Page 91 of The Fiancée Farce
Teddy rolled his eyes. “Tough luck—they all taste like TV static. Get over it.”
Gemma muffled her laughter with her fist. Lucy caught her eye and smiled.
To Gemma’s astonishment, Lucy had taken the news that Gemma and Tansy were dating better than expected, far better than she’d taken the news of their engagement. She’d gone so far as to crack a smile and tell Gemma with seeming sincerity that she hoped Gemma would be happy.
As awful as it had been in the moment, as terribly guilty as Gemma had felt, maybe catching them in the library had been the sort of writing on the wall Lucy had needed to understand Gemma had moved on. That Gemma would always love her, but she’d never beinlove with her.Becauseshe cared about Lucy, she hoped she’d move on soon, find someone who could love her the way she deserved to be loved, no holds barred, because that person couldn’t be Gemma.
Max held out his can. “Trade me.”
“No.” Teddy snatched the pillow off the end of the couch and hurled it at Max.
Max’s LaCroix tipped over onto Yvonne’s lap, and she shrieked. “Froid! Froid!”
“Hold on.” Lucy narrowed her eyes and reached for the remote, muting the TV.
Someone knocked at the door.
Max frowned. “Did someone order food?”
Everyone shook their heads.
“I’ll get it.” Gemma stood.
Whoever was there knocked again, louder, practically banging down the door. Her neighbors were going tolovethat.
“Hold your horses,” Gemma muttered, flipping the lock and flinging the door open. “What do you—Tansy?”
Tansy stood in the hall, shivering wildly, teeth chattering, soaked to the bone, her coat having done little to keep her dry. “Hi.”
“Oh my God.” She pulled Tansy over the threshold. “Get in here.”
Tansy’s teeth wouldn’t stop chattering. “Thanks.”
Gemma dragged her farther into the living room, urging her to have a seat.
“I’m going to get your couch all wet,” Tansy protested. “It’s velvet.”
“Do I look like I care? Sit.”
Lucy scooted over, eyes averted as she made room for Tansy, and Gemma stifled a groan. All right, maybe Lucy wasn’t as okay with Gemma’s relationship as Gemma had hoped. Baby steps, she reminded herself. As long as Lucy didn’t go back to icing her out, or worse, begging her not to marry Tansy, Gemma couldn’t complain. She had faith they’d all get along eventually. Because if Gemma had her way, Tansy was going to be in her life for a long, long—well, they hadn’t discussed the existence of an expiration date on their relationship, not since originally hammering it out. That was probably something they should discuss and soon. But not while Tansy was trembling in Gemma’s living room.
“Here.” Rochelle handed her a towel with a smile. “For your hair.”
Tansy sat gingerly, clutching the towel under her quivering chin. “I was half—halfway here when it—it started to rain.”
Gemma ran her hands up and down Tansy’s arms, trying to work some warmth into them. “Not that I’m not happy to see you, but if you wanted to fuss at me about Caleb, you could’ve just called.”
Tansy looked at her blankly. “Caleb?”
“You know. Caleb. The contractor?”
The one they had been texting about when Tansy had stopped replying.
“The contractor.” Tansy shut her eyes. “Right.”
Gemma frowned. “Is that not why you came?”
Upon closer inspection, Gemma saw that Tansy’s eyelids were pink and swollen, as if she’d been crying.
