Chapter 22
Chapter Twenty-Two
S unny felt like she’d swallowed the sun and it radiated out from her in glowing rays of happiness.
Tomorrow, she was marrying a man who loved all of her. Her happy side and her sad side. Her sweet side and her angry side. Her calm side and her wild side. In the last month, Reid had witnessed it all.
Once Sunny had cracked open her emotions, they decided to put on quite a show. She had laughed more, cried more, and thrown more angry fits than she had in her life. She held nothing back from Reid and he hadn’t gone anywhere.
At that very moment, he stood in front of “First Kiss” with a slight smile on his face as if he was reliving their first kiss through the abstract expressionism painting. A painting that hung with all the other angry art, along with her happier landscapes that he, Corbin, and Jesse had helped her bring back from Houston. While the gallery wasn’t open yet, tonight was a preview for all her friends and family. It was slightly terrifying having pieces of herself on display, but it was also cathartic.
As she looked around, she realized this was who she was. Not just chaotic angry art, but also sedate country landscapes. A wild child and a sweet country gal.
“I can’t believe you kept all these hidden, Sunny.”
She turned to see Corbin standing there holding two glasses of Mimi’s elderberry wine. Because what else would she have chosen to drink at her wedding rehearsal dinner?
She took a glass from him and took a sip, enjoying the tart, heady flavor. “I kept them hidden from myself, Cory. But everything is out now.”
He studied her. “You sure? You’re not keeping any more secrets from me?”
“Absolutely not. I’m through hiding my emotions and keeping secrets . . . well, only Secret Sister secrets. But you’ll have to live with that.”
He rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Yes, so Belle has told me.”
“Speaking of secrets, when are you planning to tell Fiona Stokes about Ima Rhimes’s letter?” Sunny had given him the letter weeks before and they’d both decided to wait to tell Mrs. Stokes, or anyone for that matter, until the investigator Corbin hired could get them more information.
Corbin’s expression saddened. “I don’t know that I am. The investigator discovered that Ima passed away in Oklahoma City at the age of thirty-seven. She had a daughter. Unfortunately, the daughter went into foster care after her death and those files are closed. It seems hurtful to bring up Mrs. Stokes’s father’s infidelity if I can’t locate her sister.”
Sunny didn’t agree. “But wouldn’t you have wanted to know that Jesse existed? Even if we never found him? I would have. And I know you, Cory. You’re as stubborn as the day is long and you never would have given up looking for him. Just like Jesse never gave up looking for us.” They both glanced over at Jesse who was talking with Rome and Casey Remington with his usual goofy grin. “Siblings are worth fighting for.” Sunny smiled at Corbin. “You’ve taught me that.”
Corbin pulled her in for a tight hug. “Okay. I’ll give Mrs. Stokes the letter after the wedding. Maybe I’ll give her one of those DNA ancestry test kits with it and we’ll see if we can locate her sister that way.”
“You’re a good man, Corbin Whitlock.” Sunny gave him a kiss on the cheek. “And speaking of good men, I’m going to go find my fiancé.”
But before she could reach Reid, she ran into her sisters. They were standing in front of Sunny’s most recent painting, a chaotic mixture of blue splashes with a white luminous ball hanging above seven vibrant pink splatters. “Full Moon Sisters” was one of her favorite paintings. Which was why it wasn’t for sale. After the grand opening of the gallery, she would hang it and “First Kiss” in the trailer until she and Reid built a house on the five-hundred acres of land Corbin had given them for their wedding gift.
It looked like Reid would get his ranch after all.
And Sunny would get her dream of living on the Holiday Ranch.
As Mimi always liked to say, Things work out if you let them .
“Sunny!” Noelle hooked an arm through hers. “I’m glad you showed up. We have an emergency.”
Hallie huffed an exasperated sigh. “Once again, Elle has ordered a bridesmaid’s dress that’s too small for her.”
“I can’t help it if I’ve gotten a little bigger since I ordered the dress. In case you forgot, Hal, I’m pregnant!”
“How could I forget when it’s all you ever talk about? I’m so sick of hearing about the cradle Casey is making you and how he calls the baby ‘Sugar Muffin’ and your detailed plans for the ‘cutest little ranch room,’ I could puke.”
“I hate to point this out,” Liberty said. “But you puke at the drop of a hat, Hal. And I believe I overheard Jace calling your baby bump ‘Teenier Weeny.’ Which is pretty pukeworthy.” She rubbed her huge stomach. “Besides, my bridesmaid’s dress is a little snug too.”
“Because you’re the size of the Goodyear Blimp.”
Liberty’s eyes narrowed. “Oh, you just wait, Hallie Carson. The shorter the waist, the bigger the belly.”
“What?” Noelle looked horrified as she placed a hand on her rounded stomach. “That means I’m going to look like a beach ball with shoes.”
Belle patted Noelle’s shoulder. “Every woman carries babies differently, Elle. Just look at me and Libby.”
