Page 60 of That Time I Kissed The Groomsman Grump
The beauty in the Adirondacks. My jaw goes tight, and a fresh sliver of possessiveness slices through me. The only beauty I care about is leaving the Adirondacks. Soon.
And there’s nothing I can do about it.
“So I guess it’s just our foursome then,” my dad says. “You boys ready to attack some balls?”
“Yes, sir,” Beau says. “Just let me text Kasey so she knows what we’re up to.”
Mr. Slater puts a hand on my shoulder and grins. “Brady, I’ve got a bucketful of Titleists with your name on it.”
Perfect. I’ll just work out my frustrations by knocking those Titleists all the way to LA.
ChapterTwenty-Four
NATALIE
I’m at Sadie’s Salon with a headful of hot rollers and a face caked in foundation when Sloane’s text comes in.
SLOANE: Wyatt says she hasn’t gotten the rental agreement from you yet. Just checking that you’ll take care of that at some point today. Print, sign, scan, send. (Smile!)
Oof.My shoulders sink, and a tiny pit opens up in my stomach. I haven’t actually gotten around to reading the rental agreement yet, let alone filling out the paperwork. But I don’t want Sloane or Wyatt to think I’m irresponsible, or that I’m not committed to Kasey’s old room. Because of course I am. I mean committed, not irresponsible.
ME: So sorry! Been super busy here, but I’ll take care of that as soon as I can.
Subtext: I was super busy sleeping on a couch with a smoking-hot veterinary technician.
But I wasn’t ignoring the rental agreement, and I didn’t forget about it either. Brady even reminded me I had it with me this morning. But then I had to escape the clinic before he discovered I saw his mystery notebook. And then I had to get to the salon on time for our hair and makeup appointments.
For the record, I didn’t read whatever it was Brady’s been writing. I simply slipped the bookmark back inside and shoved the whole thing in the locker. Then I remembered I’d left the keys in Brady’s truck overnight. This is something everyone does here in Abieville. In fact, it’s one of the things I’ll miss most when I’m in LA. Besides my parents and the lake and the sound of snow crunching under my boots. Not that I’ve spent a bunch of time thinking about what I’ll miss after I move. But here, nobody worries too much—or at all—about locking things up. Not their cars or their houses or their lockers inside vet clinics.
Oof.
My stomach churns again, at how close I came to violating Brady’s privacy. That’s the last thing I’d ever want to do. Make that the second-to-last thing. Thefirstlast thing I want to do is sit here listening to Molly Fitzpatrick gush about Brady.
She showed up at the salon fifteen minutes ago, right after she saw Kasey’s check-in on Instagram. Molly insisted on taking a selfie to send to Brady. The tiny part of me that isn’t nice hopes the picture isn’t flattering.
Sorry, Molly.
Right now, she’s directly behind me, standing next to Kasey’s chair. I’ve got a clear view of both of them in the mirror. To the right of me, Tess is having her makeup done. Darby’s on the left having her hair styled. Amber and Olivia are in back, getting facials. True to her word, Liv came in early to have her hair dyed blonde and blown out.
Across the salon, my mom and Mrs. Graham have their feet in tubs of hot water. They’re both getting mani-pedis.
“What did Brady say about the pictures?” Molly asks Kasey. “Do you think he remembers me?”
Kasey huffs out a laugh. “Of course he remembers you. He just hasn’t replied yet.”
“So… maybe he just hasn’t seen the pictures.” Molly’s eyes go wide. “Text him again.”
“Slow down.” Kasey flashes a crooked smile. “We can’t let my brother think I’m pushing you two together. Thatneverworks. Trust me.”
“I can’t believe he’s been saving for vet school all these years.” Molly sighs, hand over her heart. “That’s beyond impressive. Don’t you think it’s beyond impressive?”
“It is.” Kasey nods. “My mom always hoped one of us would become a doctor, and I faint at the sight of blood, so…”
The owner of the salon brings Kasey’s veil over to try on with her hair done. Kasey’s practice updo is—in a word—interesting. I get the feeling the ladies at Sadie’s aren’t up-to-date on the latest trends inInStyleMagazine. But Kasey’s beautiful no matter what. And with the veil on, she’ll probably look more like a modern bride than a colonial statesman.
The girl doing my makeup moves between me and the mirror. Her name is Felicia. The tips of her hair are deep-fried and extra-crispy. I guess some people don’t know when to quit with a straightening iron.
“Close your eyes,” Felicia commands. “I need to put shadow on your lids.”
