Crissy was so sure the second she stopped baking, she'd be sick with nerves. She didn't sleep a wink and by the time the clock hit six in the morning, she was up and moving, clothes already folded and packed. She threw herself into making cinnamon waffles for breakfast but when those were done, she switched to profiteroles and when those were done too, she moved on to raspberry tarts with a lemon custard.

This was it. She was finally going to her sister's wedding.

Quinn stumbled into the kitchen a little after eight, scrubbing his hands over his face as he wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed the back of her head.

"Did you sleep at all last night?" he asked, his voice rough and gravelly.

She didn't stop as she carefully formed the tart dough into the pan. "Not tired," she said.

"Liar," he sighed. "You're nervous about today."

She said nothing and kept working, kept moving.

"Crissy, can you look at me for a minute, please?" Quinn asked softly.

He took her hand even though her fingers were sticky from working with the tart crust and he rubbed his thumb over her knuckles.

"Talk to me," he said. "Tell me what's runnin' around in your head."

Her heart skipped up her throat at his quiet, gentle tone and she stepped towards him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"You are very important to me," she said, "and I don't want to see you hurt. Whatever happens today, I don't want you to think..."

"Hey, hey," he said, pulling back to cup her face in his hands. "No matter what happens at this wedding, it won't change how I feel about you, okay? I'd like to make a good impression with your family, of course I would. But if your family doesn't like me, too bad. All I care about is what you think of me."

She closed her eyes and turned her head to kiss his palm.

"Part of me wishes you would chicken out and stay home," she said.

"Never going to happen, sweetheart."

"I know. And I'm glad you're going with me."

He smiled and brushed his thumb over her chin.

"Better now?" he asked.

She nodded and took in a shaky breath. "Still a little nervous though."

"I think that's perfectly normal," he said, kissing her forehead. Then he snatched a profiterole from the table and backed up to the bedroom. "Leaving in an hour?"

"Just as soon as I get the kitchen cleaned up."

She turned back to the raspberry tarts on the counter.

"Hey," Quinn said, poking his head out of the bedroom.

She glanced over her shoulder. "Yeah?"

"Love you, sweetheart," he said then ducked back into the bedroom.

Crissy smiled to herself as she finished the tarts. Maybe today would go better than she expected.

[][][]

The drive to Denver didn't take nearly as long as Crissy had hoped it would and before she knew it, her mother's three story house was looming in front of her, massive and expensive and intimidating. As soon as Quinn pulled into the driveway, Crissy wished she could turn and run the other way. But Quinn took her fingers in his and kissed the back of her hand with a smile.

"It'll be okay, sweetheart," he said. "No matter what."

There were already a few guests parked along the paved horseshoe driveway, all expensive cars, shined to a slick sheen. After Quinn had parked, Crissy forced herself to pull away from him and climb out of the truck on her own side. But as soon as she was at Quinn's side again, she fumbled for his hand and he squeezed hers in return.

"I knew I had to break out my tux," Quinn said, "but I wasn't aware I should have dusted off my non-existent Aston Martin too."

Crissy tugged his arm closer and leaned her cheek against his shoulder.

"It'll be okay, Quinn," she said quietly. "No matter what, remember?"

He glanced down at her and she smiled up at him. He shook his head, his eyes sparking with a playful tease.

"I'd better be careful what I say around you if you're going to be repeating me to me," he said.

Together, they approached her mother's front door and hesitated for a moment before knocking. Crissy finally summoned the courage to knock and waited. Footsteps echoed inside, short and clipped and business-like, and Crissy felt herself tensing.

Here we go...

"I love you," Quinn whispered.

She glanced up at him but before she could reply, the door opened and Andrea breezed out.

"You came!" she said, kissing Crissy on both cheeks. "I thought you'd never get here, with all the..." She gestured vaguely then seemed to change tactics mid-sentence. "Anyway, come in, come in. Quinn, I'll have to take Crissy away for a while for last minute dress fittings. But Kenneth is in the study and he'd love some company."

"I can show him where the study is first," Crissy said. She hated the idea of leaving Quinn to fend for himself. She knew he was perfectly capable of handling himself but it still itched at her.

"I'll figure it out," he said with a nod and a reassuring smile. "You go on ahead."

"But..."

He squeezed her fingers one last time and kissed her hair. "Go," he said, just loud enough for her to hear. "I'll be fine. No matter what, sweetheart."

She sighed and finally followed Andrea up the stairs, glancing back to check on Quinn more than once. He stood there, watching her go, and waved before she rounded the corner and he was out of sight.

"So where's Mom?" Crissy asked.

Andrea pulled her to the side of the hallway and lowered her voice. "She's not here. I asked her to leave."

Crissy's eyebrows shot up. "You...what?"

"Well, there's a lot going on and I sent her on some errands for me."

Crissy frowned. Andrea wasn't looking at her, actually avoiding her gaze.

"Andrea," Crissy said. "Is there something else you want to tell me?"

