In Your Dreams (Blue Heron #4)(100)

“Oh, Jack, I’m so embarrassed,” Hadley said, coming out of the kitchen and untying her apron. “I wanted us to have a nice family dinner, and I just do not know what happened.”

There were tears in her eyes. One thing Hadley hated most of all was to look foolish in front of her sisters, those high-achieving, high-IQ women, and he felt a pang of sympathy for her.

“Well, it was really nice of you to try,” he said.

She gave him a faint smile. “Thanks,” she whispered. “Guess you know I was always something of a pretender to the throne when it came to cooking.”

“Don’t worry about it. Come on, ladies—off we go. Frankie, is that a new tattoo I see on your wrist?”

“Sure is, Jack.” She pulled up her sleeve. “‘Conscientiously and with dignity.’ Part of the vet’s oath.”

“I wish you wouldn’t keep getting tattoos,” Hadley said. “It’s so un—”

“Unladylike? Oh, my Lord, don’t you say that. You sound like Blanche Freakin’ DuBois.”

“Well, for someone who supposedly loves animals so much, you sure didn’t show me much sympathy about Princess Anastasia, did you?” Hadley snapped.

“I sent a card. I called. Was I supposed to declare a national day of mourning? The cat was older than Methuselah, Hadley. And don’t forget how she bit me on my ninth birthday. Still have the scar.”

The sisters bickered and picked at each other with surprising fervor on the short walk across the green, making Jack slightly more grateful for his own sisters (not that they were perfect, God knew, especially with the number of texts and bits of romantic advice they’d been offering lately). But if ever there were two women with less in common, it was Frankie and Hadley.

O’Rourke’s was mobbed. Right. It was Mardi Gras. Colleen wore a low-cut maternity dress, her belly more noticeable these days. That wasn’t the only thing—the girls were on fine display, as usual, enhanced by pregnancy. Jack always thought pregnant women were beautiful, and Colleen had a lot going for her to begin with. Lucas was behind the bar, helping out. Colleen waved, then did a double take. “Oh, hey! Frankie, right?”

“You have a great memory,” Frankie said. “Is that a love bump I see?”

“It most certainly is.” Colleen put her hand on her stomach and beamed. “This Spanish pirate is my husband, Lucas Campbell.”

“I’m actually a contractor,” Lucas said, shaking Frankie’s hand. “Nice to meet you. Hey, Jack. Hadley.”

“I liked pirate better,” Frankie said. “I’m Jack’s ex-sister-in-law.”

“I don’t think Jack considers you an ex-anything,” Hadley chirped.

“Let’s see.” Coll scanned the restaurant, then smiled knowingly. “You want to join Emmaline and her sister? They just sat down, and I bet they won’t mind. Otherwise, it’ll be about forty-five minutes.”

“Oh, no, that’s fine. We’ll wait for a table,” Hadley said.

“Sure, we’ll join them,” Jack said a bit too aggressively. “Sounds perfect.”

* * *

EMMALINE AND ANGELA had been having a really nice time—well, Angela was the type who’d have a really nice time with anyone from Kim Jong-un to the Real Housewives of New Jersey, since there wasn’t a mean bone in her body. But it was rare that the sisters ever got to do anything just the two of them...maybe twice, Em thought.

And, she admitted, it was awfully nice to have Angela confiding in her.

Angela had been in a relationship with a woman named Beatrice, but things hadn’t been right for a while. When the chance came to teach astrophysics at Cornell for the rest of the semester, she jumped at it.

“I just couldn’t face Mama and Papa,” she said. “They’re going to be shocked. They’re not the most observant people in the world, for all that they’re such involved parents,” Angela said with a guilty smile.

“I know,” Em murmured. “I think I’ve broken their hearts by being straight.”

Angela laughed, then looked up. “Why, hello, Jack! How wonderful to see you again!”

Jack stood there with Colleen, Hadley and another woman, shorter and also quite pretty, with spiky hair and lots of piercings.

“You guys mind sharing a table?” Colleen asked, giving Em a wink. Good old Colleen. Em smiled back.

“Not at all, not at all,” Angela said. “Please join us. Hello, I’m Angela Neal, Emmaline’s sister.”

“Frankie Boudreau. My sister Hadley here was married to Jack for a brief time.”

Angela didn’t bat an eyelash. “Hello, Hadley. What a pretty name! I’m Angela.”

“Hi,” Hadley said. She looked as if she smelled decaying animal.

“How do y’all know Jack?” Frankie asked.

“Em and I are dating,” he said, claiming the chair next to Emmaline.

“You are?” Angela exclaimed. “Oh, hooray! I knew it was real. I could feel it.” She sat back and beamed.

“Well, tonight just got more interesting, didn’t it?” Frankie smiled and sat down across from Angela.

“So you need a bodyguard?” Em whispered as Jack sat next to her.

“You got that right,” he murmured. “I owe you.”