Quickie

I can’t stop myself from smirking, even though I can hear more people coming inside, wondering about the handsome stranger. “I’ll remember that.”

“Good.” He looks me up and down, and I blush. I dressed with him in mind, because after our encounter at my apartment, I wanted to. I wanted him to look at me exactly the way he’s looking at me now. It’s not his favorite color, but close—a flowing, A-line turquoise dress, paired with one of the highest pairs of high heels that I own. He doesn’t have to say anything, I can feel the approval and the appreciation radiating off of him, and it’s the most natural thing in the world when he pulls me against him and claims my lips. He bends me back so that I’m relying completely on him to hold me up, and because he’s putting us on display. “Show off,” I murmur against his lips.

“Always,” he murmurs back.

A throat clears behind us, and Will sets me upright on my feet. My father is watching with his arms crossed and a stern look on his face, though I know him well enough to know that look is more for show. Will is the one who takes the first step. “You must be Sandy’s father,” he says, extending his hand. “I can see the resemblance.” My mother approaches and he reaches out to her as well, still keeping one hand around my waist. “And you must be her mother. You have a lovely home.”

“It’s very nice to meet you,” my mother says. “But I can’t say I know who you are.”

Will is beaming, and I know that he’s going to drop the bomb, and I can’t stop it. I realize that I don’t want to stop it. “That’s all right,” he says. “My name is Wilcox Herrington, but you can call me Will. I’m Sandy’s husband.”

8

“WHAT?” My sister’s voice comes from the back door. “You’re married?”

I press my lips together and whisper to Will, “We probably should have talked about how to deliver the news.”

His fingers tighten on my waist. “Yes. It occurs to me in hindsight that might have been a little abrupt.”

Laura comes to stand in front of me, her eyes glued to my hand and the diamond that sits there. “You got married.”

I swallow. “Yes, I did.”

My mother is looking back and forth between us, worried. And at the back door, I now see Wyatt, whose face is pure thunder. I’ve only seen him angry like this a couple of times, and my own anger rises to meet his. He has no right to be angry about this.

“I’m sorry,” Will says, turning to my parents. “That was a little bit abrupt. Sandy and I hadn’t really talked about how to break the news. I know it must be a bit of a shock.”

“You could say that,” my father says. But he’s holding back a grin.

“I’ve already interrupted the party enough,” Will says to my mother. “Is there something I can help you with?”

My mother shakes her head, clearly still baffled. “No, that’s all right.”

“Well,” my Dad says, “let’s get you a drink. You can tell me a little bit about yourself.”

I catch his eye. “Are you angry?”

He laughs. “I wish I could keep up with the speed of my daughters’ lives, but if you’re happy then I’m happy.” He goes back to the kitchen, and Will kisses me on the cheek before following him.

“How could you do this?” Laura asks. “You get married out of nowhere and decide to announce it at my engagement party?”

I shake my head. “I didn’t know he would do that. And Laura,” I say quietly so the rest of the gathered party can hear, “I don’t think you can lecture me about surprises when you’re now engaged to my ex-fiancé. Who you ran away with.”

She goes pale, and then a sneer appears on her face. “It’s not my fault that he’s happier with me.”

“No, it’s not,” I say, carefully guarding my tone. I’m about to snap. “And believe me, I hope the two of you are happy. But I deserve to be happy too.”

Laura storms away, dragging the furious Wyatt back out of the house. My mother shakes her head in wonder. “A head’s up would have been nice.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to break the news over the phone, and I didn’t know if you’d approve.”

She takes my hand and examines the ring that she missed before. “I’m not sure that I do, but I’m going to go in there with him and your father, and we’ll talk. I’ll let you know what we think.” She gives me a wink as she heads toward the kitchen. “But you know what’s best for you, and your father and I would never step in the way of that.”