Page 14 of Amelia and Her Prince Charming
Maybe … That’s an idea.
Oh! Is there a way to get them both thrown in jail overnight?
Bret
Mild vandalism? Public nudity? We could frame them for a burglary!
Rosie
YES. Think of all the bonding they could do behind bars.
Bret
The ideas write themselves.
Gage
Let’s circle back to the BBQ. I think we should keep our eyes open for an organic opportunity to help them see that they have feelings for each other.
Rosie
Yeah. Organic. Wink. Wink.
Bret
Nudge. Nudge.
Gage
I’m scared of both of you right now.
Chapter 9
Hudson
Trouble in Paradise
Wedding festivities are well underway for Dylan Savage and Rosie Forrester. Plans for this star-studded event have been kept under wraps until this week, but as always, we have the inside scoop. Amelia Blaire, wife of the late Shiloh Blaire, was spotted wearing a bridesmaid dress today, but has not been listed anywhere as an official bridesmaid. Is Amelia replacing two-time Grammy winning country singer, Aurelia Halifax, who has yet to arrive?
—Hot Goss Magazine
AmeliawalkedintotheSavage’s backyard, holding hands with Quinn, and wearing a low-cut dress that made my brain completely close up shop. The dress was long and dark green, and covered with purple blossoms, and if I was going to keep my sanity, I had to look away. Her sandaled feet peeked out from the bottom of the dress with every step, revealing purple painted toenails.
Bret ran into me from behind with an armload of folding chairs. “Her eyes are up there,” he said with a knowing smile.
I elbowed him away and put more of my energy into helping set up chairs for the backyard lunch.There are twenty-seven bones in the human hand. Each finger has three phalanges: distal, middle, and proximal. Then there are the metacarpal and carpal bones, with five and eight bones respectively.I had to get all the way to listing the bones in a foot before I could fully remember that Amelia and I were just friends, had only ever been friends, and would continue to just be friends. Forever.
Even though we were told to bring our own meat, Sheriff Savage had several dozen elk burgers from his freezer already cooking on the grills.
Amelia and Quinn were helping inside to carry out sides and place them on the tables we’d already set up. Mrs. Savage had matching aprons for everyone who offered to help, including Amelia, and even Quinn, whose apron dangled down at her ankles like a dress. They were all light green with lacy cream edges—which, I had been informed, were the wedding colors.
Amelia and Rosie chatted nonstop together, and I found myself pausing more than once when I heard Amelia laugh. She’d gone so long without a single smile that every single one still felt like a gift.
“When are you going to tell her?” Dylan asked. His shoulder shoved into mine as he walked past carrying another table.
“Tell her what?” I groused as I followed him to help him set it up. Bret and Gage stood in my way. They each put a heavy arm around my shoulders and directed me to where I’d already been going without them.
There were too many hockey players in this town. Everywhere I went, I was getting affectionately shoulder-checked, hug-wrestled, or gut-elbowed. Manhandling was their bro love language.
