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She sighed, and for the first time since she’d sat down, I felt like she was actually considering it. She dragged a hand through her hair and nibbled on the corner of her bottom lip.
“Did I mention TJ fosters rescue animals?”
“Stop,” she said, pointing at me with a red-tipped index finger. “You can’t manipulate me with—”
“One is a cat that has wheels for back feet,” I interrupted, “and when he runs, they squeak like—”
“Shut up,” she demanded, but exhaled a tiny laugh as she shook her head again.
“The other one is blind—”
“It isnot,” she cried, looking defeated.
“With bald spots from his feline anxiety, which I totally think they should call fanxiety because it makes him sound like a badass vampire cat—”
“Fine!” Sophie interrupted, gritting her teeth and holding up a hand. “I’ll consider it, but you have to go with me if I do it.”
“What?” I hadn’t expectedthat.
“Yes,” she said, lifting her chin and narrowing her eyes as her brain went to work. “I’m too chicken and I have no idea what I’m doing. If I go, you go.”
What?“What the hell will I do while you object?”
She shrugged. “Appear to be my date, I guess.”
I hadn’t considered going with her, but I also couldn’t come up with a reason why that wasn’t a good idea. Most people brought dates to weddings, so it checked out, and TJ really needed her help. “That’s... not a terrible idea, actually.”
“Gee, thanks,” she quipped. “When and where is this wedding, by the way? I can’t do anything local because of my job.”
“Totally understand. Yours was the only local wedding I’ve ever done.” I hoped reminding her of my service would help. “And it’s at a country chapel out by Murdock.”
I cleared my throat and scratched my eyebrow. “The wedding’s tomorrow.”
“Of course it’s tomorrow,” she muttered, shaking her head but not freaking out like I’d expected.
“So thirtyish minutes away?” Sophie pulled out her phone and went straight for the calendar. “What time? Do we need to go early? Do you have a standard speech you can forward so I can practice?”
Whoa. The switch had been flipped, and Sophie was all business.
“We don’t have to go early, and I can pick you up if that’s easiest. But I’ll get the details—including dress code—and text them to you later this morning, along with a general idea of my SOP.”
She looked up from the phone. “Dress code? Is it different from normal wedding attire?”
I didn’t want to lose her on this detail, so I was very casual when I said, “It might’ve said something about casual dress, so I’ll confirm and let you know.”
It actually said, “Jeans and boots only—no dress clothes will be allowed,” because Callie surrounded herself with rednecks, but I’d wait until Sophie confirmed before I tossed out that gem.
“Okay,” she replied, still looking concerned as she shut down her phone and returned it to her pocket. “I should probably get to work now.”
“Same.”
We stood and headed for the door, and as I held it open for her, she asked, “You don’t think I’ll get punched, do you?”
“Nah,” I said, stepping out into the crisp spring morning. “What usually happens is that the bride and groom start fighting about the accusations and no one notices me as I exit.”
“Except at my wedding,” she said, glancing at me out of the corner of her eye. “I seem to recall a punch.”
“For the record, it was like a closed-fist slap.” I reached intomy jacket and grabbed my sunglasses, putting them on as I said, “I barely even felt it.”
