Page 20 of That Time I Kissed The Groomsman Grump
Brady’s eyes snap to me then back to my mom. “Thanks for the invite, Mrs. Slater, but I think I’m gonna head over to my folks’ place.”
“I just dropped Kasey off there,” Beau says.
“Oh.” My mom nods. “Then I’m sure Elaine will want both her kids home. I know the feeling.” She glances at the ceiling debris, then back at Brady. “I’ll be sure and save you some soup. Speaking of which, I’d better check on dinner.” She bustles off toward the kitchen, wiping at her eyes. If I’m not mistaken, I hear her sniffle.
Brady shifts his weight, then aims a thumb at the door. “Anyway, I’d better get going. I want to spend as much time with Kasey as I can.”
“See you tomorrow,” Beau says. “Gonna be a great day.”
“Sure thing.” Brady furrows his brow. Then he makes a break for it so quickly, I’m surprised he doesn’t catch the floor on fire. I know his leaving now is the right answer.
I just wish it didn’t feel so wrong.
ChapterNine
NATALIE
I’m lying in bed the next morning, head buried under pillows, when my phone starts buzzing. I ignore it the first two times, then drag myself up to check who’s calling for the third time. It’s Sloane.
“I LOVE YOU!” she blurts when I answer.
“Heh, heh. Yeah. Sorry about that text,” I manage to croak.
“Don’t be sorry. I LOVED it!”
“I’m glad.” I brush the hair out of my face and blink like a mole coming out of his hole. “Isn’t it like … really early there?” The sunlight leaking through the shutters hurts my brain.
“Summer school starts at seven,” she chirps. “I’m always up at five thirty. I figured you’d be awake by now since you’re three hours ahead. Early to bed, early to rise, right?”
Right. Make a note of this, Natalie.Sloane equals morning person. Me equals groggy.
“I guess I’m just jet-lagged,” I mumble, clearing my throat.
“You got my text about Wyatt, right?”
“I did.” I prop myself up, leaning back against the pillows. “Thanks so much for the good news!” I probably should’ve called or texted her back, but yesterday got busier than I expected. After Brady left, I had to do laundry—the stuff in my carry-on is all I have—then Beau and I hung out with my parents for the rest of the night. They love when we’re in town at the same time, so I was really trying to be present for them while it lasts.
“You are SOOOOO WELCOME!” Sloane gushes, and I can’t help smiling at her enthusiasm. I usually think of myself as high energy, but Sloane leaves me in the dust. “As long as your credit check goes through,” she says, “your application should be approved sometime tomorrow!”
“That really is fantastic,” I say. “Thanks so much for letting me know.”
“Wyatt would’ve called you herself last night, but we figured it might be too late with the time change. Or that you’d be doing stuff for the wedding.”
Oof.I feel bad that Sloane is missing out on this weekend. She was one of the few non-family members Kasey really wanted to be here. “I’m so sorry you weren’t able to come.”
“Me too.” She groans. “Ugh! Boo! Hiss! Prioritizing work is the absolute worst! But you gotta do it, right?”
“Right.” A smile creeps across my face. Sloane even makes her disappointment sound perky. “And since the summer session only lasts six weeks, they frown on teachers missing even a couple days. Sets a bad example for the kids. You know how it is, right?”
Actually I have no idea what being a teacher is like. But before I can answer, Sloane forges on. “Anyway, Wyatt emailed you the rental agreement.”
I wipe at my sleep-crusted eyes. “You’realla bunch of early risers out there, huh?”
Sloane bursts into laughter, even though I wasn’t trying to be funny. “Not this morning,” she says. “Last night! All you have to do is read over the document, then print, sign, scan.” Sloane cuts herself off. “Listen to me, talking to you like you’re one of my students. I’m sure you know how to handle a document.”
“Read, print, sign, scan?”
“Yes! Or you can docu-sign if you’re into that!”
