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Dad shrugs. “Could work. It is outdoors.”
“What was wrong with the first one?” I dare ask.
Jackson, Levi's nine-year-old kid raises his hand. “I know, I know. Crazy lady wanted a photo booth.”
“What’s wrong with that?” Dad quarrels.
“That was fine,” Pepper starts. “But then she wanted a self-serve cocktail bar. That’s just asking for trouble.”
Chase stretches in his chair. “I can take a hint. You want to plan your own wedding.”
“What’s there to plan? I’ve got the guest list, the venue, the groom…”
“The veil,” Levi jokes.
Chase chuckles and Pepper shoots him a hard glare. “I’m not wearing that veil. So… I guess there is something I still need.”
“Well that’s easy, you should just get one that goes with your dress,” Dad suggests.
Pepper goes quiet and Chase glares at her. “You don’t have a dress yet?”
“It’s not just something I can pick out. I was supposed to go with Charlie a few weeks ago and then…”
The table goes quiet.
“How is she?” Dad asks.
Frustration settles on my future sister-in-law’s face. “Well so far, she’s refused to let me help her pack her mother’s things. And last night, she tried to duck out on the wedding.”
“What?” Chase snaps, then glowers at me. “Why?”
Dad lets out a low growl. “Maybe…it’s not a good time right now?”
Pepper holds up her hands. “She’s still coming. She’ll think about the maid of honor thing, but I told her no pressure to plan anything special. I just want her there.”
Since we started talking about my ex, Pepper hasn’t spared me a single glance.
Her eyes linger somewhere in my direction and a small smirk forms her lips. Something only I would notice since it’s the kind of stuff I’m trained to look for in a courtroom.
“Anyway, I dropped the subject and we talked about her birthday bucket list instead.”
“Birthday bucket list?” I slip.
As if I wasn’t the one who asked, Pepper looks at Levi and Dad. “Her twenty-fifth birthday is in June and there are a few things on her pre-two-five bucket list I want to help her do,” she explains cheerily. “Well,” she scoffs. “Not aalll…although that would be interesting.” She perks a brow at her fiancé.
"Jackson, go catch a firefly in the backyard or somethin'," Levi grumbles.
Jackson rolls his eyes, taking the hint, and steps out the back door.
“Like what?” The question comes from Dad who’s seen a few too many birthday shenanigans between his four boys.
“Skinny dipping in Hideaway Lake. Get a tattoo and…” she glances up and I swear her eyes sweep mine briefly. “Oh, I forget the other thing.”
I bet.
Dad's brows shoot up and he stands to clear the table.
“You’re not…doing all those things with her, are you?” Chase asks casually.
