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“Well, that is a lot of ood while it lasted”

Gabriel barked out a laugh “I’ across the cushions and kissing me

I gave hinored the fact that it had been aloing crazy wondering where he was and what he was doing, but I didn’t want to be “that girlfriend” and call his cell phone constantly Instead, I said, “I’athering a “work party,” in the style of Aether to make a quilt or build a barn I didn’t think A from the corner of their lips while they worked, like Jolene’s aunt Lulu Also, the Amish employed more lenient leaders than Jolene, who had the tendency to become a little bossy when it came to her nuptials

“It has to be at least fourteen inches toribbon on each side,” Jolene told us I would have questioned whether Jolene was serious, but she didn’t respond hen I laughed at her “All bridesmaids must cut their hair to exactly three inches below the shoulder by March” edict

Pointing out that the printing company would have cut these ribbons for an additional 250 would have resulted in huffy eye rolls from Jolene’s battalion of cranky cousins Besides, Aunt Vonnie, who had somehow heard iving er eyes

The McClaine clan alpha couple—known to Jolene as Mom and Dad—lived in the main house on the compound, a quaint little yellow far, surrounded by a series of increasingly dilapidated trailers Inside, the walls were decorated with Thoe was neat and clean and protected by doilies And everybody was naked Which explained the doilies

Jolene and her cousins whipped their clothes off the ot in the door, the way most people kick off their shoes

“Does this bother you?” she’d asked the first time I stumbled into her mother’s house

“I just don’t knohere to look,” I said, settling for a strange orange silk-flower arrangement mounted on the wall The truth was, as the only clothed person there, I felt weird I felt more naked than Jolene

The only cousin as remotely friendly was Charlene, who had asked for my ho me She wanted to be my best friend Seriously My best friend You cannot be nice to people like Charlene It’s like feeding a stray cat The cat just keeps co overtly rude to her, which wasn’t really helpingwith the rest of the family

Fortunately, a o a lot of fun with that

“Hey there, bitches!” I called as I cah the door “What are my favorite bitches up to today?”

The only response was a chorus of unenthusiastic, drawled “Hi’s” and “Heys”

“I knohat you’re doin’,” Jolene ed me “And it’s not funny”

“See, that’s where you’re wrong,” I said, tucking wavy crimson hair behind her ears She scowled at me “I’ll try to keep it to a minimum”