Page 1 (1/2)

Chapter 1

Thursday, October 29

T e Ro Brunswick, Massachusetts

Because woroo!"

As Anne Ashburn walked in the back door of the shotgun apartment, that happy little explosion was not only what she’d expected all along, it also offered her the out she’d been praying for And it was probably the one and only tiree with the bride

Not about the role of fe to be in the "godda in the kitchen turned and looked at her: Deandra Cox, the i wearer of the white dress; Robert "Moose" Miller, her exhausted fiancé and Anne’s fello uire

Who was the only one she really noticed and, for that reason, the person she refused to look at

Too bad Danny always reat physical shape, his big body thickly muscled and ready to snap into motion in an instant With his heavy ars crossed at the boots, he was leaning back against the chipped countertop, his too-blue stare lossy black hair wet, and Anne tried not to picture hi as he rinsed the shampoo out of his--

She put her hands up to stop herself as ument "Look, I don’t want to cause any problems I’m happy to step aside--"

"And now I have one too many bridesmaids" The bride-to-be refocused on her intended "My count is wrong You wait until two days before the wedding to tellto like it, and now room focused on the linoleum floor, it was impossible not to picture a wax version of the couple on a ht cashmere sweater, her dark hair streaked blond, her body cocked forward like she was going to throat-punch theto marry; Moose in his New Brunswick Fire Department T-shirt, all broad-shouldered and bearded around the face, easing back like someone with the flu was about to sneeze in his face

Ah, true love

"I didn’t think it was a big deal," Moose muttered "Anne’s a member of the four-nine-nine crew, and everyone else is with irl" Deandra pointed at Anne "It throws off everything"

"I really don’t want to cause any probleregation It’s perfectly fine--"

Deandra’s glare swung Anne’s way "The count is still wrong And my friends have already paid for their dresses They were a hundred and twenty dollars apiece"

And that’s ht Moose may have volunteered for this, but no one else had or needed to--

"I think women can be whatever they want"

As Danny spoke up, everyone looked at hi Anne, who suddenly felt shades of what Deandra was throwing out

Don’t you dare, she ed like he’d thrown on a pantsuit and was channeling Oprah, Michelle Obama, and Hillary Clinton all at once "I mean, Deandra, you’re above all that sexisht and wrong for your oedding You’reto kill you, Anne vowed "I think Deandra wants things done properly for her only wedding"

Danny frowned in pseudo-confusion "So you’re saying it’s okay to have a double standard for iven how you are at the station I thought you believed in equality"

"I do," Anne snapped "But this isn’t about equality"