“Nicer?” I questioned while simultaneously waving the driver off. “We’re going to the airport,” I told him, before getting in the backseat of the car behind Deborah. “How do you expect me to be nicer? Two months ago he was attending our dinner with a completely different woman on his arm. Now he’s married to a another woman we’ve never met and she’s expecting his child. The child of a guy who’s never put in a day of work his whole pathetic life.”

Deborah frowned as she glared at me. “He was trying to upstage you.”

I snorted. “You think I don’t realize that?”

“Of course you realize it but you don’t understand it. He actually looks up to you, wishes he could be more like you. You said yourself, your whole lives, your father constantly compared you two and he always came up short. Jason’s just doing what he can to prove to your father, you, and most importantly, himself that he’s just as good as you are.”

“And getting married and having a baby proves that how?”

She angled her head, giving me a leveling look. “Come on. Do you think your parents would’ve thrown this lavish engagement party for him? Even though you didn’t want all of the pomp and circumstance, they still did it. If for no other reason than to show you off. They wouldn’t have done the same for Jason. You and I both know that. And so does he. He probably felt like he had to make a splash or some sort of impact on his own.”

I ran my hand over my chin, thinking about her words. This was yet another reason why I loved this woman. She made me consider things that would’ve never crossed my mind. To me, Jason was just a screw up I’d had to cover for or protect my entire life. But Deborah’s words helped me to put some things into perspective.

“You might have a point.”

“You know I have a point.”

“Great. Point made. But I’m done thinking about my brother for the time being. We have more important things to worry about.”

“Such as?” She smiled, lifting an eyebrow.

“Is that going to be your wedding dress or will we have to buy a different dress for the ceremony?”

Chapter Sixteen

Then

Deborah

“You’re shaking.”

I glanced over and laughed, again, taken aback by the huge dark hair, sunglasses, and sideburns of the Elvis impersonator who was going to be walking me down the aisle.

“I’m sorry,” I stated before covering my mouth the smother the giggles. “I just never thought I’d be getting married like this.”

I saw a dark eyebrow raise over the brim of the sunglasses. “You know it’s not too late to cut and run.”