Page 83 of Rebel Bride
I pulled open the door and saw the flicker of gratitude in her eyes. She was close to giving in, and she needed me to be on board with the assist.
My uncle Jason stood in the corridor. He divided a shrewd look between us. “Am I interrupting?”
Yes, you fucking are.
“I’m just going,” Summer said airily.
Jason offered his hand. “Don’t think we’ve met. I’m Jason, Hatch’s uncle.”
“Oh, I know who you are. I’m Summer and also, a fan. Big fan.” She took his hand and shook it. “Welcome to the Rebels!”
“Thanks.” He stepped aside to let her pass, then cast a quick glance after her as she briskly walked down the corridor, all sass and cheese-made curves. Annoyed as fuck, I yanked him inside and closed the door.
“Careful, y’asshole!” My grasp had gratifyingly found chest hair.
“How did you get up here? I have a doorman for a reason.”
“Hank and I go way back. I used to live in this building, remember?”
He leaned against the door, rubbing a palm over his chest.
“What was the Bride doing here?”
“Delivering my groceries. She’s working for Kennedy.”
I turned to head back into the kitchen, conscious of Jason’s eyes boring into my back. I wished now I’d put on a shirt because my lack of one looked incriminating.
“You gonna tell me what’s going on?”
“Nothing to tell.”
He snorted. “I’ve seen the photo.”
I stilled with my hand mid-grab of a bunch of carrots. Fuck.
“I didn’t recognize her immediately, but the minute I saw her now and the vibe you two were giving off, I knew. Start at the beginning.”
Making light of it was my best chance of surviving this convo with my dignity intact.
“Funny story. I was hanging around outside the church before a recent wedding, minding my own business, when the bride dropped out of the sky like the house in The Wizard of Oz.”
“No shit.”
“Yes shit. She was making her escape and used me as a mattress.”
“So naturally you took her to Saugatuck.”
“She needed a place to collect her thoughts, away from all the drama.”
That yielded another snort. “How in all that is fucking fucked did you think that was a good idea?”
I shrugged, leaned against the counter, and said with all the stubbornness I felt, “She needed my help.”
He looked like he was about to explode. My uncle was a bit of a hothead at the best of times. “Who else knows?”
“Conor guessed from the photo, but I can manage him. And you won’t say a word, will you?”
“Sounds like you have it all worked out.”
