Page 7 of The Sexy Part
I head to the kitchen in the back and look in the refrigerator. Mom usually stocks it with wedding leftovers for staff. Mmm, that chocolate cake looks good, all sliced and plated too. Maybe Rowan will want some.
I walk back to the foyer and admire the grand staircase. I spent a good part of my childhood running around this mansion. Whenever we had a day off from school, Mom would bring us kids here, where she keeps an office. My dream was to slide down the railing of the grand staircase. Unfortunately, Mom had eyes in the back of her head and thwarted every effort.
When I was nine, I slid down the stairs on an antique tray I found in one of the upstairs rooms. It was awesome. I nearly gave my five-year-old brother, Finn, the same awesome experience when Mom ruined all the fun. After that, we had to stay in her office while she worked. My older sister, Mackenzie, loved playing wedding planner in Mom’s office. Now Mackenzie’s anti-love. Irony.
I check the time again. Something’s wrong. I jog upstairs and find my way to the bridal suite. The sound of Rowan’s crying reaches me before I’m close enough to knock. This is exactly why I stuck around. She’s in a bad place.
I knock. “Rowan, you doing okay in there?”
“Y-yes.”
“Are you changed?”
“I guess so.”
I open the door and step inside. She’s sitting on the floor in jeans and a half-buttoned blouse that shows delectable cleavage. No socks or shoes. Nothing packed. She’s just staring at her phone, crying.
I crouch next to her. “Hey, why don’t I look for your socks and shoes while you button the rest of your shirt?”
She holds up her phone to me. “Meg and Darla texted and called, but nobody else.”
“Who were you hoping to hear from?”
“I thought my dad and brother would care at least a little bit.”
“Maybe they didn’t know what to say.”
She scowls and dashes at her tears. “Why are you so optimistic? I think they didn’t give a crap about my happiness.”
“Does it make you feel better to think that?”
“No!”
“Okay, then let’s go with my explanation. Come on, let’s get you off the floor.” I help her up. She’s tall for a woman, so when she stands at her full height, her face is close to mine. Desire stirs, and I ignore it, shifting away. I meet a lot of women, but it’s been a while since I’ve felt like this. Hooked, wanting more, despite the circumstances.Don’t go there. Be smart.
Her wedding gown is draped across an upholstered chair. Mom will donate it later.
I open the closet to find a blue dress, sneakers with socks tucked inside them, and a red suitcase with wheels. “Score.” I set the suitcase aside and give her the socks and shoes.
“Dave took the rental car back to the city,” she says. “I got a text from him.”
The asshole left her stranded. What in the world did she see in this guy?
“I’ll get you wherever you need to go,” I say.
“I can take the train at some point.” She plants her hands on her hips and looks around. “There’s more stuff that’s supposed to go in the suitcase. A makeup bag, hairstyling stuff, a mirror, perfume, my lucky rabbit.”
I cock my head. “I thought it was a lucky rabbit’s foot.”
“That’s barbaric. No. It’s my lucky rabbit from when I was a kid. His name is Lucky, though I’m seriously reconsidering that for obvious reasons.”
I don’t see a rabbit anywhere. I look up. Lucky the rabbit is on top of the ceiling fan. I jump and grab him.
Rowan sighs. “Darla’s been hiding that thing since high school. She thinks it’s funny.”
I hold the rabbit to my chest. “Nothing funny about dragging a stuffed rabbit around.” I hold the rabbit up to my ear and turn to her. “Do you have some plush carrots? He says he’s hungry.”
She snatches it from me. “It’s not like I display him. I just keep him in my suitcase. Never mind.” She sets her suitcase on a long ottoman and tucks Lucky into a corner, gets her blue dress from the closet, and sets that inside too.
