“Hey,” I reply with a furrowed brow. “Did you forgetsomething?”
He shakes his head. “No. I, uh, I need to talk to you. It’s important.”
I’m confused and fumble with the bouquet to look at my watch. “I don’t have time to talk. I’m getting married.”
“I know.”
A thought rattles me. “It’s not Pop, is it?”
“No, it’s not Ralph, I swear.” He holds up three fingers. “Just give me three minutes. You can spare a friend three minutes, can’t you?”
The little hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, and I hold my breath. Clutching the flowers in my hand, I clear my throat. I can do this.
“Like I said, now is not a good time, Kip. Whatever it is you have to say to me will have to wait until after my wedding.” My voice is steady and composed. I will not have this man ruin my special day.
“You can’t marry Madison.”
A husky laugh escapes my throat. “Are you kidding me right now?”
“No.”
Kip takes two more steps forward, and I can see the worry in his eyes. It confuses me.
“Please. Hear me out.”
I grit my teeth, the anger inside of me bubbling like hot lava about to erupt.
“You better talk fast,” I growl, swiping my free hand across my clean-shaven face.
A flash of trepidation crosses his features before he speaks. “You can’t marry Madison… because she doesn’t love you.”
I press my eyes together tightly and furiously shake my head back and forth. I quickly count to five under my breath, my hand surrounding the base of the bouquet becoming a death grip. My voice comes out in a yell when I force myself to look at him.
“Why would you say that to me?”
“Because I know, George,” he hollers back.
He tries to get closer to me, but I back up. “No. Get away from me. You’re just mad I won’t sell the house and part of the land to you now. You’re trying to trick me like you always do. Madison loves me. Do you hear me?She loves me!”
“Then why did she ghost you for so long, huh?”
I freeze, every molecule in my body coming to a halt. Kip takes advantage of my muteness and continues.
“She told you she quit her job, right?” His words come out fast, like an auctioneer.
I don’t answer.
He’s frantic, and digs his cell phone out of his back pocket. He presses a few buttons before he shows me the screen. “Then why is Madison still receiving company emails, huh? She has an out-of-office reply on her corporate account. Sheliedto you, George.”
I want to throw up as I look at the screen, my eyes scrolling the message.
Thank you for your email. I am currently on vacation and will have limited access to messages. For urgent matters, please contact Kevin Phillips. Otherwise, I will respond upon my return.
Her return? My mind goes into a tailspin.
“You’re my friend, George. And friends tell each other the truth. A wedding is not a vacation. It’s a lifelong commitment. She knows how valuable this farm is. She’s trying to trap you. When she found out Ralph was near the end, she made a beeline here, knowing she was running out of time.”
I want to escape the confines of the barn and hide. I want Kip to shut up.
