Anthony. I’ll call and give him the heads-up. He doesn’t have class until this afternoon.”
“Okay if I talk to him first?” Judy pressed A.
“Sure.”
“Anthony!” Judy said into the phone, when the call connected. “It’s me, on Mary’s phone. You’re betrothed! Congratulations!”
Mary kept the car at speed, in light traffic. She could hear Anthony laughing, but she couldn’t make out what he was saying.
“Yes, she’s showing everyone that big rock you got her! You selling crack now? Ha!”
Mary smiled. It was so touching that he’d been saving for the ring. She should wear it with pride, not guilt. He was a great guy. “Tell him I love him.”
“She loves you, but she’s driving. We left the client’s and we’re going back to the office.”
Mary reached for the phone. “Gimme.”
“Not while you’re driving. Where’s your earphone?”
“I forgot it. It’ll be two seconds.” Mary reached for the phone, but Judy pulled it away.
“She’s grabbing the phone, but I want you to know that I’m happy for you both. Love you. Bye, here’s the love of your life.” Judy handed Mary the phone.
“Hi, babe. How are you?”
“Fine, sweetheart.” Anthony’s voice sounded soft and warm. “I hear my mother just called you.”
“Right, they’re all going nuts.”
“Tell me about it. Your mother already talked to the priest about booking the church. She got busy at morning Mass.”
Mary cringed. “No flies on her, right?”
“She says you need to, a year in advance.”
Mary scoffed. “Who’s she kidding? The parish is all old people. Who’s getting married?”
“There’s funerals.” Anthony chuckled. “We’ll have to talk dates later anyway, because I have to tell them at school when I want time off for our honeymoon.”
“A honeymoon!” Mary kept her eyes on the road. Traffic was picking up, and she couldn’t begin to think about a honeymoon. “Okay, we’ll have to deal.”
“How are you? You sound busy.”
“Honestly, we are.” Mary felt her gut tense in a way that was uncomfortably familiar. “Can you live with it if I’m not home for dinner tonight? I have a file to read.”
Anthony didn’t hesitate. “Do what you need to. What time will you be home?”
“Nine, or so?” Mary didn’t even want to commit to a time. She wished she could just see how it went. Even if she finished the Gardner file, she had to work her other cases. They were on the back burner, but still simmering. Now that she’d made partner, she felt more pressure to perform up than ever. After all, Bennie was a woman with a coffee mug that read, I CAN SMELL FEAR.
“How about I wait dinner?”
“No, don’t.” Mary hated when he waited, which added guilt on top of guilt, like a double layer cake of guilt.
“Okay, see you around nine.”
“I’ll call if I’ll be later.”
“No worries. Drive carefully. I love you.”
“I love you, too.” Mary pressed End and set the phone down on the console.
“So he’s talking honeymoon?”
“Yes.”
“Is that good or bad?”
“Both.”
Judy paused. “Mare. Just so you know, don’t worry about the maid-of-honor thing. You can wait to make a decision. See how you feel about getting married, in general. And if you want to have your sister be maid of honor instead of me, I’d totally understand.”
“Aw, honey.” Mary glanced over, touched. She hadn’t thought about choosing a maid of honor, but Judy must have been, because her blue eyes were filming.
“I mean it, really. I know I’m your bestie. Or you can have two maids of honor. Angie and I can be co-maids of honor, like co-counsel with bad dresses.”
Mary’s throat caught. “I would want it to be you, maybe with Angie, but we can’t talk about it now or I’ll crash the car.”
“Yay!” Judy clapped her hands, squealing with excitement, and Mary managed a smile.
Wishing she could feel half as happy as everyone around her.
Chapter Twelve
The offices
“Okay if I talk to him first?” Judy pressed A.
“Sure.”
“Anthony!” Judy said into the phone, when the call connected. “It’s me, on Mary’s phone. You’re betrothed! Congratulations!”
Mary kept the car at speed, in light traffic. She could hear Anthony laughing, but she couldn’t make out what he was saying.
“Yes, she’s showing everyone that big rock you got her! You selling crack now? Ha!”
Mary smiled. It was so touching that he’d been saving for the ring. She should wear it with pride, not guilt. He was a great guy. “Tell him I love him.”
“She loves you, but she’s driving. We left the client’s and we’re going back to the office.”
Mary reached for the phone. “Gimme.”
“Not while you’re driving. Where’s your earphone?”
“I forgot it. It’ll be two seconds.” Mary reached for the phone, but Judy pulled it away.
“She’s grabbing the phone, but I want you to know that I’m happy for you both. Love you. Bye, here’s the love of your life.” Judy handed Mary the phone.
“Hi, babe. How are you?”
“Fine, sweetheart.” Anthony’s voice sounded soft and warm. “I hear my mother just called you.”
“Right, they’re all going nuts.”
“Tell me about it. Your mother already talked to the priest about booking the church. She got busy at morning Mass.”
Mary cringed. “No flies on her, right?”
“She says you need to, a year in advance.”
Mary scoffed. “Who’s she kidding? The parish is all old people. Who’s getting married?”
“There’s funerals.” Anthony chuckled. “We’ll have to talk dates later anyway, because I have to tell them at school when I want time off for our honeymoon.”
“A honeymoon!” Mary kept her eyes on the road. Traffic was picking up, and she couldn’t begin to think about a honeymoon. “Okay, we’ll have to deal.”
“How are you? You sound busy.”
“Honestly, we are.” Mary felt her gut tense in a way that was uncomfortably familiar. “Can you live with it if I’m not home for dinner tonight? I have a file to read.”
Anthony didn’t hesitate. “Do what you need to. What time will you be home?”
“Nine, or so?” Mary didn’t even want to commit to a time. She wished she could just see how it went. Even if she finished the Gardner file, she had to work her other cases. They were on the back burner, but still simmering. Now that she’d made partner, she felt more pressure to perform up than ever. After all, Bennie was a woman with a coffee mug that read, I CAN SMELL FEAR.
“How about I wait dinner?”
“No, don’t.” Mary hated when he waited, which added guilt on top of guilt, like a double layer cake of guilt.
“Okay, see you around nine.”
“I’ll call if I’ll be later.”
“No worries. Drive carefully. I love you.”
“I love you, too.” Mary pressed End and set the phone down on the console.
“So he’s talking honeymoon?”
“Yes.”
“Is that good or bad?”
“Both.”
Judy paused. “Mare. Just so you know, don’t worry about the maid-of-honor thing. You can wait to make a decision. See how you feel about getting married, in general. And if you want to have your sister be maid of honor instead of me, I’d totally understand.”
“Aw, honey.” Mary glanced over, touched. She hadn’t thought about choosing a maid of honor, but Judy must have been, because her blue eyes were filming.
“I mean it, really. I know I’m your bestie. Or you can have two maids of honor. Angie and I can be co-maids of honor, like co-counsel with bad dresses.”
Mary’s throat caught. “I would want it to be you, maybe with Angie, but we can’t talk about it now or I’ll crash the car.”
“Yay!” Judy clapped her hands, squealing with excitement, and Mary managed a smile.
Wishing she could feel half as happy as everyone around her.
Chapter Twelve
The offices
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