Page 165 of Sin With Me

She rolls her eyes. "That's part of the game."

"We don't have time for this. Go get dressed. We gotta leave the house in twenty minutes."

They shove each other as they race upstairs to their rooms.

Then I spin around toward Wilder and press my palms softly against his chest. "Are you sure you're gonna be okay today?"

A flash of sadness covers his face. "Yeah. I mean, I'm sad, of course. But Gramma Grace lived a long and happy life. I'm gladshe went peacefully in her sleep instead of sufferin' with a illness or somethin' worse."

Nodding, I wrap my arms around him and squeeze him tight before releasing my hold. "She was such an important part of your life, even mine, and I'm gonna miss her."

"Me too. Sunday night dinners won't be the same without her baked goodies and scandalous stories."

"Let's get ready so we're not late. I have my dish ready to go in the oven."

They're hosting the luncheon at The Lodge and everyone's bringing a dish to pass. She was cremated, per her wishes, so we're getting together for a memorial service. Then after we eat, everyone's supposed to stand up and share their favorite story about her.

My eyes are already watering thinking about it.

"You gonna be alright?" he asks, brushing his thumb over my cheek.

"I think so. Just thinkin' about all the fond memories we're gonna hear today."

He tilts my chin and then claims my mouth. "It's okay to cry. She was a very special woman and we were lucky enough to share part of our lives with her."

This time I do let a tear fall. "Okay, I'm gonna get ready and put on waterproof mascara."

The size of the Hollis family has grown so much, we take up three large tables. The rest of the guests from the memorial fill up the rest.

The service was beautiful, and I'm not too ashamed to admit I cried through most of it. Mr. and Mrs. Hollis honored her life in such a respectful way. Photos covered the walls all the way from her childhood through her last days. There's a picture of her holding each grandchild and great-grandchild. She was a blessed woman and we were blessed to have her in our lives.

One of the last photos is with Ricky, Harlow and Waylon's second child, who was just born a few months ago.

The most recent one is from Christmas where we took a photo of everyone together. Mrs. Holllis blew it up and put it on display permanently at The Lodge.

I love that we'll get to see it every day and smile at the happy memories we made.

"If I can have everyone's attention..." Wilder's deep voice echoes through the room. "I'd like to start off with a story that I don't think many people know. But it's one of my favorites."

The room quiets down, and I scoot my chair closer to Luna who's in front of me.

Wilder clears his throat and then looks down at his notes.

"I think most of us could relate to Gramma Grace's specialtalent, or sixth sense as some of us called it. Though it was often referred to as a witchcraft because she knew things before everyone else, sometimes even before we knew them about ourselves. But there was one instance where her voodoo led me on a path to meetin' my wife before I even knew who she was."

I listen intently, as does everyone else, but I have no idea where he's going with this story.

"Twenty years ago, I called a crisis hotline because I was in a dark place. I didn't know why I was callin' or what I expected, but I was pleasantly surprised by the woman who answered.She listened and talked me through a rough night. I didn't tell anyone that I had called. A part of me was ashamed, so I kept it to myself. The followin' day, I ran into Gramma Grace in the kitchen and she stared into my soul, which if you've experienced that, it can be kinda freaky."

The room erupts in laughter.

"When I asked her what was wrong, she said, 'stay happy.' I was so confused because I was the opposite of happy. Later that evening, I called the crisis hotline again and the same woman answered my call. And then it hit me that Gramma Grace was right—I was happy. Happy to felt seen and heard for the first time, but mostly happy to hear the voice on the other line being so happy to hear my voice too. There was somethin' about her I couldn't quite put my finger on, but I kept callin', and she kept answerin'. For six months."

He looks up and finds me in the crowd, then smiles wide.

"That voice on the other line ended up becoming my wife, and if it wasn't for Gramma Grace makin' that one out of pocket comment, I'm not sure I would've had the nerve to call again."