Page 78 of That Time I Kissed The Groomsman Grump
I hold my phone up, and mouth, “Doc Swanson.”
Then I turn and head outside.
ChapterThirty-Three
NATALIE
How long should I wait before checking on Brady? He’s been gone awhile now, and I’m worried.
Amber just won the impromptu build-a-wedding-dress competition, and Olivia’s rallying us for Pin the Heart on Nicolas Cage. The groomsmen are all playing pool in a side room off the pub. This is probably the best opportunity for me to slip outside unnoticed.
But since I’m an idiot, I stand up and announce, “I’m going to get a drink.”
“Oh!” Kasey’s eyes light up. Her crown is dangling by a few strands of hair, so she pulls it off and sets it on the table. Then she adjusts her bride-to-be sash. “I’ll come with you!” she gushes.
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
“No, no, no.” I throw my hands up like a blockade. “The bride should stay here. Just tell me what you want.”
This won’t actually help me sneak off to Brady. I’ll still have to make a trip to and from the bar. But at least I won’t end up in a conversation with Kasey about how Molly and Brady are perfect for each other.
Kasey taps her chin. “How about another one of those things Olivia got for us on the beach?”
“Hey!” Liv’s ears perk up. “I heard my name.”
“Kasey wants one of the cocktails you ordered from Hudson,” I tell her.
“Yay!” Olivia pumps her fists in the air. “I’ll get a round for everyone. Virgin for Amber of course.”
“In the meantime”—I pull the roll of butcher paper from my duffle bag—“the rest of us should tape a big strip of this along the wall so everyone can sign it.”
“I’ll handle that,” Darby says, taking the roll from me like I suspected she would. She loves to take charge of things. And since Tess doesn’t like to be left out, she pipes up.
“I’ll help too! Where are the Sharpies?”
“Here,” I say, handing her the package. “You’ve got this!”
Come to think of it, maybe I’m better at being sneaky than I thought. With the rest of the bridesmaids and the bride occupied by the butcher paper project, I take a few steps backward. Then a few more.
Next thing you know, I’m slipping out the door.
Outside, with the doors shut behind me, the throb of music mellows to a pulse. The clean smell of pine trees is a relief from the stuffiness of the pub. When I look up, the air is cool on my cheeks. The stars are winking on.Sky elves, I think, smiling.Next to the crescent moon.
“Hey,” a voice rumbles ahead of me on the right. It’s Brady. He’s leaning against the white wood railing that runs alongside the inn. He’s got his phone in his hand, but he’s not talking or texting.
“Hey yourself.” As I come toward him, I nod to indicate the phone. “Everything okay?”
He stands, squaring his shoulders, like he’s bracing himself. I just don’t know for what. “Yeah.” He stuffs his phone back in his pocket. “Doc Swanson says LuLu’s good, and he got in touch with Willa and Gator’s owners. They’re going to pick up their dogs on Saturday. And since the Jacobs are coming back to get LuLu on Sunday, he’ll only have to deal with being in two places at the same time for a couple more days. I offered to relieve him, but he turned me down. He’s at the clinic tonight while Mrs. Swanson’s still at the hospital. She’s stable and doing well, so he said at this point, he can go back and forth no problem. Half his time at the clinic. Half his time with her.”
Brady pauses to run a hand along the back of his neck. He does this when something’s on his mind. The fact that I recognize the habit makes my insides flutter in both good and bad ways. I’m getting to know Brady better. But that doesn’t change the fact that our futures are apart.
“I feel like there’s more to this story,” I say.
Brady tilts his head. “What makes you think that?”
“That hand-on-your-neck maneuver. You do that when you’re wrestling with something.”
“Yeah, I guess I do.” He puffs out a laugh. “You don’t miss much, huh?”
