Page 17 of The Runaway Bride of Blitzen Bay (Blitzen Bay)

Chapter Nine

NASH

December 22

Blitzen Bay, California

“My mom’s making me go.”

Gabi’s just arrived with my breakfast. She puts the scrambled eggs and biscuits down and slides the ketchup bottle over to me.

“Nash, you’re like six foot two, two hundred pounds,” she says, laughing. “Are you still scared of your mommy?”

“One hundred percent. Do you think I’d be putting myself through this pain if I weren’t?”

“Oh my God. Quit being such a baby. It’s a wedding. You’re not getting your teeth pulled.”

“I’d rather be getting my teeth pulled,” I grumble into my coffee.

Gabi plops down in the chair across from me. Her long, brown ponytail swings to one side. She raises her eyebrows and shakes her head slightly as she waits for me to give in—like I always do when she looks at me like this. I’m a little scared of her, too.

“I’m going, okay? I told Mom I would. I will. Leave me alone,” I say, growling at her.

She laughs. She knows my bark is way worse than my bite. “Maybe you can even find a woman. You know weddings are stock full of lonely, single women.”

“Izzy! Come get your wife. She’s annoying me.” I look across the room. Izzy’s petite body pops up from behind the bar.

“Nash, if I had to rescue everyone Gabi annoys, I’d be doing nothing but that all day.”

Since I moved here, Gabi and Izzy have become my family. They saw the trauma in my eyes the first day I sat down in their bar. Despite my best efforts to avoid it, they adopted me on the spot. I moved here to get away from everyone. Now, I don’t know what I’d do without them.

Izzy makes her way over to us. “If this guy hated you so much in high school, why did he invite you to his wedding? I think you’re exaggerating.”

“I never exaggerate.” I slide the last corner of my biscuit across the plate to dab up the remaining gravy. “I don’t know why he invited me. We played football together, but he’s two years younger than me. I’m sure it has something to do with my mom. She’s friends with his mom. Mom’s always nagging me about getting out and meeting people.”

“She’s right. It wouldn’t hurt you to get out of this town from time to time. You’re not going to find a girlfriend here.” Izzy picks up my empty plate and heads to the kitchen.

“I already have two girlfriends,” I say to her retreating back.

“Who are married to each other,” Gabi says. “You need to find a woman who prefers men.”

“Why do I need to find a girlfriend at all? I’m fine the way I am.”

Gabi pats my shoulder as she heads back to the bar. “You’re not, but you keep believing that if it helps. Go to the wedding and find someone. At least find someone who you can spend the holidays with—it might cheer you up a little bit.”

I grunt and check the time on my phone. It takes me an hour or so to get to L.A. If I’m going to this stupid wedding, I need to hustle. I throw a twenty on the table and move quickly toward the door.

“Nash! Quit leaving a twenty for an eight-dollar breakfast!” I hear Gabi yelling behind me.

The drive down to L.A. is torture. It’s been exactly one year since Mikey died in front of me. It’s all I can think about. There’s no way being around people is a good idea right now. At every exit on the freeway, I think about turning around, but my brain won’t let me.

I’m not sure why this wedding has gotten in my head this much. Ever since I got the invitation, it’s been nagging at me—like an alarm that keeps going off. Every time I think about not going, my head feels like it’s exploding. It’s like I’m supposed to be there for some reason. I just can’t imagine what that reason would be.

As I pull into the driveway, a parking attendant ushers me into a lot at the museum adjacent to the estate. He’s trying to make me park in a tandem spot. I’m not about to get parked in. I drive over and park in a solo spot that has easy access to an escape route. The attendant hustles over to scold me, looks at my face, and walks away quickly.

I adjust the tie Hank gave me and put on his jacket. I shake my head to try to focus, and then follow the streams of people heading toward the mansion. As I walk in the front door, I hear a squeal coming from across the room.

“Nash Young! Your momma told me you were coming, but I said I wouldn’t believe it until I saw you with my own two eyes.”

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