Page 130 of Feels Like Home

“Seriously can’t believe Raya wasn’t micromanaging every detail,” Eloise says with a wink.

Raya shrugs. “I’m actually kind of shocked about that myself. But Hattie kept me in the loop every step of the way. Honestly, I just want to be married already.”

“Finn does too, but I think for different reasons than you,” Boone says, inserting himself in the conversation.

“Boone, I swear!” I roll my eyes, but Raya’s laughing, and Boone puts Finn in a headlock.

“I’m sure I won’t be the last person to apologize for my brothers,” I say with a pronounced sigh.

“It’s okay, Hattie.” Poppy turns to Boone with a wry grin. “We know how to handle the less intelligent species.”

We all react to the insult, the guys feigning offense, the women laughing. Poppy smirks, then adds, “I’m just kidding!”

“Raya, I think your family’s gonna fit right in,” I say with a laugh.

Momma ushers us all to the tables set up in the backyard, and we indulge in a huge breakfast buffet, complete with pancakes, eggs, sausage, bacon, and homemade cinnamon rolls. We chat about the wedding, about the lodge, about the projects we’ve done to get the ranch ready. We also talk about hockey, about their season, their team, and how shockingly similar the personalities of hockey players and bull riders are.

I notice the way the Hart sisters take turns signing, keeping their dad, Mick, in the loop, and it makes me think how nice it is that Finn is marrying into a family that seems to be just as close as ours.

I tell them about the arch Noble built, and casually slip in the fact that I’ve decided to quit my job.

Pop looks up, a little surprised, but when he winks at me, I hear all the things he’s not saying out loud. He believes I’ll figure it out, so I believe it too.

Once we’re done eating, he and Quent head off toward the stables, while West and Hudson drive to town to pick up the flowers so we can put together bouquets before the rehearsal dinner.

“All right, Hattie,” Finn says after we’ve cleaned everything up. “Tour time.”

I clap my hands together, ready to play guide, and it hits me again that this is it. It’s time to wow them all. To share the fruit of so much labor and hope it wildly exceeds their expectations.

Raya’s parents hang back to get settled in the main house with Momma, and the rest of us pile into our vehicles. Rowena and Boone hop in the back of Noble’s truck, while the Chicago crew get back in their rental cars.

We lead them out to the reception barn first, and my siblings get out, but I don’t move. I look at Noble. “Why am I nervous all of the sudden?”

“Because this is a really big deal.” He puts the truck in park, and turns off the engine. “You know they’re going to love it.”

I smile and nod. “Let’s find out!”

We meet them in the yard outside the barn, and I push open the oversized doors. “Yesterday, we set up all the tables and chairs using the seating chart you sent, but know you can put it in any configuration you want.”

The head table is set up at the edge of an area designated for dancing, and there are long, rustic tables positioned around the other three sides. The wedding is smaller than I would’ve expected for the most outgoing of the Holbrook siblings, but Finn and Raya wanted an intimate affair—not one that felt like a production.

“Oh, and—” I look at Noble and nod, and he plugs in the white string lights. “There’s that too.”

“Hattie and her twinkle lights,” Rowe says. “They’re all over the property now.”

“You’re welcome,” Boone calls out, and I smile a thank you because I definitely couldn’t have hung so many string lights without him.

Raya steps out onto the dance floor and turns a slow circle. “It’s perfect.”

“So beautiful,” Poppy agrees. She walks over and puts an arm around Raya. “I can’t believe you’re getting married.”

“On a ranch.” Eloise joins them. “Who are you?”

They all laugh, and even though I’m still getting to know my future sister-in-law, I understand. Raya carries herself with a kind of elegance that almost makes her intimidating, but to hear her sisters tell it, my little brother has loosened her up a lot.

Last time we talked, she even mentioned that one day, down the road, they might move out here.

“Finn misses it so much,” she’d said. “And I’d be up for a new adventure.”