“Why didn’t you tell us you and Austin are engaged?” Sheila grabbed Debbie by the shoulders and shook her.
“It’s a new development,” Debbie said.
“I’ll say.” Joy shook her head. “You guys barely met two weeks ago. How can you be engaged already?”
Debbie gave a shrug she hoped looked nonchalant and looked away from their gazes. “I actually met him three weeks ago. And there’s a lot of chemistry there.”
It wasn’t entirely a lie. On her part, anyway.
“I don’t doubt that.” Sheila fanned herself. “Austin’s a hottie, and you’re so pretty and classy he can’t help but be attracted to you.”
“You think I’m pretty?” Debbie asked.
“Absolutely,” Joy said.
“Of course, you are,” Sheila added.
Debbie had always felt plain compared to her curvy sisters. Her augmentation had helped her self esteem, but she wasn’t as confident and photogenic as they were. Her hair was a darker red than theirs, but she still had pale skin and plenty of freckles.
Joy shook a finger at her. “Stop fishing for compliments and trying to change the subject.”
I need chocolate.
Debbie headed to the kitchen, knowing her sisters would follow. Opening the freezer, she grabbed a carton of rocky road ice cream then pulled three spoons from the drawer. She’d only taken a few bites of her cake before Austin dragged her from the dining room, and Amy had cleaned the table and thrown away the leftovers by the time their guests left.
“Yes, it’s fast, but there’s just something about Austin…” Debbie let the sentence hang because she wasn’t sure how to finish it and just thinking about him made her warm all over.
“But two weeks?” Joy’s brows raised. “Who asks someone to marry them after only two weeks?”
“Three weeks,” Debbie said.
“And who says ‘yes’ after only knowing someone that long?” Sheila added.
Debbie didn’t bother to respond, because the answer was obvious. Only impulsive, irresponsible Debbie does that.
Joy picked up a spoon and pulled the carton of ice cream toward her. “Wait a minute.” Changing her mind about scooping ice cream, she pointed her spoon at Debbie. “You got engaged to Austin last night and had dinner with his ex and her husband tonight?”
“Oh.” Sheila gasped. “I see now. Austin didn’t want his wife to think he hadn’t moved on and gotten over her.”
“That’s not why he asked me to be his fiancé,” Debbie defended.
Austin could care less what Cheyenne thought about him.
“Askedyou to be his fiancé?” Joy’s gaze narrowed on Debbie. “Don’t you mean he asked you tomarryhim?”
Oops.
Now they’d know for sure that her and Austin’s engagement wasn’t real.
Sheila grabbed the ice cream since Joy didn’t seem very interested in eating it. “Duh, if she’s his fiancé she’s going to marry him.”
“Austin doesn’t strike me as the type to need to save face with his ex. There’s more going on here, isn’t there?” Joy’s gaze narrowed on Debbie. “Why is his ex-wife in town?”
Debbie pulled the ice cream toward her and took her time digging out a bite and eating it. The cool, sugary concoction did nothing to soothe the warmth that seemed to have settled in her face and neck.
“Well?” Joy asked.
“She wants custody of the kids for a while.” The admission did nothing to ease the tightness in her throat.
