Page 109 of Runaway Bride and Prejudice

I wait for them to press harder, but thankfully, the tension seems to ease.

“Too bad.” Bailey smiles. “He’s really misunderstood, I think. Probably intentionally so.”

Or not, I think, but I need to back away from this topic—casually and slowly. Like you would from a bear. Or is that what you do if you run into a mountain lion? I can’t remember which predator you’re supposed to back away from and in which scenario you’re supposed to make yourself look bigger.

Honestly, I should just avoid the forest altogether.

Too bad the forest, in this half-baked metaphor, happens to be where I work.

“He’s my second favorite,” Bailey says. “No offense to Logan and Felix. All the other guys are great too. But Van walked medown the aisle at my wedding,” Bailey says, looking at her ring. “It was really sweet. He—ow!”

Parker or Summer or both must have kicked Bailey under the table. Parker and Summer are clearly trying to silently communicate.

“Oh, shoot,” Bailey says, color rising in her cheeks as her wide eyes snap to me. “I … forgot.”

I groan. “I’m going to say this once.” I pause and meet each of their gazes briefly. “I promise, I’m okay talking about weddings. My wedding, other people’s weddings—whatever. It’s not a landmine subject for me, and it’s not the kind of topic we can avoid forever. So, please don’t walk on eggshells around me or feel bad for saying the word wedding. I’m okay talking about it.”

At least about the wedding theyknowabout.

“What about Van?” Parker asks.

The waitress returns then with everyone’s orders and a new drink for me. “WhataboutVan?”

Casual, casual, casual. That’s the name of the game. My tone is perfectly even, my face a mask of innocence. My pulse is a totally different story, but unless any of them are vampires and can sense the quicker flow of blood through my veins, I think I’m safe.

“You just seem to have an emotional reaction to talking about him,” Parker says. “Or talkingtohim.”

Gracie laughs. “Yeah, but it’sVan. He has a way of riling people up. Pushing their buttons. Especially with your dad,” she adds, looking at me. “I swear, Van is the player most likely to inspire your dad to retire early.”

“Oh, yeah.” I roll my eyes and try not to think of the text from my dad I saw on Van’s phone. “Dad uses his name at home like a curse word.”

Summer and Parker laugh, but Bailey looks slightly troubled by this. And I feel sick saying it because I remember saying something similar to Van.

“I’m kidding, of course, but I do know he makes Dad nuts.”

“Like father, like daughter,” Parker says, and I don’t like the assessing look in her gaze. I swear, the woman is like a dog with a very big, very juicy bone. If I’m not careful, she’ll figure things out by my second day of work. Whichcannothappen.

Conversation moves on then, and I’m grateful for it. Because I am barely hanging on by a quickly fraying thread.

CHAPTER 21

Amelia

“I’m notsure this job is worth the emotional strain.” I sigh, hearing what sounds either like a laugh or cough coming through the phone. Or possibly a grunt? “Iknowyou’re not laughing at me right now.”

“Not laughing,” Morgan says, but there is definitely humor in her tone. “I just can’t help but find this new development delightful.”

It’s the next morning. Dad, again, left before me, and now I’m sitting in my car, staring up at the Summit, trying to will my hands to open the car door and my feet to get out. I tried giving myself a pep talk. It didn’t take. So, I called my best friend.

Not sure this is any better.

Thenew developmentshe means is whatever nuclear level of tension now exists between Van and me. I already told Morgan how, when Van and I saw each other yesterday, it was electric—and not in a good way.

More like an electrical fire set to torch a whole city block.

Sure—there was attraction too—I’d have to be dead not to be attracted to Van. But that only makes the ugly parts of the tension worse. Because what am I supposed todowith the attraction?

Nothing. That’s what. Absolutely nothing. If I ignore it, I’m sure it will go away.

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