Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 107710 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 539(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107710 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 539(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
For long seconds, there was nothing but the sound of the wind. “I think I got what I came for.”
Jesus, that sounded ominous. “Is that a good or bad thing?”
“That remains to be seen.”
“Are you always this cryptic?” Was that a flash of a smile? Yeah, he thought it was. For that brief little window of time, he could see a resemblance to Natalie and his heart clunked. “You’re not going to try to stop the wedding, right?”
He held his breath after asking that question. “I don’t know,” she said, turning and gliding away. Back toward her silver Lexus. “Am I?”
“I’m starting to see where Natalie gets her venom.”
Corinne paused at the driver’s side, looking startled. And a little pleased? “Thank you.”
August shook his head until his future mother-in-law had driven away.
He pushed the tire a lot longer than usual that morning.
* * *
“Welcome to your officially unofficial bachelorette party.”
Natalie stared at Hallie, trying to make sense of the words that were coming out of her mouth. She’d just walked into a bar named Jed’s that was more than a little out of the way—off Grapevine Way and a good three blocks down a side street. Until a moment ago, when she’d stopped in front of the rustic lodge facade and double-checked the address, she wasn’t aware this place existed.
Before she could respond to Hallie, a loud thud echoed through the buzzing establishment, loud enough to make her jump and spin around. “My God. Is that man throwing an axe?”
“Yes.” Hallie clapped her hands together. “It’s an axe-throwing bar. I’ve been dying to come here and this was the perfect excuse.” She looped her arm with Natalie’s and tugged her through the throng of people in jeans, T-shirts, and flip-flops, making Natalie feel utterly ridiculous in her black silk tunic dress and studded gladiator sandals. “My friend Lavinia got us a table in back where it’s semi-quiet so we can go over the details for Saturday, aka the big day!”
“Great,” Natalie said. “I’m not throwing an axe.”
“You’ll change your mind after a drink or two.”
“Yes, lower my inhibitions, then hand me a weapon. What could go wrong?”
Before Hallie could answer, a woman stepped into her path and enfolded her in a hug, the scent of sugar and chocolate wafting off her clothing with such potency that Natalie’s tastebuds tingled. “Well, if it isn’t the future bride ’erself,” crooned the woman in a thick British accent. “I wanted to rent strippers, but it seems we’ll be getting split in half by axes, instead.”
Natalie couldn’t help but laugh at that. “I suppose both would have been too dangerous?”
The woman tossed back her blond hair. “We can’t have wangs getting chopped off, darling. It’s bad luck before a wedding.”
Hallie ushered them both to a table in the corner. “Natalie, I would introduce you to Lavinia, but I think you’ve just been thoroughly acquainted.”
“Speaking of wangs . . . ” Lavinia continued, dropping into her chair across from Natalie, “it’s nice not to have any around for once. Fuck off, lads. It’s ladies night.”
“How did you pry yourself away from my brother?” Natalie asked Hallie, swallowing a smile.
“Actually, he is kidnapping August as we speak.”
“August?” Natalie breathed. She hadn’t seen him in two days. Not since the Shower. He’d texted her once, asking for guidance on his tuxedo rental. “Should I go with purple or powder blue?” he’d asked. To which she’d replied, “Get one with a bib for those inevitable spills at dinnertime,” accompanied by a baby emoji. He’d also sent a meme about shotgun weddings that depicted a man standing beside a woman at the altar with a gun barrel pressed to his back.
A case of wife or death read the caption.
Ridiculous. Still . . .
Why did hearing his name make her feel awake for the first time in days?
Both women were staring at her. “Uh . . .” Natalie crossed her legs hastily. “Is it even possible to kidnap a Navy SEAL?”
“Maybe he’ll go willingly when he finds out it’s his impromptu bachelor . . .” Hallie hedged. “Well, I would say party, but . . .”
“But it’s my brother and they’ll probably just watch Jeopardy! and eat ham sandwiches?”
“Julian is learning to be more adventurous,” Hallie said, flushing clear up to her temples. “He didn’t mention where they were going, but I’m guessing somewhere quiet where Julian can read August the riot act.”
Natalie frowned. “The riot act?”
“You know . . .” Hallie waved at the waitress. “Hurt my sister and I’ll kill you.”
“Right.” Natalie snorted. “That sounds like Julian.”
“Doesn’t it?” Hallie sighed, obviously missing Natalie’s sarcasm.
For the last four years, she’d barely spoken to her brother. Not when she’d gotten engaged to Morrison. Or made partner at the firm. Just the obligatory birthday and Christmas call and nothing more. He didn’t even heart her Instagram posts. As children, he’d been the one to console her, defend her from unwanted male attention at school—in his albeit sharp and emotionless manner. But when she’d emerged from rehab at seventeen, an embarrassment to the Vos name while he was already thriving at Stanford, she’d sort of assumed his lack of contact was his way of showing disapproval. Or worse, that he wasn’t aware of her at all.