Page 50 of Offside Bride

“I feel ridiculous,” I whisper to Emily as we peek out from behind a parked car.

“Shh,” she hisses back, “We’re on a mission!”

We follow Sawyer for a few more blocks, our ‘stealth’ techniques becoming increasingly absurd. At one point, Emily even attempts to blend in with a group of mannequins outside a clothing store.

Just as I’m starting to wonder if this whole thing was a terrible idea, Sawyer rounds the corner of a high rise. We wait a beat then scurry after him. We go around the corner, when suddenly?—

“Boo.”

Emily and I shriek in unison, nearly jumping out of our skins. There’s Sawyer, casually leaning against the steps of a building, looking far too amused.

“Ladies,” he drawls, a smirk playing on his lips. “Out for a leisurely stroll?”

“The best way to get most husbands to do something is to suggest that perhaps they’re too old to do it.”

— ANNE BANCROFT

16

MAGGIE

“Oh, hey…you,” I stammer, trying to act casual and failing miserably. “What a coincidence, bumping into you like this. In this... random part of town.”

He’s not buying it, of course, but it was worth a try.

Sawyer’s eyes dance with amusement as he looks between Emily and me. “So,” he says, “care to explain why you’re following me? Or should I just assume this is some new extreme sport I’m not aware of?”

“Okay, fine. You caught us. We were following you. Happy now?”

He grins, looking far too pleased with himself. “Ecstatic. But you know, if you wanted to know where I was going, you could have just asked.”

“I did ask!” I protest. “You were all mysterious and secretive about it.”

Emily, bless her heart, decides to take matters into her own hands. “Are you cheating, yes or no?” she blurts out, her eyebrows arching up to her ridiculous cat burglar beanie.

Sawyer’s reaction is not what I expect. He throws his head back and lets out a full-on belly laugh, the kind that makeshis shoulders shake and his eyes crinkle at the corners. It’s annoyingly attractive.

“Cheating?” he wheezes between chuckles. “Oh, that’s rich. No, I’m not cheating. What a silly accusation.” He turns to me, his eyes twinkling with mirth. “I’m wounded, Magpie. You don’t trust me?” He clutches his chest dramatically.

I roll my eyes, trying to hide my embarrassment. “Well, what was I supposed to think?”

Sawyer’s expression softens slightly. He holds out his hand. “Give me your phone.”

“What? Why?” I ask, clutching my phone protectively.

“Just hand it over. I promise I won’t look at your text messages.”

Reluctantly, I hand over my phone. Sawyer fiddles with it for a moment, his fingers flying over the screen. After a minute, he hands it back to me.

“There,” he says. “Now you can track my phone. You’ll know where I am at all times. Happy?”

I stare at my phone, then back at him. “You’re kidding, right?”

He shrugs. “Nope. You can stalk me properly, without the need for…whatever this is.” He gestures at Emily’s getup. “And it’s one-ended. I can’t see your location unless you approve it.”

Okay…now I feel like a jerk.

We hear the sound of someone whistling from around the corner and then?—

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