“Yes, of course. We’ve grown close and I want to include you, Rebekah.”
“Yes! I’d love to.” We both stand and give each other a hug. When she sits back down, Bronx pulls her into his arms.
“My turn,” Josh says. “Bronx, you and I may never be best friends, but you care for my wife and were there to make sure I saw the bigger picture. What do you say, are you up for being a groomsman?”
Bronx smiles so bright you’d think it’s Christmas. “Yeah, man, I’m totally in.” The guys don’t hug, but they shake and clap hands and that seems to be enough for them.
“I’m going to start cooking,” Josh says, taking the guys with him. I like that he’s left Rebekah and me alone, because it gives us a chance to talk.
“So, how did Jules take the news?”
I shake my head. “I don’t know. I half expected her to call Josh and claim the test was wrong, but she hasn’t.”
“That doesn’t mean she won’t.”
“I know, and that’s what I’m afraid of. What if she shows up during filming or somehow finds out the location of the wedding?”
“I won’t let her ruin your wedding, Joey, don’t worry.”
I smile, knowing that I’ve found a friend for life in Rebekah.
“Crap, I’ll be right back,” I say when I hear the house phone ring. Josh and I thought about only using our cell phones, but we turn them off when we’re home and I didn’t want my parents not to be able to get a hold of us.
“Hello?”
“Mrs. Wilson, this is AJ from security. There’s a woman here named Nina Springer.”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t know her. Please tell her we’re not interested.” I can hear AJ in the background talking to the woman. She’s screeching and sounds very flamboyant.
“Ma’am, she says that she’s Mr. Wilson’s mother.”
“I’m sorry, what?”
AJ repeats himself and she gets louder. “Um, hold on.” After setting the phone down, I make my way back outside. Josh and the guys are laughing near the grill, enjoying themselves and drinking beer.
We’ve talked about his parents, but never discussed having them at the house or even introducing me. He doesn’t like them and feels they’re going to taint our marriage. He’s trying to be better.
He is better.
“Hey, babe,” I say loud enough for him to hear me from the house.
“’Sup?” Turning, he gives me his million-dollar-panty-dropping smile.
“A woman, Nina Springer, is at the gate. She’s claiming to be your mother.”
Josh’s face drops, along with his bottle of beer. The glass shatters as the beer coats the patio and I immediately know that our drama is far from over.
I know Joey is standing there, watching me—along with Rob, Bronx, and now Rebekah—but I can’t move. Today is supposed to be a good day … no a great day, and yet the name that fell from my wife’s lips has the power to ruin it all.
“Babe,” Joey says again. I shake my head to bring myself back to reality. “The phone.” She points over her shoulder toward the house and, more specifically, the table where we put our keys and where, currently, the house phone which has my mother waiting on the other end, is sitting patiently.
Swallowing hard, I look at Rob and Bronx for advice even though they have nothing to say. The only one here who has even come close to meeting my mother is Rob and I saved him from that agony.
“Babe,” Joey says again, but this time she’s tugging on my shirt. “Is that your mom?”
Letting out a huge breath, I run my hand through my hair. “Yeah it is, but I haven’t told her where we live. I don’t know how she found us.”
“Okay, well she’s on the phone. What do you want me to tell security?”