Liberty stared at her twin. “And just what does that mean, Belly?”
Before Belle had to answer, Cloe stepped in. “What Belly means is that every pregnant woman is stunning in her own way. Now let’s focus on finding a solution for the problem at hand.”
“Cloe’s right,” Sweetie said. “And lucky for us, we have a grandmother who sews.” She looked over at Mimi who was talking to Darla and Hank. “Mimi! We need you.”
Mimi looked more than a little skeptical when she arrived. “Just what mischief are y’all up to now?”
“We have a dress situation,” Cloe said. “Do you think you could alter Noelle’s dress before the wedding tomorrow?”
“And mine,” Liberty said.
“And mine,” Hallie said. When all the sisters turned to her, she shrugged. “What? I might have gained a little pregnancy weight too!”
Everyone laughed and Mimi patted Hallie’s arm. “Yes. I’ll get to yours too, Halloween.” She shook her head. “Y’all should thank your lucky stars that your great-grandma taught me how to sew. Ima altered wedding dresses for blushing young brides until the day she died. God rest her sweet soul.”
Sunny stared at Mimi. “Your mama’s name was Ima?”
“Ima Lee Rhimes. Best mama a woman could ever ask for.”
Reid was as nervous as a dog on bath day. He was more than thankful Sunny hadn’t wanted a formal wedding. He would have died from heatstroke in a tuxedo jacket. Even in a cotton western shirt and jeans, he was burning up. And that was in an air-conditioned house. Once he got in the barn, he would be a walking sweat ball.
“Here.”
He turned to see his best man holding out a bandana. He took it from Corbin and wiped the sweat from his forehead. “Just so you know, this has nothing to do with me getting cold feet. There’s nothing more I want than to marry your sister. I’m just . . .” He struggled to find the right words. Corbin helped him out.
“Worried about being enough. Believe me, I get it. I was terrified about the same thing when I married Belle. She was everything good and I was?—”
Jesse, who was sprawled out on the twin bed in one of the Holidays’ upstairs guestrooms with Buck snoozing on his chest, cut his brother off. “A grudge-holding asshole.”
Corbin shot him an annoyed look. “Thanks, Jess.”
Jesse grinned. “Just trying to keep it real, Whitty.” He glanced at Reid. “I was nervous too. I still wonder how in the hell I got so lucky.”
“Every single day.” Decker sat on the opposite bed, watching his new kitten, Loretta Lynn, play with Tay-Tay on the carpeted cat condo that stood in the window. Jelly Roll, Jace and Hallie’s cat, was sitting on the very top looking down at the young kittens with disdainful eyes.
“Try every single second.” Jace walked into the room, carrying a cooler of beer. No doubt homebrewed by Hallie. Once he finished passing out the bottles, Rome spoke.
“What we’re trying to say, Reid, is that we’ve all been in your shoes. We’ve all felt the same insecurities about marrying strong women with high expectations. The question is . . . are you going to let a few insecurities keep you from marrying the best thing that will ever happen to you in your life?”
Reid didn’t hesitate. “Hell, no.”
Casey slapped him on the back. “Good man!” He held up his beer and grinned. “To the Holiday sisters’ men. We’re some lucky bastards.”
“Hear! Hear!” all the men chorused.
Reid had barely taken a sip when Sophie walked in. She looked stunning in her pale yellow maid-of-honor dress with her makeup applied perfectly. She also looked way too grown up. Reid couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness. A few months ago, he couldn’t wait for her to grow up. Now, just the thought of her leaving for college made him want to bawl like a baby.
“Y’all about ready to head down to the barn?” she asked as she looked around at the men.
Everyone took another guzzle of their beers before they set them back in the cooler and filed out. Reid held out his arm for Sophie.
“You look beautiful, Soph.”
She beamed. “Thank you, Uncle Reid. Just wait until you see Sunny.”
Sophie wasn’t exaggerating. When Reid saw Sunny standing in the doorway of the Holidays’ barn, his heart felt like it took flight. She looked like an angel in her simple white dress with her golden-red hair surrounding her shoulders in soft waves.
She even had a set of wings.
Jimmy Buffett was perched on her shoulder. In the last couple months, the parrot had become extremely attached to Sunny. He spent most of his time sitting on her shoulder . . . and cussing up a storm. Although today he seemed to be on his best behavior. Or maybe the mini bow tie around his neck was just too tight. Whatever the reason, he merely nodded his head when Hank Holiday handed Sunny off to Reid.
The love in her warm brown eyes made all Reid’s nerves vanish.
He didn’t know how he’d gotten so lucky, but he wasn’t going to question his luck. He was just going to hold on to it with both hands. As soon as Sunny gave her bouquet and Jimmy Buffet to Sophie, he took her hands in his and held firmly.
Sunny squeezed back and smiled a smile that was as real as the love he had in his heart for this woman. “You ready to get hitched to me for life?”
He grinned. “Baby, I was born ready.”
“Bullshit!” Jimmy Buffett squawked.