“Hey, Tab, I was wondering if we could talk.”

“Sure. What’s up?” I respond.

I hardly hear from Hillary. I mean there’s five years between me and my younger sister, but we like each other. Well, for the most part. Okay, if I’m honest, I try to avoid my family. My family brings stress. I am a tightly organized person. I like control and with my family there is no control—only chaos.

Hillary is actually the worst. She’s a mini-drama queen who is beyond spoiled. I love her, but I also can’t be in the same room with her without wanting to choke her. It’s kind of a love-hate-hate-love relationship.

I moved out of Perryville, Ohio as soon as I could. I found my own place in a small suburb outside of Indianapolis, Indiana and I worked as a waitress while I put myself through school. I didn’t ask my parents for anything—though they do send money, even when I ask them not to. I wanted to stand on my own and be my own person. My mother says I’m too stubborn for my own good and way too independent. She might be right, but I’m building a life I’m proud of and I now have a career as a surgical nurse that I love.

My sister, on the other hand, graduated high school and has spent her life living at home and helping Mom arrange charity dinners and functions. If you even mention getting a job or her own place I’m pretty sure she would break out in hives.

These are just some of the reasons that my sister and I mainly only chat through texts and only every other week or so. That means getting a call from her today and her telling me she needs to talk is setting alarm bells off in my head.

“I had some news and I wanted to tell you first, before Mom could.”

Yeah… I was right. This can’t be good.

“What news?” I ask, congratulating myself that I’ve managed to keep the fear out of my voice. “You’re okay, aren’t you, Hill?” I ask her. I may not get along with my sister, but…

“Oh, yeah, I’m fine. It’s just… Tabby…”

I cringe at the nickname she uses. My name is Tabitha, which I’m not crazy about in the first place, but I can handle being call Tab. I hate being called Tabby. It makes me sound like a fat, lazy cat that sits around and does nothing but lick my paws all day.

“What’s going on, Hill?” I prompt her again.

“I’m getting married!” she announces, I’m breathing easier. Still, I’m not sure why she’s making a production out of everything. Actually, if I think about it, it is surprising.

“You’re getting married? I didn’t know you were dating anyone seriously.”

“Well, yeah. I mean, I have been for a few months. I love him very much. I just… I asked Mom not to mention it to you,” she says, and now she sound cautious again—so much so those alarm bells start ringing again.

“Why would you do that? You had to know I’d be happy for you, Hill. I want you to be happy,” I tell her and I’m serious. I really do.

“Uh… Well… There’s no easy way to say this, Tabby.”

“Say what?” I ask, thoroughly confused now.

“I’m marrying Robbie.”

“Robbie?” I ask, still not understanding.

“Robbie Stedman,” she says, her voice quiet.

Her voice is too quiet to be delivering the blow she just gave me.

Robbie Stedman.

I haven’t allowed myself to think of him in five years. Robbie was my high school sweetheart. He was the football quarterback to my cheerleader, the homecoming king to my queen and the yin to my yang for all four years we graced the halls of Perryville High. He was my first real kiss, my first real date and my first… yeah, that first.

Unfortunately, he was also my first real heartbreak. When I told him I wanted to move away from Perryville, to start a new life on my own and go to school… he dumped me. There was no discussing our options, there was no talking about continuing our relationship.

He ended it.

He told me that he wanted the best for me, but that he wanted to see what else was out there for him too. I guess I never realized what else was out there would be my younger sister.

“Are you there, Tab?”

“Yeah, I’m here.”

“Don’t be mad, Tab. We didn’t mean for it to happen. It just… kind of did.”

“I’m not mad,” I tell her, and I’m not. I’m not sure how I feel. I don’t care for Robbie. He killed that years ago, but… I’m the older sister. Shouldn’t I be getting married first? Shouldn’t I already have a husband and kid? I never thought about it. I’ve been busy establishing my career, but now I’m thinking about it.

I mean, I don’t care. I’m happy with my life—or relatively so. Still, I know how my parents are. I know how my family is in general, and I know how my parents’ friends are. They’re all going to be looking at me and they won’t see a woman who has put herself through school. They won’t see a single, independent career woman who is happy. They’ll see Hillary’s older sister, practically a spinster at the ripe old age of twenty-six, showing up at her sister’s wedding single and alone.

“Are you sure?”

“Of course I’m sure, Hillary. Gosh, I was just quiet because I barely remembered Robbie. It’s been a while since I’ve heard his name.”

“Oh… you didn’t? But gee, Tabby, you guys dated for-ever.”

