Chapter Six
MORGAN
I’m sprawled out on a stylish gray couch, munching on microwave popcorn, and filling tiny clear plastic jars with personalized chocolates, when Ava straightens, tightening the band around her blonde ponytail.
“So, what do you think of Hudson’s cousin?”
Something in me that was very near to falling asleep jumps to attention. “You mean besides the psycho comment?”
“Ah, there you are. I was wondering if you were awake.”
I smirk. “I’m not superhuman. I got up early to pack, stood on my feet at Epic Ice all afternoon, and then drove all the way here.”
For the past half hour, Ava’s been sitting on the whitewashed hardwood floor, chattering away about the weekend schedule.
We set to work after she led me on a tour of our house, an adorable three-bedroom rental called The Blue Moon.
Her excited voice needed no interjection from me and was beginning to lull me to sleep.
I throw ribbon scraps at her—which flutter straight to the ocean-blue rug—and then sit up. “If I’m being honest, I stopped listening after I heard the word spa.”
She laughs and throws her pile of scraps at me. They also flutter to the floor. It’s supposed to be a surprise, but Tonya, the maid of honor, has arranged massages for all the ladies tomorrow. I can’t wait.
“Well?”
“Well, what?”
“What do you think of Will? He’s cute, right?”
“I’m excited about the spa because I’ll hardly have to see him tomorrow.” Hopefully, it will take hours.
Her smile falters. Oops, time to appease her. “Just kidding. I’m sure he’s fine.”
She stands and moves to the kitchen. Boxes of wedding things clutter the table under a modern farmhouse-style light fixture.
“He’s a nice guy. I got to know him over the holidays when I came up with Hudson.
Their whole family comes here for Christmas every year.
” She rips open another box of jars and begins arranging them in neat rows on the table.
“They have a huge family. Nine cousins in all, I think. But Will’s the only other male. ”
I scoop up the ribbon scraps. “That’s a lot of girls.”
“Yeah, the girls used to make Hudson and Will serve them at their tea parties. They hated it, but they agreed so the girls would play cops and robbers later.”
I laugh, enjoying the thought of Will’s cousins bossing him around.
“Do they all live in the Tulsa area?”
“No, most of them live closer to Oklahoma City.” She drops into a loopback chair, a corner of her mouth turning up. “You should give him a chance.”
“He called me a psycho and yelled at me at the gas station. Isn’t that a red flag or something?”
“That is unfortunate. Stupid boy. Did you yell back?”
“Well, yeah. I had to defend myself.”
“Two wrongs don’t make a right. Do I need to quote a Bible verse about forgiveness?”
I roll my eyes. No, I already know them. “I can forgive him—eventually—but that doesn’t mean I want to date him. Besides, after the Leo incident, I swore off dating until college, and I’m sticking to it. Hopefully, in that time, I’ll decide boys aren’t all pushy and rude.”
“What if Leo came running back to you? You’d take him back, wouldn’t you?”
“What? No. No way.” His beautiful face pops into my mind. Things were so great in the beginning, but I wouldn’t take him back. Would I?
She shrugs and rummages in a box, but that twist of her mouth says what she doesn’t. Great, she doesn’t quite believe me. “Well, either way, it’s time to move on, and Will’s so cute and sweet.”
“I can agree he’s cute.”
“Who’s cute?” a male voice says from the hallway just before the screen door snaps shut. Hudson walks in and then lowers his voice, glancing over his shoulder. “Are you guys talking about Will?”
“Yes,” Ava says at the same time I say, “No.”
Hudson slides onto a barstool. “He’s taking his bags in next door.”
Ava throws an arm around his neck, and they both observe me as if I’m a fun science experiment. “She thinks he’s cute. It’s a good start.”
Hudson nods and tosses some popcorn in his mouth. “We can work with that.”
“Please don’t,” I moan. “Can’t we just focus on your wedding?”
“Sure. Sure. But you should know we’re good at multitasking.”
The screen door snaps again. Ava wags her eyebrows.
“In here.” Hudson gives me a wink.
They’re mortifying. So much for avoiding the most annoying boy in the world. Guess I’ll have to shift to ignoring.
Will walks in, all nervous and windblown…and cute.
Dang it. This might be more difficult than I thought.