Penelope snagged her arm and held it up. “Pretty. Aquamarine, right?”
“Yes,” she said. “It has meaning.”
“What kind of meaning?” Penelope asked, her hips thrusting forward.
“Penelope!” Aunt Sophia said. “Do you ever change?”
“No, what fun would that be? I’ve got to stay sharp to keep my hubby on his toes,” Penelope said. “Come on. Give us something. It hasn’t been that long, right? Will you bring him to Kelsey’s wedding?”
“It’s been a few weeks,” she said. Yet it felt like months. Maybe a year. Just a lot more time than it’d actually been. “And we’ll both be at the wedding.”
“I assumed that,” Emily said. “But will you betogether?”
“It’s my hope. No one at work knows we are dating yet. Though with the way my mother is flapping her lips that is likely to change soon enough.”
“A mother does those things when she is happy,” her mother argued.
“I’m happy too,” she said. “He’s such a nice guy. And Becca is a doll.”
“What does she know about you and Brennan?” Aunt Sophia asked.
“That we are a different kind of friends than she and I are. I’m letting Brennan handle that.”
“Probably the smart thing to do,” Emily said. “The twins are the same age and they wouldn’t understand it.”
“I just realized that Lucy and Sadie, Brennan’s mom, are in the same poker club. I thought it a few minutes ago and then Lucy said Sadie bluffed her.”
“That’s why you left?” Emily said. “Because you didn’t want to hear anymore?”
“Yeah. I’d rather meet her myself. She was a single mother and raised Brennan alone after her husband died. She never tried again, he said. Sounds like a really strong lady and most likely has tough opinions.”
“A mother always does,” Aunt Sophia said.
She turned and put her arm around her mother’s shoulder. “Like you do, Mom?”
“Always. But I know that you’re plenty resilient yourself.”
“I am.”
“Kicked that asshole to the curb,” Penelope said. “I would have made sure my stiletto got caught up in his ball sack at the same time.”
The wine she was sipping went right up her nose and she coughed. “I wish I thought to do that.”
“Dad said he’s trying to get into the executive office,” Penelope said. “That could be why I thought of it.”
“What?” She turned to her mother. “How come Dad didn’t tell me?”
“Because my daughter is talking when she shouldn’t be,” Aunt Sophia said. “Penelope.”
“She did it on purpose,” Emily said. “No one needs to be blindsided and she wanted Alana to know.”
“There is no way Mitchell, Ethan, or your Uncle Mason would hire him. He’s not in finance, so no part of your father’s department,” Aunt Sophia said.
Alana clenched her jaw. She didn’t want that, but secretly, she would have been angry if he was promoted and ended up working near her family after what he’d done.
“Thanks for telling me,” she said.
“No more talk aboutthatprick,” Penelope said. “Let’s talk about another male’s anatomy that I hope you’re getting.”
