Page 67 of Seein’ Red

“Well, then, let’s do this.”

An hour later, all rehearsed and ready for tomorrow, we’re leaning against the bar at Pour Decisions. My semi-public declaration doesn’t seem to have traveled to our friends and family that are joining us here for dinner. At least not yet. I give us until Sunday morning.

One person who was present at the church for it was Moira, and as the matron of honor and sister of the bride, she knows better than to try and steal Kenzie’s thunder by unleashing the news that I kissed Willa in front of the world. I’d bet anything that she has that text locked and loaded, ready to hit send as soon as her sister is off on her honeymoon, however. One doesn’t climb to the top of the gossip mill ladder without having some kind of inside bomb to drop.

“Ummmmm, I don’t know how to do this?” Willa says, looking between me and Bronwyn.

My soon-to-be sister-in-law is on the other side of her, looking just as perplexed as I'm feeling. “Do what?”

“Drink…errr, not drink as it were, without it being obvious that I’m not drinking…”

“Ohhhhh. Well, good question.”

“Bee and Noel aren’t drinking, so we’ll just not drink with them,” I say. As much as I want a beer right now, it seems like a small price to pay.

“I can’t ask you not to drink,” she says, turning fully toward me. She reaches out to me but then stops herself. A pang hits me, hating that she stopped, especially since she didn’t stop me at the church, but I understand as well. We don’t need to put on a show.

Yet.

Instead, I choose to focus on the fact that she reached at all.

Milo appears in front of us, setting down two glasses. One very full pint of what looks like Sob Story, Southern Brothers’ signature beer, and a flute of bubbly.

“Milo, we didn’t order this,” Willa snaps, not missing a beat. “And I don’t want champ⁠—”

“It’s sparkling cider, Wil,” he cuts her off. “Sip slowly and no one will notice a thing.”

“What…how…”

“I’m not an idiot. I see more from behind this bar than people think.”

They exchange knowing looks, and for a second, I feel lost. Then again, it’s the kind of bond that I have with my own brother, so I shouldn’t be surprised. Willa mouths thank you to him, earning that trademark Milo smirk as he pushes the curl off his forehead.

Then, he turns to me. Smirk gone.

“You and I will be having a conversation later though.”

Saw that coming…

I swallow hard, nodding as I take my beer. Willa laughs, easing the panic inside me. Being with her is easy. Always has been. Even when fighting, my soul feels at home with her. I want her to know that. I just need to find a way to say it that isn’t going to scare her.

“There y’all are!”

Mama’s voice rings out clear as a bell, even over the din of conversation. A chill rushes up my spine, suddenly very aware that while my friends are in on the events of the last week, my parents are not.

Shit…

Noel and I each give her a kiss, before she pulls Bronwyn then Willa in for a hug. She acts like she hasn’t seen us all in years, rather than hours.

“Want a drink, Mama?” Noel asks.

“No, I just came over for hugs. Your daddy already grabbed me something,” she replies, waving him off. “And to see how the flower delivery went. I wasn’t sure if Kitty would cause any trouble. Between us Kellers, I should have offered to do the bouquets and centerpieces myself.”

“She was her normal self,” Willa says, not bothering to correct my mother in referring to our whole group as Kellers. Another pang hits me, wanting to make that a reality. “But nothing we can’t handle.”

“Good. Well, I’m gonna get back to your daddy and Pops. I left them with Auggie and Ken, which means this could go a lot of ways. You four behave.”

She turns to go but then stops, spinning back around. Pointing to each one of us individually, she gives us a staredown that only a southern mama can.