“You glow, honey,” Mia said to Harmony. “Are you excited?”
Harmony laid her hand across her stomach. “Equal parts excited, can’t believe this is finally happening and I might throw up.”
Mia laughed. “Well, you look gorgeous. And happiness thrives on your face.”
Harmony grabbed her hand and squeezed. “That’s the best thing you could have said to me. I might not pass out now.”
Mia laughed. There was nothing more beautiful than a bride-to-be. And Harmony was definitely beautiful. She wore a copper-colored sundress that brought out the beauty of her rich, umber skin. She might be nervous, but her genuine smile didn’t show it.
So they followed Suzanne’s instructions and lined up in order. Mia was first, so she started down the aisle, listening to Suzanne tell her how to walk, at what pace and where to stand once she got to the altar. She noticed Nathan sitting in one of the chairs watching it all. He gave her a wink as she took her position. Suddenly the barn got a lot warmer even though it was nicely air conditioned in there, another addition for the wedding.
The rest of the bridesmaids walked down the aisle, then Harmony with Drake, who handed her off to Barrett. Mia’s eyes teared up watching her brother with Harmony. She was going to have to hold it together or she’d be a weepy mess tomorrow.
They did a run-through of walking down the aisle and the ceremony one more time. The pastor and the wedding planner seemed satisfied after that, so they were finished.
They all went to the house, where dinner was being catered. Mom always liked to cook, and Diane did, too, but Barrett and Harmony insisted the wedding preparations were stressful enough, so dinner tonight and tomorrow night were going to be catered events.
Mia had had countless conversations with her mother about this, and Mom wasn’t keen on the idea, but she’d finally given in. And since Mom had already been involved in both Tucker and Aubry’s, and Grant and Katrina’s weddings, Mia didn’t want her overwhelmed any more than she already had been with Barrett and Harmony’s wedding. The last thing she needed was to be stuck in the kitchen cooking up a meal for a large group of people. She should be wandering around enjoying the company.
The caterers did a great job and the food was already spread out in the kitchen by the time they came in. Plus, there was a bar set up, which, of course, was where everyone headed first.
Mia decided on a sparkling water, since she still felt dehydrated from her time in the sun this afternoon. She noticed Nathan went for a glass of ice water instead of a beer. She made her way over to him.
“Still thirsty?”
He looked around and then leaned in. “For you? Yes.”
Why was it that every time he said something sexual to her, her body went up in flames? She would have thought that since they’d already had sex a few times, she’d be immune, that the newness of it would have worn off by now.
Apparently she was not immune to Nathan Riley. She was going to have to shore up her defenses. The last thing she needed was to become emotionally attached to him. Fun and dating was one thing. Love? That was something entirely different. She wasn’t ready for that.
Fortunately, Barrett came over, putting an end to that unruly thought process.
“I don’t know about you two, but I’m hungry.”
“That’s nothing new for you,” Mia said. “Aren’t you nervous at all about tomorrow?”
“Nah. Marrying the woman I love? I can’t wait.”
Barrett’s love for Harmony made Mia’s heart squeeze. She leaned her head against his shoulder. “That’s incredibly sweet and I love you.”
He smiled down at her. “Love you, too, brat. Now we should go nudge Mom about starting the food line.”
Nathan laughed. “I wouldn’t object to that.”
“Fine,” Mia said. “I’ll go tell Mom you’re all starving to death and if food isn’t served right now there’s going to be growling and whining.”
“Mostly growling,” Barrett said. “Men never whine.”
“Ha,” she said as she walked away. She found her mother talking to Diane.
“The men are whining about eating.”
“Don’t they always?” Diane asked. “I swear, every time Drake is over for dinner, he’s the first in line. And it’s not like the boy is starving.”
Mia’s mom laughed. “Mine are the same way. It’s all the calories they burn. It was like that when they were growing up, too.”
“Tell me about it,” Mia said. “It’s a miracle there was ever any food left by the time a plate was passed my way.”
Diane put her arm around Mia. “Harmony said the same thing. She also accused Drake of dumping all the meat onto his plate and all that was left for her were bits and pieces that had fallen off the bone.”
Mia nodded. “Sounds about right.”
“Yeah, you’re not starving, either,” her mom said. “Come on, let’s go round up Barrett and Harmony so they can be at the front of the line.”
“And I’ll be right behind them before the guys eat all the food.”
Her mother gave her a teasing smile, but Mia hadn’t been joking and she did get in line behind Harmony and Barrett. Not that she was all that hungry, but she had seen the pineapple rice on the menu and she wanted to be sure she got some, along with the chicken kabobs.
She grabbed a seat at the dining room table next to Harmony and Alyssa, Harmony’s best friend and maid of honor. Lachelle, Harmony’s friend from college and another bridesmaid, sat on Mia’s other side. Lachelle had three-year-old twins and also worked as a coordinator for at-risk youth, so Mia spent a lot of time at dinner talking to Lachelle about her work and her family life.
“Twins and such an important job that I’m sure takes up a lot of your time,” Mia said. “How do you juggle it all?”
Lachelle took a sip of iced tea, then laid her glass on the table. “Honestly? I have an amazing and supportive husband. He spends just as much time with Marcus and Mateo as I do. We share kid duties, so when he’s busy, I take on more with the kids. When I have something come up, he’s right there to pick up the slack. I sure couldn’t do this alone.”
“Sure you could,” Harmony said. “You’re Wonder Woman.”
Lachelle laughed. “You’d like to think that, but no woman is Wonder Woman. Not a woman with twin boys, anyway. But I love my work as much as I love my husband and kids. I’m profoundly fortunate to have all these loves in my life. Someday Miss Harmony over there will find herself doing the same since she loves her work as much as she loves Barrett.”
Harmony laid her fork down. “Hopefully without the twins. Not that I don’t love your boys, because I do, but, honey, I’d like to have my kids one at a time.”
Mia laughed. “I’m sure that would be easier.”
“What about you, Mia?” Alyssa asked. “Any hot guys you’re hiding from us? All the Cassidys seem to be settling down. Are you next?”
Mia shook her head. “The only love of my life right now is my business. It’s all I can handle at the moment. Men will have to take a backseat to that.”
She realized as she said the words that Nathan was sitting at the far end of the table. He’d been in conversation with her dad and Flynn. But as she glanced over, she saw he’d been looking at her. She wasn’t sure if he heard what she said, but he wasn’t smiling. He resumed his conversation with her father.
Surely he hadn’t heard. And what if he had? It wouldn’t have hurt his feelings in the least, right? Sure, they were in a relationship. But it was a fun, uncomplicated, having-sex kind of relationship.
And nothing more.
But after dinner, she found a minute to get him alone.
“Were you listening in on my dinner conversation with Harmony and her friends?”
He frowned. “What? No. Why?”
She shrugged. “Never mind. No reason.”
She started to walk away, but he grasped her arm. “What was it you didn’t want me to hear?”
“It’s stupid, really.”