AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I offer her a comforting smile, reaching over and squeezing her hand where it lies on the table. Then Ryan opens his fucking mouth.
“Won’t it be awkward for your brother if you ask his ex-fiancée to be your bridesmaid?” he snorts. Ani flushes, her eyes dropping to her plate. Fuck. I clear my throat and shake my head at Ryan, who cocks an eyebrow.
“What? If it was me,I’dfeel awkward.”
Oh really? He’d feel awkward? A bit like he’s making me feel right now? Fuck it. Ani squirms in her seat, so I tighten my grip on her hand.
“Ani’s twin brother Andrew was killed in action four years ago.”
Ryan flinches, and Angie reaches over, taking Ani’s other hand while Timmy’s hand moves to Angie’s back. Angie is murmuring comforting things to Ani while Ryan mutters anapology, but my attention is on Max and Beau. They’ve both gone bone white and are staring at one another across the table, doing that conversation with their eyes that they’ve always done since we were kids. I guess I have my answer as to how it would feel to lose a twin. Poor Ani.
Ani sniffs, pulling my attention away from the twins. Shit. I tuck her underneath my arm and press a kiss to her forehead. Ani clears her throat and straightens, offering me a wobbly smile. She squeezes my hand back and turns to Angie with a smile.
“Alison got married late last year. Mom and I went. It was a lovely wedding. Her husband is a really great guy. Andrew would definitely approve.”
“Ah, but would Andrew approve of David,” Timmy drawls, drawing chuckles out of the boys and a giggle out of Ani as she turns to study me with pursed lips.
“I think David would definitely need to win him over.”
Ryan roars with laughter, and Timmy smirks. My mouth drops open, and I glare at Ani. Oh, she’s so paying for that later. Her brother would totally love me.
Anica
After dinner, we all move over to the outdoor lounge area, and David tugs me into his arms. I curl up in his lap, listening to the conversation flow around me. Watching David with the other Westerhaven nephews is like watching him with Max that one night, but on crack. They’re all joking around, reminiscing, and flipping each other off.
There’s a fair bit of cursing, and Angie is snuggled up against her husband’s side, rolling her eyes and smiling indulgently. She catches my eye and tips her head toward the table. The caterers haven’t reappeared to clear the final course yet.
“Do you want to clear the table and drink wine in the kitchen while we gossip about these guys?”
Uh, yes, please. I need the inside gossip. I nod eagerly while the five of them protest. But David lets me stand up with a kiss. Tim moves to stand, muttering something about helping us carry the dishes downstairs, but Angie shoves him back into his seat.
“If you come down with us, we’ll never get you to leave. We’ve got this.”
Tim grumbles but stays in his seat. We have this. Mainly because we only take two plates each, and the second we step out of the stairwell, the caterer rushes over, apologizing profusely.
“We’ll be right up to clear the rest of the table.”
“Oh, that’s fine,” Angie replies easily, laughing as she moves to where there are a few bottles of wine on the kitchen rack to view them. “We were using the plates as an excuse to come down here.”
Angie picks a bottle of red wine, snags two glasses, and leads me over to the comfortable couch. I accept a glass, taking a seat beside her as she kicks off her heels, curling her feet beneath her. I copy her position, nursing my glass and studying her. I don’t know Angie – I didn’t really have much to do with her when she was Bill Westerhaven’s PA. I met her once or twice at company functions, but it’s clear that she doesn’t remember me at all from Haven Enterprises. She knows her replacement, Cathy, and I knew Cathy well when she was in the secretary pool, so we chat about her for a while.
“Why do you think he picked Cathy to replace you?”
Angie tips her head to the side, considering the question for a moment. “I think Bill needed someone who calls him on his shit. Cathy’s in her mid-forties. She doesn’t have time for bullshit. She knows her own mind. The only thing that surprised me about him picking her is that she’schatty.”
I laugh at the face she makes. Cathy is chatty, but she’s incredibly lovely. I don’t think Mr. Westerhaven would be upset by her chatter.
Angie laughs. “I like the choice. Bill gets too serious sometimes. Cathy willneverlet that happen.”
Angie’s eyes fly to the ceiling, her mouth stretching into a grin. “I bet they’re up there thinking that we’re talking about them.
“We better keep not talking about them.”
Angie winks, topping up my glass as she sighs contentedly. “I knew from the moment I set eyes on you we were going toget alongreallywell. Tell me more about your plans for the wedding.”
She takes a sip of her wine, watching me as I wrack my brains for what I’ve tentatively thought about so far.
“It’ll be in Chicago. That’s about as far as I got.”
