“Sienna really is the pretty one. You should look at her.”
“I’m not interested in her.”
Courtney stared at him. “Are you interested in me?”
The lie would be easy, and was probably the right thing to say, but as always, Quinn headed directly for the dark side.
“I am.”
Her gaze locked with his. “Are you going to do anything about it?”
“I haven’t decided.”
“Why do you get to decide?”
“Because you won’t.”
“Oh. That’s actually true. Will you let me know when the decision is made?”
“You’ll be the first.”
9
SIENNA GLARED AT her sisters down the length of the table. Sadly, neither of them seemed to notice. She and David were seated on one side of the engaged couple, while Rachel and Courtney sat on the other.
“Are you all right?” David asked.
“I’m fine. Just dealing with my family.” She smiled at him. “Sorry. Have I been distracted? I won’t be anymore.”
He lightly kissed her. “Thank you. This is a really nice party.”
“It is. Joyce did a good job.”
The dinner had been excellent, and the decorations were just right. A small version of a wedding cake with a topper that spelled out “Maggie & Neil” had been dessert. The table runner was a beautiful touch. Apparently, Courtney had come up with that, which was hard to believe, but sure.
Thinking about her sister made her mood sink again. Rachel was always taking Courtney’s side, which had made sense when they were kids. If anyone was going to be picked on, it was their baby sister. Not only had Courtney been a total fail at school, she’d been incredibly tall. Something that wouldn’t have mattered as much if she hadn’t also been two years older than all her classmates.
“What are you thinking?” David asked as he pushed up his glasses. “You look intense.”
“Just Courtney. I worry about her. She’s twenty-seven and still working as a maid in this hotel. I know she’ll never be a rocket scientist, but she could at least make an effort. Mom is forever trying to get her into trade school, but she won’t do it. I wonder if she’s afraid.”
David smiled at her. “You have such a sweet, giving spirit.”
Ugh. That wasn’t true—especially when it came to Courtney. Sienna mostly felt frustration and maybe some embarrassment.
“You’ll be a great mom,” he continued.
“I hope so.” Sienna smiled at him. “I look at the women we help and most of them have children. Those kids are so scared. I know some of it is because they don’t know what’s going to happen. I want to hold them close and promise everything is going to be okay. Only, they wouldn’t believe me and I’d just terrify them more.”
“You like your work.”
“I love it. Asking people for money isn’t that hard and it’s for a good cause. You talk about being excited to get to the office every day. I feel the same way. I want to get things done. I want to know that I’ve made a difference.”
She wondered if any of her passion for her work came from the fact that she’d always—in her heart—felt ashamed of Courtney. She didn’t like that part of herself, but there it was. In a town as small as Los Lobos, being Courtney’s sister had been inescapable. Other students had teased her, accusing her of being stupid, too. Rachel had been old enough to escape it all, but Sienna had been in the thick of it.
She looked out at the large crowd in the tent. Nearly three hundred people had come to the party. She’d known most of them all her life. Rachel’s ex-husband was there, as was Jimmy. Clients of Maggie’s, old neighbors, longtime friends.
“I didn’t want to move here,” David told her. “I almost didn’t take the job. I mean who’s heard of Los Lobos?”
She smiled. “And now?”
“The best thing that ever happened to me.” He stared into her eyes. “I love you, Sienna.”
David had used the L-word a couple of times before. She’d always kind of dodged the issue, because she didn’t know what to say. But now, feeling bruised about her family and knowing David saw only the best in her, she found herself leaning forward to kiss him.
“I love you, too.”
He smiled. “Later, I’m going to make you say that about a hundred times.”
She laughed.
The servers began to clear the dinner plates. Maggie stood and picked up a microphone on the head table.
“I know it’s not technically our wedding,” she began. “But Neil and I are still going to cut that beautiful cake over there. After, there will be dancing.” She looked at Neil, then glanced down the table toward Sienna and David. “But before that, I’ve been asked to request a special song. I think something wonderful is going to happen—I’m just not sure what.”