“No it’s not,” Juliet said, elbowing her sister and extending her hands. “Throw it to me, Tessa.”

“Just be grateful we’re not doing the garter thing,” Leo mumbled.

Tessa shot him a look. “That’s misogynistic.”

“Or the lap dance,” Noah said.

Tessa startled. “The what?”

“You know,” he said. “Where they give the bride a dollar.”

“That’s called the dollar dance,” Jack said. “Geez.”

Tessa tossed her little bouquet. There was a polite scuffle. And when all the heads bobbed up, the catcher was…her mother.

“I’ll press the flowers for you,” she said, holding it up.

She wanted to tell her not to bother—that she didn’t want to commemorate this day at all.

“Bye,” Tessa said, hugging her sisters one last time. “Talk soon, okay?” Then Tessa gave Gia a squeeze, too. Leo’s sweet little sister. Tessa didn’t want Gia to think Tessa was any threat to her relationship with Leo.

“Now we can be sisters,” Gia said. “And you won’t have to sneak cannoli to me. I’m thrilled.”

Tessa hugged her back, getting a little teary. “Now we can be sisters.”

Then Tessa’s sisters walked over and hugged Gia, too. Because her sisters might individually be pains in the rear, but no one could say they weren’t welcoming.

At least something good had come of this. And now it was time to go home.

Leo offered her his hand, a look of relief on his face that this was finally over, and she took it as they both walked out of the door.

They’d done it. They’d gotten married. And that had been the easy part.

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

It was done.

A thick, heavy silence descended as Tessa got into Leo’s ’vette and the whirlwind events of the day sank in. If this were a real wedding, their family and friends would’ve tied cans to the rear bumper. There would be cheering and happy tears and noise. And real kisses, not just fake ones that sealed a deal. Even if the fake one made her stomach pitch and her heart pound nonetheless.

They were both quiet in the car on the way to the little house. She’d have given anything to retreat to her cozy garage apartment, sink onto her purple couch with her pink-and-green crocheted afghan, inviting Cosette to curl up on her lap while she watched Netflix and sipped a glass of wine. Instead, she’d be sifting through boxes for her sheets and trying to find Cosette, whom Juliet had brought over earlier, along with a few things for the fridge. She was probably hiding somewhere, shaking and completely confused.

What have I done?

Vaguely, she realized she’d never gotten around to telling Leo about Cosette. But who wouldn’t love the sweetest little cat in the world?