“Okay. I can do tomorrow, but can it be in the morning? I have a ton of work to do all day.”

“No problem. I’m an early riser. Just text when you’re up, and we’ll take care of it first thing.” Her eyes darted behind Ryann’s shoulder. “Sorry—will you excuse me? I think I see my husband doing shots.”

“No problem,” she said.

She and Jos were left alone, both holding a glass of the same nice scotch. Jos was eying her, critically, and she took a nervous sip of her drink, not sure what to say.

“You better treat Maddie right, you hear me?” Jos asked, her tone aggressive and clearly serious. “She doesn’t have any siblings here to give you the shovel talk, so consider it done.”

“Of course.”

“I mean it. If I hear anything bad, I’m coming for you, girlie.”

Jos was well on her way toward being drunk, so rather than attempt to have any kind of conversation with her while she grew more antagonistic, Ryann saluted her and left her there at the little bar cart.

She hoped, briefly, that she might be able to sit somewhere and quietly finish her drink, but then Jai was calling her over, one arm thrown over Maddie’s shoulders. She approached, realizing at once that Jai was more than tipsy by the slight tilt to his posture and his red cheeks and nose.

“Ah, and here she is—the lady of the hour,” he said, much too loudly.

“Oh?” she asked. Stuart met her gaze and lifted his shoulders. He didn’t know either.

“Oh, nothing,” Jai said. “We were just talking about you.”

“Good things, I hope?”

Jai’s smirk was slightly wolfish, and he jerked a thumb at Maddie. “That’s what she said, anyway.”

Maddie stepped out from under Jai’s arm, her expression darkening, and Jai seemed to realize a beat too late what he’d said. Ryann, Stuart, and Maddie glared at him, and he paled.

“Damn it. I’m sorry, Ryann, Maddie. I don’t know why I said that.”

“I know why you did, you lout. You’re soused,” Stuart said, quiet enough that only the three of them could hear him.

“I am,” he said, almost sobbing. “I’m so sorry. I got really nervous about meeting your parents. I had a few too many before you guys got here.”

All of them looked over at Stuart’s parents. Dick and Kathy were deep in conversation with Jai’s parents, Jim and Jackie. Jim was squeezing Dick’s shoulder, laughing loudly, and Dick seemed distinctly uncomfortable. He was trying to smile, but it was more a grimace than anything. Kathy was staring at Jackie in wide shock, and Ryann wondered what Jackie had said or done to elicit that response. Two different sets of people could hardly be imagined.