Page 51 of Whispers at Seaside
Good times.Matt snickered.
“Sorry, Matt,” Hunter relented. “You know what I meant. You’re putting writing second to a relationship. That’s a huge deal for you.”
“Why didn’t you say that the first time?” Grayson asked with a serious tone.
“Screwing his brains out is agoodthing,” Hunter said sharply.
The conversation circled back to covering the store, and by the time Matt hung up and called Sky, he was grinning like a fool. He’d missed his brothers far more than he’d ever let himself realize.
He explained to Sky where he and Mira were relationship-wise, because that’s what she cared about most, andthentold her about their plans.
“Are you kidding?” Sky squealed. “Of course I’ll pitch in. Whatever you need. Cree can fill in for me here, so you guys figure out a schedule, and I’ll be there.” Cree was her newest employee.
“Thanks, Sky.”
“I’ll call the girls. Mira’s going to need help. She can’t possibly get everything she’ll need for these meetings done by herself.”
“She’s got me,” Matt reminded her, though he was thrilled to hear his sister wanted to rally the troops for Mira.
“Yeah, but you’re notus. The girls and I planned the whole triple wedding. Well, with the help of Lizzie and her friend Brandy for flowers and catering, of course. We can whip up whatever Mira needs so she’s prepared.” Sky filled Matt in on every detail of what they’d planned for her upcoming nuptials. “My only wish is that Mom could be here to see us all walk down the aisle.”
Matt’s heart squeezed at the mention of their mother. He missed her, and he, too, wished she could be there to see his siblings get married. He realized that the guilt that had shadowed him ever since his mother’s death had finally lifted, and he felt that was connected to being back home and reconnecting with his family.
“She’ll be there,” Matt assured her. “She’s always watching.”
Chapter Twenty
TUESDAY EVENING MIRA sat at the table on her deck reviewing the list she’d made of materials to prepare for prospective co-op partners. Hagen had been thrilled to go to the baseball game with Matt and the others. Matt had invited Drake and Rick, which she was also happy about. She didn’t want them to feel pushed out of Hagen’s life because Matt was getting more involved in it.
True to his word, Matt had driven Hagen to camp the last two mornings, giving her time to try to garner interest in the co-op. Not that she was having much luck. Monday and Tuesday she’d gone through her entire list of potential companies and had found another six to call as well. None of them were interested, but she wasn’t giving up. Matt had offered to continue driving Hagen until she secured enough interest to make the co-op work. There was no way she could get the research done to find other companies to callandprepare the materials she’d need if the meetings came to fruition. Luckily, Serena was coming over to help.
“Is my favorite mini-man off to doguy stuff?” Serena asked as she came around the side of the house carrying a bag in one hand and her laptop in the other.
“Yes, off and happy as a clam.”
“I got him something today.” She set her laptop and bag on the table, withdrew a thin children’s book, and plunked it down in front of Mira. “You told me they were going to build a Huckleberry Finn–style raft, so I got him a knockoff kid’s book,Hinkleberry Funn the Raft Builder. And I broughtsuppliesfor us.”
She pulled a bottle of wine, a box of crackers, and a container of assorted cheese slices from the bag.
“Hagen will be over the moon, and I am, too. Have I told you lately that I love you?” Mira asked, getting up to grab two wineglasses.
“I can stand to hear it again. Your brother is making me crazy,” Serena called after her.
What else is new?She carried the wineglasses out to the deck. “Which brother?”
“That would be Drake. No, Rick. Okay, both.” Serena tilted her head, listening to several car doors closing. “Who’s that?”
“No idea. I’m not expecting anyone.”
They stepped off the deck as Sky, Bella, Jenna, Amy, Leanna, Parker, Jana, and Jessica came around the side of the house, each carrying a colorful beach bag and wearing sundresses over bathing suits, like they’d just come from the beach, even though it was six o’clock.
“I think we need more wine,” Serena said quietly.
“There she is!” Jenna said when she spotted them. “We came to help with the co-op stuff. Seaside girls at your service!”
“Really? All of you?” Mira was overwhelmed. “How did you even know I needed help?”
The girls came around to the deck and began unloading their bags—laptops, towels, wine, plastic cups, paper plates, a big bag of M&M’s, and two tubes of cookie dough covered the middle of the table.
