Page 102 of Third Time Lucky

I have no desire to stand in the way of that, and I’d love to make sure Rue has more time to be secure in our newly formed family unit.

Plus, I woke up this morning with a warm palm cupping my ass and decided I need to take matters into my own hands. First literally, with the massage. Then figuratively.

I’m getting married.

Tani was right to worry that I’d fall prey to the same bug that bit my brothers. Although I was falling for Elliot before we even thought about going to that Irish pub.

A few months ago, I was a pile of nerves and skin who’d never experienced love and didn’t expect to. But then I ran into Elliot Ransom.

Now I’m going to my apartment to invite my roommate for pancakes, and snag the phone I forgot last night, plus those mylar balloons that are currently hiding in my bedroom. Two “Mr.’s” and one, “He said yes!”

I’ve already sent pictures of them to Rick and Matilda for approval, so I won’t chicken out. I haven’t gotten a chance to tell Tani yet, since she was doing in-house visits yesterday, but she’s known since the day she woke up to find my cardboard Quinto/Spock bent and forgotten on the living room floor that things were moving in this direction.

I unlock the door and put my finger over my mouth in case she’s still sleeping. Both girls nod and Rue’s tiptoeing is both ridiculous and adorable. I’m so in love with this child. And her father.

Tani’s jacket is gone. Along with the keys she usually leaves by the door. “Tani?”

I sit Rue and Adria down in the living room and knock on her bedroom door. “Tanisha, are you home?”

It’s Sunday. She wouldn’t be at work this early on a Sunday. Unless there was an emergency. I open her door, just to make sure.

Her bed is made, but all her throw pillows are gone. The purse she always leaves on her dresser is gone. I walk over to her closet. Empty.

But there is something lying at the end of her bed that gives me chills. A bouquet of multi-colored marigolds with the stems of the bright yellow and orange flowers wrapped in white silk ribbon.

No.

This can’t be happening.

I rush out of her bedroom, telling Adria to get her uncle as I fly up the stairs to my bedroom and yank my phone off the charger.

No messages.

The phone rings for an eternity before she finally picks up. “Good morning, Joey.”

“Give me a safe word. Say Winston if you’re with Arush right now. I’m sorry I forgot my phone, but I didn’t think your brother would show up in the middle of the night and force you out of our apartment. Wasn’t Bex there? Did anyone try to stop him?”

“I’m not with Arush, I promise.”

I’m pacing and whacking the balloons out of my way as I do. “Don’t lie to me. I saw the bridal bouquet. You have one just like it pinned to your Pinterest board. He must have seen—”

“Joey,” she interrupts me in a carefully subdued voice that makes me nervous. Where is she right now? “Maybe it’s good that I forgot the bouquet. Maybe some part of me did it on purpose. I could use a witness, and a man of honor. Do you think you could get dressed and come over to the courthouse? A shirt with buttons would be nice.”

I can’t believe she’s saying this. “I’m not agreeing to witness a crime. He can’t force you to marry anyone.”

“I love how you’re so protective you won’t actually listen to the words coming out of my mouth,” she says, some of the sharpness that I recognize creeping into her tone. “Pay attention now. This is my choice. I want to do this. If I marry the person I choose to marry, my parents will still be happy. I’ll be happy. And Arush will be miserable. We all win. Which is why I proposed to my future husband in the first place. Well, one of the reasons.”

I freeze in shock. “I failed the big friendship test this time, didn’t I? I’ve been so busy I didn’t notice that you’ve completely lost your mind.”

She makes a sound of frustration. “I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to give you the chance to talk me out of it. Now get your butt over to this courthouse and fulfill your best friend duties right this minute, Joey Redmond. I want my damn flowers.”

There she is. Almost. “You said you never wanted to get married. I mean, I knew you were lying, but you always said it.”

“You’re the one who wanted me to move here,” she throws out. “This is happening in less than two hours, I’m not changing my mind, and I’d rather you be here to hold my hand.”

She hangs up and I’m left staring at the phone.

I remember her mentioning needing to tell me something, but after the interview and Elliot’s return, when I asked, she said it could wait. She was fine.

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