Before We Kiss (Fool's Gold #14)(50)

She’d ordered shirts for Fayrene and Ryan, along with the babysitting staff. Each of the kids was getting a shirt, too. She also managed to arrange for a tiny shirt for Caramel, which was going to be wildly cute. But still, now she had another pickup.

“I think the box is going to be too big for me to carry,” she said. “I’ll be by later to pick it up.”

Patience touched her arm. “No way. I’m delivering it to you as soon as I get back to the store. Are you kidding? You have to be running in circles. The whole big party starts tomorrow night.”

“Thank you,” Dellina said. “I owe you, big-time.”

“Are you ready?”

“Nearly. I hope. I’m going to be stuffing goodie bags into the night. I’ve triple-checked everything, I have my lists.”

“You’ll do great,” her friend told her. “I love what you did last year with Charlie’s wedding. That was perfect.” Patience grinned. “Any hints as to what Taryn is planning?”

“She hasn’t said a word to me. Maybe they’re going to elope.”

“No way.” Patience laughed. “Taryn needs to wear a designer gown by some French person we’ve never heard of. She can’t do that if she elopes. She’ll probably talk to you soon.”

“After Sunday,” Dellina said. “I couldn’t handle it before then.”

“I want details.”

“I’m sure we all will.”

Patience walked with her along the street. “So how’s it working with the handsome football players? Sparkage?”

Despite the stress and her exhaustion, Dellina laughed. “Sparkage? Who says that? I’m only working with Sam, and while he’s a great guy, we have a professional relationship.”

Patience’s eyes brightened with amusement. “This would be the same Sam you slept with on Valentine’s Day night?”

“Yeah, that one.”

Patience raised her eyebrows. “I’m not buying the business-only thing, just so you know.”

Because she and Patience had known each other all their lives, there weren’t many secrets.

“We might have kissed, but it didn’t mean anything.” Dellina paused, then grinned. “Beyond the sparkage.”

“I knew it. I really love being right. How’s Fayrene doing? Is she still on that campaign to get Ryan to propose?”

“Yes, and it’s ridiculous. Ryan worships her. She needs to tell him she’s changed her mind.”

“I know, but sometimes it’s hard to say that kind of thing.” Patience shook her head. “Everyone else can see how he feels, but I keep thinking her insistence that the proposal comes from him isn’t about convention so much as fear.”

“What do you mean?”

“Maybe she’s scared he’s changed his mind. That he doesn’t want to marry her anymore. We all create elaborate stories when the truth is too painful.”

They stopped in front of Brew-haha. “This is me,” Patience said, giving her a quick hug. “Come on inside. We’ll load up the T-shirts and I’ll give you a ride home.”

“Thanks,” Dellina said as she followed her inside the store.

But her mind wasn’t on the party anymore, or even her sister. She kept thinking about what Patience had said about people making up stories when the truth was too painful to admit.

Did she have a story? She was so clear on not wanting to get married because she’d already raised her family. That was true—she wasn’t just saying it. Because if she was, then there was a greater truth. A more painful one. Like maybe she had already lost so much, she was terrified of losing again, and that was why she didn’t want to risk her heart.

* * *

“MOST YARDAGE PASSING,” Jack said, tossing the football to Kenny.

“Regular season or play-off game?” Kenny asked. He caught the ball and then tossed it across the table.

“Regular season,” Sam said as the ball spiraled toward him.

They were in the conference room with a football. When Taryn found out, she was going to hit the roof. Sam wondered why they took such delight in messing with her. She always got them back somehow and yet they couldn’t seem to help themselves. A couple of months ago, a wayward pass had shattered the built-in television. Taryn had replaced the regular milk by the coffee machine with soy milk for over a week. While any one of them could have gone to the store and bought a quart of regular milk, they hadn’t. Instead they’d swallowed the soy and promised to never toss the football indoors again.

“Against the 49ers,” Kenny said. “October 2011. It was raining. We won that game.”

“Because I kicked a field goal with five seconds on the clock,” Sam reminded them. “Three points, gentlemen. The difference between being a god and getting your ass handed to you.”

Their receptionist stuck her head in the room. “Kenny, there’s a young lady here to see you.”

Sam looked at Jack, who was already hooting and whistling.

“A young lady,” he said. “I hope she’s over eighteen.”

Sam chuckled. “Look at you, Kenny. Having them meet you at the office. Afraid to show them where you live?”

Kenny walked toward the door. “Sam, I was going to let you stay at my place while your folks are in town, but you can forget that.”