Page 20 of Not My Finest Hour

“We’d love it if you sat down with us,” Fern says. She glances Brett’s way, and the two of them do that thing that couples do where they talk to one another without actually saying anything. Brett nods in response. “We have something we’d like to talk to you about anyway.”

I stop short. Oh, God. What is this about? Does Fern know about the time I caught her having phone sex with Brett? Actually, it was worse than phone sex. They were video chatting with one another because Brett was on a work trip. He was out promoting their company’s audiobook narration at a romance writer’s convention with Trixie Skye, a famous romance author. I guess Fern was really missing him and decided to show him how much. I wasn’t supposed to see…or hear…any of it because I should’ve been at work. But Kim had an open afternoon, and it was a nice day, so she decided to head home early. I thought Fern had heard me come in. I really thought I’d been loud enough. But as I was getting myself a snack in the kitchen, I heard some moans and sighs coming from Fern’s bedroom. I thought she was cheating on Brett and cracked open her bedroom door.

I don’t know why I did it. Looking back, I would hate it if Fern had snooped on me. But Brett is so wonderful, so if she was cheating, then it had better damn well have been Paul Rudd, her hall pass, in there. God, I wish I could get some brain bleach for that day. I really didn’t need to see a shirtless Brett on screen and my semi-naked sister. I got out of there as fast as I could before Brett could show more than just his chest.

Fern must see the look of shock on my face. “It’s nothing bad,” she says with a smile. “Go get changed, and then we’ll talk.”

I do as she says, then head to the kitchen to help myself to some chow mein. Not wanting all this food to go to waste, I put all our leftovers in the fridge before joining them on the couch.

“So what did you need to talk to me about?” I ask, trying to get whatever they have to say out of the way.

Fern, who has now scooted closer to Brett, takes his hand in hers and smiles at me. “Brett and I have talked a lot about this…and we’ve decided that we’re going to elope.”

Fern? Elope? I never would’ve guessed she would want to do that. I always pictured her as the type to want the grand wedding with at least two hundred guests. Maybe a destination wedding in the Bahamas, or she mentioned once getting married at T-Mobile Park. But to hear that she wants to keep things simple astonishes me. My face probably looks like that “Blinking Guy” meme right now.

“Do you mind me asking why you’re deciding to elope? And what about that dinner you were planning when you finally set a date?” Fern looks over at Brett, and it’s clear to me that this is not the reaction she was expecting. Her smile falters, and I feel a sudden urge to elaborate on my question. “I’m happy for the two of you, of course. It’s just that out of the two of us, I always expected you to have a big wedding.”

She shrugs. “There really wasn’t one thing that led us to this decision. We’d been talking at length about what kind of wedding we want, and we had a hard time envisioning what our perfect wedding was going to look like.”

“And then I mentioned that we don’t have to have a big wedding at all,” Brett chimes in.

“That’s when it clicked. I saw the two of us holding hands in front of just a handful of people, in a place that wasn’t a church or the ballpark,” Fern says.

I take a bite of my food that’s now only slightly warm, then ask, “Do you know where or when you’re going to get married?”

Fern shakes her head. “We don’t have all the details ironed out yet. And to be honest, I don’t think we’re going to plan anything. When it’s time, we’ll know.”

“Does Mom know about this?” I’m guessing our mother doesn’t know, because I know she’d have some words to say about it. Once Brett and Fern announced their engagement, my mother was quick to offer advice about where and when they should have their wedding. In fact, our mother might be the reason they opted to elope. Our mother means well, but she’s been not-so-patiently waiting for one of us to get married.

“You’re the first person we’ve told,” Fern says.

Me?I knew our relationship was improving, but I didn’t think it had improvedthatmuch. I really thought she would’ve told Julie first. “Well, thanks for letting me be the first to know.”

“You have to swear you’re not going to say anything,” Fern says, her gaze boring into mine. “We’re only telling you in case you don’t see us for a few days, you don’t think something bad has happened to us.”

“You’re saying that if you somehow disappear for a few days without notice, that I’m supposed to assume you’re eloping and that you didn’t get murdered or kidnapped? I don’t claim to be the smartest person in the world, but that seems like a really dumb idea.” I’m not the type to worry over the comings and goings of my sister, but if she disappears without a trace and I don’t hear from her for several days, eloping sure as heck isn’t going to be my first thought.

“You’re right. That’s probably not the best plan.” She thinks for a moment. “How about I text you our whereabouts once we know that it’s time? But you have to promise to keep it to yourself.”

“Mom is going to be devastated. She’s been looking forward to your wedding ever since you told her you were engaged,” I say around a bite of food.

“I don’t expect her to like it, but it’s not her day. It’s ours.” Fern glances over at Brett to make sure he’s in agreement. He nods along.

“Okay. I’ll keep your secret,” I say, then return to my dinner which is now cold.

“We appreciate it. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, how was work?” Fern asks.

“It was good,” I say, then remember that I’m trying to build a relationship with my sister, not keep her out. “Actually, it was really good. Alexis was out sick today, so I didn’t have to deal with her bad attitude. And one of Kim’s clients asked me out on a date.”

Fern’s eyes light up. “What? Tell me more.”

I glance over at Brett, trying to determine how much of my personal life I want him to know. Brett must sense my hesitation and offers to take my dinner into the kitchen to heat it up for me. While he’s away, I tell Fern all about Wesley coming in today, and how he came in specifically to see me because he hadn’t stopped thinking about me since the seminar. Brett comes back with my meal, and I thank him for his kind gesture.

“Do you know when you’re going to go out?” Fern asks as Brett returns to his seat on the couch.

“I don’t. He’s supposed to text me to set something up.” Right at that moment, my phone vibrates in my pocket. I pull it out to see Wesley’s number on the screen. A smile creeps across my face.

“Is that him?” Fern asks.

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