Page 27 of Getting Lucky

“Okay, bro, but only because you went full boss man on me,” she said, giving him a little nudge. But she went with him willingly enough, smiling a little when she saw Iris had taken her advice and retreated to places unknown.

The rest of the party had returned to the table, although River, Georgie, Adalia, and Dottie were gathered around what looked to be Georgie’s cell phone. Like before, Jack sat at a slight distance from the others. She was tempted to physically push his chair closer. Or maybe sit on his lap. He met her eyes and shifted slightly, as if inviting her to do just that. But instead she linked arms with Finn and hustled up to River.

“Co-best men at your service.”

River cut his attention away from the phone, from which a handsome man with hazel eyes and dark blond hair was gazing at the Lurch portrait in horror. The Post-it had fallen off. That had to be their other brother, who sounded like he had a real stick up his behind, from everything she’d heard. But River was smiling at her, his expression hopeful, and he deserved her attention much more than some stuffed shirt in New York did.

“Congratulations, River,” she said, all jokiness falling away. He hugged her, and she ignored the slight pricking of tears in her eyes and pulled back first. Georgie was holding the phone, which gave her the perfect excuse to just nod her congratulations to the bride-to-be.

Her nod was returned.

“And when do you plan on getting married?” came the brother’s voice through the phone speakers. Even over the crappy phone speakers, he had a nice voice, Maisie would give him that. But she felt a prickle of defensiveness for River. This jerk clearly would have preferred to ask Georgie, in private, whether she had any second thoughts.

“As soon as possible,” Georgie said, gaze locked on River’s. “Just after Brewfest, we were thinking.”

March. That was just a few months away.

“But I’ve already started planning the engagement party,” Dottie said. “Early January would be a lovely time of year.”

It would certainly be acoldtime of year.

Georgie’s eyes rounded with alarm, which was completely understandable given the smell of smoke still hung in the air from Dottie’s last attempt to co-opt the planning for a family event. River took her hand and opened his mouth to let Dottie down gently.

But he didn’t need to.

“I think we should plan it at the brewery,” Jack said from behind everyone. His eyes glimmered with the idea. And he pushed his chair a little bit closer to the others. Turning to Dottie, he added, “I’ll take care of the logistics, but I’ll need your help, Dottie.”

River gave him a slight nod, a silent thank you, and Georgie actually mouthed the words.

Turning back to the screen, she said, “You’ll come, won’t you, Lee?”

He was silent for a few moments, as if trying to consider whether there was any way out, and then he nodded. “I will.”

“And I’d like you to stand up with me in the wedding party,” River said, glancing back at Jack. “Jack’s already agreed to do the same.”

He had? Maisie glanced at Jack, only to find him watching her, a gaze that seemed almost electric. A small nod. He knew she was co-best man, then, and that they’d be thrown together for this wedding. But it was hard to tell whether he thought that was a good thing—and even though her attraction to him had, if anything, grown stronger, she wasn’t so sure either. She thought that maybe she needed to get through this, to see River married, before she could really move on.

A pained look crossed Georgie’s face, but she said, “And I’d be honored if Victoria stood up with me. I know you two are getting serious.”

A knock sounded over the phone’s speakers, and a cold voice said, “Lee, are you on the phone in there? Your dad is about to make a speech, and it would lookveryodd if you weren’t at the table.”

A speech about what? Gratitude? That seemed rich.

Lee had the grace to look embarrassed, but he called, “I’ll be right out,” before he turned back to the phone. In a voice little above a whisper, he said, “We’ll talk later.”

Then he signed off.

They were all silent for a moment, the effects of Lee’s disappearing act lingering like the stench of smoke in the air. Adalia was the first to speak.

“I hope that means Vic-tor-ia won’t want to come.”

“I want her to come for Lee,” Georgie said. She paused, glancing at River, and from the look in his eyes, it was obvious this was something they’d discussed. “And Dad should be here too.”

Adalia made a face. “I’d hoped to go the rest of my adult life without seeing him again.”

She meant it too. She’d said as much to Maisie on more than one occasion.

“He’s our father,” Georgie said simply. Maisie glanced at Jack, whose expression had darkened, and she was tempted to say something in his defense. To say that the man had simply lent them his genetic material. That doing so didn’t give him the right to torture them for decades. Then again, Maisie didn’t know firsthand what it was like to have a terrible parent. She only knew the loss of two good ones.

---