Page 43 of The Longest Wait

“Something hasn’t been right since he relocated to Philly.

Worse is he won’t talk to me about it. I think it is something with

work and his assignment before Jack and I got married. I thought

maybe you can take him out or something. See if there is any

chance of him spilling something to you. Tess already tried and

he was like Fort Knox.” There was a touch of worry in her voice.Sofia was a bit dismayed she wasn’t asked first to talk to Alex,

but it made sense. They didn’t exactly have the best history. “I will

check on him.”

Lucy was relieved and conversation switched to her itinerary

for California. The worry instead carried to Sofia. It seemed like her

idea of casual with Alex got more complicated. Because no matter

what Alex told her, she wasn’t going to share with anyone. Maybe

Lucy would forget she asked?

ONE THING WAS certain, Daltons knew how to throw a party.Sofia relaxed at the bar, waiting for Tess, who was surprisingly tenminutes late. Lateness wasn’t something that got Sofia up in arms,but Tess was never late. It was part of her whole saint thing.

Her phone rang and it was Tess.

“What’s up?” Sofia hoped everything was okay.

“I’m so sorry.” Tess was full on stress mode. “I have this bridewho is driving me insane, I have no idea how she found someoneto marry.”

“We shouldn’t be on a call if you want to mess something upon her big day,” Sofia teased. “They can trace it.”

This made Tess laugh. “I would never, but I do need to cancel.I have to help her find a new dress. A new dress when she’s gettingmarried in two weeks!”

A new dress was a disaster, by the way Tess was acting, but toSofia, who even cared. The bride was only wearing it once; whymake a big deal about it?

“I have to go, but please behave,” Tess said before hanging up.

Sofia didn’t mind being at a bar alone. She had no siblings andher parents both worked relentless hours when she was growing up,so she was accustomed to alone time. It gave her the opportunityto take everything in. Besides, her makeup and hair were done, noway was she wasting the extra effort and heading home.

“Where are the other two musketeers?”

She turned around and saw Travis, a friend she made throughAlex. He stepped in when Lucy and Jack stupidly broke up andacted as a decoy to get their asses back together.

“I think the more important question is what are you doing inPhilly?” she excitedly asked him.

“I was around for work and decided to not take the train backto New York until tomorrow,” he explained. “Why are you hereall by yourself?”

“Tess has a wedding emergency,” she said while he cocked aneyebrow. “Yeah, something about a dress.”

“Which is important,” he noted.

She waved him off like it was nonsense. “Lucy and Jack arein California visiting his friend. If nothing else, I hope they arehaving loads of sex. To me, it would be the benefit of marriage. Sexwhenever you want it.”

“It is like my pleas to not hear about my sister and her sexlife go unnoticed.” Alex joined them as he sat down next to Sofia.