Andrea sighed. "Look. I'm not very good with this so..."

"Good with what?"

Andrea gestured helplessly and blew out a breath of frustration. "You know. Paying attention to details."

"You're a lawyer. You get paid to do that."

Her chin jutted out slightly in annoyance. "Your little coffee shop. Is it salvageable?"

"No," Crissy said. "It's not. It's been cleared away."

"Then..." She paused, waiting. "Do you have...plans?"

"Plans for what? A new job? Rebuilding?"

Andrea raised one shoulder in a half shrug. "Yes. All of that."

This was beyond strange, having Andrea express any kind of concern. Part of Crissy wanted to believe that her sister was genuinely concerned but another part of her was still wary.

"Why are you asking?" Crissy said.

"I'm just wondering. You don't have to get defensive."

"I'm not getting defensive. I'd like to know why you suddenly care about my coffee shop when you hated it before."

"I didn't hate it. I didn't understand what attracted you to it. But I didn't hate it."

Crissy squinted at her. "You never had a good word to say about it when you visited."

"Not everyone is perfect, Crissy."

Crissy blinked, startled. Andrea had never called her that before. It was always Cristina, with that withering tone of disappointment slipped in on the end, exactly like her mother said it. And Andrea had never, ever admitted to not being perfect in her entire life.

"Are you okay?" Crissy asked. "You're acting...weird."

"Can't I show a little concern for my sister?"

"Of course you can but that hasn't exactly been the case in the past, has it?"

Andrea raised an eyebrow. "You're becoming more outspoken. You used to be so quiet and reserved."

"That's what happens when your life comes down around your ears. You learn to get a little fight in your blood every morning and to keep moving."

"Did Amy teach you that? Or was it Quinn?"

"I figured it out all on my own actually."

Andrea studied her for a moment, head tipped to the side, and Crissy could have sworn she saw an appreciative gleam in her eye before she turned and headed down the hallway again.

"Mother will be out for a few more hours at least. I thought we could get your dress done and out of the way before she gets back."

Crissy hurried after and followed Andrea into a massive guest bedroom. Every surface was pure white and gleamed in the sunlight so brightly, Crissy had to squint. On the bed, bridesmaid's dresses were splayed out in a thousand shades of ruffles and pink. A woman sat on a chair beside the bed, pins clamped between her lips as she carefully stitched along a hemline. Her brown hair was tied back in a tight bun and she wore a crisp black pants suit.

"Helena, this is my sister, Crissy," Andrea said. "I'd like you to see to her dress first and get it done as quickly as possible."

"Right away," Helena replied.

"And while you do that, I have to call the florist who is late with my roses."

As Andrea headed for the door, Crissy caught her elbow.

"Why are you doing this?" she said.

"Doing what? Having your dress fitted?"

Crissy hesitated. One wrong word could send this whole thing toppling over in a heartbeat. She had to be very, very careful. Andrea was actually being considerate for a change and Crissy didn't want to risk screwing that up.

"I think you know what I mean," Crissy said. "Ever since the fire you've been...."

She let the sentence trail off, not quite sure how to continue, not quite sure she even wanted to continue in case Andrea took offense.

"Not quite as heartless as usual?" Andrea finished for her.

Crissy kept her mouth firmly closed. She wouldn't touch that one. Not even coming near it.

"Look," Andrea sighed. "When I saw that fire and I hadn't heard anything from you...I was..."

"Concerned?"

"You could say that. Mother refused to call and she didn't want me to call either. But I..." She paused and took a deep breath before she continued. "But I didn't agree with her."

Crissy blinked. "You...you always agree with her. On everything."

"Well, not this time. You're my sister. And maybe we haven't exactly been getting along for most of our lives but I...I still didn't want to hear the news that you were dead. Believe me, Mother hasn't been happy about what I did."

Crissy squeezed Andrea's elbow. "Thank you."

Andrea nodded. Neither one of them moved for a second until finally Andrea brushed Crissy's hand away and smoothed her pencil skirt down.

"All right, that's enough chit-chat," she said. "Time to get back to work. A wedding doesn't plan itself."

Crissy watched her sister stride down the hallway and out of sight. Maybe Andrea had a sliver of warmth in her heart after all...

[][][]

The dress fitting went faster than Crissy expected and she was downstairs again within only an hour or two. Andrea's voice floated out from the living room, still on the phone with the florist, and Crissy went in search of Quinn. She found him in the back yard with Kenneth and she stopped at the door when she found the two of them laughing together. She lingered for a moment, watching Quinn at ease, before she slipped up behind him and tucked her hand in his elbow.

"Hey," he said, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her into his side. "That was quick. Everything okay?"

She nodded. "You?"

He smiled down at her with a nod. "It's perfect now."

"One wedding usually leads to another," Kenneth said. "And you two are so smitten, I believe it's safe to say we'll hear wedding bells again soon enough."

Crissy raised an eyebrow. "It's good to see you, too, Kenneth," she said.

