I open her door, both of us frowning. A redhead waves, “Hi Emma!”
“Hi Lexi,” she calls back, taking my hand and muttering privately to me. “What’s going on?”
“We’re about to find out.”
She pauses and takes both my hands. “We don’t have to. Do you want to just keep driving?”
“Not a chance. Come on.”
We make our way up the path to the open door. It’s a beautiful home, feels like Georgia to me. Dogwood trees dot the landscape, nothing out of place but nothing too perfect either. “So this is where your father and his brothers were raised?” I ask, eyeing the second story. “How many bedrooms?”
“Eight. But one is Grandpa Michael’s office, always has been.”
We walk inside, a large living room to our left, staircase just beyond that. As we pass it I spot framed photographs of the Cocker Brothers as boys then teenagers. Emma stops and points at her father on a pony. “That’s Dad.”
I snort, “Looks like he wants to beat up the photographer.”
“He tried to!”
On a laugh I mutter, “Can’t blame him. That hat is embarrassing.”
“Emma!” Nancy Cocker beams, rushing from the kitchen with both arms out. “You made it!”
My fiancé flicks a glance to me as I start to realize what’s going on. She escapes into the hug. “Hi Grandma! Please help me, Tanner’s just figuring out this is a Family BBQ.”
Nancy’s warm brown eyes, heavy with laugh lines, widen as she turns to meet me for the first time. “Oh Tanner, I’ve heard so much about you.”
Her Southern manners won’t let her bring up the fundraiser, and how she and I locked eyes then. Grimly I go along with it. “It’s very nice to meet you, Mrs. Cocker.”
She grabs my shoulders and beams at me. “The pleasure’s all mine. Jake says such nice things about you…now.”
I laugh and shock her with a hug. Michael Cocker, former congressman and still imposing even in his eighties, appears behind her. “Can’t stop going after what’s not yours, huh, Hamilton?”
My eyebrows shoot up, but he grins, and I realize he’s messing with me.
“Hi Grandpa,” Emma grins, hugging him. “I want you to meet the man I’m going to marry. This is Tanner.”
“Nice to meet you, son.”
“Mr. Cocker.” We shake hands, both firm.
“Call me Michael. There are too many Cockers running around.” He wraps an arm around his wife. “We take full responsibility for that. Come on, party’s out back.”
“Wait until you try Grandma’s chili,” Emma grins, taking my hand as we follow them.
Nancy waves a hand over her shoulder, “I think I overcooked it this time!”
“Nonsense,” Michael laughs.
Slowing us down I turn Emma to face me. “Two sneaky moves in one day?”
Biting her lip she won’t meet my eyes at first. “One good, one bad? Balanced, right?”
“Grrrrr,” I grumble, “Alright, let’s get this over with.”
“You’re going to have fun, just watch.”
“We’ll see how your uncles feel about that. Or Eric, he still hasn’t warmed up to me.”
“Eric can take it out on the field if he has a problem with it. Besides, he’s training in Florida and can’t make it” Emma mutters so nobody in the kitchen can hear us. There are people everywhere, most of them eyeing us without breaking their conversations. “Hi Zoe! We’ll meet you outside, okay!”
Emma leads me onto a back porch that has three steps taking us into a yard meant for this large a family. Trees line the borders instead of a fence, and on the far right is a faded dolphin fountain that no longer works.
On a flat spot of land, near the house, are tables and chairs under sweeping strands of twinkle lights held up by four poles. To the left is a table for miles filled with more food than I’ve ever seen at a house party, most of it covered with netted tents, protection from bugs, and wandering fingers before its time.
Jake’s at the far end, setting down a large pot of chili while Drew tugs a table cloth into place, chatting with Emma’s red-headed aunt I remember from the event.
We run into Hannah’s father first, the former Senator. He turns around and gives me the once over, holding out his hand as his raven-haired wife stands beside him, watching us with interest. “Justin Cocker, nice to meet you.”
“Tanner Hamilton.”
“Yes, Hannah’s told me all about you from the dinners you’ve had at their home. Thought my wife Jaimie and I might join you sometime.”
“Jaimie Cocker, hello.”
I shake her hand, too, but my eyebrows have risen. I know Hannah and I get along well—a blessing since she’s Emma’s best friend. And her husband Tobias is very funny. We’re quickly becoming friends. So I offer, “I guess they’ve painted a good picture of me, then. I’m grateful for that after—”
“Yes, well, we can put that night behind us now, can’t we?” Justin smirks, pale green eyes dancing. He glances to Emma, who couldn’t be any happier. “And I remember this one looking pretty sad when I ran into her at the hospital. Guess that frown is gone for good now, huh kid?” He gives her a wink as his identical twin joins us.
“Jason Cocker,” he introduces himself, thrusting out his hand. His shake is firm, too.
“Tanner, nice to meet you. I hear you produce Gabriel’s albums? Great work.”
Jason’s inspecting me, even as he smiles at the acknowledgement. “Thank you, he and I work well together. We have some things in common. Both the more creative half of twins, both extremely talented.”
Justin chuckles, “Both not modest at all.”
“Not at all. Modesty is for those who are afraid of being hated. I love myself too much to care.”
Justin eyes him and they both crack up, since Jason was kidding. Kind of.
Emma waves at Hannah, but pauses. “Tanner, I want you to meet my cousin Ben, and his parents.”
“That’s Jaxson and Rachel, with the ranch, yes?”
“Yes,” she smiles, but
