Page 60 of Whiskey Kisses

Floundering, Evie turns predictably pink. “Well, yes.”

Maeve gapes at her then at me, her gaze falling to my left hand. “Tristan Kelly! Did you get hitched and not tell me? You know, I thought you two were actingreeeeeallychummy, but I thought maybe you were just hooking up? And I was like, okay, that makes sense becausehello, Evie’s beautiful, but?—”

“Maeve,” I interrupt, grabbing her shoulder and giving her a shake. “Relax. Yes, we got married. Evie was in trouble, and I couldn’t let her marry some asshole. And now …” I peter off, my stomach twisting. This sounds bad, even if it is the truth.Wasthe truth—maybe that’s why I feel like I have heartburn. I’m reducing our relationship back to what it used to be, but it’s outgrown that now. I glance at Evie, who’s staring at the table, playing with her bottle cap. Reaching over, I squeeze her thigh. “Now she’s my girl.”

Evie peeks up at me, a tiny smile playing at her lips.

“Oh, my God! Tristan! You’re nuts, but …” Maeve’s eyes fill inexplicably with tears, and she jumps off her chair, hugging me. “Love looks good on you.”

Before I can react to that, she flits over to Evie and embraces her, too. “You’ve always been the sweetest girl. Tristan could not have chosen better.”

“Thanks, Maeve,” Evie says quietly, flustered. But she seems pleased, too, and that makes my chest feel warm. Evie deserves to be loved, and my sister’s great at that. My whole family is.

Maybe I can be good at it, too.

“You better be sweet to Evie,”Maeve says, poking my side savagely. “I think she had a thing for you when we were kids.”

Apparently, everybody knew about that but me.Captain Clueless. “Oh, I’m real,realsweet to her.”

“Ew. I don’t even want to know.”

“And you won’t, because it’s none of your business.”

“I’m serious, Tris,” she insists. “Please be good to her.”

I take a hit off the joint and hand it to my sister. “Why wouldn’t I be good to her?”

“Because you love love. You love being in love.” She pauses, inhaling. “I’ve lost count of how many girls I’ve seen you with.”

“We all gotta grow up some time,” I say sagely.

“This just seems so sudden,” she says.

“It is,” I agree, glancing back at Evie, illuminated in that window. “Because when you know, you know. It’s easy with her, Mae. In a way it’s never been before.” I realize, as this nonsense flows from my mouth, that it’s not nonsense. That I mean it. That I really, really like being with Evie, a lot. In every way there is to be with her.

Maeve squeezes my hand briefly. “I love that for you.”

“Enough about me and Evie,” I say. “It’s time to talk about you and why you’re trading ballet and everybody you know back home for Callum. In California.”

We’re lying on the grass in the garden, looking up at the stars. The guys are inside watching TV, and Evie’s in the sunroom-turned-apothecary with all of her herbs and tinctures. I think she’s really just giving Maeve and me time to talk.

“I know you don’t like him,” Maeve says with a sigh, drawing her finger through the air. “You and Lucky never made a secret of that.”

“You can do better,” I mumble, yawning. Last night’s activities are catching up to me. “Way better.”

“Well, that’s for me to decide,” she says primly. “And it’s not like I’m giving up ballet, Tris. I wasn’t getting any lead roles back in Boston, so Callum suggested I start looking elsewhere. His family has connections to the Oakland Ballet, so I’m auditioning as soon as I get there.”

“Are you serious?” I turn to look at her. “You’re just gonna move?”

“Why’s that such a big deal? Lucky went to college in Belfast. You traveled for fights, and now you’rehere?—”

“This is temporary,” I remind her. “Anyway, I’m not saying you shouldn’t travel and live your dreams and shit. I just don’t know that you should hitch your wagon to Callum Barry. What did Mom and Dad say?”

Maeve’s silence tells me all I need to know. She takes a long hit and passes back the joint. “I think I’ve had enough.”

I out it and sit up, looking at her in the faint light coming off the sunroom. “Mae.”

“They’re not happy about it,” she says, clasping her hands on her belly. “Dad and I … we kind of had a fight. I didn’t realize how much he hated Callum. Lucky, too.” She looks up at me, her eyes shining in the dark. With tears, I realize. “But I love him. I’ve loved him for a long time, through all the ups and downs. He’s been trying to get me out there for a while now and finally I thought, why not? Why can’t I have my own happy ending, you know?”

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