Jos glared at her. “Let me finish. Anyway, it seems a little premature for you to be actually in the wedding. I can see you coming and being there for Maddie, but in the actual party? I mean, how long have you two been together? She didn’t even mention you at Christmas.”

“Jos, you’re completely wrong about her,” Janet said, holding back laughter.

Ryann held up a hand and gave Janet a quick wink. “It’s okay, Janet.” She turned to Jos. “I guess it does seem really fast. But we’re just really in love, and I think Stuart and Jai recognize that it’s for keeps.”

Joan and Julia laughed, and Jos threw them a confused look. Janet’s eyes were bulging, and she slapped her hands over her mouth to keep from laughing.

Jos, still oblivious, went on. “I mean, okay, yes—who wouldn’t be in love with Maddie?”

“Aren’t you married?” Janet asked, giggling a little.

“Aren’t you straight?” Julia added.

Jos tutted. “Oh, come on, you guys. We all have a crush on Maddie—we have since we were kids. What’s not to like?” She narrowed her eyes at Ryann. “You better not be fucking around on her.”

“Oh, no. I would never,” Ryann said. “In fact, I don’t, uh, fuck around at all. Even with Maddie.”

“What?” Jos said, slamming her glass down on the table. “You mean to say—”

“We’re waiting for marriage.”

Jos’s mouth opened and closed several times, fish-like, before everyone else burst out laughing. Ryann managed to keep a straight face for a few seconds before she, too, cracked, chuckling a little at the way the other sisters carried on. Julia stood up to clap her on the back, and Janet squeezed her arm, still giggling.

“What’s going on?” Jos said. “Why are you all laughing like that?”

“Oh, man, did she ever get you!” Janet said between giggles.

“Ryann is Stuart’s friend, you ass, not Maddie’s girlfriend,” Joan said, pushing Jos’s arm.

“Wait, what?”

“We were trying to tell you,” Julia said. “But you steamrolled over us. As usual. Ryann was playing along.”

“Really?” Jos said. “But last night—”

“You didn’t let Maddie explain then, either,” Ryann said.

“But the two of you were holding hands,” Jos said. “What was that about?”

Ryann laughed. “Have you seen her? You’d hold hands with her, too.”

Jos laughed at that and stood up to give her a high five. “All right. You got me. Jesus. Once you said you hadn’t slept with her yet, I should have known—”

“Okay, okay!” Julia said, standing up. “Enough about Ryann’s sex life, or lack of a sex life—whatever. We need to start on the measurements.”

“Does that mean I get to see this one naked?” Jos said, winking at Ryann.

Ryann laughed. “In your dreams.”

“But you are a lesbian, at least, right?” Jos asked.