Page 69 of Mine To Keep (Southern Wedding)

“How bad?” he asks.

“She’s gone.” My voice breaks. “Man, I have no idea what the fuck to do.”

“What did you say to her?” I put my head back when I think of how to explain.

“I’m with her.” I’m expecting him to gasp, but instead, he laughs.

“Shocking,” he states, and now I’m the one who’s shocked. “Dude, you were jonesing for her from day one.”

I refute, “I was not.”

“Dude, I thought you would have throat punched me at the bar when you found out I was texting her.” He can’t help but laugh at me.

“I was not. I thought she had a boyfriend,” I remind him. “Anyway, things progressed.”

“You fucked her, didn’t you?” The words bring a rage to me like I can’t explain.

“Talk about her like that again, and I’ll break your fucking jaw myself,” I hiss. “I’m not fucking playing with you.”

“Jesus, Caine,” he says softly.

“I’m in love with her.” The words come out for the first time.

“Then what the fuck happened?” I spot someone walking to the door, and my head whips around, wondering if it’s her, but it’s not.

“She came over on Friday to have dinner with Meadow and me,” I start, “and then Marylin showed up.”

“Fuck,” Nash swears. “Clusterfuck.”

“You have no idea. Anyway, Grace left and didn’t look back.”

“Shit,” Nash says again. “What did you tell her?”

“I didn’t tell her anything because she never called me. She spent the weekend with her family.”

“Okay, so how did she quit?” he asks me.

“I was so pissed when I saw her. I mean, not really at her. More with the whole situation, and I said things I shouldn’t.”

“Shocking,” he says to me again.

“I thought she went to the bathroom. Next thing I know, Loren is packing up her desk and telling me she quit.”

“Did you go see her?” he snaps. “I can just imagine what you said to her.”

“She told Loren to tell me she’d be gone.” The words taste like acid in my mouth. “I have no idea where she is.”

“She probably went home to the farm,” he says the words I was so afraid of.

“I need help finding her.”

“I’ll call you back.” He disconnects on me. I start the car, but instead of going back to the office, I head straight home.

I’m opening the front door when the phone rings in my hand, and I see it’s Nash. “Hello,” I answer after half a ring.

“Yo,” he says.

“Did you find her?” I ask, ready to go to wherever she’s at.

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