He grinned and Crissy couldn't help but marvel that Kenneth and Andrea were actually getting married. They were complete opposites, Kenneth always so warm and welcoming, while Andrea was all business and brusque....but then again, Andrea had expressed concern for Crissy's well-being. Maybe being opposites had its advantages, rubbing off on each other in the best possible way, like Quinn did for Crissy.

"Andrea told me about the coffee shop," Kenneth said. "How are you holding up? If you don't mind my asking that is. You're probably sick to death of hearing that same question over and over."

Crissy smiled slightly and slid her hand down Quinn's arm to lace their fingers together.

"It's all right," she said. "I don't mind at all. It's been...difficult to adjust to. But it's not the end of the world."

"Are there any plans to rebuild yet? Or is it too soon to tell?"

"Since the building wasn't actually owned by me, no, unfortunately, no plans to rebuild."

"So it's back to the job hunt then."

She sighed. "Yes it is."

Kenneth started to say something more when his attention shifted past her and he raised a hand in acknowledgement. Crissy turned to see Andrea gesturing at the window for a moment before she disappeared into the house again.

"You should get going," Kenneth said.

"Is something wrong?" Quinn asked.

He shook his head with a smile. "No, no, nothing like that. But tomorrow's a big day and you've already had a long drive. Crissy, if you're done with the dress fitting...?"

She nodded. "Everything went fine."

"Then make a run for it while you still can. I reserved a hotel room for you just a few blocks from here. Order room service or something. Enjoy not being married while you still can."

"You don't mean that," Crissy said with a sideways glance at him.

He shrugged. "Yeah, okay, you got me there. But when I say you should make a run for it before you get reeled in to something else, I really do mean it."

Quinn's fingers tightened on hers and she glanced up. A slight spark of confusion filled his gaze and he lifted one shoulder in a tiny shrug. Something was off and he had noticed it too. She tipped her head to the side and he nodded. For a moment, his hand came to rest at the base of her neck as he kissed her cheek then headed to the car.

"What's going on?" Crissy said to Kenneth once Quinn was out of hearing range.

Kenneth shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. "Nothing, like I said."

"You and Andrea have both been acting a little off ever since I got here."

Kenneth watched her for a moment then chuckled.

"You're sharp like your sister," he said. "Not much gets by either of you."

"I don't like being kept in the dark."

He blew out a breath and glanced back at the house before he returned his attention to her again.

"That fire turned your world upside down, didn't it?" he said.

Crissy hesitated then nodded. "That might be a bit of an understatement but yes, it did."

"Well it messed up your sister's world too. She's been...unsteady. Like she can't find her rhythm anymore."

"She seemed fine to me. A little concerned which was...strange. But she got down to business quickly enough."

"Don't tell her I told you this but she's a master at masking how she truly feels. The rest of the world can't see that she has emotions like a regular human being."

"So you're saying..."

He smiled slightly. "I'm not saying anything. You didn't hear any of this from me. But we had a little talk last night at about..." He paused and rubbed a hand over his face. "Three in the morning."

"And that's...not good?"

"Depends on your perspective, I guess. From my point of view, when she gets stuck on something, she doesn't sleep a wink."

Crissy ducked her head to hide a smile. She had the same problem. Maybe she had a little more in common with her sister than she thought before...

"But here's where things get weird," Kenneth continued. "Andrea admitted I was right. You and I both know that doesn't happen often," he said with a teasing glint in his eye.

"No, it certainly doesn't. It's usually Andrea's way or the highway."

"Exactly. And yet somehow we both agreed to make sure to distract your mother until the day of the wedding to give you a break."

Crissy's eyebrows shot up. "What?"

"There's no way to put this delicately so I'll just say it. Lisa hasn't been...hospitable...about the fire. And it's been upsetting for Andrea to see. She's been very confused by it."

"That's why Mom has been out of the house all this time," Crissy said.

Kenneth nodded with a slight wince. "Are you mad?"

She blinked slowly, shaking her head. "No. Just...processing what you're telling me. Shocked, not mad."

"I know you and Lisa have been at odds for a long time. I tried to talk to Andrea about it before, told her to go easy on you, but...you know family, things get sticky sometimes."

Crissy nodded then rubbed at her forehead. Kenneth stepped closer and touched her elbow, steering her towards the car.

"Get going, Crissy," he said. "Your mom is on her way back and you should be long gone when she gets here. We won't be able to run as much interference tomorrow during the wedding I'm afraid."

"I'll manage," she said. "Thank you."

Kenneth dipped his head in acknowledgement. Crissy ducked back through the house, hoping to catch sight of Andrea to thank her as well but she was nowhere to be seen among the few guests milling about. She didn't want to run the risk of lingering too long so she hurried out to the car. Quinn was waiting, leaning against the side of his truck. When she showed up, he opened her door for her. She rose up on tiptoe to kiss him, squeezed his hand and climbed inside.

"So what was going on?" he asked as he started the car and backed out.

"Apparently Andrea is full of surprises," Crissy said.