Page 68 of The Rescuer

“Yeah, and he was drunk as a skunk on his hunky ass. He had no idea what he was doing.”

Hailey shook her head. Setting the table was all but forgotten. “I disagree. Heabsolutelyknew what he was doing. He’s the one who came up with the idea, and he pushed it. Hard. Youresisted, and hepersisted. I’m not kidding.” She flung her arms out for emphasis, nearly knocking over a wineglass. Neve led her several steps away from the table. “My theory is that all the alcohol did was strip away his inhibitions and allow him to go after what he really wants.” She gave Neve’s shoulder a light poke. “And that, Doc, isyou. I think you know me well enough to know I’m not a material girl, but omigod, that ring! That should tell you all you need to know.”

Neve loved Hailey’s optimism, she really did, but her friend was wrong, wrong, wrong. And she told her so.

Hailey’s eyes rolled to the ceiling and back again. “So what are you going to do? This secret is too juicy to stay quiet much longer.”

Neve’s panic bubbled up. “It will if none of us says anything. We’re the only six who know—besides Elvin and Alma.” Realization bashed her over the head, and she clapped a hand to her mouth. “Oh no. Leo knows too.”

Hailey’s blue eyes bugged out. “You told Leo?”

“He called, and I had no choice! I couldn’t lead him on. I can’t date him right now. Besides, I need fewer complications until Reece and I get this … situation fixed.” Neve deadpanned, “And generally speaking, having a boyfriend on the side while you’re married to someone else is ahugecomplication.” Neve hadn’t recognized the parallel to Chelsea until this very moment.

Hailey nodded. “You’ve got a point there. Does Reece know you told him?”

“Yep.” Neve puffed a breath that fluttered the hair on her forehead.

Now Hailey’s expression turned sympathetic. “You do realize that Leo knowing is a whole other sort of complication.”

Neve nodded. “Yes, and he cut me off before I could beg him not to say anything. I probably should have a follow-up call and swear him to silence.”

“I hope it works.” Hailey pulled her in for a hug. “I’m not sure how long you can keep the cat in the bag.”

Neve hugged her back. Fiercely. “Me neither, but I’m sure going to do my damnedest.”

How in the hell was she going to get out of this mess without causing an even bigger one?

Chapter 18

Iced

To Reece’s great relief,dinner was filled with so much loud chatter about the double wedding and upcoming honeymoons that the few times the focus landed on him or Neve, it didn’t stay there. True to their word, the pair of happy newlyweds didn’t reveal the third newly minted couple sitting at the table, though Reece knewCouple Number Threewas living on borrowed time. Secrets didn’t remain hidden for long in this town. His mother kept sending him puzzled looks, as if she knew something was up but couldn’t figure out what. When she got him alone once or twice, her face squished as though questions danced on the tip of her tongue. But if she had something to say, she kept it to herself. He considered it a win, if only a temporary one.

On the way back to Neve’s house, he took his time. The snowflakes had turned fat and fluffy and sheeted the road with a slicklayer. His mind once more wandered to people caught out in the elements that needed rescue, stuck like Diane and her son might have been had Neve not spotted them sailing off the road and stopped to lend aid. It pulled at him, like being stuck on the wrong end of a game of tug-of-war … only this rope was braided with guilt. He should be out there, ready to report.

He glanced at Neve, and images of her quickness and selflessness at the accident lifted the weight of his regret, easing him from his mind’s meanderings. God, she’d been such a stud! No shit, his admiration for her continued to grow a hundredfold.

She broke his train of thought. “I think Hailey and Joy will keep our … situation to themselves until we can get an answer from Elvin and Alma. I swore them to secrecy one more time, though, just in case.”

He nodded. “Same with Noah and Charlie. They gave me tons of shit about it, but they won’t say anything.”

She held up her hand for a high five. “Dodged that bullet. For now.”

“For now,” he agreed. He decided to hold on to his discovery of the engraving a while longer. They were relaxed, and his news would only upset Neve.

“We need to get back to Elvin’s and find out how we can get this annulled.” Distress lent a slight quaver to her voice. Long beats of silence passed. “Reece, what if we, you know, consummated it?”

“Thought we’d been through this already.”

“Doyouremember any consummating? Because I sure don’t.”

He slowed before taking a curve. “No, but neither of us remembers exchanging I-dos either.”

“There was no proof, remember? No used condoms.”

One corner of his mouth hitched. “We were pretty wasted, Neve, not to mention naked when we woke up.”

“I’m trying to forget,” she grumbled and cinched her arms over her chest. “I can’t imagine we would … without … Unsafe sex, Reece? Really?”

---