“Not that long,” I argue, forcing my voice to sound breezy and happy. “Just in high school and that was a lifetime ago. You should have told me you two were dating,” I chide her, and she should have—from like the first date!

“I wanted to, but Robbie was afraid it would upset you. He said you were pretty upset when he broke things off with you.”

That asshole.

“Really? I don’t remember, but I doubt it. I already had my life mapped out here in Indiana.”

“You don’t know how glad I am to hear that, Tabby… because, well…”

“Well?”

“I was hoping you would be my maid of honor,” she says excitedly and I close my eyes and fight down the nausea. The last thing I want to do is be a bridesmaid at my sister’s wedding. A wedding to my high school boyfriend. A wedding where I’ll probably be forced to wear some god-awful monstrosity of a dress.

Shoot me now.

“Oh, Hill! That’s so sweet, but what about your friend Candace?”

“Oh, she’ll be in it. But you’re my sister. I want you to be my maid of honor. I mean if you’re sure me marrying Robbie isn’t going to bother you,” she adds and she says it with just enough doubt that I know I have to lock this down.

“I’d be delighted to be your maid of honor. When’s the wedding?”

“Next month,” she says and my breath stalls.

“So soon? I thought you and Mom always insisted you would need at least six months to plan a decent wedding,” I ask.

In my head I’m wondering if I could lose about twenty pounds before next month.

“Well… I don’t want Mom to know…”

“Our secret,” I tell her, wondering what new bombshell my sister could drop.

“I’m pregnant, Tabby. We want to have the wedding before I start to show.”

Oh, wow.

“Oh… Congratulations, Hillary. I’m so happy for you. Gosh… I’m going to be an aunt...”

An aunt to Robbie’s child… Robbie and my sister’s…

Life isn’t just weird… it’s a damn riot.

“Thank you! Robbie is so excited. He’s always wanted to be a father.”

Hmm… Robbie must have changed from the man I knew. He told me he never wanted kids.

Maybe he just never wanted kids with me.

“I’m happy for you both.”

“Wow, this went so much better than I imagined. I was afraid you’d be upset. Do you think you can come down sometime next week and help me look at wedding venues? It’s just going to be a quiet affair. Just immediate family—of course you can bring a date if you want. Though I know Mom said you weren’t really dating anyone. She says your career takes all of your free time. Aunt Harry mentioned the other day that you haven’t even had a real boyfriend since Robbie.”

“You were discussing me with Aunt Harriet?”

“Well, she was having dinner with Mom, and we were discussing the wedding, and it just came up… naturally, you know?” my sister responds and I tighten my hand into a fist.

I bet it just came up…

“I’ve had boyfriends,” I lie. “In fact, I’m dating a man now that I really like,” I add—because, hell if you’re going to lie, you might as well go balls to the wall with it.

“You are?” my sister asks.

“Yep. We’ve been dating for about six months. He’s a doctor on my floor at the hospital.”

“Oh wow, Mom never mentioned it,” my sister says and I can hear the doubt in her voice.

I mean, I know I’m lying, but really it could happen. I’m not scary looking and even with the extra twenty or thirty pounds I carry around, I’m not horrible. There’s no reason she has to sound like I’m making it all up.

Even if I am.

“I haven’t told her. You know how I am. I like to keep my private life private,” I tell her.

“Oh yeah. Right. Maybe you could bring him down next week then. I’m sure Mom and Dad would love to meet him. Besides, Aunt Harry will be here.”

Seriously, I refuse to call a grown-ass woman Aunt Harry, no matter how much she insists. I don’t know why my sister does. I might could call her Aunt Battle-axe… That might work.

“Maybe. I’ll have to check his schedule… have him check it, I mean,” I answer, making shit up as I go along. “He’s in high demand. He’s chief of surgery at the hospital I work at.”

Brody Miner instantly flashes in my mind. He is the sexy chief of surgery at my hospital. He’s also arrogant, opinionated and hateful. There’s no getting around the fact that he’s sexy too. All the nurses seem to have the hots for him.

I might even admit to having a secret fantasy about him myself… sometimes… late at night… when I’m alone… with my vibrator…

“Sis? Did you hear me?”

“What?” I ask, completely lost, my body feeling flushed.

“I said I needed to go. Robbie just pulled up. I’ll talk to you next week. I can’t wait to meet your doctor! Maybe I’ll come see you first!” she laughs. “Just so I can get a look at this stud muffin!”

“Oh don’t do that,” I practically beg, panic filling me. It’s too late though. My sister has already hung up the phone.

How could I have been so stupid?

I’m not a liar, but even I know the best rule in lying is to keep it simple and don’t go into detail. Somehow I just know this is going to come back and bite me in the ass.