It Don't Happen Twice

Meanwhile At Mama's...

Mama Becky’s POV
I paused stirring the chicken and dumplings watching Hannah breeze out of my kitchen after giving me a kiss on the cheek then quickly making a beeline to where Emily was setting the table for me. There was something bugging that quiet little angel I thought with a sigh. No doubt it was probably my eldest born. Though three years younger than Brantley, he and Hannah had been thick as thieves almost their whole lives.

Toss in her being best friends also with my niece Emily, Hannah was more Gilbert than Stewart some days. I kept my eye roll in at her crazy parents who needed a dose of growing up themselves in some ways and realize life was more progressive than it used to be. Heck, Hannah had come in wearing the proper length skirt after having coffee with her mother earlier. That t-shirt tied up in a knot at her waist was her touch of rebellion. Gloria Stewart was in for a world of shock when that girl finally loses her cool telling her parents how she really feels.

I could hear the girls laughing from the dining room as I took the boiler off the stove heading that way to place it on the table. Kolby darted in kissing me on the cheek as my daughter in law, who we jokingly referred to as Hannah #2, followed behind him with a glare on her face no doubt he had done something to make her mad…again. I hugged her motioning at her to sit down. I sighed glancing at the clock wondering where the wayward straggler was. I knew he was back in town and he wasn’t going to pass up a homecooked meal.

“Where is your brother?” I asked my youngest swatting his hand away from the pan of biscuits narrowing my eyes at him. “Not yet mister.”

“Aww Mama,’’ he groaned then yelping when Emily and his wife both smacked his arms at the same time. “Dammit y’all. This sucks you four always outnumber us.” I cleared my throat pulling his attention back to me pulling a sigh from him. I noticed Han studying her lap not looking up at anyone completely hiding behind her glasses. Yep, something was definitely eating at that child and unfortunately there was only one person who could pull it out of her. He wasn’t here yet. I raised an eyebrow making my youngest know I wanted an answer. “He was on his way. Something about getting caught up or something.”

“Probably the recent skank,” Emily said with venom lacing her tone. Hannah paled beside her retreating further into her shell. I snapped my fingers making Emily roll her eyes slightly. It was a well known family fact she never was a fan of anyone her cousin dated, or married for that matter because of her fierce loyalties to Han. “I saw the tabloids this morning. Little tacky to hook up on your own music video set.”

“Em,” Hannah groaned as Kolby snickered. My front door slammed then I heard a familiar tread across my floors as my oldest appeared with his phone in his hand wide grin across his face. I cleared my throat making his head snap up. He gave me a sheepish grin before sliding it into his pocket and pulling out the chair beside Hannah.

Since Kolby looked like he was about to drool over waiting I motioned at him to go ahead. Everyone fixed their plates in silence or quiet conversation catching up. We tried to do this once a week but couldn’t always fit it into schedules. I almost choked on my first bite at the words coming out of my youngest’s mouth directed to tease his older brother. Words that made my niece look like she was locked, loaded, and ready to hunt bear.

“So B,” Kolby teased making Brantley stop mid bite looking at him with wide eyes. “Tell us about the new woman. Jesse called to tell me about the smoking hot blonde you are banging now.”

“More like going to catch something,” Emily snarled. Hannah choked on her food making Brantley lift a big hand to gently pat her on the back before pushing her glass of tea towards her. She shot him a grateful look out of the corner of her eye taking a sip. He turned narrowing his eyes at his little cousin and I prayed I would not be cleaning up a brawl tonight. “What happened to single for life B?”