Peggy Jaeger, Author

Today’s little tease comes from my upcoming addition to the ALWAYS A BRIDESMAID collection, SABLE.

Sable’s a pediatrician and is sick and tired of being a bridesmaid in all her friends and family’s weddings. She’s determined that the next big wedding function she attends will be her own. Figuring out how to do that is a problem….

In this snippet, she’s trying to fend off the good intentions of her cousin’s matchmaking desires.

You can’t pick your family. ~ Sable Miller

Lord, please grant me the patience of Job.

Sable took another steadying breath – the sixth in as many minutes – and graced her oldest cousin with what she hoped was a normal smile and not an annoyed one.

“So I just knew he’d be perfect for you,” Moira said as she cut her pancakes into tiny bites, as if she were preparing it for a child.

“Moira—”

“The fact he’s never been married is a plus, don’t you think? No bad habits from the first wife to contend with. No kids to worry about sharing weekends with. Of course, I know your first question is going to be why isn’t he married if he’s so great. But thirty-six isn’t old by anyone’s standards anymore. He’s been building his business, devoting all his time to that. And it’s a success. Really. And now he’s ready for the next chapter in his life, and when he asked me if I knew any women looking to settle down, your name jumped right into my head.”

Of course it did.

“So I invited him to dinner this Saturday. You’ll be done with night rotation by then, right?”

Sable sighed and shoved her plate of barely-eaten eggs away from her. She hadn’t been hungry to begin with, but Moira had beat her to the diner and ordered for them both.

She wanted –desperately wanted – to lie and tell Moira she was still going to be working on Saturday night. But it was an easily verified fact and she knew Moira had it in her to call the hospital and find out if she was scheduled or not. She wondered if she already had and her question was merely an affirmation. Besides, Sable knew she was a terrible liar.

“I’ll be done, but Moira I –”

“Great. I told him seven, but you can always come early. In fact, why don’t you? I’ll do your hair and makeup so, you know? You’ll be more appealing. Not that you don’t do a decent job when you take the time, but you never wear makeup when you’re working, and I’d think you’d want to look, you know? Alluring.”

Alluring? This was too much.

“I’m not working Saturday night, Moira, but I already have plans. Plans I can’t, and don’t want to, break.”

Moira’s eyes narrowed. “What kind of plans?”

And this is why she didn’t lie. Thinking quickly, she said, “I’m having dinner with an…old friend.”

“Who?”

“A guy I knew in high school.” Stick with the truth as much as possible, she thought, because Moira was known for her grilling tactics. “I tutored him, in fact, in chemistry. You wouldn’t know him since you were years and years ahead of me.”

Okay, that was a little petty, but it felt good to see Moira’s back go up a tad. She never liked being reminded of her age.

“He’s recently begun working at the hospital and we decided to have dinner so I can clue him in to the workplace politics and such.”

Moira’s mouth stood open, a half-chewed slab of pancake sitting front and center, as she gaped across the table at her cousin.

“Is he good-looking?” she asked after finally swallowing.

“Very.”

“Give me his stats. Name. Age. Ever married? Kids? The aunts will want to know.”

Sable shook her head. “I’m not going to do that, Moira. It’s just a simple dinner. I don’t need you all Googling him and—”

“So he’s Googlable? That’s interesting. Is he a celebrity or something?”

Patience, Lord, pretty please?

If you’re interested in reading it before it’s officially released, and you’re a Booksprout subscriber, here’s the link to read and review: BOOKSPROUT

Or, you can preorder here: AMAZON

And check out all the BRIDES in the entire collection: ALWAYS A BRIDESMAID COLLECTION