Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 77120 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77120 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
“True enough,” Marjorie agrees. “But we let Angie sleep in every now and then. After all, it’s not every week that a woman gets married to a high-profile surgeon.”
Angie takes a sip of her coffee. “When we were kids, my dad and uncles made us get up at like five o’clock every day. We all learned to work the ranch. Even though my dad wasn’t born a rancher.”
“But your mom sure was.” Marjorie laughs.
“Dave is the only one of us who still does ranch work on the daily,” Angie says. “He helps run the orchards with Uncle Talon and my cousin Brianna. Henry works for the foundation, and Sage works with my dad. He’s the chief financial officer.”
I simply nod and take another sip of coffee. I know all this, of course. Angie gave me the lowdown on her family a while ago.
“Well,” Marjorie says, rising. “I should get ready. We’ll be leaving for town in what? About an hour and a half?”
“Yeah,” Angie says. “Sage better have her butt back here by then.”
Marjorie smiles warmly. “Your maid of honor won’t disappoint you.”
“Just in case, though…” Angie fiddles with her phone. “If there was ever a workaholic among us, it’s Sage. She was over the moon when Dave decided he’d rather work with Uncle Talon in the orchard than be Dad’s right-hand man working with the finances. Sage loves it.”
Marjorie laughs. “She does. She’s well suited for it too. She’s got a head for numbers, like your father.”
Angie’s phone buzzes with a text. She scans the screen. “Good. They’re already on their way back.”
Marjorie raises her eyebrows. “Your father too?”
“Sounds like it.”
“Maybe we should invite him to the bridesmaids’ luncheon,” Marjorie says.
“Mom,” Angie says. “No men allowed.”
Marjorie laughs. “As you say. You’re the bride.” She gets to her feet. “If you’ll excuse me, girls. I need to go make myself beautiful. The mother of the bride has to look her best.”
“You’re the most beautiful woman around, Mom. Still.” Angie smiles.
High praise indeed. Especially since Angie looks exactly like her mother.
Once Marjorie is gone and Anya has left the kitchen after cleaning up, Angie looks at me, her eyes dancing. “Everything okay last night? With Henry showing you around?”
I should’ve known Angie would pounce on that. “Yeah, fine. I met all the horses. They’re gorgeous.”
Her eyes brighten. “Did you see my Penelope?”
“Yeah.” I smile. “She’s beautiful. They all are.”
“And how did…” She bites her lip. “How did Henry seem?”
There’s a loaded question if there ever was one. “He seemed good.”
She narrows her gaze. “Now look me in the eye and say that.”
Shit. Wasn’t I looking her in the eye?
I meet her gaze. Look into her dark eyes. “He seemed fine.”
“Good.” She sits back in her chair. “I’ve been so worried about him. Now that Uncle Joe is responding to treatment and everything, we’ve been able to take some load off our minds. But then Henry went and…”
She doesn’t finish the sentence.
It’s hard for any of us to say.
Henry killed Ralph Normandy. Or Ronny Burgundy. The two were one and the same. The ex of Jason’s first wife, who, it turns out, didn’t kill herself after all.
Ralph killed her.
Of course, that’s all conjecture based on the evidence that we have, and we’ll never know for sure because Ralph is dead.
Good freaking riddance.
“You’re already dressed, and you look gorgeous,” she says.
I crinkle my eyes. “I figured I’d put a dress on for the luncheon.”
“Are you kidding? You look perfect just as you are.” She scratches her chin. “In fact, I think I’ll wear a denim miniskirt too. Knowing Sage, she’ll wear the same.”
“So it’s just the bridesmaids?”
“Yeah. I thought about inviting my other female cousins—Diana and Ava. But it was just too many.”
“You don’t know what it means to me that you asked me to be a bridesmaid,” I say. “Especially since you have a twin sister, three cousins your same age, and a sister-in-law.”
She drops her jaw. “Are you kidding? I couldn’t leave you out. Besides, this is a Steel wedding. The sky is the limit. I could’ve had a hundred bridesmaids if I wanted to.”
Angie’s not one to flaunt her riches, but every once in a while it comes out. At least it has since the wedding plans have started. So she wants the wedding of her dreams. She should have it. After all, her parents can certainly afford it.
For a hot minute, an image pops into my head.
It’s the wedding of my dreams.
And I’m standing next to Angie’s brother.
Our hands clasped together.
Quickly I erase the picture from my head.
Clearly that will never happen, I’m not even sure I want it to. Last night was great, of course. But it was also a little bit…
I don’t want to say forced, because I’m pretty sure I could’ve stopped him at any time.
The two orgasms were amazing, probably the best I’ve ever had. And I’ve never had more than one. Not ever.