Ally throws her hands up. “Ah! Sorry I’m late!”
Posey scoffs. “We’re not surprised.”
I laugh as I wrap my arms around her, and hers come around my waist.
“Still, I’m sorry. Life is crazy, and y’all’s brother isn’t making it any easier.”
Emery rolls her eyes as Stella grins. “You love him, and you know it.”
“I do. I so do,” she says as she falls into the seat beside Stella. “Asher wants to buy a new house, closer to where I’ll be working since his commute in for the Assassins isn’t a big deal. But everything over there is so expensive, and I’m not getting paid yet.”
I waggle my brows at her. “Maybe next time, don’t spend all your money backpacking all over Spain.”
Ally beams at just the mention of her trip with Asher. They were gone for two months, and the pictures are incredible. They had a blast, and when they came back, they finally told everyone they were engaged. I don’t know why they kept it a secret for so long. Yeah, they were best friends, but my momma has told me over and over again, “Sometimes your forever is right there in front of you.” Would have been nice if Aiden had figured that out earlier, but I do love what I did before I met him.
Hell, I miss it.
I inhale sharply as I think about the email on my phone that wants all my attention, but I can’t give it any. Not right now. Not anytime soon. Aiden will freak.
“That was the best trip of my life with the most gorgeous man, and we had a blast.” Ally giggles, bringing me back to the room.
“So, have y’all picked a date?” Amelia asks, but Ally shakes her head.
“We’re not in any hurry. We’re going to have a long engagement, wait till I’m set up in my career and everything. We want to enjoy each other, and then after we get married, have kids right away.”
I nod happily as Emery gives her a look. “Or y’all got married while you were gone and won’t admit it until you’re ready.”
My eyes widen as I whip my head to Ally. “No way.”
“Please tell me that’s not true,” Posey begs.
But Ally is gawking at Emery. “What in the world would make you think that?”
Emery grins like a cat with a canary in its mouth. “From that picture of you two at the one church. Your dress isn’t white, but it’s ivory, and he’s wearing a nice shirt and slacks. I believe y’all got married there and are keeping it all to yourself.”
Or maybe, instead of getting married, she’ll become a spy for the FBI? Hell, it’s Emery. She could easily do both at the same time.
Ally isn’t even blinking. “For your information, future little sister of mine, we took nice pictures since it was gorgeous there—”
“Yeah, to celebrate your nuptials,” Emery says, so sure of herself, I believe it to be true. I just stare at her as she crosses her arms over her chest. “I zoomed in on both y’all’s hands, and there were rings. But then you came home, and they’re gone. I know it’s true. You can’t change my mind.”
Ally glares. “You’re as stubborn as your brother.”
“Tell me I’m wrong,” she challenges, but Ally just looks away, meeting my gaze.
“So, you’re getting married, Shelli!”
My jaw drops. “Ally! Did y’all get married?”
The room is so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. But then Amelia holds up her phone, and the picture of Ally and Asher is filling her screen. “There are rings.”
My eyes about fall out of my head as I turn to my cousin. “Really?”
Slowly, Ally scrunches up her face before she raises her palms. “Yes, but hear me out—”
“Oh my God!” I screech.
“You’re kidding me!” Posey yells, while Stella warns, “Man, Mom and Dad are going to be pissed.”
“Harper and Jakob are going to kill you,” Amelia says, speaking of Ally’s parents. She’s right; they’re gonna murder her dead—or better yet, Asher for sure.
Meanwhile, Emery is grinning from ear to ear.
Ally is flustered. I can hear it in her voice as she yells, “It was spontaneous and so romantic, I swear! We’ve known each other forever, and it just seemed right. We don’t want some big lavish wedding like you and Aiden. We’re private.”
I shake my head. “Um, Aiden and I are private.”
Emery snorts. “Three hundred people at a wedding isn’t private.”
“No one asked you, child,” I say, pointing at her, praying she doesn’t come at me with that steak knife. “You could have invited us. We would have flown over for it.”
“But we didn’t want to share it with anyone. We just wanted us.” She takes my hand and then Posey’s. “Please don’t let that hurt your feelings. Really, it was so spur-of-the-moment. He asked, and I couldn’t come up with a reason why it would be a bad idea.”