Page 116 of Choosing Us

“And Ryan is Jack’s brother?”

I huff and look up at the ceiling, counting to five internally before I respond.

“Yes.”

Two points to me for not saying what I wanted to.

“And does Jack live in Forrest Falls as well?”

“Mother, I am not marrying Jack. Jack is in a committed relationship, and I love them as a couple and as members of my soon-to-be family. I am marrying Ryan. He is amazing, and this is where it would be appropriate for you to be happy for me.” I stomp my foot—grateful no one else could see my childish action. So much for my two points.

“Appropriate would be you marrying someone your father and I matched you with, but we will have to deal with the cards we’ve been dealt. I can start calling a few wedding planners I know and have them looking into venues. Is Ryan religious or would he be open to a wedding at The Plaza?”

She’s still not listening to me. “That’s not necessary. I’m not getting married in New York.”

“Excuse me? Of course, you will be getting married in New York. We can’t expect guests to travel to some small town—unless you want to have it on a private island. I could get behind that, but it would need to be the right island. A beach wedding would help incentivize you to get in shape if there would be a strapless gown, nothing crazy, maybe just twenty or thirty pounds to help you look your best.”

“Mother. No.”

“No? No to what, exactly?”

“All of it.”

“Harlow, if you expect your father and I to pay for the wedding of your dreams, then there will be stipulations and expectations,” she huffs.

“I understand that, and I appreciate the offer, but no. No to The Plaza or private island, no to the huge guest list and people I don’t even know being at my wedding, and no to you telling me what I have to do for my own wedding, especially when you're more concerned about who his brother is instead of the man I am actually marrying. No.” My hands are vibrating, and I clench my hand into a fist to try and stop the shaking.

“If you are going to throw a tantrum over basic requests, then you are even more of a bridezilla than I thought possible with your attitude. We will have a say in things or your father and I will not be there, Harlow.”

“Then that’s your choice.”

“Excuse me?”

“If you can’t choose to support me, then you can choose not to be present. That’s up to you.”

“Harlow, honey, can you give me a hand please and grab the strawberries and blueberries out of the fridge?” Savannah’s voice pulls me back to the present. I nod and move to Murphy’s massive refrigerator to hunt for the berries Savannah needs to add to the fruit salad she is now working on.

“Is your dad’s fridge always this full?” I locate the berries, but not without having to dig a little.

“Today is a bit more because of the party, of course, and since they added the fridges in the barn, it helps for big get-togethers. But yes, he is usually stocked in case we pop by—and I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but there’s a lot of us.” Savannah winks with a grin.

I return the smile. “I have noticed, and I think it’s awesome.”

“Yeah?” Savannah’s smile grows. “That’s great, because we are super excited to officially add you to our family. Countdown is, what, just under three months to go? How’s that all going?”

I pick up a paring knife and start dicing berries next to her.

“Something like that. I think we are just going to keep it pretty simple. If the weather cooperates, we will have it in the field behind the barn, but if it rains, I love that the backup plan is literally feet away.”

“We can get bistro lights to make the entire interior look like a fairy wonderland. If you want, of course, it’s up to you, and I don’t want to overstep. But please know that Viv and I would love to help in any way we can.”

“Hey now, what am I chopped liver? I want to help too!” Tinsley’s voice startles me as she and Jack walk in from the mudroom. “Wedding talk? I love wedding talk! Jack … I love you too. Now, go away, so I can hang with my girls.” Tinsley hops up on a stool at the kitchen island and blows a kiss to Jack.

“Sounds good, baby. Hi, ladies. Happy Fourth of July,” Jack says as he walks over to Tinsley and kisses her cheek before going out back to join the growing crowd.

“Hey, girl. I wasn’t sure if you would make it today with rehearsals,” Savannah says to Tinsley, who nods as she reaches over and grabs a strawberry to pop in her mouth.

Tinsley’s Freedom Tour will officially kick off in Nashville a few days after our wedding, and from what she’s shared about it so far, I don’t expect we will see much of her until her brief holiday break before she heads back out on tour. This tour is special—and incredibly personal for her.