“Okay,” I said into the phone.

“Okay,” I said into the phone.

“He has no idea the kind of protection you have. You’re gonna be fine,” Hank assured me.

“Okay,” I repeated, believing him.

“Make sure you have someone with you when you go to Tod’s,” he went on.

“Whisky,” I said quietly. “You told me that already.”

“I know. I wanna make certain you got it.” Hank was such a good guy.

“I got it,” I told him.

“I’l be at Tod’s at nine to pick you up.”

“Okay,” I said, again.

“Later, Sunshine.”

Then he disconnected.

I flipped the phone shut and handed it to Indy just as the bel over the door rang. We al turned to see who it was and my eyes widened at what I saw.

“Ohmigod!” Indy yel ed. “Beth! I thought you were in New Mexico.”

Shit.

Shit, shit, shit.

Indy hugged Beth and Beth said to her, “I moved back. I heard you final y hooked up with Lee.”

“Yeah,” Indy showed Beth her left hand, wiggling her fingers. “We’re getting married.”

“That’s great!” Beth replied, smiling happily at Indy. Then her eyes slid to me and her face got pink. “Um, Roxie. Can we talk?”

Shit!

Shit, shit, shit!

Indy, Jet, Duke and Uncle Tex al stared at me. Only Uncle Tex knew about my earlier idiotic blunder.

“Sure,” I said to Beth.

We were al eating our sandwiches at the book counter.

Beth and I walked over to a couch and sat down.

I turned to her and said quickly, “I’m sorry. It was stu –” Her eyes were kind as she looked at me and she interrupted softly. “Don’t be sorry. Hank told me about your… ordeal.”

I gaped at her. “He did?”

“Yes. I’m so, so sorry you went through that. He told me, because of that, you’re behaving erratical y and you have trust issues,” she patted my knee. “That’s understandable.” Behaving erratical y?

Trust issues?

Good God.

I was going to kill Hank.

She went on. “Anyway, what I wanted to talk to you about was… um…” she stopped, looking uncomfortable.

“Yeah?” I prompted, smiling at her even as I mental y planned Hank’s untimely demise.

“You dress real y cool,” she blurted. “And I thought…

maybe, if you don’t mind, could you, maybe, um… take me shopping?”

I gaped at her again.

She went on in a rush. “I know, we barely know each other and it’s like, real y weird that I’d ask but –”

“I’d love that!” I cried excitedly, not thinking before the

“I’d love that!” I cried excitedly, not thinking before the words flew out of my mouth.

Then I thought.

Oh shit.

What was I saying?

I was leaving as soon as I could get my car. I didn’t need to become Beth’s personal shopper.

“That would be so cool!” she replied while I had a mini-flip out. She hesitated a second before she hugged me.

When she pul ed away she said, “I try, but I can’t real y get it together. I’l try something new and end up looking like a freak. I just need a little fashion direction.” Damn.

I couldn’t back out now.

And she was right, she definitely needed a little fashion direction.

“I can do that,” I said on a smile.

“Thank you,” she hugged me again. “Give me your phone, I’l program my number in it, here’s mine.” We traded phones, we traded numbers, she hugged me again, she talked to Indy, met Duke, Jet and Tex and then left, happy as a clam.

Wel , at least I didn’t feel like a bitch anymore.

That was good, right?

“What was that al about?” Indy cal ed to me after Beth left.

“Roxie tried to set Hank up with that girl,” Uncle Tex told her.

Indy, Jet and Duke stared at me like Uncle Tex told them I danced down the middle of Broadway wearing nothing but I danced down the middle of Broadway wearing nothing but Mardi Gras beads and a smile.

“I thought you were his girlfriend,” Duke said.

“I am and I’m not, I broke up with him,” I said.

Indy, Jet and Duke’s stares intensified.

“Why would you do a fool thing like that?” Duke exploded, sounding a lot like Uncle Tex.

“Don’t worry. He didn’t real y accept my breaking up with him. He stil thinks we’re together.”

Indy and Jet smiled at each other knowingly.

Good Grief.

I closed my eyes and rested my head on the back of the couch.

“Good f**kin’ God. These f**kin’ girls. I swear, they’re gonna kil us al ,” Duke announced and I heard him stomp away, likely into the bookshelves.

I felt the couch move on either side of me.

I opened my eyes and turned my head one way, then the other. Indy and Jet were there.

“You wanna talk?” Indy asked.

I closed my eyes again. “No.”

“We’re here,” I heard Jet say.

They sat with me for a second in silent moral support, then they both drifted away.

* * * * *

After closing, both Tex and Duke walked us to Tod and Stevie’s house, leaving us when we were safe inside. Then they hightailed it home, making it clear that was as close as they wanted to get to The Emergency Wedding Summit.

Daisy and Annette were already there. Al y arrived ten minutes after we did.

Annette and Jason had spent part of the day getting over hangovers from the Lottie Strip Club Extravaganza and part of the day mountain biking again. Annette told me that Jason opted out of The Emergency Wedding Summit to watch a bal game with Eddie at his house.

At that moment, I wished I was with them.

“Wel ?” Tod interrupted my thoughts. “You have style. You wear Jimmy Choo, Manolo and have a real pashmina. Your opinion counts. So, what do you think?” Tod asked, as if anyone who hadn’t gone the way of five hundred dol ar shoes didn’t have the right to an opinion. He went on, giving an inch. “Okay, I’l grant that maybe chocolate isn’t good for a wedding but we could pul off tangerine. I know we could.” His stare moved from me and turned into a glare when it settled on Indy.

“Roxie? You okay?” Annette asked, her green eyes both sharp and kind as they looked at me.

Slowly, I put my champagne glass on the coffee table and stood. “No,” I said to Annette. “No, I don’t think I’m okay.”