Surrender (Steel Brothers Saga 6)

Marjorie squealed. “Oh my God! This is going to be so much fun. A double wedding in Jamaica!”

“You’ll be my maid of honor, of course,” Jade said to Marjorie. “Who will you be asking, Melanie?”

A brick hit my stomach. I had no siblings, and I was such a loner. I didn’t have very many friends. I smiled shakily. “I don’t know. I’ll think about it.”

“Well, think fast,” Marj said, “because let’s get this thing moving. We all need a vacation.”

I couldn’t fault Marj’s observation. The vacation would be good for every person sitting at this table. But if they were planning to get this moving quickly, I’d have to do some thinking.

How had I gotten to be a forty-year-old woman with no friends? I had been depending on myself for so long it never even occurred to me to have a girlfriend. I had never been lonely. I always enjoyed my own company. About the closest thing I had to a friend right now was Ruby Lee. Maybe she could use a vacation.

“And you’ll be my best man, Joe,” Talon said.

“What about Ryan?”

“He can be yours.”

“Are you okay with that?” Jonah asked.

“Of course I am. Why else would I have suggested it?”

“I mean, you really want me? If I had gone with you that day…”

“Damn it, Joe, we’ve put all that behind us, remember? We’re going to be happy now. If I were holding any kind of grudge against you, I wouldn’t want you as my best man. You’re my big brother, and that’s why I want you.”

“Wait a minute,” Marjorie said. “Can Joe be a groom and a best man? It won’t work. We won’t have the right amount of people.”

“Marj, who cares?” Talon said. “This is our wedding, and we’re going to do what we want to.”

Marj huffed. “Fine, then. We’ll be one guy short, but no matter.”

“I’ll ask Bryce to come along. God knows he could use a vacation. He can stand up for me as well,” Jonah said.

“There you go, Marj,” Talon said. “It’s all settled.”

“So now we just need a date,” Jade said. “Life is crazy at my office right now. Only one city attorney—me—and no mayor.”

“All the more reason you need a vacation,” Marjorie said.

“True.” Jade nodded. “And as far as I’m concerned, the sooner the better.”

“How about in two weeks?” Talon said.

“Let me text Dolores,” Jonah said.

“We all know I’m free,” I said.

“Still no word on your medical board issue?” Talon said.

I shook my head. “I’ve been meaning to get in touch with Miles Bennett at the hospital, but things have been…a little busy around here.”

“You can say that again,” Jonah said. “We’re going to get this all taken care of. You need to get back to practicing. Your patients need you.”

So much had been going on that I’d had a hard time giving my patients a thought during the last couple of weeks. But I missed them, and I missed working. Talking to Bryce the previous evening had proved that. I’d nearly forgotten the joy I got from my work, from helping people.

“Dolores says she can make the vacation work for me in two weeks,” Jonah said. “So it’s settled, then?”

“Sounds like it is,” Talon said.