Page 29 of Take Me to the Wedding

And that worst date of my life? Yeah. It had happened to behim.

Well, technically, we weren’t on a date, but we’d spent the entire evening together. We’d met in the bar line at a trendy East Side bar a few years ago and started talking. Then we sat down together at a table. Two hours later, we were still talking. And then we danced. But every story has an unexpected twist, right?

My new share-a-ride friends asked for details. So I plunged in. Like I said, Caleb had brought this up, but I was going to tell it my way.

“My date disappeared right before midnight. Imagine that.” I paused for drama. And also so that Caleb could sweat this out more—if he had a soul that was capable of feeling bad about things, that is. I embellished by waving my hands. “Poof, gone. Right into the snowy thin air.”

It had been so embarrassing, I hadn’t even told Mia. Neither had he, supposedly, because she never once mentioned it. And it was just as well.

Lilly spun around. “Getout. Your date ditched you right before thecountdown?”

I confirmed that with a nod. “Ditched in the final minute. No, wait—make thatseconds.”

“Oh my God.” Lilly covered her mouth in shock.

“Maybe it wasn’t personal, as you seem to make it out to be,” Caleb said in a measured tone.

My anger flared up. I told myself not to react, not to respond. But I couldn’t help myself. “How does onenottake that as personal?”

“Yes, really,” Lilly agreed. “The jerk.”

“I’m a little lost,” Quinn said, which reminded me to calm down. After all, it happened a long time ago, shortly after I’d become friends with Mia. I hadn’t even known that Caleb was her brother.

Lilly turned to Caleb. “So did you help her after that guy ghosted her?”

“I did.” He looked directly into the mirror. “And apologized profusely for the bad treatment.”

He did show up, ten minutes later, when I was gathering my coat and heading for the door. “Hey, I’m really sorry about that,” he’d said. “I had to take that call.”

I just sort of stared at him. “Hope everything is okay?”

He cleared his throat. “Yeah. I-I enjoyed talking to you. But I’ve got to be honest—I’m not looking for a relationship right now.”

Things had gone from smoking hot to icy cold. A complete one-eighty. And I was floored but trying not to show it. I mean, we’d been having such a fun time. It had been magical—for me anyway. Just goes to show you, I can’t matchmake myself or call any shots on relationships. I’m just not meant to be a relationship person. I have no personal date radar.

“And we’ve been friends ever since,” I said through gritted teeth. “And a pox on that horrible date, right?”

I really had forgotten all about that painful night. Except that it marked the beginning of a very antagonistic relationship that had continued to this day. I had no idea if that call he’d taken was legit or just an excuse to get away, but whatever had happened had changed everything.

Quinn sent me an admiring glance. “I can’t imagine anyone abandoning you right before midnight any night of the year,” Quinn said. “You’re really funny. Pretty too.”

Oooh no. Ouch. My hunch had been right. His tone, his sideways smile, his bright-eyed look. It all added up to interest I did not want.

“Pretty snarky, you mean,” Caleb muttered under his breath.

I ignored that and smiled at Quinn. “Well, thank you. But don’t you worry, I never gave that guy a second thought.”

“Oh look,” Lilly said, pointing forward. “We’re here.”

And it couldn’t be soon enough. After miles of trees and highway and little else, we’d come upon a long white picket fence surrounding a stretch of woods and a wooden sign into which letters were carved that announced we’d arrived at Whispering Meadows Farm.

Caleb wound the truck up a winding drive past orchards and rolling hills with grazing cows, to a large white farmhouse complete with a giant covered porch with a swing and bright red flowers spilling out of planters. Two barns, one red and one white, stood behind the house. We saw a sign pointing toward the outdoor space where the wedding would take place in a few weeks, which was in a field by a creek. It looked gorgeous in Ani’s photos, but I couldn’t see it clearly from the truck. “We’re definitely here,” Caleb seconded.

Farm experience, here we come. I tried to think positively, but honestly, I couldn’t wait to see Gabe. He was my only hope to survive this weekend, between whatever was going on between Caleb and Lilly and whatever Quinn thought was going to go on with me (but wasn’t).

Lilly opened her door as soon as the truck rolled to a stop. “I made everyone’s reservations, so I’m going to hop out and make sure everything’s in order, okay?”

“I’ve got to use the restroom,” Quinn said as Caleb and I exited the truck. “I’ll come with you.” He lifted his and Lilly’s bags from the truck bed and followed her to the porch.

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