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Everyone cheers except Jessie. Her jaw hangs open, her eyes wide. “Is this a joke?”
The room goes silent, everyone turning to Jessie. Her eyes are wide and shocked like she can’t believe she said that aloud. Stunned out of her own filter. She’s panicking, and when Jessie panics she either runs or doubles down.
“No joke,” Timothy says mildly.
She doesn’t run. She crosses her arms over her chest. “You’ve done a lot of stupid shit, Timbo, but marrying a woman you barely know?”
It comes from a place of love, but Jessie’s nothing like Timothy. She sees a disaster waiting to happen where he sees happily ever after.
“They’ve known each other for five years.” I remind her, my tone soft. Jessie’s glare morphs to hurt.
“Fiveyears?” Her brows are drawn together and oh no.
She didn’t know?
Shit.
Timothy didn’t tell anyone in his family about Mina before his accident out of some ridiculous fear of jinxing himself. But after the accident? His parents met her. Amanda, Hazel, and the kids have met her over video chats. They know the story. So what did he tell Jessie?
Seeing the hurt on her face, I can guess.
He told her nothing beyond that he’d been seeing someone for the last few months. Nothing about Mina caring for him after his accident, living with him. Nothing to indicate this was a serious relationship.
Everyone is still staring at Jessie and her hurt is slowly shifting back to anger as her expression hardens.
I touch Jessie’s arm, but lightly so she doesn’t stab my sock-clad foot with her murder boot. “You’ll like her. Mina’s good for him.”
Jessie’s eyes flare, fire through whiskey. “Areyouseriously advocating marriage? The man who cheated on his lingerie model ex-wife?”
Timothy was wrong. I’m not a red cape he can use to distract her. He doesn’t have the slightest bit of control. Jessie’s a storm and he wants me here because I’m a bigger lightning rod than he is.
I’ve had a lot of practice taking her anger and I can do it better than Timothy. And if she can stay mad at me—which she will because I’m nearby and still breathing—it will keep her and Timothy from fighting all holiday.
My toes curl in at the thought of her stomping my foot for this, but I clear my throat anyway. “This is about your brother,” I say in a low voice. “Don’t ruin his moment.”Wait until everyone goes home, I try to tell her with my eyes.Then murder him.
I won’t be coming to his rescue if she corners him later.
Jessie’s face flushes crimson, but instead of firing an insult at me, she presses her lips together.
Shit, if she cries…
“Congratulations baby brother,” Amanda says loudly, pulling Timothy into a hug and stealing the spotlight off Jessie. “When’s the big day?”
Timothy grins. “Friday. Mina’s flying in tomorrow.”
What?
Celia’s shocked“Timothy Alexander Foley”fills the space before the room erupts.
Jessie pushes past me, throwing just enough elbow for me to know it’s intentional.
Timothy’s riding the high of the chaos he caused, assuring everyone all the arrangements have been made, all anyone has to do is show up. I have to wait for my turn with him while he’s mobbed by aunts and uncles and cousins.
Five years ago, that was me. I announced my engagement to Addison and got swamped by slightly more subdued Foleys, but unlike Timothy, I’d been nervous. I hadn’t wanted to announce it.
Jessie had looked stunned, similar to tonight.
I shove that memory aside and step up to Timothy, leaning in close. “You should’ve told Jessie.”
