Page 17 of Tactically Tied

Jami barely had time to catch her breath before Jacqui was on her, practically shoving her into the worn leather chair in her back office at Chow Town. Jules slipped in right behind them, closing the door with a soft click, effectively sealing Jami in with her two very nosy sisters. Jacqui’s eyes were a mixture of concern and barely contained frustration.

"All right," Jacqui said, crossing her arms, her voice sharp. "Spill."

Jules perched on the edge of Jacqui’s desk, eyebrows raised expectantly. "Yeah, what the heck happened? One minute we're collecting you from Baggage Check, and the next you’re married to Jed Winchester?"

Jami let out a long breath, slumping back in the chair. She’d known this was coming, but facing her sisters after what had just happened wasn’t going to be easy. "I was going to marry Ryan—" she started, avoiding their eyes.

"Ryan Daniels? Your high school boyfriend?" asked Jacqui.

"But he didn’t show up."

"Why didn’t he show up?" Jacqui sounded affronted that someone would stand her sister up.

Jami’s lips pressed into a thin line. "Because Jed paid him off."

There was a pause, the room thick with silence, and then Jules mumbled, “Wish Jed had paid off Ryan’s tab at my bakery. He was in so often I had to cut him off.”

Jami blinked, turning to her sister. “Wait, what? Ryan was running up debt with you, too?”

“Yeah, for months. I let it slide because you two used to date, but I had to stop letting him order when he couldn’t pay. I didn’t want to, but business is business.”

Jami felt her stomach sink. She knew Ryan had had a streak of bad luck, but she hadn’t realized how deep his money problems went. “I... I didn’t know.”

Jacqui waved her hand in the air, dismissing the topic. “Ryan’s not important right now. What is important is that Jed made you walk all the way from the courthouse to the restaurant. In heels! I swear, that man...” She pulled a napkin from her desk and dabbed it against Jami’s forehead.

Jami batted the napkin away, her annoyance bubbling up. “He didn’t make me walk, Jacks. I refused to get in his car.”

“You refused to get in his car? Why? You trusted him enough to marry him, but you wouldn’t get in his car?”

Jami opened her mouth, trying to find the words, but her mind was still spinning from everything. Before she could answer, Jules and Jacqui exchanged a knowing look.

Jules smiled, leaning in a little. “It was the kiss, wasn’t it?”

“W-what?” Jami stuttered.

“I mean, I get it. My first kiss with Fish was at the courthouse, right after we said our vows. It caught me off guard. I didn’t expect it to feel like... that.”

Jules’ voice softened, her eyes drifting off as a wistful smile curled on her lips. Jami watched her sister, clearly lost in the memory, the warmth of that moment still lingering in her expression. It was as if Jules could taste the kiss all over again, a quiet contentment shining in her eyes that spoke volumes.

Jami felt a pang of understanding. She’d felt the same way about that kiss with Jed. That look meant her sister had found something real, something that couldn't be undone.

Jacqui nodded in agreement, her expression softening as she also reminisced. “Same with Noah. That first kiss after we saidI do? It made my knees weak.”

Since her sisters were admitting it, the words flew out of Jami's mouth, her defenses crumbling. "I didn’t want to feel anything for him, but after that second kiss?—"

“Second kiss?” Jacqui’s voice was sharp. “When was the first?”

Jami winced, realizing she’d just let something slip that she hadn’t meant to. She shifted in her seat, her face heating up under their curious stares. “Uh... back in high school.”

Jacqui’s jaw dropped. When she managed to pick it up off the floor, she said, “High school? I thought you hated Jed.”

“I thought I did too. I mean, I thought I was supposed to hate him, right? Because of the feud between our grandfathers?”

Jacqui scoffed, waving that away like it was nothing. “That old thing? Please. I never cared about that feud. I always thought the Winchesters were good cooks.”

Jami stared at her sister, stunned. “Wait... you didn’t care about the feud?”

“No, I only wrote Jed off because I thought he was mean to you. I figured he was getting under your skin, so I gave it right back to him.”

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