Page 124 of My Favorite Mistake

Oscar bumped Brennan with his elbow. “Hey, Brennan, you keeping some kind of secret from us? Got a super special lady that we don’t know about?”

“Orladies?” Frankie wiggled her eyebrows up and down. “Two for one for the rest of your life. How ‘bout it?”

Brennan turned to Frankie with a mischievous gaze and started to incline his face toward hers, causing her to take a large step away from him.

Jimmy rubbed his face and shook his head. “You filthy friggin’ kids.”

“If you all must know,” Brennan inserted, turning his attention away from Frankie, “I was only looking at that magazine forresearch purposesfor Liza. We will see a snowy day in New Orleans beforeIget married.”

Jimmy draped his arm around Brennan’s shoulders. “Hate to break it to you, my friend, but it snowed here about ten years ago.” He made a big show of checking his watch. “So, you might be long overdue for some wedding bells.”

“Jesus Christ.” Brennan rubbed his hand over his face. “No. I just know I’m going to be in onthiswedding, and I don’t want to be subjected to the latest tacky trends in wedding attire.”

“Yeah, you know I have to agree with you there, Riley.” Connor draped his arm around Liza. “It’s a good thing I promised this pretty little lady years ago that me and my guys would all be wearing our dress blues.” He wagged his finger at Brennan. “Time to schedule a haircut.”

Brennan gaped as his forehead creased. “No.”

“All right, all right,” Frankie cut in, poising the camera again. “Right now, there’s only two people getting married, and my contribution is the perfect engagement photo. So, go on and kiss your bride for me, Connor.”

And while he did, Liza rested her hand on his heart and felt the slow, steady beat; deep like a bass drum from a brass band tucked away in the Quarter as it thumped away and murmured her destiny under her fingertips.

I’m home. I’m home. I’m home.

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