Page 58 of The Runaway Bride of Blitzen Bay (Blitzen Bay)

Chapter Twenty-Six

NOELLE

December 23

Blitzen Bay, California

“Finally! I don’t know how you ended up in this godforsaken place, but we’re leaving right now!”

As we walk into Izzy’s, Mom charges over to me. She grabs my arm and starts pulling me toward the door. I jerk away from her so forcefully that it causes her to trip. She’s about to crash into the wall when Nash grabs her shoulders to steady her.

“Get your hands off me!” Mom recovers and slams both her hands into Nash’s chest. He throws his arms in the air like someone just pulled a gun on him.

“Mom! Oh my God. Stop. This is my friend Nash,” I say as I back up against him. He squeezes my shoulder to let me know he’s okay.

“Your friend?” Mom takes a step toward us. I press my body more firmly against Nash. I’ve seen Mom all shades of mad, but never like this. Her eyelids are blinking rapidly and she’s gritting her teeth so hard that I think they might crumble in her mouth. “Steven told me about “your friend.” He said you were probably having an affair with him before the wedding.”

My mouth flies open. “I wasn’t having an affair with him or anyone else. I met Nash yesterday. Back off. He has nothing to do with this.”

Mom snorts loudly. I’ve never heard her do that. It makes me jump. She takes another step toward me.

“Noelle, if you don’t come back with us right now and marry Steven, you are going to pay back every cent we spent on your wedding. And that includes the money that Trip Walker is threatening to sue us to recover.”

Kit walks out from behind Nash. I don’t think Mom has even noticed her yet.

“Oh, and of course, you’re here,” Mom says, swinging her arms in the air. “Any trouble Noelle has ever had in her life has started with you.”

“Leni, why don’t we sit down over here and get a big glass of wine?” Kit puts her hand on Mom’s shoulder and tries to guide her to the corner of the room. Mom swings around and slaps Kit hard in the face.

“Oh hell no!” Kit yells as she lunges at Mom. Nash pushes me behind him and grabs Kit around the waist. He lifts her into the air as she kicks wildly and tries to break his grip.

“Stop!” he says as he carries her to the other side of the room. He puts her down and shoves her into a chair. “Stay! Don’t even think about moving.”

“Mom! You just hit your niece.”

Mom whips around to face me. “I know she’s your favorite person, Noelle, but it would be nice if you took my side just once—on anything.”

Mom takes a step toward me. As I back up, I feel Nash behind me again. He puts his arm around my waist.

“Mom, Kit’s not my favorite person—”

“Excuse me?” Kit yells from behind me.

“Grandma was my favorite person,” I whisper. “I will never understand how you turned out so differently than her.”

Mom takes a quick step back like someone punched her. For the first time in my life, I see tears coming to her eyes. She turns away.

“Leni,” Dad says as he hands her the car keys. “Go wait in the car. I’ll be out in a second.”

She grabs the keys and charges out the door without looking back at me.

“Noelle, come over here,” Dad says, pointing to a table.

Nash pulls me closer to him. “Are you okay? You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”

“Who the hell are you?” Dad says.

“Dad, this is my friend Nash Young. Nash, this is my dad, Dresden Clark.”

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