his eyes, let her know where she stood in his life.
“What does Wyn have to say about you working with Bode?”
Callie’s lips tightened. “He doesn’t like it, but he’s leaving it up to me. It’s what I went to school for. I want to practice family law. My two and a half years working in Columbia has really helped. I’ll be an asset to Bode.”
“Okay—don’t get your panties in a wad.” Brie grinned. “I say go for it. Do you think I’ll ever get married, Callie?”
“Absolutely. Stop being picky and give those guys in San Diego a chance. What’s it feel like to pack a gun?”
“Awesome. I’m a good cop, Callie—detective, I mean. I’ve been accepted to the FBI Academy.”
“Congratulations! Honest, Brie? A female FBI agent! I’m so impressed. Sela will be rich and famous and I’ll be . . . happy working for Bode and having Wyn’s children. We’ve come a long way,” Callie said.
She sounds defensive , Brie thought. She revised the thought almost immediately. Frightened was probably a better word. Damn, she liked Bode Jessup more than she liked Wynfield Archer. But if a contest were in the making, her vote would have to go to Wyn because he loved Callie heart and soul, and whatever made Callie happy made Brie happy. But then Bode loved her, too. She knew it as sure as she knew the sun would set later in the day.
Poor Bode.
“A penny for your thoughts,” Callie said.
“I don’t know if they’re worth that much,” Brie said ruefully. “How’s it going to work if you take Pearl with you? Wyn has his old nanny. Won’t they clash? That’s what I was thinking,” she lied.
“Wyn is pensioning off his nanny; she’s going to live in the guest cottage on the property. Pearl said she wanted to come with me. Thank God. She’s . . . I can barely remember my mother. She’s all I have except Bode, and he isn’t a blood relation. Trust me when I tell you, the only way I would give up Pearl is if Bode wanted her to make a home for him. He wanted her, I know he did. But in true Bode fashion he agreed to let her come with me. I don’t want her to work so hard. She’d be picking up after Bode all day long and cooking and cleaning seven days a week. She wouldn’t even have time for church.”
“Bode would drive her to church. He used to do it all the time,” Brie grumbled. “You owe him now for Pearl. He has as much right to her as you do.”
“I don’t owe Bode anything. The decision was Pearl’s. She loves Bode, and he knows that. It’s fine—really it is, Brie. What is that girl doing in the bathroom?”
“Putting on two pounds of makeup. It takes a lot of time to cover up unhappiness. You, on the other hand, sparkle, almost. I’m so happy for you, Callie. I wouldn’t have missed this wedding for anything in the world even though those bridesmaid dresses are shitful. Sela is right about that. Whatever were you thinking when you picked them out?” Better to move on to other things. Talking about Bode was too painful.
Callie flushed. “Actually, Wyn kind of . . . more or less . . . he gave me . . . input.”
“And lavender! I hate to say this, but I feel like I’m laid out, you know, as in dead, in that color. It washes me out. If I had your nice tan, I could see it, but I’m too fair; Sela, too.”
“Oh God, I can’t do anything right. I wanted to please Wyn so I agreed. Bode said the same thing. Maybe if we take the crinolines and hoops out, the dresses won’t be so—”
“—Shitful?”
“I was going to say ‘awful,’ but yes, ‘shitful’ pretty much sums it up. They are the exact same color as the wisteria that covers Wyn’s garden—I think that’s why he picked the color he did. Do you have any suggestions?” Callie asked.
“Well, I do,” Sela said, emerging from the bathroom perfectly made-up. She wore a daffodil yellow dress that was so plain and so severely cut, Callie knew it had to be an original of some kind and outrageously expensive.
“What does Wyn have to say about you working with Bode?”
Callie’s lips tightened. “He doesn’t like it, but he’s leaving it up to me. It’s what I went to school for. I want to practice family law. My two and a half years working in Columbia has really helped. I’ll be an asset to Bode.”
“Okay—don’t get your panties in a wad.” Brie grinned. “I say go for it. Do you think I’ll ever get married, Callie?”
“Absolutely. Stop being picky and give those guys in San Diego a chance. What’s it feel like to pack a gun?”
“Awesome. I’m a good cop, Callie—detective, I mean. I’ve been accepted to the FBI Academy.”
“Congratulations! Honest, Brie? A female FBI agent! I’m so impressed. Sela will be rich and famous and I’ll be . . . happy working for Bode and having Wyn’s children. We’ve come a long way,” Callie said.
She sounds defensive , Brie thought. She revised the thought almost immediately. Frightened was probably a better word. Damn, she liked Bode Jessup more than she liked Wynfield Archer. But if a contest were in the making, her vote would have to go to Wyn because he loved Callie heart and soul, and whatever made Callie happy made Brie happy. But then Bode loved her, too. She knew it as sure as she knew the sun would set later in the day.
Poor Bode.
“A penny for your thoughts,” Callie said.
“I don’t know if they’re worth that much,” Brie said ruefully. “How’s it going to work if you take Pearl with you? Wyn has his old nanny. Won’t they clash? That’s what I was thinking,” she lied.
“Wyn is pensioning off his nanny; she’s going to live in the guest cottage on the property. Pearl said she wanted to come with me. Thank God. She’s . . . I can barely remember my mother. She’s all I have except Bode, and he isn’t a blood relation. Trust me when I tell you, the only way I would give up Pearl is if Bode wanted her to make a home for him. He wanted her, I know he did. But in true Bode fashion he agreed to let her come with me. I don’t want her to work so hard. She’d be picking up after Bode all day long and cooking and cleaning seven days a week. She wouldn’t even have time for church.”
“Bode would drive her to church. He used to do it all the time,” Brie grumbled. “You owe him now for Pearl. He has as much right to her as you do.”
“I don’t owe Bode anything. The decision was Pearl’s. She loves Bode, and he knows that. It’s fine—really it is, Brie. What is that girl doing in the bathroom?”
“Putting on two pounds of makeup. It takes a lot of time to cover up unhappiness. You, on the other hand, sparkle, almost. I’m so happy for you, Callie. I wouldn’t have missed this wedding for anything in the world even though those bridesmaid dresses are shitful. Sela is right about that. Whatever were you thinking when you picked them out?” Better to move on to other things. Talking about Bode was too painful.
Callie flushed. “Actually, Wyn kind of . . . more or less . . . he gave me . . . input.”
“And lavender! I hate to say this, but I feel like I’m laid out, you know, as in dead, in that color. It washes me out. If I had your nice tan, I could see it, but I’m too fair; Sela, too.”
“Oh God, I can’t do anything right. I wanted to please Wyn so I agreed. Bode said the same thing. Maybe if we take the crinolines and hoops out, the dresses won’t be so—”
“—Shitful?”
“I was going to say ‘awful,’ but yes, ‘shitful’ pretty much sums it up. They are the exact same color as the wisteria that covers Wyn’s garden—I think that’s why he picked the color he did. Do you have any suggestions?” Callie asked.
“Well, I do,” Sela said, emerging from the bathroom perfectly made-up. She wore a daffodil yellow dress that was so plain and so severely cut, Callie knew it had to be an original of some kind and outrageously expensive.
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