Ember looked between Monica and Georgia. “You guys haven’t met before.”
Monica rolled her eyes. “Jesus, Ember, do you think I’d trust my best friend around any old female? Hell no. I got to the bottom of that shit, and quick. Georgia and I have been chatting for a while …”
As the girls walked toward the lake in a cackle of giggles and erratic hand motions, Monica looked over her shoulder and gave me a wink. When they disappeared out of sight, I turned to Regan, who looked as shellshocked as I felt.
“What was that?” I asked.
“This is what I gathered when I picked them up from the airport.” He took a comically deep breath while he looked to the sky. “Apparently, once you talked to Monica about discussing the engagement with Georgia, Monica looked up the bakery phone number and gave Georgia a thorough interrogation regarding her friendship credentials.”
I scrunched my nose. “How’d Georgia handle that one?”
“Well, apparently she told Monica to back the fuck off, and Monica told her that she passed the test. They both laughed, and that was that.”
“Okay,” I sat down at the nearest picnic table, “that doesn’t explain how they both ended up here at the same time.”
Regan sat next to me. “Oh, right. Well, once I got the story on everything the other day with Ember, I called Georgia. She’s my girlfriend, I get to tell her stuff.”
“Of course.”
“Apparently, then, Georgia called Monica to make sure she knew what was going on, because they both know that Ember can be oddly reserved. Even with people she loves.”
I nodded in approval. “Score one for Georgia.”
“Right? Anyway, I guess since Monica had already talked to you and Ember, they knew what was going on …” Regan looked up reluctantly.
“What …”
“See … Monica told Georgia that she thinks you’re going to marry Ember like asap. Maybe even before Napa. And I couldn’t deny it, even though I don’t know what the hell is going on ever, so Georgia told me she wasn’t missing any of this for the world, the girls arranged their flights and … well … here we are.” He gave an overstated, toothy smile at the end of his sentence.
I leaned forward and put my head in my hands. “Can Georgia keep a secret?” I realized how ridiculous the question was right when it came out of my mouth.
“Dude …”
“Dumb question, I know … None of this is going to happen until I can: A. Get Ember on speaking terms with her dad again, B. I ask him for permission to marry her. According to Monica I can’t do till right before because he can’t keep a secret. Which, by the way is the most ironic statement of the year, and C. Ember has to say yes and go through with it.” I wiped my hands over my shorts a million times, but couldn’t dry them as panic rose.
“Let’s, uh, slow it down … shall we?” Regan left the table and ran into one of the RVs, returning with two miraculously chilled bottles of beer.
I took a few large gulps and sighed my relief. “Thanks, man. Sorry.”
“We know she’s going to say yes. We know her dad is going to say yes. One of them is ordained, right?”
“One of who?”
“The Six. Isn’t Journey ordained?”
I pulled my eyebrows in. “How the hell do you know that?”
“I was trapped in an RV with them the other day, remember? I know more than I’ll ever repeat, dude.” He lifted his eyes to the sky and shook his head with a comical grin on his face.
“The only problem with involving her is it’s one more person who needs to keep it a secret—” I cut myself off and stood, slapping Regan upside his head.
Regan ducked back and put his hand to his head. “What the hell, bro?”
“I’ve got it!” My heart raced as I formed the plan in my head. “Tonight. It’s happening tonight. Text Georgia, tell her to keep them all away until its dark. Like … stars out, dark.”
Regan pulled his cell from his pocket and typed out a quick text. “Done.”
As if I needed more proof that what I was doing was right in the perfect time, Journey, and the rest of The Six returned from their hike.
“Bo? What’s up? You look … hyper.” Raven studied me curiously.
I took a deep breath, looked to Regan who gave me a thumbs up, then I addressed the group.
“Journey, we need to talk. Walk with me?”
Ember
“Guys, come on, we’ve been out all day. Can we please go back now.” After a full afternoon in the sun with Georgia and Monica, including drinks on the pier, I was exhausted.
“I guess, but I’ve never been here before. Cut me some slack.” Monica looped her arm through mine as we made our way through the streets heading back to the campground.
Georgia was on my other side, and I linked arms with her, too. She shot me a surprised look, then took a step closer to me as we continued our walk.
When Georgia spoke, her voice was softer around the edges than I was used to. “Thanks for including me.”