-D
“I’m sure you are,” I grumble, shaking my head. “You’re lucky you’re a horse,” I tell Sundance and pat the side of his face. He cranes his neck, trying to sniff my pockets. “There’s nothing in there today, buddy.” I laugh as he pushes me, wanting to check the back pockets as well. “I’ll go inside and get you a handful of Lucky Charms.”
I reread Diana’s email again, probably taking things way more personally than I should. I’m quite good at doing that. But it also makes me realize that one of her other bridesmaids must have dropped out at the last minute and that’s the real reason she asked me to be a part of her wedding. Why else would she already have a dress?
My phone vibrates with a text right as I grab the cereal box from the cabinet. For a split second, I think it’s Diana, but it’s Rebecca, saying she’s looking forward to hanging out tonight. Right. That’s tonight. I didn’t forget. I just, uh, fine. I forgot.
Speaking of getting my life together…
I go back upstairs, change into a checkered dress and throw my long hair up into a messy ponytail. I give each horse a handful of the sugary cereal and get in my car, driving into town to Rebecca’s house.
“Hey!” she exclaims as she throws back the door, holding up a bottle of wine. Her Yorkie yips at her feet. “Aaron is working late tonight and the kids are at my in-laws. I hope you’re ready to party!” She steps aside, letting me in the house. “And by party I mean be gone by ten PM.”
We both laugh and go into the kitchen for snacks and wine, and then take our food out onto the back porch. Rebecca fills me in on how her kids are doing and any drama I missed on the Wilson side of the family. We’re related through marriage, not blood, but that didn’t stop her from welcoming me into the family.
“So tell me about your life.” She takes another sip of wine. “What’s new?”
“Nothing really.”
She raises her eyebrows. “You’re young and pretty. I need to live vicariously through you. Tell me you stayed out past midnight last night and watched a movie with at least a PG-13 rating.”
“I did stay out late last night. Grandpa had a friend over.” I make a face and shudder, causing Rebecca to laugh. “So I went to Getaway and hung out there. At the place I work on my day off. My life really isn’t that exciting.”
“Interesting you chose to go to Getaway.”
“It’s the only place open after ten PM around here, and I didn’t want to go home and risk walking in on something I’d never be able to unsee.”
“You could have come here. Or gone to Quinn’s.”
“She was at the bar too.”
Rebecca fills our glasses up again. “Mm-hm. It had nothing to do with the company you keep at Getaway. Not at all.”
“Yeah, I like Logan and Owen. They’re great guys and fun to hang out with.”
“They are two good-looking men. I don’t blame you for wanting to get a little extra time with them.”
“Diana emailed me about her wedding today.” I change the subject. “I’m only allowed to bring a serious plus one.”
“What does that even mean?”
“I have no idea. A long-term boyfriend? A husband? All I know is I really don’t want to go to that wedding alone. She’s going to pair me up with another single guest in the hotel room. That’s not awkward at all.”
Rebecca tosses back her glass of wine and runs her eyes over me. She’s scheming something, I can tell by the slight smile on her face.
“Whatever you’re thinking, no.”
“You haven’t even heard what I’m thinking.”
I raise my eyebrows. “Fine. What are you thinking?”
“Don’t go to the wedding alone. Bring someone.”
“But I don’t have a boyfriend, let alone a serious one.”
She reaches for the wine again only to realize the bottle is empty. “You haven’t seen your family in like a year. They don’t know what’s going on in your life.”
My lips start to curve into a smile. “That is a good point. I could be engaged for all they know.”
“Tell them that and enjoy the weekend in Hawaii. Lord knows you deserve a break.”
“Okay…so I tell Diana that I’m engaged and am bringing my fiancé. Where exactly do you find a fiancé for hire? A Craigslist ad? I’ll make sure to put that murderers need not apply.”
Rebecca laughs. “I think you can hire a male escort. Or at least that’s what they’d do in the romantic comedy movies.”
“Sounds expensive.” I shake my head. “I’ll just have to woman-up and tell Diana I’m still very much single and can—” I cut off when my phone rings. I pull it out of my purse and look up at Rebecca. “Speak of the Devil. It’s my mother.”