Page 82 of Sweet Revenge

“I promise to do my best.”

Alice smiled, patting Evie on the hand. “That’s all a mother could ask for. I’ve got to go find Tommy and haul him away for pictures. Don’t be a stranger, Evie. My door is always open.”

Evie watched Alice wander away, chuckling when Alice spotted her husband, Tommy, taking a quick nip from a flask people were passing around, hands on her hips in disapproval but her smile brighter than ever. She’d always loved Maura’s parents and their casual way with each other.

She watched them disappear back into the church and spotted Nessa standing at the edge of a group of women, listening but not participating, and she wondered for the first time if her sister had any friends. She felt terrible that she didn’t know the answer to that question.

Nessa caught her gaze and gave a halfhearted smile, moving to close the distance between them when Evie did the same.

“I wasn’t sure you would be here after what happened with Peter,” Nessa said. “Although I guess you and Declan are all the rage.”

“It was a last-minute decision. You heard about what happened?”

“Owen told me this morning.” Nessa shifted to point out her main security detail. “You really think he was behind all of it? Peter, I mean.”

Evie nodded. “Who else would it be?”

“Good. I knew if you said it, it would be true. It’s a relief knowing he’s gone and my life can get back to normal. Will you be leaving soon? Heading back to New York?”

Evie saw Declan emerge from the side of the church. “I don’t think so. I think I’m going to stick around in Philly for a while. Help you figure out what to do with the house and stuff.”

“That’ll be nice.” Nessa peeked over her shoulder, following Evie’s gaze. “Your friends miss you.”

“I’ve missed them. Would you ever get married again?”

She hadn’t even known she was going to ask the question until it left her mouth. She didn’t know anything about Nessa’s husband other than he had died young and they didn’t have any children.

“Hmm?” Nessa twirled her wedding ring around her finger. “Me? No. I don’t think I could after Michael. When you have your one great love, what’s the point in trying to find second best?”

“Second best,” Evie murmured, watching Declan pause to talk to a small group of guests.

“Well, I think I’m going to head home.”

Evie dragged her eyes away from Declan. “You’re not coming to the reception?”

“No, weddings are hard for me because…” Nessa cleared her throat. “Well, just because.”

“Oh, Nessa, I didn’t mean to—”

“Of course you didn’t.” Nessa smiled. “Don’t worry about me. Really. Enjoy the party, Evie.”

Nessa turned and fled before Evie could even say goodbye. Of course weddings would be hard for her sister after losing a husband so young. And she’d just casually picked at old wounds by asking if she’d ever replace him with someone else. Could she be any more insensitive?

“Was that Nessa?” Declan asked, stopping beside her.

“Yeah, she said she was going to go home.”

“Everything okay?”

“Might have been better if I hadn’t brought up her dead husband at a wedding.”

“Ouch. Yeah, she doesn’t come to many syndicate weddings. Don’t worry about it, though.” He rubbed a hand up and down her arm. “You couldn’t have known.”

“How did he die?” She stared in the direction Nessa disappeared.

“He overdosed on pain meds he was taking for a back injury.”

“Oh, shit. Now I feel even worse.”