Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 79433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Taking the salad from my hands, my mother calmly said, “Don’t take it out on the food, son. And who cares what they think?”
“I do, Mom. That’s my future wife.”
“Is Adelaide upset?” Dad asked.
“I haven’t spoken to her about it. Since I just read the thing, and she didn’t text me about it earlier, I’m not sure if she’s seen it yet. There isn’t normally a gossip column in Saturday’s Chronicle.”
My father let out a bark of laughter. “Please, everyone is waiting with bated breath these days for that newspaper to show up. I think the only reason people still subscribe to the damn thing is because of that gossip column. Paper would be smart to make it a daily column.”
“We have to find out who it is. Why do they care about my love life so much?” Brody asked. I swore, he was almost pouting.
“At least now we know you’re the front-runner for Catch of the Season,” I said.
He shot me a dirty look. “Thanks for the reminder, Gannon. Why weren’t you on the list this year again?”
“I was for a bit, but then they removed me, remember? I’m with Addie now, so not so much of a catch anymore. Besides, I won last year.”
My mother clasped her hands to her heart and sighed dramatically. “It’s nice to know how loved my two boys are. It’s all those manners you were raised with.”
Dad shook his head. “It’s the looks, Janet. You can thank me for that, boys.”
Cocking her head at my father, Mom shot him a look that should have knocked him to the floor. “Excuse me? I do believe my DNA is floating around in there as well. I had a hand in their good looks, too, Mr. Wilson.”
Reaching for Mom’s hand, Dad kissed the back of it. “Of course you did, sweetheart. But look at them. They’re spitting images of me.”
They both turned and looked at us. Brody did look almost identical to my father. But I favored my mother. She’d been a Seaside Beach beauty queen back in the day.
“Are we really having this conversation right now?” Brody asked. “I’m still reeling over the fact that Dad kicked everyone’s ass in golf last weekend.
Dad smirked. “Keegan is, as well.”
With a shake of my head, I looked at my mother. “Can you ask around quietly and find out who’s writing that damn column?”
She laughed. “Please. That information is locked up tight. Only Mike Tilson knows who it is, and he isn’t saying.”
Brody looked at me. “Harlee works for her dad. Ask her.”
“She doesn’t know who it is, either,” I replied before I took a bite of the homemade sourdough bread Mom had made earlier.
“It doesn’t bother Mike that they talk about his daughter at times?” Mom asked my dad.
“It appears not. Last time I had lunch with Mike, he said the column was becoming really popular. People were asking for more of it.”
“Maybe once Addie and I get married, they’ll leave us alone. I mean, if we’re the only news in Seaside worth talking about, then that’s pretty sad.”
“Everyone adores a good love story, sweetheart,” Mom said with a smile. “Speaking of which, did you ask Pete about holding the rehearsal dinner at his restaurant?”
“I did,” Brody said. “I told Gannon and Adelaide I’d take care of that for them.”
“And you both got your tuxedos?”
“Yep,” Brody and I said at the same time.
Smiling, our mother nodded. “Good. Barbara and I are meeting Adelaide and Harlee at the florist tomorrow.”
“Who knew there was so much planning involved in a wedding,” I stated. “It doesn’t help that it’s such short notice.”
“No, it certainly does not,” Mom agreed. “But the main things are taken care of. The venue. The dress. The food.”
“The entertainment,” Brody piped in.
“Yes,” Mom said with a wink at my brother. “The entertainment that was left up to you and Braxton.” She looked at Dad and mumbled, “God help us all with that one.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “I don’t care about any of that. I just want to marry Addie.”
Mom reached for my hand and squeezed. “And in less than two months, you will!”
My stomach did a little nervous dip at the idea that I’d be marrying the love of my life in just a few weeks. Hell, Adelaide had barely been back in Seaside for two months, but it felt like longer. We spent nearly every moment we could together when I wasn’t working.
“When does Adelaide start her new job?” Dad asked.
“I think Dr. Bryan is moving to Seaside next month,” I said. “Addie starts next week, so she can help with the transition and get things set up the way Dr. Bryan likes it.”
“I heard he has a little boy,” Mom said.
“He does. Charlie. He’s five.”
“No wife?” Brody asked.
“No, divorced. And it doesn’t sound like she’s really in the picture. Anyway, Addie said he had some concerns about the fact that she’s moving out of patient care, wondered if she’d truly be happy doing this new job. She told him this is what she wants for now, though she wouldn’t mind dipping her toe back into patient care if necessary. She’ll make an amazing office manager.”