Page 39 of Iron Will

I’ve made a full circle around the atrium now, so I turn around and head back the other way. There’s something in my sister’s tone that tells me she’s assuming I’m going to say no to the plus-one.

It occurs to me to be just a little bit offended. I mean, sure, I’ve been single for a while, but it’s notthatridiculous to imagine me bringing a date, is it?

It would serve her right if I brought Rourke, I think, and have to suppress a bout of hysterical laughter.God, just think of how much she and my parents would freak!

“I’m not sure,” I mumble, at once amused by the thought and horrified that I let myself be pathetic enough to think it. Rourke would probably sooner kill himself than go to a society wedding. And I can’t say I blame him for that. Plus, I’d rather drive off a cliff than humiliate myself by asking him.

“Well, it’s still super early, anyway,” my sister replies cheerfully. “I’ll just put down no, and you can tell me if that changes.”

“Sure.”

My sister chats away for a few more minutes, but at this point I’m barely listening to her. By the time she ends the call, I’m slumped in one of the uncomfortable couches near the hospital entrance. As I lower my phone from my ear, I imagine myself months from now, at Lindsay’s fancy blowout of a wedding. Instead of doing my best to stay out of the limelight, now I’ll be front and center as a bridesmaid.

I already know the judgments that will swirl around me. The gossip mill that bored rich women love to feed with their speculations and fake sympathies. I know I’ll be the subject of many conversations that night, even as they all pretend to be focusing on my sister and her happy future.

It won’t matter to any of them that this is a life I’ve chosen for myself. That I’m happy where I am, doing what I’m doing. All they’ll see is that I’m dateless and out of place. They will politely ask me about my life, then whisper behind my back about how sad it is that Senator Hart’s older daughter is still single, and working at some awful job in some town no one’s ever heard of — without even a plus-one to bring to her own sister’s wedding.

16

Laney

“Paisley is set to leave the hospital tomorrow,” I tell Rourke over the phone.

Just when I was at the point of breaking down and begging the Lords for Rourke’s number, he finally called me on my office phone.

“I can’t get the doctor to keep her here any longer,” I continue. “Blake is breathing down his neck about it. As well as mine.”

“So we’re running out of time.”

I nod, even though Rourke can’t see me. “Yes.”

“Okay. Time to put the plan in place, then. We’ll get Mickey nabbed tomorrow. I need to talk to my guy, let him know when to be there. Can you get me an ETA on when Paisley’s gonna be discharged?”

“Mid-morning, probably,” I say. “And I know from Bethany that Mickey has taken her car from her. Which is shitty for her, but a stroke of luck for us, because he’ll have to be here to drive them home.” I scowl. “Unless he’s too much of a pig to even bother to show up, that is.”

“We’ll worry about that bridge if and when we come to it. For now, let’s just move to get the plan in place.”

I grin at the phone. “Operation Mouse Trap is on schedule for tomorrow, then.”

“Cheesy,” Rourke deadpans.

I start to reply, then my jaw drops as I realize what he just said.

“Did you just make ajoke?” I marvel. “Wow, that was even worse than mine.”

“I’ll deny it to my grave,” he tells me. “Look, I gotta go. Got some club business to attend to. But I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

“Okay.” My grin fades. “I hope this works.”

“It will.” There’s no doubt in his voice. “Don’t worry, darlin’. We got this.”

* * *

“I can’t believeI let you talk me into this,” Katie mutters. “It’s insanity, you know that?”

I don’t answer, because she has a point.

“We could both lose our jobs,” she continues.

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