on my skin and let my eyes drift shut. “Yes.”
He drifts his lips over my nose. “Eliza and Wade are here. There’s a couple with them that I haven’t seen before. They’ve been watching you since you got here,” he murmurs.
My eyes snap open, immediately staring into his. “You don’t think . . .”
“That they’re Lee’s parents? Yeah, sweetheart, I do. Tell me what you want to do here, and we’ll do it.”
“Eliza must have called them,” I say on a breath.
“She saw how you were when you got back and made the call on her own. It’s a very Eliza move.”
“I want to talk to them.”
“Then that’s what you’ll do.”
I grip his belt buckle, feeling the bite of the cool metal. “Come with me. Please.”
“I will. But I’m getting you food first. You need to eat.”
“You’re being demanding again,” I tease lightly, unable to help myself.
“Just practicing for later. Now, come before your stomach growls loud enough for everyone around us to hear.”