Making our way through the sea of chaos, I pushed open the double doors leading to the kitchen, where we found Sutton sweating and swearing at herself as she popped a few pans into the oven.?
Turning to Janelle, I kissed her cheek. “Why don’t you go find the bride-to-be and see if she needs anything?”?
Janelle rolled her eyes but marched down the marble foyer and up the winding staircase in search of Maggie. She’d find her in the guest bathroom, undoubtedly rolling around in the bathtub, letting her nerves get the best of her. If Maggie was smart, though, she would have locked the door this time.
“Here, let me help.” I rolled up the sleeves of my light-gray button down and started placing bacon-wrapped scallops on a serving dish.?
Charlie walked in, saw me working alongside Sutton, and rolled up his sleeves as well. Sutton pulled a pan off the stovetop, forgetting her oven mitt, and howled.?
“Fuck, y’all, I cannotdo this!”?
Charlie went to her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, and I grabbed the two of them, scooting them as a unit over to the sink so she could run her hand under the water.?
“It’s just another party, Sutton. It’s just food. Stop freaking out.” I removed her from Charlie’s grasp and picked her up, putting her on the counter like a child. She pouted.?
“Besides,” Charlie added, grabbing a dish towel for her to wrap her hand in, “when the kitchen at O’Malley’s is done, you won’t have to work at LaMonte’s anymore.”?
“We should tell her,” she whispered, looking down at the burn on her hand.?
“You want to tell her now”—I gestured wildly toward the food strewn about the kitchen—“while you’re in the middle of cooking for her engagement party?”
Sutton huffed. “Well, Lee, we should have told her earlier, butyousaid you’d come up with some grand plan to tell her and never did. And when I suggested you bring up the kiss with Magnolia…”?
“Wait, what are you guys talking about?” Charlie said, head volleying between us like he was watching a tennis match. “When did you kiss my sister?”?
“I mean, we dated for a while, Charlie…”?
“Don’t be stupid, Lee,” Sutton interjected. “Maggie kissed Lee by the river, the morning after his first gig at O’Malley’s. I thought if Lee pleaded his case to Maggie, citing said kiss, she’d realize that she was still in love with him and call this stupid farce with Dane off.”?
Charlie shook his head in bewilderment, then turned toward me, shooting me a wicked glare. “Is that true?”?
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. It’s just…”?
“He didn’t tell you that because if he did, he’d also have to tell you Dane made a pass at me and Vance threatened me within an inch of my life not to say anything.” Sutton reached over, grabbed a bottle of wine, and took a huge gulp.?
“Lord above, Sutton, you are so damn dramatic, he just… kind of threatened your livelihood. Anyway, Charlie, I’m sorry I didn’t say anything. But, truth be told, that’s not the whole of it.”?
“What?” Charlie and Sutton both bellowed in unison.?
“I’m pretty sure Dane’s—”?
“What’s going on?” Dane asked, waltzing into the kitchen in a three-piece suit, perfect dark-brown hair styled on top of his head. He leaned over the three of us, grabbing a scallop and popping it into his mouth. I could feel Sutton tense up as he got close to her.?
“I just burned my hand. I’m fine.” She hopped down and moved to the other side of the kitchen, letting Charlie bandage her hand.?
“Where’s the blushing bride?” I asked, plating the small cups of cornbread casserole and desperately trying to swing the mood in the kitchen back to cooking instead of the murderous rage plastered over Charlie’s face.?
“I haven’t seen her. I did happen to run into Janelle, though. Damn, she is smoking hot. How did you nail that? Oh, that’s right, the label bought her for you.” He winked at Sutton before strolling out onto the veranda and down the back steps into our parents’ yard.?
“Hate his face!” Sutton hissed, as Charlie finished putting the burn solution on her hand.?
“We all hate his face,” I mumbled, turning the timer on the oven. I reached into Momma’s fridge and pulled out one of the thirty-five bottles of white wine she had stored for the occasion. I handed it off to Charlie who opened it and poured three glasses, passing them to Sutton and me.
“So, what are we going to do, Lee? Are you going to tell my sister the truth?” Charlie ran his hands through his hair, mussing up the careful placement. “I can’t believe that we’re standing here, at her engagement party, having this conversation.”?
“We should wait, then,” Sutton said, pushing off the counter. “Let’s just try to get through this sham of a day and figure out how to tell her when it’s over. Deal?”?
“We’ve been through worse guys, we can do this,” Charlie said, putting his glass in the middle of the three of us so we could clink them together. “I still don’t forgive you for lying to my face, though, Lee.”?
