Shawn blinked, both at that image and at the uncertainty as to why her friend was pushing past her into the living room on a Sunday morning. Charity wasn’t exactly known as a morning person.
“We were at the side door, but for some reason the doorknob is locked, so we couldn’t get in. You never lock your door.”
“Rhett must have locked it,” she said, running her hands through her damp hair. “He left for work and he doesn’t have a key yet.”
Talk about it like it was normal. Make it normal.
Charity grinned. “Dude, you’re insane, do you know that? I never thought you had it in you.”
Harley looked more worried than anything else as she closed the front door behind them, the blustery February wind cutting through Shawn. She wanted coffee and a pair of socks. “So what brings you two by today? Do you want some coffee?”
“We’re here to help you plan your wedding party, remember? We made plans yesterday.”
“Oh, shit, that’s right.” She had totally forgotten about Harley’s offer to help with her fake Valentine’s Day love-fest celebration. Gag. “My brain is fried.”
“You’re probably running on no sleep. I’m surprised you can actually walk after two nights of Mr. Wet Spot.” Charity flopped on her sofa.
Shawn tried not to blush, but it was an epic failure. “So how do we plan a wedding party? Not that I really want a wedding party, but I’m sure Rhett’s mother already hates me, so I don’t want to make it worse. He said she’ll be hurt if we don’t have a party.”
“You have to have a party of some sort,” Charity told her. “Come on. How many times do you get married? Twice, maybe three times tops. The very first one at least should warrant a little boogying down.”
“I think this is it for me,” Shawn said truthfully. There was no way she wanted to do this again once she and Rhett got their divorce a year from now. Then again, when would this bizarre set of circumstances ever present themselves again? “I’m putting some coffee on.”
“The whole house smells like coffee already,” Harley said, following her into the kitchen. “Do you have an automatic coffeemaker?”
“No.” But she had a husband. Who in addition to giving her three orgasms, left hot coffee in two thermoses on the kitchen counter, a note next to them.
“Hot coffee for you. XO R”
XO? Hugs and kisses? Shawn studied the scrawl of his handwriting and tried to interpret the meaning behind it. He hadn’t known there would be anyone there to witness the note, so why would he write that?
Her head hurt. Her chest hurt. Her cooter hurt.
If this was marriage, it blew donkey balls.
“Ah, that’s so sweet,” was Harley’s opinion.
Donkey balls were sweet?
Oh, she meant the note. “Yes. Yes, it is.” Because that’s what she was supposed to say. And it was sweet. How could she argue that it wasn’t?
“Do you ever wonder if Rhett has an ulterior motive?” Charity asked, joining them in the small kitchen.
“Charity!” Her twin squawked, clearly appalled. “It’s a love-at-first-sight thing! It happens!”
Probably not, but the truth was a lot less shiny.
“What kind of ulterior motive could he possibly have?” Shawn asked Charity, actually feeling a little insulted. How nice to hear that her friend thought no guy would fall head over ass for her.
“Maybe he thinks the track is worth more than it is. Maybe he’s after money and sponsorships.” Charity shrugged. “I’m not trying to be a dick, but you have to admit, this is just cray-cray. Totally out of left field for you.”
“He signed a prenup before we got married on Friday. He can’t touch the track. He doesn’t get anything.” Except the hundred grand she’d promised him. “Don’t be so cynical. Maybe I was just ready.”
“Ready for what? To marry the first guy who asked you?”
“Charity . . .” Harley said in a soft voice, the warning clear.
Shawn felt herself bristling, but she beat it back. The truth was, if either of the twins had done what she just had, she would be concerned herself. However, she suspected she would be a bit more tactful than suggesting a man had married her for money. Or that she was so desperate she’d grab the first male to show interest and get hitched.
“Seriously, Charity, I’m going to pretend that what you just said wasn’t nearly as rude as it sounded. I think it is possible that I’m smart enough not to just marry any man who asks me. If I wasn’t, I would have eloped at fourteen with Bryan Johnson when he told me he’d marry me if I blew him.”
“Was that what Rhett offered?” Harley said, in a rare comedic moment for her.
Shawn laughed. “Something like that.”
“Wait, you blew Bryan Johnson?”
“No! That is not what I meant!” Shawn went into the cupboard for a mug. She clearly needed her coffee. Now. “I wasn’t blowing anyone at fourteen.” In fact, she wasn’t blowing anyone now. That had not entered into their bed sport the night before, which Shawn found curious. In her experience, men were forever trying to wave their pecker in her face, and yet Rhett hadn’t at all. He had spent the majority of the night focusing on her.
Hmm. That was interesting.
“So how many people are coming to the party?” Harley asked, leaning on the counter as Shawn unscrewed one of the thermoses.
Good question. “Well, Rhett has seven sisters and a brother, plus all their spouses.” Though, truthfully, she had no idea if they all lived in the Charlotte area or not. “Plus sixteen nieces and nephews. His parents. My mom and my brother and his wife. You two. Debbie, Linda, and John, who have all been working at the track for years. Rhett’s fellow crew members. How many is that?”
“I think we’re at forty-seven,” Harley said.
“Holy crap.” Shawn poured coffee into a mug that read “If only Mondays were as easy as I am.” The mug had been funnier a week ago, she had to admit. “That’s a lot of people for a small party.”
“You always wanted a big family,” Charity said. “It looks like you have one now.”
Except it wasn’t real. Shawn bit her lip and took a sip. She realized that someone was knocking on the side door. “Okay, now who is that? Eve is at the track today, so it can’t be her.”
“I’ll get it,” Harley offered. The minute she opened the door, a gust of wind and an older woman rushed in.