“Now,” Mom says, clapping her hands together, “all that’s left is the honeymoon cabin.” A slight blush coats her cheeks, which makes me grin.
“Wh-What about it?” Aurora stammers.
I chance a glance at Lena, and she’s smirking. After raising five boys, nothing fazes her. My smile grows as I prepare to embarrass both my mom and my sister. “I’ll take care of the condoms and lube,” I say, writing said items on my notebook, giving it all of my attention.
“Aspen!” Mom gasps.
I hear laughter and look up to find Lena with one hand clamped over her mouth and the other holding her stomach as her amusement shakes her entire body.
“You doing all right there, Momma Riggins?” I wink.
“I-I’m sorry,” she sputters. “I just—” She shakes her head, taking a deep breath. “I was just thinking that if any of the boys were here, that’s exactly what they would have said.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment. However, my main goal was to embarrass these two.” I point over to Mom and Aurora, and both of their cheeks are rosy, making me feel as though I did my job effectively. “But in all seriousness, I’ll take care of the honeymoon cabin as well.”
“Are you sure?” Aurora asks. “You’re already driving up early.”
“Positive. It’s just down the road, right?” I look to Lena for confirmation.
“Yes. Some friends of ours. It’s about a mile up the road.”
“Easy peasy,” I tell them. “I’ve got this. Aurora, make me a list, and I’ll text Grant as well to make sure all of his demands are also met.”
“Demands?” Aurora chuckles. “It’s not prison.”
“No, but your future husband may have plans for you.” I wag my eyebrows, and instead of blushing, she throws her head back in laughter. “I hope so.” The blush comes with her words, making me laugh just as hard.
“Aurora!” Mom scolds.
“She started it.” Aurora points at me with wide eyes.
Mom looks over at Lena. “I apologize for my daughters. I raised them better than this.”
Lena waves her off. “You’ve met my sons.”
“Okay, ladies. I think we have a plan. Aurora, anything else you can think of?” Mom asks.
“No.” Aurora shakes her head.
“Perfect. In two weeks, you’re going to have the wedding of your dreams, and you’ll be Mrs. Grant Riggins.” Mom’s grin is infectious.
“Finally,” Lena says dramatically, sitting back in her seat. “Three down and two to go.”
“In a hurry to marry them off, are ya?” I ask her.
“I want more grandbabies. A house full. I also want my sons to meet the loves of their lives. I want them to know how it feels to have that one person, your soul mate, to navigate life with. I just need Conrad and Marshall to find their magic.”
“The magic,” I repeat her words. These Riggins sure do believe in the hype of the magic of finding love.
“Well, I need to get back to the house. Layla is supposed to be dropping Carter off for some mamaw and papaw time.” The smile on Lena’s face is one filled with love for her grandson.
“I want one of those,” Mom tells Aurora.
“Give me time to get down the aisle, and I’ll see what I can do.”
What Aurora doesn’t tell our mother is that she and Grant are also ready to start a family. If Grant had his way, they would already be pregnant or at least trying. Seeing the light that he brings to my sister’s eyes after the hell she’s been through is a welcome sight. Grant brought her back to life, and I’ll forever be grateful to him for it.
After a round of hugs for Mom and Lena, I stand to go as well. “You’re leaving?” Aurora asks.
“Yeah. Grant will be here soon, and I don’t need to be here for all that.” I pretend to gag, and she pushes at my arm.
“Stop. We’re not that bad.”
“I know. I’m just giving you a hard time. I need to get some laundry done, and I’m going to get a head start on packing since I’m leaving earlier than everyone else.”
“Are you sure you’re okay with that? Driving there and staying on that mountain all alone?”
“Rory, it’s the Smoky Mountains, and there is civilization just down the road, and at the bottom of the mountain. It’s not like I’m going to no man’s land.”
“I know, but I just worry about you.”
“I’ll be fine, big sister. You just worry about keeping yourself stress-free for this wedding.”
“I love you, Aspen.” Her voice cracks.
“I love you too. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“See you.”
“Do you have your cell charger?” Aurora asks.
“Yes, Mom.” I fight the urge to roll my eyes.
“And you have cash on hand, right?” The look on her face tells me that she’s going through her mental checklist.
“Aurora, it’s a three-and-a-half-hour drive. I’m not driving across the country,” I remind her.
“Hush. I just worry. You’re doing this for me.” She shrugs like that explains her constant nagging questions she’s been giving me all morning.
“I’ll be fine. I’ll call you when I get there. I have my phone charger, plus my phone is fully charged. I have the address in my GPS and the printed direction you gave me just in case I lose reception.”
“I packed a cooler of drinks and snacks. It’s already in the passenger seat of your SUV.”
“Thank you.” I don’t remind her again that the drive is only a few hours. She’s entitled to a little obsessive-compulsive tendency. She is getting married in six days.
“And my dress is hanging up in the back seat.”
“I’ll take good care of it.”
“I know you will. Aspen, I can’t thank you enough for this. Knowing that you’re going to be there to handle everything is a huge stress relief for me.”
“A few days in the mountains on my own isn’t a hardship. I have my e-reader full of new books, and to be honest, I’m looking forward to sleeping in for a few days in a row.”
“Me too,” she agrees. “Okay. Drive safe. I love you and can’t thank you enough.”
“I will. I love you too, and when the day comes that I get married and become full of nervous energy, you can repay me the favor.”
“I’m not full of nervous energy,” she denies as she rubs her hands together.
Reaching out, I place my hands over hers. “Breathe, Aurora.” It’s then that I wonder if it’s really just nervous energy. “Are you having second thoughts?”
“What? No. Never. I love him, and I can’t wait to be his wife. I just— I want it all to be perfect.”
“Perfect is overrated,” I tell her. “Just roll with it. I promise you it’s all going to turn out the way that it’s supposed to. Now, I’m going to get on the road. I’ll call you when I get there.” We both move to step outside, and I pull my coat tight around me. I’ll be taking it off as soon as I get in the car. I don’t want to drive all that way feeling like a snowman.