Page 198 of You've Got Hate Mail
“Cricket?”
“Cricket. That’s her name. What everyone called her at dinner. The dinner you were just at.”
He ignores me. “She’s new?”
“Been here about a month. Little longer.”
“Bad viral?”
“Top of the hall of fame.”
“Huh.”
“Touch her and you won’t live to see your sister’s wedding.”
“Which sister? If we’re talking Ginny’s wedding, that’s cool. She’s never getting married.”
“Either sister.”
He quirks a grin without looking at me. “Got it bad, my guy. You’ve got it bad.”
“Speaking of bad—what’d you do to Mabel?”
“Who ever does anything to Mabel?”
“You. Clearly.”
He grunts and takes a swig.
“Don’t pout. You started it.”
“She can be fun,” he says. “I’ve seen it.”
“I live with her. I see her having fun all the time.”
The scowl and the shoulder twitch come back.
I hide a smile behind my own swig, and we both stare out at the rolling vineyard for a few minutes.
“Mike gonna be mad that you didn’t pull your wedding planning weight?” I ask him.
“Nah. He just wants Caro happy.”
“All good with you guys?”
“Yeah. Why wouldn’t it be?”
I shrug. “Family’s often complicated. And he’s not here to help plan his own wedding.”
Ava’s brother hated me as much as their parents did.
Wasn’t good enough for her, she was making a mistake, I’d never make anything of myself, I’d be a shitty husband and father, all of it.
I was fine to hang with until she got pregnant and I proposed, and then I was the enemy.
He, at least, has no interest in raising a little girl, so he’s been out of our lives completely since the funeral.
So it feels natural to wonder if Ten and Mike might have issues now that Mike’s marrying Ten’s sister.
