“At the moment? No. All the kids are in school and my neighbors haven’t come out in years, as you pointed out. That leaves me free to annoy you!”
“Please, don’t feel like you have to spread all the joy at once.”
“Oh, I won’t?—”
“Hey!” Sawyer called out from the door, shoving it open. “I’m home!”
With a huge grin on his face, he walked in with his arms spread wide. He looked happier than I’d seen him in weeks.
I rushed forward, wrapping him in a hug, squeezing him tight. “Hey! Did you have a good trip? You weren’t gone long.”
“I know!” he laughed. “You were absolutely right. I just needed to get away!”
I squeezed him tighter, glad that the depression was over. “It’s just wonderful?—”
My words died on my lips as a woman sauntered up the steps. Red-flaming hair. Makeup to die for. Legs as long as the eye could see.
And at least twenty years older than the both of us.
Slowly peeling myself from Sawyer’s arms, I looked at him warily. “Sawyer, do you have something to tell me?”
Spinning, he strode over to the woman in question, wrapping his hand around her waist. “Josie, I want you to meet my fiancée, Scarlet.”
She slowly lowered her designer sunglasses and eyed me skeptically. “Sawyer, sweetie, you didn’t tell me your sister wassuch a knockout.” Her lips curled in a smile that I wouldn’t exactly call friendly. “Oh, we’re going to have fun.”
I was shocked.
Stunned.
Speechless.
Surprised.
And dumbstruck.
“Fi-fiancée?” I stuttered.
“I know,” Sawyer beamed. “Isn’t it great?”
“But…you were only gone for a little over a week,” I said, still taking it all in. All the red hair. All the makeup. All the heels and long legs. All the hair. The very, very red hair.
“That’s all it takes, I guess. At least, that’s all it took for us. I saw her across the room, and I just knew I had to have her,” he said, smiling at the cougar.
“Right. Where did you meet?”
“In a bar. It was my first night and I was so depressed, but there she was, and she just lit up the room.”
“Must have been the red hair,” I muttered. That color did not come naturally.
“Some jerk spilled her drink?—”
“And there he was,” she laughed, pressing her hand to his chest. “You cleaned me up and bought me a new drink. You were so adorable, the way you were so sad over Pearl. But I got her off your mind in no time,” she whispered, patting his nose with the tip of her finger.
“Gross,” I muttered. “I think I just threw up a little.”
“Well, this is exciting,” Ellie May said, coming to stand beside me. “Isn’t this exciting?” She nudged me hard, but it would take way more than that for me to get past what I was seeing and find any room for happiness.
“So, when’s the wedding?” Ellie asked.
