Page 16 of One Weekend in Los Angeles

“Because this is your last chance.” She put her hands on her hips to emphasize the ridiculous ultimatum.

My head was already shaking no. “It’s not going to happen. I came here in support of Bryce, who loves you and believes you’re ready to spend the rest of your life with him. If that’s not the case, then you owe it to tell him that before walking down the aisle.”

If she had any moral compass, she would feel guilty, but instead her temper snapped. “You don’t get to tell me what to do. But mark my words, you will regret losing me.”

Now wasn’t the time to tell her how much I wouldn’t. Instead I wanted to get out of here as quickly as possible, especially since I could see Nina was ready to cause a real scene. “All the best to you.”

Outside the suite’s door, Jen had been joined by another bridesmaid. Both of them stood in the hall wide-eyed as I strode out and didn’t bother to look back. Great, I could already imagine the rumors. I headed straight to the courtyard where more people had gathered.

Andi remained in her seat. “Hi,” she greeted with a big smile only to have it falter. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, now that I’m back.” My hand automatically took hers. This was quickly becoming a habit.

Her eyes searched my face. “Everything all right with your mom?”

“It actually wasn’t her I was led back to see,” I whispered, my adrenaline pumping from the confrontation.

“The bride?”

“Afraid so.”

“Oof. I gather it wasn’t to thank you for coming and she wishes you all the best because her upcoming wedding day is the happiest day of her life, and she only wants everyone else to feel the same?”

My lips twitched in a smile. “You’d be correct.”

“Will you tell your stepbrother?”

“When they started dating, I tried to warn Bryce about her, and he accused me of being jealous. A conversation today would be disastrous.” I was tempted to leave.

“Could be she’s hoping you’ll cause a scene by leaving and twist it around like you tried to prevent the wedding and didn’t get your way.”

Andrea’s perception was spot on, and it immediately brought me a sense of much-needed calm. My ex wanted drama, and I refused to give it to her. “Thank you for reminding me not to react.”

She squeezed my hand. “I can be your calming goat today, and you can be mine tomorrow.”

“My what?”

“Calming goat. You know, ‘baa.’”

A chuckle burst from my lips. She was adorable, and her random outburst allowed the residual tension to float away.

Chapter Eleven

ANDREA

Had I really just bleated at People Magazine’s sexiest man of the year?

Yes, yes I had.

That was one dorky fist bump and one humiliating “baa.” Someday perhaps it would be a funny story, but meanwhile I could feel my face burning red.

“What is a calming goat exactly?”

In for a penny, in for a pound. “Racehorses are known to spook easily, so sometimes they introduce them to goats since the goats can calm them.” How I knew this, I couldn’t remember, but he nodded sagely as if absorbing the information for future use.

Do not baa again at the man. Do not baa again.

Perhaps I was the one who needed the calming goat because I had felt my temperature rising ever since he’d taken my hand after returning from the bridal suite, and now it was only getting worse with this ridiculous word salad I was serving up. Needless to say, my anxiety was spiking into unknown territory.