Page 54 of 4 Weddings and a Feud

“I’ll buy the drinks.” He signaled the waiter. “And I’ll cheer the loudest after you sing.”

Sunny opened her mouth to argue, but Gabe put his arm around her shoulder and whispered something in her ear. “Fine,” she huffed. “I’ll sign the rest of us up. Order me something strong and sweet.” She stood and went to the kiosk.

After they ordered their drinks, Alex waved at another patron sitting in one of the booths in the back. “Would you mind if I said hello to a business acquaintance?”

“No, go for it,” she said.

Excusing himself, he walked away.

“What’s his deal?” Gabe asked, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the table.

“What do you mean? He’s just being a guy. Michael would act the same way, I’m sure.”

“Michael.” Gabe chuckled. “Our brother has a crankshaft up his ass.”

“Alex knows a ton of people here,” she said. “He has a certain presence to maintain in front of his business contacts. He’s working on a big deal.”

Gabe’s dark eyebrows shot up. “Shouldn’t he also consider what makes you happy?”

“He does.” She crossed her arms. “He makes me happy.”

“If you’re sure.”

“It’s still new. It’s not like I’m marrying the guy.”

“Okay, okay.” Her brother held his palms out. “You don’t have to get all defensive.”

“Defensive?” But she heard the way her voice rose. She shouldn’t have to defend him. Why couldn’t he just be a good sport?

“Come on, honey!” Sunny shouted from the kiosk. “We’re up.”

Her brother, who was a good sport, rose. “You’ll be okay?” He glanced toward where Alex still spoke with his business acquaintance.

“I’ll be fine. Have fun.”

As he walked away, the waiter returned with their drinks, and Mary took a long pull on her Negroni. She grinned as she listened to her brother and his fiancée sing their sexy duet and clapped and whistled when they finished. Alex hadn’t yet returned. The ice melted in his whiskey.

Mary finished her drink and ordered another. She didn’t even care that Alex wasn’t back by the time she and Sunny got up to sing “Dancing Queen.”

Much.

ChapterTwenty-Two

When Alex disconnected their now twice-a-week call with Rochelle and Rohaan the following Tuesday, he caught Mary rubbing her temples. The dark shadows were back, and now they were joined by redness around her eyes.

“Another headache?” She’d gotten one Friday night after karaoke, and then she’d been too busy with the weddings, work, and her family over the weekend to see him. Tonight, she was taking her brother and his fiancée to the airport. She had a list as long as her arm of last-minute tasks for her other wedding this Saturday. She was running herself ragged.

“Just a little one,” she said, closing her binder and shoving it into her satchel.

“I have a present for you.” He walked to his desk and slid open the drawer to pull out the flat package. Yasmin had wrapped it in white paper with a jaunty pink bow.

Mary had followed him to his desk and stared at the shadow box. “You saved the sand dollar? And you printed out our photo?”

“I did. I wanted to remember our trip.”

Her gaze darted between it and the photo of his mother. The line between her eyebrows melted. “That’s so sweet.”

He cleared his throat. “Yasmin put it together. Here.” He held out the package. “For you.”

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