Meghann sighed. She’d screwed up again, wielded her opinion like a blunt instrument to the back of the head. She hunkered down in her chair and clamped her mouth shut.
The remainder of the afternoon was a mind-wrecking parade of cheap dresses. One after another, Claire zipped in, got opinions, and zipped out. She didn’t again ask for Meghann’s opinion, and Meghann knew better than to offer it. Instead, she leaned back in her chair and rested her head against the wall.
A jab in the rib cage woke her up. She blinked, leaned forward. Charlotte, Abigail, and Claire were walking away from her, talking animatedly until they disappeared into a room marked Hats and Veils.
Gina was staring at her. “I’d heard you could be a bitch, but falling asleep while your sister tries on wedding dresses is pretty rude.”
Meghann wiped her eyes. “It was the only way I could keep quiet. I’ve seen better-looking dresses on Denny’s waitresses. Believe me, I was doing her a favor. Did she find one?”
“No.”
“I want to say thank God, but I’m afraid there’s another shop in town.” Meghann frowned suddenly. “What do you mean I’m a bitch? Is that what Claire says?”
“No. Yes. Sometimes. You know how it is when you’re drinking margaritas on a bad day. Karen calls her sister Susan the Soulless Psychopath. Claire calls you Jaws.”
Meghann wanted to smile but couldn’t. “Oh.”
“I remember when she moved here, you know,” Gina said softly. “She was quiet as a mouse and cried if you looked at her the wrong way. All she’d say for years was that she missed her sister. I didn’t find out until after graduation what had happened to her.”
“What I’d done, you mean.”
“I’m not one to judge. Hell, I’ve waded through some ugly shit in my life, and motherhood is the hardest job in the world. Even if you’re grown-up and ready for it. My point is this: Claire was wounded by all of that, and sometimes, when she hurts the most, she turns into Polly Politeness. She’s really nice, but the temperature in the rooms drops about twenty-five degrees.”
“I’ve pretty much needed a coat all day.”
“Stick with it. Whether she admits it or not, it means a lot to her that you’re here.”
“I told her I’d plan the wedding.”
“You seem perfectly suited for it.”
“Oh, yeah. I’m a real romantic.” She sighed.
“All you have to do is listen to Claire. Really listen, and then do whatever you can to make her dream come true.”
“Maybe you could get the info and report back to me. Sort of a CIA-like mission.”
“When was the last time you sat down for a drink with your sister and just talked?”
“Let’s put it this way: We wouldn’t have been old enough to have wine with our meal.”
“That’s what I thought. Go with her now.”
“But Alison—”
“Sam can take care of Ali. I’ll let him know.” She opened her purse and dug through it, finally pulling out a scrap of paper. She wrote something down and handed it to Meghann. “Here’s my cell phone number. Call me in an hour and I’ll let you know Ali’s schedule.”
“Claire won’t want to go with me. Especially not after I nixed the dresses.”
“And fell asleep. The snoring was especially poignant. Anyway, I got the impression from Claire that other people’s needs or wants didn’t matter much to you.”
“You don’t pull any punches, do you?”
“Thus, the divorce. Take Claire out for dinner. Go see a movie. Look at wedding flowers. Do something sisterly. It’s about time.”
CHAPTER
THIRTEEN
Claire knew her lips were drawn in a tight, unyielding line that communicated displeasure. She’d honed that skill; the ability to convey anger without having to form the words that would make her feel regret afterward. Her dad often remarked on this talent of hers. Lordy, Claire, he’d say, no one else can yell at me without saying a word. Someday all that silent anger of yours is gonna back up in your throat and choke you.
She glanced sideways at her sister, who was behind the wheel, driving too fast, her black hair flapping behind her like some celebrity starlet’s. Sunglasses that probably cost more than Claire’s net worth covered her eyes. “Where are we going?” she asked for the fourth time.
“You’ll see.” Always the same answer. Clipped and unadorned. As if Meghann were afraid to say more.
She’d fallen asleep.
It wasn’t as if Claire asked much of her sister. Hell, nothing was farther from the truth. She hadn’t expected her sister to join in the fun of buying a wedding gown. God, no. Meghann enjoy a day with girlfriends? Hardly.
What galled most was that Claire had asked Meg’s opinion first, even with Gina and Charlotte right there. Claire had put her neediness on the table: What do you think, Meghann?
She’d asked her twice. After the second time, she rectified her mistake and ignored Meghann completely.
Then she’d heard the snores.