“Are you fuckin’ kidding me?” I seethe and run toward him.
He laughs like a maniac, shooting water into the air and still somehow hits me.
Maize, Kaitlyn, Knox, Riley, Rowan, Ethan, and Kenzie join in on the attack. That’s when I notice they’re wet too. Dad’s laughing so hard he trips on unlevel ground, and before any of us notices, Grandma Bishop comes from around the B&B. She’s holding the water hose nozzle right at Dad.
“Put ’em up,” she demands like she’s holding him at gunpoint. Dad cocks the Super Soaker and points it right at her.
“Jackson Joel Bishop, you won’t live to regret pulling that trigger if you do.”
The family bursts into “Ooohs” as Grandma and Dad have a full stand down. I cross my arms and watch what’s about to unfold. Dad soaks Grandma’s red toenails with water, and then she lays into him with the hose until he runs away. We laugh so hard that I can barely catch my breath. Looking like I pissed myself for the next hour was worth it. Grandma drops the nozzle like a mic and grins wide.
“Way to go!” I tell her, holding my hand up for a high five. She slams hers into mine.
“Sometimes, you gotta play dirty.”
“Thanks, Grandma,” Kaitlyn says. “He probably would’ve gotten us all if you hadn't stopped him.”
She shakes her head. “I raised him better than that.”
“You showed him who’s boss,” Knox says, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.
She nods. “That’s right. Never forget it. Now, y’all make sure to eat plenty. There’s enough to feed an army.”
Uncle John and Uncle Alex are busy grilling hamburgers and hot dogs. The hearty scents float through the air and my stomach growls. I wait at the end of the line, where Hadleigh and Knox join me.
“Where’s Hendrix?” I ask. Hadleigh points at my mom, who’s holding him under the tent.
“She won’t let me take him.” Hadleigh chuckles. “I’m not complainin’, though. He’s gettin’ heavy.” She quickly changes the subject. “Where’s Raelyn? Is she comin’?”
I glance at Knox. “You didn’t tell her?”
“Ain’t my business,” he admits.
“Tell me what?” Hadleigh looks back and forth between us.
I lower my voice and fill her in on what I told Knox earlier.
Hadleigh’s brow furrows. “I can’t believe that. Wow. Honestly, though, her loss.”
“That’s what I said, in a roundabout way,” Knox says, then adds, “Actually, I said, fuck her.”
“I appreciate it, but I’m not that upset. Guess deep down I knew she wasn’t the one for me.”
“Everything happens for a reason,” Hadleigh reminds me. As the conversation comes to a lull, the line starts moving. I grab a plate and some buns, then my uncles load me up with meat.
We find an empty table and chairs under the canopy and sit. Just as I shove a hot dog with extra mustard in my mouth, Ivy walks toward us, and I nearly choke.
“You okay?” Knox asks.
“Yeah, just went down the wrong way.” I sip my punch to try to coat my throat. Ivy looks as if she’s gliding across the grass wearing a tank top, cut-off shorts, leather boots, and a cowboy hat to top it off. I’m at a loss for words by how damn gorgeous she is without even trying. Her hair up in pigtails is enough to nearly break me.
“Hads!” Ivy says, sliding down beside me.
“You made it.” Hadleigh grins wide. “Go grab some food. There’s plenty.”
“Good idea,” she says and gets up.
“So when did your sister grow up?” Knox asks. “Did that happen overnight?”
Hadleigh snickers. “Basically. Makes me even more worried about her. Eventually, some man is gonna break her heart, and I’ll have to go all psycho big sister.”
“You never know. She might meet the person she’s supposed to spend the rest of her life with right off the bat,” I tell her.
“Maybe. She’s just too cute for her own good.” Hadleigh takes a big bite of her burger.
When Ivy returns, she plops down next to me and takes off her purse that she had slung around her body. She smells amazing, almost good enough to eat.
Before I can start any sort of conversation, Harper comes over with a wide smile.
“Ivy!” She leans over and gives her a side hug. “Glad you decided to come after all.”
She playfully narrows her eyes at her. “It’s only because you and Hadleigh literally threatened me.”
“Whatever will get your nose out of a book for a day,” Harper quips, squeezing her shoulder. “Gotta give those eyes and ears a rest and live a little.”
“But a fantasy world is so much better.” She glances at me with a seductive expression, then focuses back on her food.
Did she just eye-fuck me? No. I must be delusional.
“Well, I’ll let ya get back to eatin’. Don’t forget to try the tres leches cake. It’s to die for.”
“Oh, I won’t,” Ivy says before Harper walks away. “So what’s been goin’ on so far?”