in envy. Heaven knew she’d wanted to hang up on Mrs. Gold herself. More than once.
“Wedding stuff. You know how she is. She wants her own way, and nothing else is all right. You know my mother.”
Josie also knew Jack, and up until now, the wedding plans hadn’t bothered him at all. He was just as happy to have a sit-down dinner as he was to have a buffet meal. A band or a DJ, he didn’t care. Bridesmaids’ dresses? As long as they wore them, it didn’t matter to him what color or what style.
“What did she want that made you so mad?”
He sighed, and Josie was even more startled to see his scowl become a sad frown. He rubbed at his face, then took her hand. He kissed it, holding her fingers to his lips for a long moment before answering. “Just problems with the guest list.”
“Again? I thought we went over that with her. And my parents, too.”
He shrugged. “Like I said, you know my mom.”
“Who does she want to invite this time? The paperboy’s second cousin’s sister’s college roommate?”
Jack laughed, which eased the anxious ache in her stomach. “Something like that, yeah.”
“You told her the guest list had been finalized, right? We already ordered the invitations and everything. We barely have room for the people already on the list. We can’t add more.”
He nodded slowly. “I know. I told her.”
“Okay.” Josie sighed and flung herself onto the bed beside him. “Can’t we just elope?”
He laughed, sounding more like his usual self. “Vegas?”
“Mmm. I was thinking more like the Bahamas. Someplace nice and warm.”
“Barefoot on the beach?”
“Ahh. Perfect.”
He knuckled her side through the towel’s thickness. “No choice of fish or chicken, just a pu-pu platter and a glass of coconut juice.”
“I’ll pu-pu platter you, you big lunk.” Josie pinched his nipple lightly, making him laugh and squirm away from her. “I spent hours…no, days, weeks already, planning this stupid menu. Do you know how many times my mother had to call me back just about whether the garlic dip should be served with pita triangles or toasted wheat crackers?”
“Don’t talk about it any more.” Jack stretched. “I think I owe you some eggs.”
“Oh, hell,” Josie said. “Let’s just go out for breakfast. Someplace that serves mimosas. I could use a drink.”
“Me, too.” He kissed her forehead and looked into her eyes. “You know I love you, don’t you?”
“Yes.” She kissed him back. “And I love you, too.”
When he left her to take a shower, Josie lay back on the pillows for a few more minutes before getting dressed. Something was going on with him. She’d never have thought Jack could have the same pre-wedding jitters she did, but it appeared she was wrong. She only hoped that was what was bothering him, and not something else.
Chapter 4
“But you have to have your cousin Myrna’s daughter.” Ava Levine crossed her arms over chest and lowered her glasses to look at Josie. “You were Myrna’s flower girl.”
Josie still had nightmares about it. “Mom, no. I told you already. We’re limiting the bridal party. I’m having Mim and Jack’s having his best friend Scott. It’s simpler that way.”
“But…” Ava threw up her hands “Fine. Be that way. Embarrass me in front of the family.”
“Mom,” Josie said warningly. “You’re really starting to tick me off.”
Ava looked stunned. “Josephine Minerva, I can’t believe you just said that to me. I’m your mother!”
Josie had just about had enough. Between her mom and Mrs. Gold, she was ready to forget the entire wedding altogether. Added to that was the strange way Jack had been acting, and she was tenser than usual.
“And this is my wedding,” Josie replied evenly.
Ava gasped. “I just want to be included!”
“Mom, you’ve been included in every single decision we’ve made so far. The problem is not that you want to be included. The problem is you don’t just want to offer your opinion. You want to make the decisions! You and Mrs. Gold, both of you, seem to forget Jack and I are adults. And this is our day.”
Josie didn’t think she’d ever seen her mother speechless before, but she was proud of herself for saying what she felt without raising her voice or bursting into stressed tears. It was too good to last. In the next minute, her mother stood and grabbed her sweater from the back of the chair, then snatched up her purse.
“And I can’t believe you won’t have Myrna’s daughter in your wedding when you know