Page 115 of The Wedding Favor

Anger filled my belly with each word. Mae didn’t know Abe at all. I opened my mouth to say this, but Ali got there first.

Ali glared at Mae. “Are you trying to say my brother isn’t good enough for your sister?”

“Maybe I am.”

Abe put a hand on his sister’s shoulder. “Everything she said is true.”

I gasped. “No, it’s not.”

Mae made a self-satisfied noise. I wanted to throat-punch her. “See? He agrees with me.”

“Shut up, all of you.” I tried to step between them, but Ali stalked forward and pushed me out of the way.

“Maybe your sister isn’t good enough for my brother. Ever thought of that? Let’s see. Wasn’t it just a few weeks ago she got arrested? Now who’s the criminal?”

“They didn’t actually charge me with anything,” I said helpfully.

Abe muttered a curse. “Don’t talk about her that way.”

But Ali and Mae were so keyed up that I think they forgot we were there.

“She’s barely out of college, she’s such a loner her only friends live in a nursing home, and you know what I heard? I heard she turned down grad school in Austin. It’s been months and she still hasn’t told you, has she?”

I gasped. “Ali! I can’t believe you.”

Ali had the decency to look remorseful. “It just slipped out. I’m so sorry.”

Mae turned to me, hurt in her eyes. “Is that true?”

“I was going to tell you,” I said.

Ali poked Mae in the shoulder. “Abe could do a whole lot better. A whole lot.”

“You take that back,” Mae said, her voice low.

“No.”

“How about everyone just shuts up and we forget this ever happened?” I practically shouted. With no results.

“You don’t know who you’re messing with,” Ali said. “Nobody talks about my family like that. Nobody. Not even the person I thought was my best friend.”

“Enough,” Abe said sharply. “Iris and I aren’t a couple, although it is none of your business. We are both adults. We’re friends. We went to a movie. This is not worth breaking up a twenty-five-year friendship.”

Okay, that stung.

But these two idiots didn’t even blink, they were so focused on each other.

“Was that a threat?” Mae loomed over Ali like that terrifying mama ostrich I’d always pictured her as.

“Mae, please,” I said.

“It’s about to be reality.” With that, Ali stalked to the door.

Mae followed behind her. “Bring it on, Goodnight. Bring it on.”

FORTY-SEVEN

“I’ve never been one for making dinner. I have no problems making reservations, though.”