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Then, I left.
I walked into Fortnum’s about half an hour before closing, carrying bags filled with tins and boxes that were stuffed full with cookies, cakes and pies.
Everyone was there—Lee, Indy, Ally, Tex, Duke, Jane and Hank.
“Jet!” Indy yelled when she saw me and ran up to me, giving me a big hug.
I was about to tell her I was okay, but she pulled away and shoved her hand in my face.
There was huge rock on her ring finger.
“Ohmigod!” I yelled, dumped the bags and hugged her, shaking her body from side to side and laughing. “You’re getting married!” I cried when I pulled back a bit.
She nodded. “Lee asked me over a champagne breakfast.” Then she leaned in. “We just got out of bed, like, an hour ago,” she whispered.
She leaned back, eyes bright and happy, and I nodded the knowing girlfriend’s nod.
“Nice,” I drawled.
“You better believe it,” she replied.
Everyone was in celebration mode and it was far, far better than desperation mode, so I went with it. I’d tell Indy I was quitting later.
I handed out cookies, cakes and pies, giving Lee a big bag all to himself to take to the office. At first, I was glad I had Indy and Lee’s news to take attention off the gifts. It didn’t really work, considering the looks and hugs I got, but they knew me enough by now not to make a big deal of it.
We were locking up and going to Indy and Lee’s for a celebration drink when Daisy came storming up, carrying what looked like twenty magazines.
“Ally texted me. I gotBride,Modern Bride,Contemporary Bride,Today’s Bride,Denver Bride,Wedding,Martha Stewart WeddingandVogue, really just for the pictures ’cause who dresses like that? AndPeople’cause some fancy-ass celebrity is probably gettin’ hitched and we can steal ideas,” she announced.
Ally smiled. “Righteous.”
“I think that covers it,” Indy said.
“Fucking hell,” Hank muttered, sounding horrified.
I shot him a grin.
He caught it, threw his arm around my neck and gave me a sideways hug, keeping me held against him in a modified, friendly Eddie’s Woman Hold.
My grin turned false and I ignored the painful crunch in my belly.
I was going to miss these guys.
* * *
Tod and Stevie showed up,Chowleena in tow, a half an hour after we all got to Indy and Lee’s. They were carrying, between them, what looked like a dozen bottles of chilled sparkling wine and a Yahtzee game.
“Since Lee moved in, we’ve been preparing. Now, we’ll have room in our fridge,” Stevie said.
He and Tod took in the female huddle sitting in Indy’s living room, pouring over wedding magazines.
The men, (Lee and Hank had been joined by Vance, Matt and Bobby), were upstairs watching a ballgame and drinking beer. Duke had gone home to Dolores. Tex had gone home to the cats. And Jane just went home (she didn’t do crowds).
“Aiyeee!” Tod screamed. “Is thatModern Bride? Ilove Modern Bride. Move over,” he ordered, not exactly moving me over, but shoving me off an armchair so I landed on my ass on the floor and he confiscated the magazine I was flipping through by ripping it out of my hands.
“I’m thinking wedding colors green and yellow,” Tod decided. “No, no, pale blush and burgundy,” he changed his mind. “No, sapphire and ice,” he changed his mind again.
I didn’t know “ice” was a color.
