Lottie hitched a hip, put her hand to it and glared at me.

“I know!” I said to Lottie. “I blew it! I’m going to fix it. Promise.”

Though I shouldn’t promise.

Axl still had not texted me so I had no idea how to go about fixing it.

Though I knew I had to try.

“Hattie, attention to me,” Ian demanded.

I whirled back to him.

“How bad did you blow it? Meaning, is this going to delay Delgado and his boys wading in by half an hour or half a day?” he asked.

There was low laughter behind me when I said, “Probably half an hour, seeing as Brett is going to rope them in. But I suspect, even if Axl probably hadn’t calmed down, he was on the phone to the office while he drove away from my house.”

Ian nodded curtly, said, “God forbid there’s a next time…” and when I nodded that I got his message, he strolled away.

I took in a big breath, turned again, and looked right at Lottie.

“I hate it I missed the kickoff to the wedding festivities. I hate it. And I’m so sorry I hurt your feelings when I didn’t show.”

She hesitated not one second before she came to me and pulled me in her arms.

She kissed the side of my head and then said in my ear, “You don’t have to let us in, but you do have to let us know. You need space, we can give that to you. You need to talk, we’re there for you. You need someone to listen, you got ears who will be happy to hear. Just don’t pull away. Because we love you and we want to be there for you, however you need that to be.”

Oh no.

I was going to cry.

Oh no!

I was crying.

Holding on to her and not crying.

Sobbing.

I wasn’t really a crier. I could get teary, but I’d learned to get a lock on it real quick, because Dad hated crying.

But all that had gone on…all that was going on was a lot.

So I was crying.

Then Ryn and Pepper pushed in, held on, and I started crying more.

When I semi got a handle on it, I pulled a little bit away, looked to Lottie and vowed, “I’m not going to miss your shower or your bachelorette party or your wedding.”

“I hope not, seeing as you’re a bridesmaid,” she said.

“I have a fitting to get to,” I mumbled.

“No shit?” she asked.

“I’ll schedule that this week,” I promised.

“Babe, listen to me,” she said, not letting me or the other girls go.

And standing in this huddle with my friends, I listened to her.