parents moaned about her pickiness. Her sisters rolled their eyes at her stubborn belief in perfection. Her friends begged her to freeze her eggs, just in case. But she didn’t care.
She’d wait for the one.
He’d come eventually. And he didn’t have to save her or give her some stupid glass slipper. She just wanted a man who saw all aspects of her—including her crazy—and loved her anyway. She wanted a man who’d be in it with her wholeheartedly: the bad, the good, and all the in-between.
Maybe that’s why she’d become the natural leader of the group. It felt good to be respected by her sisters, but sometimes, she’d love to just take a long break and let them make the important decisions for a while. She hadn’t taken a real vacation in years. As her parents had begun to slow down and make numerous mistakes, she’d taken the helm and worked endlessly to stave off any disasters. By the time her parents felt it was safe to finally leave, Avery had transitioned to director, adviser, and everything in between for Sunshine Bridal.
She pushed aside the thought and mentally shrugged. She loved her job and rarely bitched. It was only the beginning of April, and the burgeoning wedding season had just begun. For the next six months, there’d barely be time to breathe, let alone try and analyze the unspoken change in dynamics she sensed with her sisters.
She offered a smile. “You’re right. Let’s skip the rundown and call it a night. Bella, did you need help with Zoe tomorrow?”
“No, she’s got a birthday party, and Daisy’s taking her afterward for a playdate.” Daisy was a close friend of the family. She’d been pregnant the same time as Bella, and they’d raised their daughters together.
“Good. Hey, T, want to have dinner and go over the résumés for the new hires? I culled the best but would love to have a second opinion before I begin calling them in for interviews. We need to be prepared if we’re losing Gabe as an assistant soon.”
Her youngest sister slid off the couch and scowled. “No.”
Avery blinked. “Why not?”
“Because I’m not working tomorrow, psycho. I have something called a date. Maybe you’ve heard of it?”
Used to Taylor’s sarcasm, she ignored the sting and tried to be nice. “Oh, with who?”
“Just a guy I met at a bar. No one important.”
“Do you want to meet for drinks before your date? It won’t take long.”
Taylor groaned, shaking her head and heading toward the door. “No. I want to spend the time prepping to look hot and not thinking about work on my one lousy day off. You should try it sometime. Does wonders for your personality.”
“Really? I’m not seeing the evidence,” Avery said innocently.
Bella giggled, but took up the defense. She was the peacekeeping middle child and loyal to her role. “T’s right. Once the high season hits, you won’t be able to have much fun or socialize. Go do something crazy, Avery.”
Annoyance flashed. She had no time for crazy. Her schedule was crammed, her phone buzzed nonstop, and even her sleep was disturbed by crazed brides and grooms who had midnight panic attacks and figured their wedding coordinator was the perfect person to talk to.
She knew Taylor wasn’t committed to the business long term, and Bella had her daughter to care about, but ganging up on her because she wasn’t dating or doing reckless things was not cool. Was she the only one who cared that the family business needed to come first? That everything their parents had worked for and cultivated was important? Fun could come later, when their bank accounts were fat and they had solidified themselves as the premier wedding planners for the Jersey shore—not just Cape May. Yes, they’d achieved some success, but there was always a competitor ready to take over. They needed to be consistently sharp and on their game. The only way to accomplish this was by working their asses off, and that meant missing an occasional day off.
She opened her mouth, then firmly shut it. No. She wouldn’t go on a tirade when they were tired and cranky. Best to attack it in the brightness of the morning, after a few cups of coffee. “I am,” she said brightly. “This meeting is adjourned. I’m getting my ass to bed. Personally, I think that’s enough crazy from me.”
She marched past her sisters, the first in line to leave and not even checking to see if the front door was