AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I considered canceling tonight,” Cassandra admitted. “But then I thought—”
She broke off, but Juliet could finish the sentence for her. But then I thought our older sister needed the distraction. Today was the anniversary of Wayne’s death, and Cassandra was right. She needed to be distracted. She didn’t want to think about him. About him or Noah.
“Anyway,” Cassandra continued. “I’m here, Juliet’s here. We can help, though I thought you and Jay were pretty serious about the Vegas drive-through chapel on New Year’s Eve.”
“We figured his relatives would never forgive us, and then I thought… I realized…” Her cheeks pink, Nikki glanced up from her magazine to look at Cassandra across the room. “I have my own family now, too. I want you to stand up with me.”
“Oh.” Cassandra dropped the yarn she was holding, and then bent quickly to retrieve it. She stood again, grinning. “Oh, yes.”
Nikki smiled in return, then glanced over at Juliet. “You’ll have to cut cards for who gets to be maid of honor.”
“What?” Juliet blinked. “Me, too? I don’t know…a wedding…” Being involved in one might make it impossible for her to put from her mind the two men she’d loved and she was devoting every ounce of energy to just that very thing.
But there was her sister, her sister, looking at her with such expectation from eyes so very like her own. How could she refuse?
“Of course I’d be honored to be in your wedding party,” she said quickly, and before her inner self could start howling, she forced out the next question. “And what kind of advice are you looking for?”
“A theme. That’s what Jay’s sister said. He, of course, immediately thought of ‘sultan and harem,’ but we managed to convince him that if he brought it up again he wouldn’t live to see the wedding.” The mischief on her face fled and her eyes flared wide. “Oh, God, I’m sorry. That’s probably not so funny to you.”
“What?” Juliet realized the turn her sister’s thoughts had taken. “No, no. Don’t worry about it.”
“I’ve got such a big mouth. You don’t need any offhand reminders that your husband has been gone a year, and…” She clapped her hand over her lips and mumbled from behind them. “Go ahead, kill me n—”
Cassandra clipped her on the side of the head, then dropped down onto the cushions beside the other woman. “Shut up, little sister.”
With a groan, Nikki sank into the couch cushions. “I’m sorry. Someone should just shoot me and put me out of my miser—”
Cassandra’s second clip wasn’t quite so gentle. “Nikki? Seriously. Are you brain dead?”
Juliet’s two sisters stared at each other, matching expressions appalled.
“It’s not our fault,” Nikki said. “It’s just one of those things, where the subject you want to steer clear of most keeps making its way to the tip of your tongue.”
Reaching for one of the magazines, Juliet gave a nod. “I understand. No problem. Don’t worry about it.”
“Thing is, no matter how hard I try, I have a terrible feeling I’m going to find myself talking about your husband’s death—”
“Nik!”
She ignored Cassandra’s protest and went on, like a dog with a bone. “—as well as how you’re doing now that Noah’s gone.”
Juliet flipped a page of the magazine, staring unseeing at some glossy, frothy image. “I don’t want to discuss either one.”
“But that’s the downside of this sister thing,” Cassandra said gently. “You’re stuck with our noses in your business.”
They were ganging up on her. “I don’t want—”
“And if nagging won’t work, we’ll use guilt,” Nikki added. “Like, how could I possibly go forward with my wedding to Jay when you’re so obviously unhappy?”
“Unhappy?” Juliet’s hand froze, mid-page-turn. “I’m not unhappy. I’m angry.” And if she dwelled too much on it, her mood might set fire to something.
Her sisters exchanged glances. Cassandra opened her mouth. “All right. Want to expand on that?”
“No.” Juliet tossed the magazine to the table. “Can’t you just let this go?”
“I could,” Nikki responded. “But the granola girl here, she’s just a big pain in the ass.”
Cassandra huffed. “Snot.”
“Froot Loop.”
“Witch.”
Nikki smirked. “Lightweight. Try bi—”
