Chapter 15
Steve
I blinked as I pushed open the doors, pretending it was the flash of sunlight that caused me to duck my head. But it was really the fact that our four kids, their spouses, and kids stood in a loose semi-circle around the doors, cheering and whooping for us.
Cam shook my hand with a bright smile; his twin Carter followed. Rye, Kate’s husband, offered me a friendly shoulder pat while Nash, my boy, buried me in a bear hug.
“I’m so excited for you,” he exclaimed. He lifted me a few inches off the ground before he bounded over the Jasmine and enveloped her in a hug.
“Y’all wanna tie the knot here?” Cam asked.
“I don’t know. Whatever Jasmine wants,” I said.
She’d lifted her head from where she and the women were cooing over her ring. She shook her head.
“I want us to have our own space.” She squinted, taking in the house and corral before she turned to Cam. “You fought for this place. It’s yours and not just because you love it so.” A faint shudder rippled through our assemblage, and Jasmine offered a sad smile.
“Yeah, for that,” she said, coming forward to cup Cam’s cheek. “You paid for this place in your blood, sweet, and tears, my dear boy.”
He bowed his head and closed his eyes. “You held it together for me, Mama.”
“Maybe. I don’t know. But it’s past time for me to pass it to you and your family.” She held out her hand to me. “Steve and I, we need our own place that doesn’t carry our history.”
Carter, who was a quieter, leaner version of Cam, spoke up. “I think I know just the thing, Mama.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Do you now?” She glanced at all three of her kids before she dropped her hands to her hips. “You are not paying for our wedding.”
“Don’t have to,” Cam said with a sly grin. “Nash already offered.”
“And you can’t say no because it’ll hurt my feelings,” Nash said, flashing those puppy dog eyes that worked on pretty much everyone.
“As long as it’s soon and Jasmine gets the day she deserves, I’ll be happy.”
“Oh, pish.” She shot me an indulgent glance. “This is your day as much as it’s mine, Steve. I have a feeling you have some ideas.”
“Oh, I know,” Regan said. She clasped her hands under her chin, looking dreamy. “What if we flip it all around and help Steve plan the wedding?”
“I love that idea,” Jasmine said with a laugh. “I find weddings stressful.”
“We know,” Jenna, Regan, Kate, and Aya chorused.
“Gamma, I love you. I want pie!” Cash squealed as he barreled through the cluster of adults and slammed into Jasmine’s legs.
“You got it, darlin’.” She bent and scooped him into her arms and we all headed back toward the big house, the ladies tossing out plans faster than machine gun fire.
“Pretty ring, Gamma.” Cash said, scrunching his shoulders and grinning.
“Thank you, darling. I love it near as much as that guy.” She tipped her head toward me. Cash blinked at me, no doubt wondering if I was good enough for his grandmother.
“When and where do you plan to hitch up?” Cam asked.
I snorted at the term—it wasn’t close to romantic. Jenna must have agreed with me because she groaned his name.
Everyone laughed.
“If Jasmine doesn’t have an idea,” I said after a long moment. “I have one.”
“What’s that?” she asked, glancing back at me as she held open the screen door to her house.
I waited for everyone to filter into her large kitchen, swallowing down the swarm of butterflies that whooshed through my midsection.
“I know how much you like Laguna Gloria—”
“That’s sculptures!” Regan said, clasping her hands under her chin and sighing rapturously.
“Right on the lake,” Aya said, eyes shining.
“That’s so you, Mama.”
“Good job,” Jenna said as she sidled up next to me. “That’s a fantastic location. Really romantic.”
I wasn’t sure it was in our budget, but I thought the kids would like it—so would Jasmine—and they had events there often, so they’d understand the need for security.
Jasmine smiled at me. “I love it,” she said. “That’s a good choice for the kids.”
She and I understood how important their safety was. While Jasmine cut pieces of pie from her seeming ubiquitous supply, Nash stepped out of the room with his phone to his ear.
“Oh, we get to go dress shopping,” Kate exclaimed.
“Let’s go to the store where Aya found her dress. They have such pretty vintage things. You’ll look so pretty!” Jenna practically bounced around the room.
“Laguna Gloria has an open date in three weeks,” Nash said, phone dangling from his hand. “You want it?”
I gawked, shocked that my son had been on the phone right now to set up my wedding.
“If you ever decide to give up on music, I think you have a stellar career ahead of you in wedding planning,” Carter said.
Everyone cracked up because we all knew the story of Nash buying a tiny private island for his wedding to Aya.
“I just might,” Nash said with a grin. “They are a happy day, after all.”
I shot Jasmine a look of askance. Her slightly dazed expression softened as she nodded.
“I’d marry you right now if you wanted. But I love the idea of getting married on the water.
” She frowned as she glanced around, worry in her eyes.
“Can you kids clear your calendars, then? I know we’d planned on Independence Day here, and that’s only a few weeks later… .”
“We can make it happen, Mama,” Cam said, leaning down to kiss her cheek. He whispered something in her ear and she shot him a radiant smile—then handed him a piece of pie that barely fit on the plate. Cam grinned happily as he settled next to his son at the table.
“No worries on our end,” Carter said. “Regan and I decided to slow down this year.”
“Why?” Kate asked, always the suspicious younger sister.
“Because I miss you,” Regan said.
“Oh, so not for babies?” Jenna asked. She surprised me. I knew she’d miscarried a few months before, but she seemed excited about Regan and Carter having a child.
“No. I’m having some fertility issues. Stress-related, the doctors said.”
The women huddled together to discuss the prognosis in more detail.
I settled back against the counter, staring at the pie, saliva pooling in my mouth.
There was one slice left—one slice for me, I realized as I glanced around.
I snatched it up and brought the fork to my lips, moaning as that first delectable bite hit my tastebuds. No one made a pie like Jasmine.
She met my gaze, her eyes twinkling. “Butter,” she mouthed.
I chuckled and shook my head even as I scooped up another bite.
“All set!” Nash grinned as he came back into the room.
A cheer went up. I set my pie aside and went to Jasmine, hoisting her in my arms to another loud cheer.
“We’re getting married,” I murmured in her ear.
She looped her hands around my neck and nuzzled my neck. “I can’t wait.”