Page 50 of Finding Us

I roll my eyes. “See? I knew I shouldn’t have gone with the pink. Damn, Harper.”

“So do you need me to do anything this week? Pick up the flowers? Call and check on stuff? Anything?”

“Nope. It’s all taken care of. You just need to show up.” I kick his foot under the table. “Youareplanning to show up, right?”

He shrugs. “I don’t know yet. Depends on how good the waves are that day.”

“Garret! Don’t even joke about that.”

“You know I’ll be there. Besides, we live together. You’ll be with me from now until the wedding.”

“Actually I’m staying with Harper Friday night and Sean’s staying at our place. It’s tradition for the bride and groom to be apart the night before the wedding.”

“I don’t like that tradition. Let’s skip that one.”

The waitress drops off the check and takes our plates.

“It’s just one night,” I say, taking a drink of my water.

“I can’t sleep without you next to me, which means I’ll be really tired on our wedding day. Sorry, Jade, that just won’t work.”

“You can do it.” I smile and rub his hand.

He smiles back. “I really don’t think you—” He stops and I notice him looking behind me, his face now serious and a little panicked. I start to turn back but he squeezes my hand. “Don’t look.”

“Why? What’s going on?”

Garret slides farther into the booth, like he’s trying to hide. “Some men just walked in who are um…” He motions me to the edge of the booth. “Move over and don’t look. They’re getting ready to walk past us.” Garret purposely drops his napkin under the table and reaches down to get it.

“Garret?” I look over to see who’s talking. An older man with dark gray hair wearing a navy suit is standing at the end of our booth. Two other men are standing next to him, also in suits.

Garret sits up, putting his napkin on the table. “Yes. Hello.”

“I thought that was you.” The man smiles but it’s not a friendly smile. It’s more of a devious smile that makes me very uncomfortable. “Are you here on vacation?”

“No, I live here now.” Garret tenses up. It’s clear he regrets telling them that. His foot starts tapping under the table which is something he never does.

The way these men are looking at Garret and the way they’re dressed, in very expensive suits, I know they’re from the organization. But they’re not the same men we saw at Harper’s house. And when Garret was approached by those men, he didn’t act nearly as nervous as he’s acting now.

So what the hell’s going on? Why are these men here in this restaurant? In this tiny town in California? A week before I’m marrying Garret?

CHAPTERFIFTEEN

The manwho was speaking looks over at the two men standing next to him, then back at Garret. “I guess I do remember hearing you’d moved out here. Are you just staying for the summer?”

“Sorry, but we really need to get going.” Garret takes his wallet out and drops some money on the table to cover the check. He glances at me. “Let’s go.”

We move to the end of the booth but the men won’t step out of the way.

The man starts talking again. “Garret, I think your father taught you better than to leave in the middle of a conversation. And if he didn’t, I know your grandfather at least taught you some manners.”

Garret sits back in the booth. “Of course. Sorry.”

“Proper manners would dictate that you introduce us to this lovely young lady.” He turns and focuses on me. His gaze is cold and threatening and I suddenly don’t feel safe.

“This is um…” Garret pauses and I know it’s because he’s not sure if he should give them my name. But if these men are from the organization, they already know my name and everything else about me.

“Jade,” I say, holding my hand out to the man. “And you are?”

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