Her eyes travel to where Trent is standing, talking to my parents.

“You know he’ll come around,” I say as I glance at him.

She waves her hand. “Oh, I know. He’s a stubborn ass, but he needs to be mad at someone, and I’ll be it for now. You know what you got yourself into with marryin’ a Hennington?”

“I think I have a good idea.” I smile.

“I’m glad he has you, honey.”

“I hope I have a sliver of the love you and Rhett have.”

Her eyes turn sad as she looks back at the door. “I don’t know how I’ll live without him. I’ve spent my entire life takin’ care of him. I thought I was prepared, but lookin’ at him today, so weak.” She sighs. “I know that I’ll never be ready to live in a world without him.”

“Did the transfusion help?” I ask with a little hope.

She shakes her head. “It’s like putting bubble gum on a slashed tire. It’s been a lot of patchin’ holes and there’s nothing more we can try.”

“But he looked better today.”

Mrs. Hennington’s voice is filled with despair. “It’s temporary, sugar. He looked better because he’d gotten the blood his body needed, but in a few hours, he’ll be back to the way he was. This was probably the last transfusion he’ll do. He doesn’t want to prolong the process.” A tear falls down her face and she wipes it away. “I’m so sorry I’m talkin’ about this, it’s your weddin’ day.”

“Mrs. H.,” I touch her arm. “I don’t know what to say.”

She touches my face. “First, you call me mama like my other daughters do. Second, you be happy today. Because if you saw the smile on my husband’s face, you would know it was because of you and Trent. He’s wanted to be at his boy’s weddings. And after what occurred the other day, to be his best man, I know it gives him great peace.”

Trent walks over and wraps his arms around my shoulders. “Mama,” he says with restraint.

Macie smiles at her son and touches her throat. “I’m so happy for you, Trent.”

“I’m glad Dad got to see this.”

“He is too, honey.”

“Trent,” I look at him from over my shoulder, “why don’t you talk to your mother for a bit? I’m going to talk to my new brothers.”

They need to work this out. There’s no better time to put your crap aside than at a wedding. His grin tells me he knows exactly what I’m doing. He kisses me, and I extricate myself from his hold.

Wyatt holds his arm open, and I lean in. “Who knew it would take this long to be officially family?” He smiles down. “I’m happy for you.”

I wrap my arms around one of my oldest friends and squeeze. “Thank you. For everything.”

Wyatt has been there through it all. He’s given me more advice than he’s probably ever wanted to and wiped a lot of tears, but he never judged me. “Listen, there’s no give backs on that one. You bought him, so you have to fix whatever is defective.”

I laugh and slap his back. “Is that so?”

“Well, we’ll of course be happy to kick him around if he needs it,” Wyatt says as he looks to Zach for confirmation, which comes in the form of a nod and smile.

“Good to know.” I kiss Wyatt’s cheek and continue to talk to everyone.

It may not be a real wedding setting, but you’d never know it. Everyone talks, eats crappy hospital food, and smiles. This is one of the times I’m grateful for all the meddling and crazy small-town living. We don’t worry about the little things. It’s the people in my life that matter. They’re the foundation of the house I’m building in life. When things go bad, I know if I fall, I’ll be okay.

Chapter 24

~ Fourteen months later ~

“T he rules are simple ,” Wyatt stands on the table as he goes over the rules of the Rhett Hennington Annual Family Competition. “We have seven events. The family with the most points at the end, brings home the trophy.”

Trent pulls me close and clears his throat. “Grace and I got this in the bag.”

“Dream on.” Zach cracks his neck. “The boys and I are going to make you all cry like little—”

“Hey now!” Mrs. Hennington steps forward. “Your daddy would not like any trash talkin’.”

“Did you know Dad at all?” Wyatt asks. “He talked more shit than a toilet.”

“Wyatt Hennington, you do not curse around your mama!” She scolds him. “Your father prided himself on raisin’ men. Act like it.”

“Yes ma’am.” He drops his head but looks over at Angie and winks.

We’ve been spending the last six months planning and getting ready for today. It’s been one year since we said goodbye to Rhett. A year of adjusting and finding ways through life without him. Trent took it hard, but instead of running away, he leaned on his family.

After a while, Macie asked the girls to think of a way to honor Rhett that would keep the family together.

It didn’t take long for us to come up with an extended version of their yearly fishing expedition. Plus, the boys never turn away a chance to compete.

“Now,” Mama hoists Felicity in her arms, “your daughter is watchin’ you, Wyatt. She wouldn’t like it very much if her father lost, would she?”

Wyatt looks at my beautiful niece and smiles. “No, and she’ll never see it happen. Daddy’s bringin’ home that trophy.”

“Not so fast, little brother.” Trent walks forward. “Don’t go counting your chickens before they hatch.”

“Boys, boys, boys.” Presley steps in the middle. “Are we gonna stand around all day or are we going to compete? Because this family is bringing that singin’ bass home.”

“That’s right.” Zach throws his arm around his wife.

God, this is going to be a shit show.

The last two months Trent has started Operation Kick Their Ass, which has entailed training days. He’s woken me at the ass crack of dawn to go fishing, water balloon tosses, three legged races, and all kinds of other crap. I finally put my foot down the other day when he tried to get me up at five in the morning for a three-mile conditioning run.