A Fool's Gold Wedding - Susan Mallery Page 0,1

occasions, she even had a pair of little gel cutlet thingies that did the trick, illusion wise. On the bright side, she could totally go without a bra if she wanted and no one even—

“Abby!” Melissa sounded exasperated.

“What?”

“You said you were listening. I’ve been talking for five minutes and you haven’t heard a word.”

“Oh. You’re right. Sorry. Now I’m really listening.”

Melissa didn’t look convinced.

“I swear.” Abby held up her left hand, then quickly switched to her right. “This is me, swearing.”

“Joaquin is coming to Fool’s Gold.”

“Yes, for the wedding.” Was the stress of the event starting to get to her sister? They’d already discussed this.

“Tomorrow.”

“What? No. Tomorrow? The wedding’s not for three weeks. Too-smart-for-his-own-good Joaquin is going to be in town for three weeks? That’s a nightmare. What are you going to do?”

Melissa’s gaze sharpened. “Yes, that is the question,” she said. “He’s going to need to be entertained.”

“But how—” Abby fought the sudden urge to run from the room. “No. No way. Not me. I can’t entertain him. I’m not smart enough. I was a solid B+ student. I’m great with kids. If he were eight or even eleven, I would be your girl, but what am I supposed to say to some sanctimonious doctor guy? Didn’t he go to college when he was like five? No way. What about Mom?”

“Abby, please. There’s no way he’d hang out with Mom, and even if he would, she’s doing so much with the wedding and she’s on deadline. I have to go back to work. In San Francisco,” she added, as if Abby didn’t know where she worked and lived. “Davis does, too.”

“He could visit you there.”

“Joaquin specifically told Davis he wants to stay in Fool’s Gold. He has a room at Ronan’s Lodge. I’m sure he’ll keep himself busy. I just need you to, you know, help out.”

“Monitor him.” Abby’s tone was glum. “You want me to keep track of him and invite him out to dinner and be cheerful.”

“Cheerful is a natural state for you.”

“Yes, but not with a guy like him. Plus, I haven’t even met him.” Davis’s parents had been to Fool’s Gold bunches of times. Last Christmas the whole Kincaid-Hendrix clan had comingled for a gloriously massive and raucous Christmas. Everyone had been there. Everyone except the mysterious and grumpy Joaquin. He’d been working. Or dealing with his possible shellfish allergy.

Abby told herself not to judge. From all she’d heard, Joaquin was a gifted surgeon, so when he worked, he literally saved lives and stuff. But her uncle Simon was a gifted surgeon, too, and he wasn’t grumpy. He was sweet and funny and he loved his family, and when she’d accidently sliced three of her fingers on a very sharp knife last summer, he’d fixed her up and now she barely had a scar.

“I know this is unexpected, but, Abby, I need you.”

“Don’t say that.” Anything but that. If her sister needed her, she didn’t have a choice. Still, she could try to get out of it. “You know I’m busy with the wedding. I have to finish these cards.”

“I’ll help you. We’ll get them done today.”

“Sure, but I have to paint all the votives and that’s going to take a while.”

“Joaquin can help.”

“I doubt that, but there’s other stuff.” Surprises for her sister she didn’t want to talk about. “Melissa, I really don’t have time to babysit Joaquin. Please?”

Instead of relenting, Melissa only looked at her. Pointedly.

Ack! “But I don’t want to.”

Melissa sighed.

“Fine.” Abby grumbled. “I’ll do it. I won’t like it, but I’ll do it. You are not my favorite sister anymore.”

“I’m your only sister and you love me almost as much as I love you.”

“Apparently I love you more. Look what I’m doing for you. You are so going to owe me. I get to pick the name of your firstborn.”

Melissa pulled her close and hugged her. “I’m not sure how Davis would feel about me promising that. He might want a vote.”

“Then he should let his brother sleep on the couch.”

“Fair enough. I’ll let him know the price of your cooperation.”

Abby turned back to the place cards. Putting on tiny bead flowers was suddenly a lot less fun. Starting tomorrow she was going to be responsible for someone she’d never met and probably wouldn’t like. For three weeks! What on earth were they going to do?

Once her sister went back to San Francisco, Abby had planned to start working on her secret gift for the wedding. It was going to take