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“Only a couple of hours, right?”
Dad gave me a knowing look. Meanwhile, my brother looked perfectly at home, most comfortable in a suit and tie.
“How was the hike?” Mrs. Quinn sipped her wine.
“It snowed, so we watched baseball instead.” I canted my head. “What did you get up to today?”
“A little shopping. And the first massage I’ve had in about twenty years.”
“I beg your pardon.” Dad puffed his chest out.
She patted his arm.
“Let’s just skip that conversation,” I said before she could elaborate.
Andrew flicked his chin toward Patrick. “Any idea if Marlow is going to show up?”
“She said she wouldn’t be long.” He checked his watch. “That was half an hour ago. Looks like the best man and best woman are free to hang out.”
I clenched my fist.
Baker smacked him in the arm. “You wish.”
Patrick held his arm where she’d hit him. “Not if you’re gonna be like that.” He paused, a mischievous grin tilting his lips up. “On second thought . . .”
“We don’t have to wait for her,” I said, a little too forcefully. “This is your deal. Not hers.”
“Let’s give her a few more minutes,” Trish said.
Patrick slung his arm around Baker’s shoulder. She snorted as she wiggled away from him. I picked at the label on my beer and glared. Her dress dipped to reveal a hint of that soft cleavage. She wore her hair swept up in some sort of twist, her smooth neck taunting.
Her eyes met mine. She wrinkled her nose and focused on Patrick, those pouty lips with that gloss I loved to taste twitching with a smile at something he said.
I stared. Because I couldn’t not look at her. Once she was out of my life, it would get easier. I’d barely thought of her today. I scrubbed my forehead.
Total truth?
I’d barely thought of anything else.
Mrs. Quinn held up the platter of potato skins. “Better get another before I eat them all.”
Absently, I grabbed one and took a bite before dropping it on my plate. All without taking my eyes off Baker. The food was like clay in my mouth as I chewed.
For a second last night, I’d seen how much I hurt her. There wasn’t a trace of that now. She made it look easy, like the time we’d spent together meant nothing.
“Not talking to her is a page Iwouldn’ttake out of your father’s playbook.”
I glanced at Mrs. Quinn. “We’d run our course.” The words tasted vile as I spoke them in a hushed tone.
Easy’s eyes flicked to mine, like she’d heard me. This time, I had to look away.
“Okay.” She chewed thoughtfully on an appetizer. “But maybe you want to leave things in a good place. She’s your sister-in-law’s best friend. You can’t avoid her forever.”
Wanna bet?I polished off my beer and signaled the server for another.
“I’ll think about it.”
“I want to thank you.”
