Page 59 of You Complicate Me

“Boy, what in the hell is the matter with you? Are you constipated?”

And so much for mental math, Grace thought, as every calculation fled in the wake of Ruthie’s words, bringing her back at jarring speeds to the here and now, which was the small room next to the reception hall that had been designated as the groom-to-be’s ready room.

Michael straightened his tie and blew out a harsh breath. “I’m fine, Grandma.”

Ruthie patted the cloud of blue curls Grace had spent an hour arranging for her, then started digging through her handbag. “You don’t look fine. I have a supplement in here that could get you going in no time. You don’t want to be all bound up on your wedding night.”

Sarah brushed a wrinkle out of her silk skirt and frowned at Michael. “Don’t take anything she pulls out of her purse. You’ll wake up the next day with no memory of what happened and suspicious wheel marks across your back.”

Ruthie rolled her eyes. “It’s not my fault you can’t hold your sedatives.”

“You told me it was aspirin,” Sarah said dryly.

“An honest mistake,” Ruthie said, and sniffed.

“And the fact that you tried to drive over me in your chair while I was passed out on the ground?”

Another sniff. “I might’ve panicked while trying to get help.”

Sarah’s jaw dropped. “You didn’t get help! You let me lie there for four hours! You didn’t even—”

Michael shoved his hands through his hair and growled—honest to God growled—like a pissed-off Rottweiler. “Get out!”

Everyone jumped, but it was Grace who found her voice first. “Okay. We’ll go. Sorry about that.”

Michael grabbed her arm. “Not you. Everyone but you. Get out.”

“Michael Thomas Montgomery,” Sarah whispered, aghast. “What in the h-e-double-hockey-sticks has gotten into you?”

He looked so lost in that moment that Grace’s heart broke for him. She took her mother’s arm and led her to the door. “I’m sure it’s just pre-wedding jitters, Mom,” she said. “Nothing to worry about. Why don’t you go check in with Gage and dad and make sure everything looks good in the reception hall, okay?”

Sarah somewhat reluctantly nodded her agreement, and moved aside to let Ruthie roll by on her way out the door.

“See?” Ruthie said to Sarah as they both left. “I told you the boy’s constipated. No one’s that grumpy when they’re regular.”

When they were gone, Grace threw her hands up in the universal what-the-hell gesture. “Talk to me.”

Michael closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then blurted, “Sadiecriedduringsexlastnight.”

Grace had a quick mind, but that was a little too quick even for her. “Pardon?”

“Sadie. Cried. During. Sex. Last. Night,” he said through gritted teeth.

She blinked at him. “She Meredith Grey’ed you?”

“What?”

“Season two, Grey’s Anatomy, Meredith cried during sex with…oh, never mind.” Grace shook her head. “I guess that’s not important. You’re going to have to back up and tell me the whole story.”

Much to my dismay, she thought. The thought of hearing about her brother’s sex life had her choking back a little vomit, but damn it, she was the best man at this wedding. It was her job to put Michael’s mind at ease. Even if his fiancée was crying during sex.

Yikes.

She listened patiently—doing her level best to maintain a completely impartial expression—as Michael told her about the conversation he’d had with Sadie the night before. How they’d both opened up and talked about how much they loved each other.

“She’s my best friend,” Michael said, chewing on his thumbnail like he used to when he was a little boy afraid to get a shot at the pediatrician’s office. “I’m her best friend. So, I asked her if she still wanted to go through with the wedding. She said she did. I thought everything was fine. So, we started…you know…”

Oh, God.

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