Page 18 of Cash

Just then guests started coming into the dining room of the country club that had been all decked out in soft pink flowers and tulle for her sister’s bridal shower. She wanted to grumble and follow her mother, demanding that she not let that woman come, but then she heard a familiar squeal of delight.

“Eeeee! I’m getting married!”

Evie turned around to see her, Ellie, dancing from toe to toe with excitement.

“Yeah, you are,” Evie said as she went to give her a sister a hug.

“It looks beautiful in here, Evie.”

“We both know this was done by mom and the staff,” Evie said dryly.

“I do know that, but you deserve the credit for dealing with mom. It pulled her focus from me for a couple weeks. She’s been over the top with this wedding.”

“She’s been over the top our entire lives,” Evie said with a chuckle.

“True. But this wedding has pushed her into hyperdrive. She is going to explode before all this is over.” She watched as something caught her eye. “What is she doing here?”

Evie turned to see Ms. Winters, her ex’s mother, walk to the room. “Mom.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Ellie said with the mother of all eye rolls.

“Clearly, I’m not. She ran into mom a couple weeks ago. At least she’s not coming to the wedding. Wait. She’s not coming to the wedding, is she Ellie?”

“No, she’s not on the guest list…. But…”

Trepidation filled Evie’s eyes as she looked at her sister. “What did she do?”

“Bryan is on the guest list.”

“Of course, he is,” Evie said darkly.

“Is she still trying to get you two back together?”

Evie nodded.

“Eleanor, I need you for a moment.” Before either of them knew it, their mother had swept Ellie away from their conversation.

‘Help me,’ her sister mouthed as she followed her. Evie just smiled and shook her head. For as infuriating as her mother was, the rest of her family was pretty great. She was happy her sister was getting married and entering the life her mother had always envisioned for them. One of them needed to, and it would not be Evie.

Evie sat down at one of the tables with her mimosa. Looking around at the room full of pastel pink flowers and tulle, she couldn’t help but cringe a little. All of this would have been hers had she not ended things with Bryan last year. She knew she was part of the reason her mom was being so over the top about her sister’s wedding. After Evie had called off her engagement her mother had been furious. Now everything about her sister’s wedding was extra, Ellie didn’t seem to mind. She was in love with her fiancé in a way Evie couldn’t quite comprehend. It was something she hadn’t experienced, especially not with Bryan. But she would be here and support her sister, because despite all this nonsense, Ellie deserved it.

“Evelyn dear,” her grandmother said as she approached. “What are you doing at this table all by yourself?”

“Hi Gran, I’m just taking it all in.”

“It is lovely, isn’t it?”

“It sure is,” she said with a small, forced smile.

“Why on earth is she here?”

Evie followed her gaze to Bryan’s mother. “Mom ran into her and invited her.”

“Well, doesn’t seem very classy. The inviting or the showing up.”

Evie chuckled to herself.

“Vivian, darling, come here,” said Gran.

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