Page 10 of The Wedding Run
I’ll forget about love, romance, and marriage. I’ll make lists of my potential next steps. And I’ll live in the moment. That’s all we have anyway.
A cold slosh of water seeps into my shoe, alerting me that I’ve traipsed right into a creek. I back out of the cold, trickling water. Shaking out my shoe, I watch water droplets spray outward. Leaves stick to the hem of my dress, which now looks gray with dirt. Mentally, I add ‘take dress to the cleaners’ to my ever-growing list. I lift my skirt and hopscotch across the creek, slipping on rocks. Then I look around and turn back.
Where am I?
Dread slides down my spine. Or maybe it’s the cold water sloshing around in my shoe. I rush back, trip over a root, and land with asplat!So much for that manicure, I think, as I examine a broken nail. Brushing off my palms, I head in a different direction. Where is the Bookmark B&B? Tall pines block my view. The sun overhead shines gloriously on this non-wedding day but offers no indication of east or west. Still, the hum of tires tells me I must be near the highway.
That will be my guide.
I climb, more like crawl, up a ravine, scraping my knee and causing a rip in the hem of my gown. My veil catches on a limb, tugging my head backward, and I carefully unhook it, pulling only a couple of threads.
Scrambling the last few feet, I stumble onto the highway’s gravel shoulder and lean over to catch my breath. I recognize the bend in the road and know which direction to head. But is the B&B really where I want to go?
A rumbling noise jolts me. Around the bend, a truck careens and rattles toward me. The driver slams the brakes and skids to a stop.
A window rolls down and music blasts from the crackling speakers. It’s Luke. In his tux. Not that it’s needed anymore. And, I notice, he shaved. It makes his square jaw even more so.
He turns down the radio and peers out at me. “Libby?”
I feel frozen, as if I can’t speak, my mind numb, overwhelmed, and overloaded. He moves the truck forward, pulling off the highway and blocking my path.
“Big wedding up the road. Hear a bride is needed.” He grins as if nothing is wrong, as if I haven’t imploded my whole world. Then, he leans over and opens the passenger door. “Hop in. I’ll give you a lift.”
Ducking my head, I keep walking. I can’t face all those curious glances or sympathetic looks. I plow forward as if I’m charging at a bullfighter.
Luke jumps out of the truck and forces me to stop. “Hey,” he says, “did something happen? What did Derek do?”
I swerve around him, but he blocks my way, arms spread wide as if he might tackle me. He better not.
I dodge the other way, but he’s right in my path.
I glare at him. Bridezilla rising. “Are you going to move?”
“I can’t let you walk along the highway.”
“Why? Am I a wide load in this getup?”
“I don’t want to scrape you off the asphalt if a semi runs you over.”
We engage in a stare-off.
Finally, he gestures toward the open passenger door. “Those shoes won’t take you far.”
That makes the most sense. I can still feel the creek water sloshing with each step. A car zips past and lays on the horn, the noise jarring me. I have no choice. Hefting up the voluminous skirt, I scramble into the truck and tuck the veil around me.
CHAPTER 5
Luke
“Don’t take me to the B&B.” Hands shaking, Libby clacks the seatbelt against the metal lock.
I gently cover her hand and secure the seatbelt, clicking it into place.
Our gazes meet. I shift back to the driver's side.
“The wedding is off."
“Did Derek get cold feet?”
