Page 30 of The Runaway Bride of Blitzen Bay (Blitzen Bay)

“I’m what?” I take an exaggerated step back. “Could you maybe say it louder so the whole room can hear?”

She whips her head back and smiles.

“No one likes a know-it-all, Nash. Stop being obnoxious,” she says loudly as she walks back over to Izzy.

“Look at that! She just met you and she already has you figured out.” Izzy smiles broadly and blows me a kiss as they start up the stairs. As the door closes, I hear her say, “Okay, bride. Start talking. I want to know everything.”

“Izzy! Leave her alone,” I say to the closed door. “She’s already had a rough day.”

I turn back around to see Gabi grinning at me. “Are you going to tell me the story? Or do I have to wait for Iz to tell me? You know she’s not letting that girl leave our apartment until she knows every last detail.”

“Yeah. And everyone thinks I’m the kidnapper,” I sigh. “Can I please get a beer—or five? It’s been a weird day.”

She slides a bottle over to me. “Do you know what liquor your bride likes? Or should I wait for her to come back down?”

“I barely know her name. She got in the back of my truck to hide from the groom. And then asked me to take her away from her wedding.”

“Before or after she said ‘I do’?”

“Before. She’s not married. She ran away before that happened. Or I guess I took her away,” I say, quickly adding, “Not by force. She begged me to get her out of there and for some reason I did. I have no idea what I was thinking.”

“Oh, I have some idea what you were thinking.” Gabi laughs as she hands me another beer. “She’s beautiful.”

“I wasn’t thinking that—at all. I don’t have much interest in a woman who’s so screwed up she has to flee her wedding day in the back of my truck.”

“Much. You don’t have ‘much interest.’” She smiles as she walks to the other side of the bar. “You know you can’t hide anything from me. I saw the way you were looking at her.”

My eyes follow her across the room. She’s getting refills for Hank and Claire. They wave at me as I head over to them.

“Hey Hank, Claire. My friend,” I say, gesturing toward the apartment door, “might need a place to stay tonight. You have any openings?”

Hank pushes his empty to Gabi. “We have one room left and it’s all yours, Nash. I guess your house is still a little too rough to host a lady, huh?”

“No! I’m not staying with her,” I say. “I need the room just for her. Alone. Not with me.”

“He’s cute when he’s flustered,” Claire says, looking at me as she sips her fresh glass of wine.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen him like this.” Gabi finishes Hank’s drink and hands it to him. “Nash, I think you might be blushing.”

“I’m not blushing,” I growl. “I don’t have any interest in her. It’s not like that.”

“Oh, I think it’s exactly like that,” Claire says. “I might have to guard her room tonight, so you don’t steal her away and marry her yourself.”

“Ooh, like Milly had to guard the girls in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.”

I slam my bottle down on the bar. “Are you being serious right now? Did Elle tell you to say that?”

Gabi pats my hand. “I met her five minutes ago and you heard every word she said to me.”

“She was just going on about that movie when we were driving in here. She said the pass reminded her of the avalanche or something.”

Claire gasps. “Oh my God, it kind of does. I’ve never thought of that. Who knows, Nash? Maybe you’ll get to keep her until spring.”

Claire and Gabi burst out laughing.

Hank looks at me. “Do I want to know?”

“It’s some movie about seven guys kidnapping seven girls . . .”

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