Page 13 of Beyond Reach

e that tone. If the policeman hadn’t been an old boyfriend of Chanda’s, your wedding would have been completely ruined.”

“Old boyfriend?” Garner strolled over to the pews where they sat on the front row of the church.

“He wasn’t an old boyfriend.” Chanda lamented the fact that he walked up at the worst time and then recalled it didn’t matter. “Just a guy who had a crush on me back in high school.”

“Looks like he still likes you,” Lanae suggested. “Maybe you should give him a call and thank him the right way for not hauling us in.”

“Are you crazy? Why should I sleep with some guy because he didn’t arrest me, someone I haven’t seen in years?”

Lanae glared. “You don’t have to act like that. He was cute. Nothing wrong with a little fun.”

“I don’t jump into bed with everything that happens along.” Truth was, she hadn’t had a decent relationship in a while. No one waited at home for her, and she certainly wasn’t thinking about hooking up while in Texas.

Lanae looked at her like she was some type of alien.

“Chanda is deeply involved with someone already,” Aunt Hope announced for one and all. “From the sound of it, it’s serious. Who knows. We might be attending her wedding before long.”

Resentment rose in Chanda for her aunt repeating her lie. She thought she felt Garner’s eyes on her but didn’t look his way. Not that it matters, she kept telling herself. Why the heck did she have to tell herself anything, for Pete’s sake?

Garner replaced his mother-in-law-to-be in front of Marcella. He gently handled Marcella’s leg as she simpered. “Don’t worry. The doc says it’s not too bad,” Garner explained. “You should be back on your feet before the big day, as long as you stay off your feet for the time being.”

“Do you know how much I have to do over the next few days? I don’t have time to relax. Our wedding has to be perfect.”

“What’s more important? The wedding or your health?” he asked her.

“The wedding!”

Garner chuckled.

Marcella’s wedding coordinator stormed over, a woman who appeared to be as uptight as they came. “This is an unexpected kink in my plans. We were to have the rehearsal ceremony now, followed by…” She flipped through screens on her tablet, mumbling to herself.

Conversation between Marcella and Lanae continued as if the coordinator hadn’t spoken. Chanda decided to keep her own comments to herself. Marcella wanted to focus only on her claim that she was the victim of a curse.

“Honestly, Lanae,” Marcella was saying. “It’s suspicious, don’t you think?”

“Yes, girl.” Lanae cut her eyes over to Chanda and then back to Marcella. “You’re as stable on your feet as anyone I know, and you were practically born in heels.”

“I know, right?”

“Ugh, you two have got to be kidding me,” Chanda stormed. “She was drinking like a fish. The bar was wet with spilled alcohol, and she was in heels on top of all that. No one cursed you, Marcella.”

“Says you.” Her cousin’s snide tone drove Chanda crazy. “You don’t want this wedding to happen.”

Chanda lost the ability to speak.

“I’ve got it,” the coordinator announced. “Okay, we have to get this timing down and know where everyone must stand. Chanda, as Marcella’s cousin, can you stand in for her and walk down the aisle with Garner? That would be so helpful.”

No one spoke. Chanda couldn’t believe the coordinator would suggest such a thing. Not that she knew their history. Chanda wasn’t going to be the one to tell the woman.

“Good idea.”

Chanda almost fell off the pew when her cousin spoke. She was agreeing to let Chanda walk down the aisle with Garner? The woman must have lost her mind.

“Um, what?”

Lanae screeched. “Marcella, what are you thinking? That woman might steal—”

“Shush.” Marcella covered Lanae’s mouth. “I’m confident that my darling Garner loves only me. We have an amazing relationship. Plus, what’s the big deal? It’s just a walk. Not like they will ever speak the vows to each other.”

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