Hard to Handle

things she wished he would have last night. Right there in Axle’s store. On the countertop. Against the display stands.

She focused on her reflection, on the rogue glint in her eye, and blinked. There was the saucy, confident person she knew and loved. Funny how her mother, with a phone call, with one pointed barb, had managed to snuff out Sadie’s self-assuredness. She sneered as her mother’s words drifted back to mind.

Darling, do try and behave yourself where Trey is concerned.

Behave herself? Sadie always behaved herself where Trey was concerned. She was surprised she didn’t resemble a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day float after all the pride she’d had to swallow. She had friends who wrote off siblings for smaller crimes than fiance stealing. Not that anyone in her bloodline gave her credit for taking the high road.

Sadie grabbed her purse and keys. She’d better get going if she hoped to find Celeste’s gift (one-hundred- dollar limit so graciously set by Celeste herself), and get to Meyer Inn Country Club with enough time to down a glass of champagne before everyone arrived.

*  *  *

Sadie was late.

While shopping for Celeste’s favorite perfume, Sadie had been sidetracked. She stepped out of her car and smiled down at her new black and ivory peep-toed heels, complete with Swarovski crystals along the toes. The store didn’t have her size, so she had to drive across town to another location to pick them up. Sadie slung her new Kate Spade bag over her shoulder—hey, a girl had to accessorize—and walked, head held high, Celeste’s gift bag dangling from her finger.

Looking fabulous was half the battle won. The shoes were nonnegotiable.

Trey had brought Sadie to Meyer Inn countless times when they were dating. Usually to meet his parents for some pithy meal or another. For a passing second, she considered calling and asking Aiden to play her fiance again. He’d done a stellar job at Rick’s party, and she’d like to see Trey’s face when she walked in with someone handsome and confident on her arm. In the end, she opted out. Not only would she have to deal with the aftermath of the countertop kiss, but she’d also have to deal with Celeste pouting over her birthday thunder being stolen. And Sadie introducing Aiden to her family would cause a severe thunderstorm.

Inside she spotted the back of her mother’s coiffed platinum hair and explained to the hostess she’d walk herself back. She weaved around a waiter, past a flaming tray of Baked Alaska, and spotted Celeste and Trey. Smile pasted firmly on her face, she raised a hand to wave, the action frozen midway when the couple next to Trey came into view. Trey’s mother and father craned their necks around to shoot daggers at Sadie. Sadie’s smile dropped like dice on a Craps table.

She hadn’t seen Trey’s parents since Celeste and Trey’s wedding. They’d made it clear then whose side they were on.

Trey’s. Natch.

Sadie survived brunch. Barely. She downed a mimosa, mumbled apologies to her mother, who repeatedly reminded her she was late for “Celeste’s big day,” and was tempted to order a second glass of champagne and orange juice. She refrained. Champagne gave her loose lips and, in her state of frustration, Lord only knew what might bubble out of her mouth.

After dessert was served—chocolate souffle with raspberry sauce and white chocolate shavings—Celeste tapped her water glass with a fork. Her wide blue eyes were her father’s, Sadie’s stepfather’s, but she and Celeste shared their mother’s fair hair, fair skin, and petite figure that nipped in at the waist and swelled in all the right womanly places. Celeste was shorter than Sadie, which was a feat considering Sadie barely hit five two, and her hair was shorter, a sloppy pixie cut Sadie would have never been able to pull off.

“Thank you all for coming out for my birthday,” Celeste squeaked in a small voice that made her sound cherubic and adorable, like an angel. A fiance-stealing angel, Sadie thought with a snort. See? Had she ordered a second mimosa, she’d have announced that last thought.

“Trey and I asked you all here not only because I’m turning twenty-six—”

Bitch.

“—but also because we have a big announcement to make.”

The raspberry Sadie popped in her mouth turned rancid on her tongue. There were only two words that could follow that kind of a statement, so it came as no surprise when Celeste said, “We’re pregnant!” and squeeeed high enough for dogs to hear.

Expecting the announcement of a bun in the oven hadn’t made it any more palatable.

Celeste dug out the blurry ultrasound pictures, and Sadie quickly planned her exit. Trey was glowing. Frickin’ glowing. She realized then the reason it irritated her to see how happy he was with Celeste. His happiness further broadcasted how Sadie had failed to please him.

“It’s got your nose!” Trey’s dad joked about the indiscernible blob on the photo.

“Do you know the sex yet?” his mother asked.

“Not yet. We’re only twelve weeks,” Celeste said, nuzzling her husband.

Yeah. Sadie needed to get the hell out of here. She turned to say good-bye to Mother, but something about Miriam DeWalt’s stalwart expression made her pause. Shouldn’t she be weeping tears of glorious joy? Her perfect daughter had married the perfect son-in-law and they were having a perfect baby. Instead, Mother sat with her hands folded in her lap, a contented smile on her thin lips.

“You knew!” Sadie whispered the accusation, not that anyone could have heard her over the celebratory racket at the other end of the table.

Sadie’s mother shrugged. “She had to tell someone, darling.”

And not her, Miriam implied. Not the jilted, bitter older sister. As usual, Sadie was the last to know. Just like when Celeste and Trey had begun spending extra time together on the patio at her mother’s house. Just like when Trey had asked Sadie’s stepfather for Celeste’s hand in marriage before he’d broken off the engagement with Sadie. Just like now, when Celeste had made sure Sadie was in a position where she was forced to behave while being skewered with the news that not only was her younger sister married and pregnant before her, but would hence be bearing the child of the fiance Sadie had failed to keep at her side.

Sadie stood from her seat so abruptly, everyone at the table turned toward her. “I have an appointment,” she muttered, silently adding, with a very big bottle of wine. “Happy birthday, Celeste.”

Sadie dropped her napkin over her dessert while Celeste did her impersonation of downtrodden, Woe is me Eeyore. Sadie spared a glare for her turncoat mother before marching for the door. “Thanks for the meal.”

She almost made it to the exit when Trey’s voice rang out behind her. “You can’t be happy for us, can you?”

She turned to face him, sliding her sunglasses onto her nose in the process. “I beg your pardon?”

Trey led her by the elbow into the coat closet. She let him. “Your sister just announced she’s having a baby.”

“Yes, I heard.”

Trey let out a humorless laugh. “Don’t you think the sisterly thing to do would be to offer to throw her a baby shower? Or, I don’t know, say you can’t wait to be an aunt? At the very least, offer your congratulations?”

“I’ll send a greeting card,” she snapped. “She should have told me. I should have known before today.” And that was the key, wasn’t it? The emotion causing her gut to swirl and her eyes to burn had nothing to do with the fact that Celeste was ahead of Sadie in life and had everything to do with hurt. Celeste hadn’t come to her. Her only sister.

“This isn’t being done to you, Sadie. Celeste and I are bringing a child into the world. This moment is about us.”

Sadie ground her teeth but she couldn’t keep from saying, “Oh, that part I got, Trey. It’s always been about you and Celeste.” When she learned of their affair, Trey had framed it that way, too. Celeste and I didn’t mean to fall in love. But we are. We deserve