Plus, her sister deserved the best. She was full of love and life, always sweeping them away to museums, local festivals, concerts—always up for anything. She’d somehow convinced Tessa to run a 5K for the library last year, something Tessa swore she’d never repeat. And enter a cake in the Blossom Glen cake-off for the mental health center (she won). Juliet never said no to an adventure…or to a marriage proposal, apparently, because she’d also been briefly engaged to her college sweetheart a few years ago, and that had ended in disaster a few days before the wedding.

“Aren’t you happy for me?” Juliet looked a little offended.

Tessa had learned to usually say yes to this question.

“Of course I am.” She went to hug her.

Juliet scanned Tessa’s face. “Are you going to lecture me?”

“No. Of course not.” Tessa didn’t miss the little dig. Somehow, over the years, her relationship with her sisters had devolved into more of advice-giving and being a surrogate parent than a sister—and she wasn’t quite sure how to change that.

“Good. Because this time it’s for real. We’ve navigated all our differences, we’ve matured, and…and I love him. He’s the one.” She stood there as if she’d just confessed a huge revelation.

Yes, the one to cause endless heartache, Tessa truly believed. “What makes you think that he’s planning on popping the question?”

“He asked me to go for a hike in a few weeks in the same park where his parents got engaged. Then he made dinner reservations at that new winery where everyone eats overlooking the lake. And he said we have something important to discuss.”

“Just please be careful. I’d hate to see you hurt again.”

“Don’t ruin this for me, okay?” From that almost-an-eye-roll look her sister just cast her, Tessa could tell she was holding back. Vivienne had never given her lip like this. “Please try to resist playing mom.”

Tessa bit back her tongue. She’d had to play mom after their father died, when their mother had been overloaded with stress and grief. Someone had had to step up and mother her sisters. And somehow, even after her mom had recovered from the shock of their father’s death, Tessa had kept the role. All of them had sensed that their mother could take only so much overload, and Tessa had always picked up the slack. She held up her hands. “Okay, no more warnings. I hope he is the one.”

Then Tessa’s phone rang, and the image of her youngest sister, Vivienne, lit up the screen.

She picked up the phone and held it so Juliet could see too. “Hi, Viv!”