Page 27 of All Bets Are Off

“What in the hell?” Dad practically exploded.

Next to me, Olivia jolted. She obviously wasn’t used to people yelling. I gave her hand a firm squeeze and shot my father a quelling look.

“For the record, Livvie and I didn’t have the most auspicious of honeymoons,” I offered. Now was the time to draw in that dental surgery sympathy we both needed. “She snapped her teeth together when she accidentally got jostled by people in the wedding chapel and we spent the night at the dentist so she could get emergency surgery.”

Rex made the appropriate tsking sound, sympathy practically rolling off him. My mother just continued to stare. My father … well, I had no idea what my father was feeling at this point. My sisters were grouped together like witches about to cast a spell. Bill and Patty Carter, however, seemed to be trying to work things out in a rational manner.

“You got married without your own mother?” Patty demanded of Olivia.

Olivia sipped the lukewarm tea I’d supplied her with. Anything that was too hot or too cold was a no-no at this point. “It seemed like a good idea at the time,” she said lamely.

“But … that’s not right.” Patty pinned me with a dark look, and I didn’t have to ask what she was feeling. It was obvious. “Was this your idea?”

“Um…” I thought I had things under control—honestly, I was convinced the Carter family was going to be easier than mine—but the thought of disappointing them left me feeling bereft.

Patty and Bill might not have been my parents, but they’d offered me more parental direction than my own parents over the years. When I’d been debating between college and going straight to work for my father, Bill helped me break things down in a reasonable manner.

When my high school girlfriend broke up with me—something I was oddly devastated about—Patty had explained that I was only feeling what I was feeling so intensely in that particular moment because I hadn’t been expecting it. She said eventually, I would get past it and laugh at the hurt I felt. I’d been annoyed at the time, but damn if she wasn’t right.

I did not want these people being disappointed in me.

“I’m sorry,” I said finally. “I know you’re probably angry at me.”

“Damned right we’re angry,” Dad growled.

I ignored him and kept my focus on the Carters. “When Olivia and I started dating, we decided that it was likely a bad idea. I mean … we’ve known each other for basically our entire lives.”

Patty darted an unreadable look toward Olivia. “Is this about your crush when you were a kid?” she asked finally. “I know you cried for three straight weeks when he started dating that Fallon girl and stopped coming over?—”

Olivia’s cheeks turned bright red. “Mother!” She was clearly embarrassed.

Me? I found the knowledge that she had a crush on me back then to be … adorable. That was the only word I could think of todescribe the emotions that swirled around me when I thought on it too hard. Sure, it was obvious she had a crush back then. If her mother noticed, however, there must have been conversations about it. What would that have even entailed?

“It’s not about her crush,” I assured Patty. “We’ve talked about that.” Okay,thatwas a vicious lie. We’d avoided that topic like the plague. We would talk about it, though. There were no circumstances where I could just ignore that conversation. It would be too torturous.

“Then what is it about?” Bill asked. His face was a blank slate as he glanced between us.

“As I said, we were unsure if we were really feeling a spark or if it was some residual goofiness from when we were kids,” I explained. “Also, there was the Rex factor.” I darted a look toward my best friend and held my hands out.

Rex had come up with this part of the plan, too. I’d rightfully argued that our parents weren’t going to believe that we’d managed to keep our relationship hidden from them. When Rex suggested we tell them we were trying to keep it hidden from him, a few more of the pieces were likely to fall into place. I was hoping he was right.

“The Rex factor?” Dad demanded.

I shot him a warning look. “Rex is my best friend. Livvie is his little sister. If things didn’t work out, I was afraid that I would lose him as my best friend. Obviously, as his biological sibling, Livvie would take precedence.”

“I’m not so sure,” Olivia countered. She’d regained some of her strength as I’d carried on talking. She didn’t look as if she was ready to wage war or anything, but she was obviously feeling better. “You and Rex are tragically codependent. I think he could choose you over me.”

I poked her side and laughed when she shot me an exaggerated look. It was enough to suck a sharp intake of breathfrom Patty. My mother remained silent. Bill was impossible to read. My father, per usual, was still in jerk mode.

“So, let me get this straight.” Dad readjusted in his chair. That’s how I knew he was going to go from zero to jackass before I could even take a sip of my drink. “You and Olivia carried on a secret relationship and just last night decided to get married. Is that what you’re saying?”

I nodded.

“Well, that’s not suspicious at all,” he drawled sarcastically.

“Why would that be suspicious?” Patty countered.

“Because three days ago I pulled him into my office and told him it was time to get it together,” Dad replied. “He’s been making a mockery of this family for far too long. It can’t continue. I told him he needed an appropriate girlfriend. Bam!” He slapped his hand down, catching everybody off guard. “He’s suddenly married to a librarian overnight. Does nobody else find that fishy?”

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