“What?”
“I was just remembering that first time Gina brought me to meet you. Do you remember?”
He pursed his lips as he thought about it. “We went to that Italian place, right?”
“Yes. And you ordered the cheapest thing on the menu, like you were worried about the cost.”
“I did?”
I laughed. “Yes. So then Gina and I also ordered very inexpensive meals in case you didn’t have enough money.”
“Really?” He laughed. “I don’t remember that.”
“After we flew out to meet your family, we talked about it on the trip back. We figured you’d ordered the low-priced spaghetti so that we wouldn’t guess you were rich.”
He grinned. “I actually just really like spaghetti.”
I smiled. “It is pretty good.” Not that I let myself eat pasta very often. But the more I thought about it, Doug’s explanation probably was true. We’d all been shocked when we found out Doug’s parents lived in a mansion bigger than some state capitol buildings. But after the shock wore off, they seemed like pretty normal people. They’d been the ones that insisted Doug live in a modest manner. They’d even encouraged him to use an alternate form of his name so that no one could look him up and find out. We hadn’t known he was part of the wealthy Cabot family until then.
Oddly enough, the simple life seemed to suit Doug. Which was good because it suited Gina, too. Sure, she’d have more opportunities now, and she wouldn’t have to worry about money, but all she really wanted was Doug. She wasn’t a gold-digger, like those two awful women had implied. Thinking of the evil stepcousins made my blood boil. How on earth was I going to get through a whole week rooming with them? That was if I could even make it up to that rickety old loft without breaking my neck.
“Don’t you two look nice.”
Gina appeared at our side, looking beautiful in a slinky gold dress. It was held up by two thin straps, and for a moment, I was envious of the much easier time she had finding nice clothes that looked so good on her. Plus her long hair wasn’t frizzy at all, even though she’d put some waves in it tonight.
Doug reached for his fiancée. “So do you, honey.”
I stepped back so that Doug could give her a kiss.
What started out as a quick peck turned into something more intimate, and I looked away. Earlier, the thought crossed my mind that I could ask Gina to stay with her, but I knew I’d be intruding. Though Doug was officially rooming with one of his college buddies, I had no doubt that he’d be sneaking into my sister’s room late at night.
“Don’t go,” Gina said, breaking off the kiss when I tried to discreetly edge away. “You haven’t told me how your cabin is.”
Crap, what could I say? “It’s small, but well-maintained.”
Doug raised an eyebrow. “No hurricane damage?”
“Not that I could see.”
“Did you get to know the other bridesmaids?” Gina asked.
Way more than I wanted to, actually. But I didn’t say that. “Yes, we talked a bit. Does anyone else have trouble telling them apart?”
Doug laughed. “I did for the entire first year after their mother married Uncle Lawrence. But Savanna’s a little taller. That’s how it finally clicked for me.”
“Yeah, it took me a while, but I finally figured that out.” Doug’s arms went around Gina, and I fished for an excuse to take my leave. “You know, I think I see them over there. I’ll go say ‘hi’. Unless you need anything?” That last bit was directed toward my sister. My distasteful experience back at the cabin had made me temporarily forget my maid of honor duties.
“I’m good,” she told me. At least I thought she was talking to me. She had her arms linked around her fiancé’s neck and was staring dreamily into his eyes.
Smiling, I made my retreat. I was distracted by a two-tiered round table piled high with food. Suddenly, I was ravenous. The top part held every kind of fruit imaginable, including some things I didn’t recognize. There was even a platter of fresh pineapple slices, my favorite. On the lower rung, there were sandwiches, kabobs with hunks of steak and veggies, and mounds of shrimp. So much shrimp. I spotted barbecued shrimp, deep-fried shrimp, coconut shrimp, and shrimp stir-fry. It seemed like there were almost as many kinds as Forrest Gump’s friend had recited in the movie.
I picked up a plate, but before I could decide what to try first, I heard a high-pitched laugh that sounded almost like a cackle.
Uh-oh.
Only an evil stepcousin could make a sound like that.
I turned and scanned the space around me. There were more people now, some I recognized and others I didn’t. It didn’t take long to spot Hanna and Savanna, however. They were by the entryway in skin-tight, strapless dresses. Their over-tanned skin practically glowed orange in the waning light.