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Dammit. This was all Hayden’s fault. He should’ve told her weeks ago; now it was going to be awkward.
I’d even tucked my wedding ring away out of sight before entering the house, too chicken to break the news to any of them too suddenly.
But as I fidgeted, waiting for a good segue to make my announcement, my tongue started to tie into knots.
Completely oblivious to my distress, Camille clinked a silver spoon against the side of her wine glass and lifted it above her head. “I hereby call to order the first meeting of the most kickass book club ever assembled.”
When she took a big swig, Kaitlynn and I exchanged raised-eyebrow glances before we shrugged and tossed back our drinks as well.
“Uh, hear, hear,” Isobel—Ezra’s sister from the flower shop—added uncertainly before taking her own sip.
My gaze fell to my new stepsister-in-law as she lowered her wine.
Kaitlynn was thankfully doing better than ever now that the truth was out and Lana was behind bars. She was still going strong with Ezra, her new co-CEO at JFI, and they were somehow making their way through dating and running a company together at the same time.
Her rightful inheritance from her father was still trickling in; Hayden had to call her lawyers every few days to nudge them along, but she was finally—finally—getting what had rightfully been hers all along.
And the more money that came her way, the more that was taken away from Lana. It was crazy how much that bitch had done. It felt like every day Hayden was getting a call and hearing about something new they’d discovered that Lana had mixed herself up in. Extortion, money laundering, blackmail, racketeering, embezzlement, Lana had without a doubt dabbled in it all. The charges against her just kept rolling in.
She was going to stay in prison for a very long time.
She’d even withheld half the money her two sons were rightfully left in their stepfather’s will. Not that Hayden nor Brick—who still didn’t know about his paternity—wanted any, but it was the principle of the matter than counted. The woman had fucked over her own children.
The two brothers seemed to be handling her convict status with composure. They both continued to work at JFI under Ezra and Kaitlynn’s leadership, and they each watched over Kaitlynn like guard dogs. I’m surprised they hadn’t done background checks on everyone in the book club before allowing her to attend it.
Or maybe Hayden had, knowing him.
I glanced at the hardback copy of The Nightingale on Isobel’s lap and winced, wondering if I should’ve brought a copy as well. I’d actually checked mine out from the library and returned it already. Hopefully, I wouldn’t get any brownie points taken away just because—
Hey, hold up there. I frowned at Isobel’s hand wrapped around the book and set my empty glass down when I realized her ring finger looked a lot more sparkly than it had the last time I’d seen her.
What was this?
Was I not the only one with wedding news?
“Not to stray from the topic of books or anything,” I said, smirking knowingly. “But I love all things sparkly and pretty. And, Isobel, I couldn’t help but notice you were not wearing that ring on your finger when we first met in your flower shop.”
“What?” Gasping, Kaitlynn swerved her attention to Isobel’s hand. “Oh my God! Ohmigod! Shaw proposed?”
“Well…” Isobel’s face flamed bright red. “He just gave it to me this morning.” She laughed self-consciously and set down her drink so she could lift her hand for Camille, Kaitlynn, and me, who immediately gathered around to check it out. “I hadn’t had a chance to tell you guys yet, and I didn’t want to interrupt the book discussion with my own—”
“Girl,” I broke in, clicking my tongue because I planned to do just that myself with my own announcement. When the time was right. “When you get bling like this, you always interrupt the book discussion to show it off.”
“Amen,” Camille agreed, taking Isobel’s hand to get a closer look.
“Well, all right,” Isobel answered, flushing self-consciously, and revealing how nervous and thrilled she was to be sharing this moment with us.
“I’m so happy for you.” Kaitlynn clutched her arm and shook it, chirping out a happy scream. “You and Shaw are so cute together. You make an awesome team.”
Isobel nodded, tears glittering in her eyes. “You and Ezra do too,” she said. “I just know someday, he’s going to get you your own ring, and we’ll be sisters, and raise our babies as the closest of cousins, and oh my God…” The tears began to drip down her cheek, so she fanned at them furiously with her hand. “I never thought this would happen for me. After the fire, and I messed up my face, I thought I’d be alone and miserable for the rest of my life. But then Shaw came along, and now you guys are here in my life, and—I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I’m turning into a blubbering mess. I’m just so happy.”
“You’re a beautiful mess,” Camille assured her, closing an arm around Isobel’s shoulders. “You just go ahead and let it out, sweetie. We’ll cry with you if you want.”
“Too late.” Kaitlynn sniffed and dabbed at her moist eyes. “I already am.” With another squeal of excitement, she hugged Isobel.
When Camille went in and wrapped her arms around both of them, I gulped.
Oh boy. Group hug. So not my thing. They glanced my way expectantly, but I shifted backward and offered Isobel an uneasy thumbs-up.
