“You’re gorgeous!” Pilar said.
“Stunning!” said Kitty.
“My brother is in so much trouble,” Mimi said, laughing as she shook her head. “I wish I could be a fly on the wall when sees you in that dress.”
The back of Sarah’s eyeballs stung. This time, she didn’t bother to hide her tears. “I don’t know how I can ever thank you all.” She went around the room giving out hugs to all the women.
“Thank us by having a wonderful time,” Pilar said
Lauren got an extra-long hug. “And I have no idea how I’m ever going to repay you. Anytime you want a home-cooked meal all you have to do is ask.”
Lauren had a funny look on her face when she stepped back from the hug. “Um, I guess you can repay me now by going to get my husband because I think my water just broke.”
* * *
“That’s the second Bunco baby we’ve had in the past year and a half,” Pilar said, a few hours later. “We definitely need to get our dice checked out.”
“But we weren’t actually playing,” Mimi said, “Not like when Kitty went into labor during couples Bunco last year, so we can’t blame it on the dice.”
“True,” Shea mused.
For the most part, the group had dispersed after Nate and Lauren had left for the hospital in Panama City, but Sarah had stayed at the house with Shea and Mimi and Pilar until all the parents had come to pick up the boys. Tom and Allie had taken Henry to the hospital so that he could see his new baby brother, Daniel, named after Lauren’s daddy, who suffered from Alzheimer’s Disease. But according to Nate, who’d called to update them, Dan Handy had seemed aware and extremely pleased to have his second grandson named after him.
“I’d say tonight went pretty damn well,” Pilar said. “Lauren and Nate have a healthy baby boy and Sarah is all ready for the big wedding. Well done, ladies!” They all high-fived one another.
Mimi walked Sarah out to her car and helped her load the carefully packed dress and shoes into the back seat. “Have fun in Atlanta.”
“Thanks. It’ll be good to get away for a couple of days.”
“Hey, Sarah?” Mimi said. “Give my brother a chance, okay?”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s great and of course I love him to death, but he’s not the most evolved guy on the planet.”
Sarah laughed. “Tell me something I don’t know.”
Mimi didn’t laugh back. “I know it looks as if he’s king of the world, but…” She shook her head. “I’m probably not making any sense here, except to say that permanently breaking off with Victoria was the best thing that could have ever happened to him.”
“But I thought you all loved Victoria.”
“Not all of us. Don’t get me wrong, Victoria’s great. On paper. But I never thought she was right for Luke. It was my mom who was pushing that. Frankly, I think you’re the perfect woman for my brother.”
“Me?”
“I’ve never seen him look happier, and that has absolutely nothing to do with fishing and everything to do with you.”
Sarah hesitated, not sure how much she should tell Mimi about her relationship with Luke. Mimi was Luke’s sister, which made things awkward, but she was also Sarah’s friend, so she decided to be frank.
“You’ve probably guessed by now that Luke and I are sleeping together, but neither of us has any expectations that this relationship will last past next week. We’re friends and I like him a lot and he feels the same about me. But that’s it. I really don’t expect to see him again after I leave town.”
Mimi looked crestfallen. “Oh, I’d hoped, well, it’s no secret that I’d hoped it would be more.”
“He’s not looking for love and marriage and neither am I. Your brother and I had that conversation up-front and we’re totally on the same page.”
Mimi looked as if she didn’t believe it. “I hope you’re right about that because I like you a lot, Sarah, but if you do anything to hurt my brother…” She shrugged, then reached out and gave Sarah a hug. “Have fun. Take lots of pictures.”
Sarah got in her car, a little shaken up by that last part. It must be the pregnancy hormones making Mimi say things that were flat-out crazy.