Page 36 of Desperate Vows

Thea’s hand came to rest on my shoulder. “I’m sorry about your mom.”

“Me too,” I whispered.

“Is that why you were crying in the middle of trying on dresses?”

I nodded. “She’s supposed to be here for this.” Inhaling deeply, I dried my eyes on my shirt. “But she’s not, and I can’t bring her back.”

“I lost mine too, but it wasn’t from fighting cancer. It was a drug overdose. She was addicted when I was born. A few times, she tried to get clean, but it never lasted long. It wasn’t until Lucas rescued me that I slept in a house. Until then, I’d either slept at a shelter or the street.”

Thea would not have liked it if I had whirled around and hugged her. She was telling me this because she didn’t want me to feel alone, and she was the closest thing I had ever had to a friend. I resisted the urge to get emotional and pulled out a blue, knee-length dress. “I think this will work for wherever we go.” I turned around and smiled.

My new sister stared at me. There was appreciation in her eyes. She shared something deep and personal with me, and I respected her. “That dress is perfect.” Coating the words was an unspoken thank you.

“Are there any restaurants I need to stay away from?” she asked.

“As long as it’s not French, I don’t care.”

Thea chuckled. “All right. I’ll tell the gang to meet us at Whispering Cove. I’ve heard so many good things about it, and this seems like the perfect night to find out.” She walked to the door of the closet. “This is going to be fun.”

“Thank you, Thea.”

She winked and closed the door.

As odd as it sounded, I was carving out a family for myself. A real one. For the first time in six months, I felt like I belonged. They were all wickedly dangerous, and I had never felt safer.

“I love this restaurant,” I said. The global-inspired menu featured seasonal ingredients, and the atmosphere was casual. It was my definition of the perfect place for a bachelorette party.

Lucas’s family was nice. His cousins had been nothing but kind to me so far. Poor Anna looked miserable, but I understood it. I had to give her credit. She had been friendly and gracious to all of us. She stood and excused herself. I waited a minute and then followed her to the bathroom. When I stepped inside, she was at the sink, hands braced on the counter, with her head down. Misery was coming off her in waves. When she looked up and saw me, she was startled.

“It’s okay. I just came in here to see how you’re doing.” I smiled.

Anna, in some ways, reminded me of Thea. She was the light version of Thea. Tall and sleek and blonde. I envied that God was generous with her in the boob department. Her legs were long and lean. I wondered if she’d been in competitive sports. She had the body type for long jump or cross country.

“I don’t know. I found out last night I’m getting married, and that I had a bachelorette party to attend. I’m?—”

I stepped closer. “You don’t have to explain to me. I understand, and it’s okay to be upset.”

She wrapped one arm around her middle, braced her elbow on her forearm, and touched her fingers to her forehead. “How could Jason do this to me? I’m his sister, and he acts like I’m not a person.”

“I know. You feel used and trapped and a bunch of emotions that don’t even have words.”

She lifted her gaze to mine. “Yeah.”

“I wish I had better words of encouragement or could help, but I don’t, and I can’t.”

“At least you’re honest.”

“I do know that if Ari is anything like Lucas, it may not be as bad as you think.” My words didn’t make even the slightest dent in her mood.

She sighed.

“Can you tell your brother no?”

“Yeah, that’s not how it works in this world.” She threw up her hands. “I even understand why Jason’s doing it. I just hate that I have to marry someone I don’t even know, let alone love.”

Stepping closer, I took her hand and sandwiched it between mine. “I didn’t think I could either. Lucas scared me. We’re so different, but he’s nothing like I thought he’d be. He’s gentle and sweet and affectionate. I know it’s hard but keep an open mind.”

“I’m supposed to have dinner with him tomorrow.”

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