Page 12 of The Weight Of Falling
“Gideon organized most of it,” Kate says. “I just had to show up.”
Gideon shrugs modestly. “The wedding coordinator did all the heavy lifting.”
Sofia rests her chin in her hand. “What are your honeymoon plans?”
“Gideon is surprising me,” Kate says. “The only hint he’ll give me is that it’s a place with rollercoasters.”
Everyone at the table laughs. We’re all aware of Kate’s inexplicable fondness for rollercoasters.
They linger for a few more minutes, then Gideon hooks his arm around Kate’s waist and they wander over to the next table to greet the guests there. It doesn’t escape my attention that Farah is sitting at that table. So is Joel. She’s staring fixedly at him, while he seems to be making a concerted effort to avoid eye contact with her.
“So, uh, why is Farah at the wedding?” I ask in what I hope is a casual tone.
“Farah? She cuts Kate and Lisset’s hair,” Tess says absently, taking pity on Aaron and poking at his salad with her fork.“Lisset invited her to the wedding and Kate couldn’t think of a way to uninvite her.”
I watch Joel get to his feet and give Kate a soft smile before kissing her briefly on the cheek. He shakes Gideon’s hand and the two men exchange small talk. Not looking to be left out, Farah stands too and hugs the bridal couple, then turns to Joel and wraps her arms around him. He stands stiffly in her embrace.
Under the table, my fingers twist together in my lap. “She’s a hugger,” I observe, for something to say.
Sofia looks over at their table with narrowed eyes. “Pythons are huggers. And look how well that turns out for the recipients.”
I glance at Sofia in surprise. “You don’t like Farah?”
“I’m not too fond of her, no.”
“Why not?”
“Since her divorce, she’s made it her mission to flirt with every man possessing a heartbeat,” she answers in a grim tone. “A few weeks ago, she got a little too friendly with Matt.”
Matt’s love for Sofia is unquestionable, and I’m sure he handled himself just fine. But Sofia’s grip on her knife is worrying. Evidently, Aaron feels the same because he reaches over and carefully removes it from her grasp.
“When was her divorce?” I ask.
“Six months ago.”
I feel suddenly sorry for her. I can’t imagine how shaken up her world is right now.
“Looks like she’s got her sights set on Joel,” Tess points out. “He better hope there’s no jealous ex-husband hanging around.”
Aaron makes a scoffing noise. “Don’t worry about Joel. He can hold his own.”
My interest is piqued. “What makes you say that?”
“For one, he trains at the gym like someone obsessed.”
Like synchronized meerkats, the three of us straighten and swivel our heads toward Aaron. His eyes go wide. “I’m feeling a little outnumbered here,” he mutters.
“Details,” Tess demands.
“There’s not much to say,” he hedges.
Tess smiles sweetly at him. “Honey, you know how much I adore my coffee?”
Aaron offers a cautious nod. “Uh-huh.”
“Well, I feel the same way about gossip. Now spill.”
He’s quiet for a beat, and then he says, “It’s just...when I bump into Joel at gym, he trains like it’s personal, like he’s waging war against someone or trying to exorcise something.”
