Page 19 of Chasing Forever
“Can we please just stop all this?” Lottie stares at her parents like an annoyed thirteen-year-old girl.
Brad waves her off but swings his arm around her neck. “Let’s go. You two are riding with us.” He points his pointer and middle finger at Lottie and me.
I’m pretty sure Lottie’s getting her wish, and the fun and games are over. Brad has never been weird with me, but Holden used to tell me some stories about Brad drilling him as though he was the lead suspect in a serial killer case. Then again, Lottie was so young, and looking back, Brad had every right. As we walk toward the exit, I just wish that I had some idea what Brad and Darla really think about us marrying in Vegas.
“And what about your other children?” Romy asks.
“You have six cousins here—find a ride. And Bennett, Wren’s booster seat is over there.” She points toward where it sits next to the chairs Wren was hiding behind.
“So sweet of you, Mother. Remind me to leave you to fend for yourself when you’re ninety and senile.” Bennett finally releases Wren, and she runs over to Briar and Emmett to congratulate them on the wedding and tell them all about what happened with their infant son, Colter, while they were away.
We leave the airport, but while everyone else heads toward long-term parking, we’re led to short-term parking with Brad and Darla. I put Lottie’s and my luggage in the back of Brad’s truck, then we file into the back seat on opposite sides.
We’re not even on the freeway before Darla twirls around and eyes us. “Imagine our surprise to find out our daughter is newly married, and we never even received a phone call?”
“Mom—” Lottie starts, but Darla raises her hand to stop her.
“You’re an adult. Your dad and I aren’t going to give you some big guilt trip about this giant decision the two of you decided to make while you were drunk.” Her eyes widen.
“Except that you kinda are,” Lottie says.
Brad’s eyes find mine in the rearview mirror, and I hold them because I’m not going to act like some snake and try to hide from what I did. My brother ruined the first time Brad was supposed to walk his eldest daughter down the aisle, and now I’ve stolen his second opportunity from him.
“I want to apologize.” The words are out of my mouth before I wonder if maybe it isn’t my place to say anything.
With how fast Lottie turns her head in my direction, I know she’d prefer if I just stayed quiet.
“I’m sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Owens. I shouldn’t have… well…”
“Damn, Brooks, I’ve never seen you this at a loss for words.” Darla pats my leg. “Thank you. We appreciate the apology.” She glances at her husband. “Right, Brad?”
“Yeah, sure. But what I want to know is now that you two are married, what are your plans?”
“Annulment,” Lottie says.
Darla’s shoulders sink, and she eyes me. “And that’s what you want too, Brooks?”
I feel Lottie’s glare on the side of my face, and I really hope she doesn’t have any sharp objects within reach. “Actually?—”
“He does,” Lottie interrupts.
“You can’t speak for the boy. Brooks, what do you want to do?” Brad asks, his line of sight through the rearview mirror on me again.
“I’d rather talk to Lottie about it when it’s just the two of us. With all due respect.”
Brad side-eyes his wife, and she straightens into the seat. “Fair enough. Keep us in the loop?”
“We’re not staying married,” Lottie says to me, giving me another evil glare. “We were drunk.”
“So what?”
“So we weren’t in our right minds.”
We’ve turned toward one another as if we’re about to have a face-off. If this were a Western, Lottie would already have her pistol out, and I’d be slumped against the back seat, dead.
“I’m not so quick to agree.”
“You cannot do this, Brooks!” She says my name as if I’m a child.
