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.”Her sister pinned her with a glare and Summer could feel herself shrinking.“Imagine how that would look.”“All that matters is you having the best day of your life.If you want me gone, I’ll leave right now.I can…come down with some infectious disease.Just tell me if you want me to go.”“You’re my sister.I don’t want you to go.”Yet Summer heard a different message under the words.“I’ve invited someone to be my date at the rehearsal dinner and the wedding.I hope that’s okay.”Angie’s cheek twitched.“Whatever.”When she walked off, Summer sighed and followed.The family was in the drawing room.Winston jumped off a chair and came to greet her.Summer bent to stroke him.“Summer’s asked someone to come to the dinner tomorrow night and to the wedding,” Angie blurted.“And you couldn’t have told us before now?” her mother snapped.“I only just met him.”Her mother gaped at her.“And Angie is expected to have him at her wedding? Some…stranger you’ve only just met? Where is he going to sit? I assume it’s a he?”She couldn’t help but smile.A fight might break out over who sat next to Jai.“With me,” she said.She dropped onto the rug in front of the fire and Winnie lay pressed against her thigh.“I shall have to tell catering.Really, Summer, you should have asked first.” Her mother subjected her to the full force of her glare.“Sorry,” Summer said.I’m not.“I thought your Uncle Bill called this morning to tell you he’d got a chest infection and can’t make it?” her father said.“It won’t be any bother to let Summer sit with her guest.Pippa’s boyfriend is coming after all, and Baxter’s girlfriend.”“It’s inconsiderate,” her mother muttered.“Sorry,” Summer repeated.“Your hair looks nice,” her father said.She smiled.“Thank you.”“It looks much better,” said her mother.“I can’t think what possessed you to have it colored pink.Now, we’ll have dinner and discuss what’s happening tomorrow.”“I bought some presents.” Summer put her bag next to the coffee table.“Would you like them now?”“I would.” Her father leaned forward in his chair.“Me too,” Pippa said.Her mother stood up.“Dinner’s ready.”“We’re only having chili con carne.It can wait.” Her father smiled and her mother sat again.Summer unzipped her bag.“I bought you and Baxter sombreros vueltiaos.” She took out two tubes and handed one to her father.“They’re made from natural fiber, the palm plant.Very Colombian.They roll up but don’t lose their shape.”Her father shook the hat out and put it on.“I can sit in the garden and admire the kata-less view.Thank you, sweetheart.”“I bought coffee as well.Lots of it.” She put the bags of coffee beans on the table.“And alpaca hats, gloves and scarves for everyone.You can pick which color you like the best.”Pippa made a grab for a blue hat.Neither her mother nor Angie moved.A heavy weight settled in her chest.“The chullos—the hats—are from Peru.They’re all the same size but alpaca wool is flexible so they should fit.I wore mine all the time.”Oh god.I’m babbling.She put a version of Colombian Monopoly on the table.“That’s for everyone.”“Thank you, sweetheart.It looks fun,” said her father.“Don’t think I’d want to be in a Colombian jail.”A shiver trickled down her spine.She pulled out several small packets.“I bought silver necklaces and earrings from Peru.You can choose which you like.”Pippa leaned closer and Summer saw Angie frown at her.Pippa sat back on the couch.Fine.I don’t care anymore.I tried.She put a rectangular box on the table and took off the lid.“I thought you might like these as decorations for the wedding, Angie.A thousand handmade paper butterflies.If you don’t want them, I’ll keep them.And this is a wedding present for you and Tim.” She put the parcel on the table.“Not from the list?” her mother said.“No, I—”“That’s the whole point of having a wedding list.” Her mother gave a heavy sigh.“I’m sure you could have picked an item to give them from that.”“I wanted to get something different.” She’d found a little pre-Colombian llama over a thousand years old.Angie loved llamas even if Tim didn’t.But now she wished she’d bought a set of towels from John Lewis.“If you don’t like it, I’d be happy to buy you something from the list.Sorry.” Oh god, stop saying you’re sorry.Except she could never say it enough.“Thank you for our presents,” her mother said.“Shall we eat now?”Summer felt as though her heart had flipped over.Why had she bothered to come back? Angie didn’t want her as a bridesmaid.Nor as a sister
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