Page 25 of The Trouble with Runaway Brides

Me: Dinner tonight, urgent.

Brinley: Perfect, Van is working.

Easton: I had plans but I’ll cancel.

I run into my condo and pack my bag before returning downstairs and heading to the airport.

When I land in Alaska, as always, I’m grateful for the four-hour time difference. It’s like the gift of more time. Of course, it’s the complete opposite when I head back to New York.

I bought a house near my parents a year ago so that I could be closer to them when I’m here. I’m just out of the shower and dressed when there’s a knock on my door.

“Come in,” I say, thinking maybe it’s Brinley or Easton.

“Lance?” my mom calls.

I walk out of the kitchen to the foyer area. “Hey, Mom, I’m about to go have dinner with Brin and Easton. What’s up?”

“No hug for your mother?”

I laugh and wrap my arms around her tightly, lifting her feet off the floor. “Better?” I lower her to the floor and step back.

She smiles. “Much. May I?” She signals to the kitchen.

“Sure.”

I follow her into the kitchen. “I brought some fresh eggs and put them in your fridge this morning.”

“Saw them. Thanks.”

I know she’s not here to talk about eggs, based on the way she’s circling like an anxious dog. “Mom…” I say, knowing full well what she’s here to discuss.

She stops and leans over the counter. “What are you doing, Lance? Inviting her back here.” There’s hurt in her voice and her eyes.

I frown. “I didn’t invite her. I ran into her and merely mentioned that she wouldn’t run into press problems here. It was an innocent comment.”

She blows out a breath. “Don’t you find it unusual who she’s engaged to?”

I shake my head. “No.”

She huffs. “Oh, my sweet baby boy. First, she was torn between you and Easton, cousins and best friends who couldn’t be more opposite. And now she’s engaged to the Whitmore family’s biggest competitor. Will Asbury? You two hated each other. Always competing for grades and praise.”

I shrug. “I doubt she even knew the connection.”

She rolls her eyes. “That girl is manipulative. Brinley isn’t really even friends with her anymore.”

Let’s just say that my mom didn’t take it well when everything went down between Kenzie, Easton, and me. She saw how broken I was and hasn’t seemed to be able to get over that Kenzie was the cause of it, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised by her reaction.

“Well, then you should talk to Dad if you don’t want me to have anything to do with her. He’s putting me in charge of planning her wedding by not letting Jeanette handle it.”

She shakes her head. “That was Alice’s idea. She was having brunch at Glacier Point and overheard Jeanette talking to your dad. She thinks you haven’t learned your lesson when it comes to her and that the torture of seeing her marry someone you hate will finally rid you of your feelings for her.”

“I don’t have feelings for her.” It’s an automatic response at this point, but I should know better than to think that I can get it past my mother.

She merely gives me a look that tells me she knows I’m full of shit. “I’d hate for you to get hurt, but Lance… you have to figure out she’s bad news once and for all yourself. Or maybe you can hire a wedding planner.”

My eyes widen. “That’s perfect.”

“Finding one on this short notice will be hard.”

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