Page 14 of Last Minute

“I haven’t been Mrs. Donovan in years. Call me Shannon.” Ellie shoots me an apologetic look, and I shrug. I take another turn instructed by the GPS. “Would you have time in your schedule to allow my son to come to my wedding on Friday?” At the mention of a wedding, Ellie’s eyes brighten, and I can see the wheels begin to turn in her brain. As Mom rattles off the details of the event—the location, the timeline, her expectation of me being there to support her—Ellie looks at me. Her face shifts from excited to serious. Mom finishes speaking and—for once in her life—patiently waits for an answer from Ellie.

I can see the moment Ellie shifts from the bubbly woman I watched bounce through Target and the princess she is. “I’m sorry, Shannon, but you’ve put me on the spot. I’m afraid I can’t give you an answer right now. I need to check my schedule, and I will get back with you later today.” Ellie glances at me one more time before she reaches across the console and hits the end call button on screen.

CHAPTER 11

Ellie

Erik turns into the movie theater and parks the car. He hasn’t said anything since I ended the call with his mother a few minutes ago. When he doesn’t remove his hands from the steering wheel, I unbuckle my seatbelt and face him.

“Are you alright?”

“What makes you ask that?” Erik’s voice is tight, and his words are clipped.

I gesture to his white knuckled grip on the steering wheel and the tension oozing from his arms. He peels his fingers away and stretches them. I try not to ogle at his tattoos too much, but they’re on prominent display as he slowly releases the tension in his body.

Neither of us speaks for another few minutes as we continue to process the phone call with his mother.

“So…” we both say at the same time. Erik gestures for me to go first, but I shake my head.

“Please don’t defer to me. Whatever I have to say can wait.”

“I’m sorry about my mom,” he says, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. Heat rushes to my limbs and my little crush flares as his bicep flexes. It’s a little unfair that a man this handsome is also genuine and kind behind that grumpy exterior. His dark hair—with subtle waves so perfect I want to run my fingers through them—and those irresistible dark blue eyes are my kryptonite.

“I’ve already told her that I won’t be coming to her wedding, but she’s relentless. You don’t have to say yes to her.” He turns to look at me, resignation covering his face. “But we can go if you want to.”

My face falls, and suddenly my question is moot. I can tell how much Erik doesn’t want to, so my request to go to the wedding is out of the question.

I shake my head. “If you’re that opposed to going, then I won’t make you. That would be unkind of me.” I look away and pick at my nails. People are always bending over backwards to accommodate me and my family, and I don’t want to make Erik uncomfortable. If our positions were reversed, I hope that Erik would have the decency to do the same for me.

“Ellie.” The softness in Erik’s voice makes me raise my eyes again. “What was your question?” His eyes are so patient, so understanding. And judging by how he’s been able to read me so easily, I won’t be able to sneak a lie past him.

Erik’s hand covers my shoulder, and I look up at him.

“If this is something you want to do, Ellie, then I’ll go. It’s my job to make sure you are safe on your vacation. This is your time, not mine.”

When I don’t say anything, Erik continues. “You said this vacation is about doing things you haven’t done before, so I want you to be honest with me.” Erik’s grip on my shoulder tightens slightly, and I can’t look away from his deep blue eyes. “Is going to my mom’s wedding something you want to do? For yourself—because you want to?”

The pressure on my shoulder is steady, and the butterflies in my stomach take flight. In this moment, he’s stripped away everything I would normally hide behind, and I’m laid bare for his inspection of my soul.

So much of being a princess is doing things because it’s expected or someone else says so. I may have made plans, but only at someone else’s direction. Now that it’s my turn to take the reins…

“Yes,” I whisper, more because I’m barely able to admit it to myself than I’m trying to hide the truth from Erik. “I would like to go and see what an American wedding is like.”

Erik removes his hand from my shoulder, and I immediately miss the warmth. “Then it’s settled,” he says, facing the steering wheel again and putting his hand on the gear shift. He looks back to me, and I must have a funny look on my face because he says, “Don’t worry about me, Ellie. I’ve been in plenty of more uncomfortable situations before. We’re going to a wedding. It’s not like I’ll be stuck in a clown suit at a bratty child’s birthday party.”

“Have you—”

“Yes.” I swear the corner of his mouth quirks up. “And I’ll be fine.”

I smooth away the worried eyes I had been giving Erik. “But you might have to wear a tux. Will you have to wear a tux? How formal is this wedding?”

“Black tie, I believe.” His brow lowers, a shadow passing over his face. “My mom and dad got married young and didn’t have money for a big wedding back then, so she’s pulling out all the stops for this one.”

“I wasn’t planning on doing anything fancy when I originally planned this trip. I didn’t bring any of my gowns.” I laugh, picturing the closets of gorgeous, designer gowns I have at home in Brysard. Any one of them would have knocked the socks off any guest at Erik’s mom’s wedding, but, alas, I’ll have to settle for…leggings? “Will there be somewhere we can go shopping beforehand? I only have leggings.”

The thought of me, a real-life princess, attending a black-tie wedding in athleisure wear makes me laugh even harder.

When I look at Erik, he’s not nearly as amused as I am.

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