Authors: Sandi Perry
"This
is
Annabelle
and
her
husband
Chase,"
Alex
said.
She
smiled
and
nodded
as
a
headache
began
to
form.
"Over
here
are
Mirabelle
and
Wade,
Sara
Belle
and
Beauford,
and
rounding
it
out
are
Bella
Sue
and
Brett."
There
were
varying
reactions
to
her
being
there,
ranging
from
warm
acceptance
to
downright
suspicion.
Allison
was
unprepared
for
Alex's
response,
which
was
for
him
to
take
her
around
by
the
waist
and
declare
in
a
loud
voice.
"And
I
expect
you
all
to
make
Allison
feel
the
full
heft
of
your
southern
charm.
Be
sure
and
keep
your
fangs
retracted
throughout
today's
festivities—or
y'all
will
have
me
to
answer
to."
Allison
turned
to
look
at
him,
so
touched
was
she
by
his
protectiveness.
She
took
in
his
strong
profile,
the
uncharacteristic
force
of
his
words
and
said,
"Thank
you,
Alex.
I'm
sure
there's
no
need
to
resort
to
threats.
Right?"
She
said
that
last
word
as
she
looked
out
onto
the
hushed
group.
They
all
seemed
to
rouse
from
their
silence
at
the
same
minute
and
shouts
of
"A
pleasure
to
meet
you!
How
do
you
know
Alex?
You're
so
lovely!"
wafted
over
her
in
a
hurried
acceptance.
She
did
her
best
to
respond
and
noticed
that
at
one
point
Alex
had
slipped
away.
She
wasn't
pleased
to
be
left
alone
in
a
bayou
full
of
gators
masquerading
as
his
family.
She
spotted
him
off
to
the
back
of
the
yard,
organizing
the
older
children
in
a
touch
football
game
and
excused
herself,
walking
over
to
the
white-wicker
gazebo
at
the
end
of
the
yard
to
take
a
rest
and
watch
him
interact
with
the
children.
They
seemed
to
be
enamored
of
him.
She
knew
he
was
a
novelty
because
he
didn't
get
back
home
often,
but
the
relationship
appeared
to
be
genuine
and
warm.
She
envied
his
ease
with
children.
She
generally
froze
around
kids;
she
never
knew
what
to
talk
them
about
or
which
activities
were
age-appropriate.
Alex
had
the
kids
arranged
in
teams.
She
had
to
stifle
a
laugh;
he
seemed
to
be
taking
the
game
very
seriously.
He
had
a
whistle
clamped
between
his
teeth
as
he
gesticulated
wildly
at
the
ad
hoc
group.
If
he
weren't
head
and
shoulders
above
them,
she
would
have
mistaken
him
for
one
of
the
kids.
Allison
closed
her
eyes
to
take
in
the
last
rays
of
sunshine.
Even
the
birds
chirped
greedily,
as
if
aware
that
this
unusually
warm
day
of
Indian
summer
was
about
to
end.
She
sensed
someone
coming
up
from
behind
and
opened
her
eyes
in
enough
time
to
see
Wade
step
in
to
sit
across
from
her
on
the
opposite
bench.
"Hey,"
he
said.
"Hi."
He
gestured
with
his
head
at
the
sisters
all
gathered,
setting
the
table
for
dinner,
"It
can
be
overwhelming."
"And
very
beautiful,"
she
smiled.
"From
a
distance,
yes,"
Wade
replied.
"When
I
go
out
to
eat,
I
make
it
a
point
never
to
look
in
the
kitchen,"
Allison
said.
"Is
that
because
you
don't
care
what
goes
on
behind
the
scenes;
or
you
care
so
much,
you'd
never
eat
out
again?"
"The
latter—most
things
don't
fare
well
under
a
microscope,"
she
said.
"So,
after
this
birthday
party,
I'd
say
the
odds
would
be
pretty
strong
you'd
hightail
it
out
of
here
and
never
come
back,"
Wade
laughed.
"You
see
Annabelle
and
Chase
over
there?
That
was
a
shotgun
wedding.
Annabelle
was
pregnant
with
Seth;
he's
playing
quarterback,
right
now."
Allison
followed
his
head
as
it
swiveled
from
Annabelle
to
Seth,
tall
and
awkward,
throwing
the
ball
on
the
other
end
of
the
backyard.
"Chase
and
my
father-in-law
barely
talk.
Chase
resents
that
he
was
forced
into
marriage,
and
Horatio
resents
that
he
couldn't
keep
it
in
his
pants.
Apparently
Chase
still
has
a
hard
time
keeping
it
in
his
pants—they
have
five
kids."
Allison's
eyes
went
wide,
"They
seem
happy,
though."
Wade
shrugged.
"Sara
Belle
and
Beauford
separated
a
year
ago
because
they
were
having
some
financial
difficulties,
and
Beau
started
hitting
the
bottle
again."