Page 37 of Falling for the Billionaire Best Man

“Don’t act so surprised,” I said.

The rain was pouring down outside. The sound of it hitting the windows seemed to get louder by the second. I couldn’t stop checking my watch. Dorie was supposed to arrive an hour ago. Where was she?

I tried to push down the worry gnawing at me, but it was no use.

“Have you heard from Dorie?” I asked, unable to stay quiet. “I talked to her earlier and she said she would be here.”

“Dorie’s the hardest working person I’ve ever met,” Eliza said with a fond smile. “She doesn’t quit. She’s probably elbow deep in dough or batter.”

“The bakery is closed today,” I reminded her. “And when I talked to her, she was at home.”

I was a little irritated she wasn’t more concerned. Did she know her sister wouldn’t even buy herself a thirty-dollar coffeemaker because she thought it was too much? That Dorie drove around in a car that had ten dash lights on at all times.

“She’s probably just running late because of the rain,” Eliza said, completely dismissing my concern. “Don’t worry, she’ll be here.”

I nodded, but I wasn’t convinced. “We’ll wait a few more minutes.”

“Dorie is the kind of person that shows up,” Eliza said. “She’s essentially been taking care of me since we were young. We’re twins, but she’s always been the big sister. Dorie helped me get into college. She knew how badly I wanted to go to law school and made it happen.”

“How?” I asked.

“She worked through high school so I could continue to play sports when our parents needed help with the bills,” she said. “She sacrificed so much for me, Kaisen. I don’t think I ever really thanked her enough for it. She’d come home from her shifts at the diner, exhausted, and still sit down to help me with my homework. She never complained. Not once.”

Cullen squeezed her shoulder gently. “She’s a good person,” he said. “But she’s also stubborn. You know that. If she says she’s coming, she’ll be here.”

I didn’t respond. My mind was stuck on what Eliza had just shared about Dorie. It explained a lot—the way she always seemed to put others first, the way she worked herself to the bone without ever asking for anything in return. The more I heard, the more I understood why Dorie was the way she was—so selfless, so determined, so stubborn.

But hearing all of that just made the knot of worry in my stomach tighten. Dorie wasn’t just running late.

“I’m going to get another drink,” I said. “You guys want another soda? Water?”

“I’m good,” Eliza said.

I walked into the kitchen and called Dorie. It rang and rang, but she didn’t answer. I tried again, my worry growing with each passing second. I didn’t want to freak Cullen and Eliza out, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.

They might not be concerned, but I was, and I was going to find her.

I was just putting on my coat when there was a knock at the door. I opened it to find Dorie standing there looking like she’d just crawled out of the ocean. She was soaking wet, her hair plastered to her face, her clothes clinging to her.

“Sorry,” she said. “The rain is relentless, and the roads are awful. My stupid car broke down, so I walked here.”

I stared at her completely dumbfounded. Eliza pushed me out of the way and pulled Dorie inside. They hugged like they hadn’t seen each other in years. I realized, that might be the case. I was still in shock that she walked here in this weather.

I couldn’t take my eyes off Dorie. She was shivering, her lips tinged with blue, and I wanted so badly to warm her up.

Eliza stepped back and clicked her tongue. “You’re soaked.”

“Come with me,” I said and grabbed her arm. I pulled her upstairs, ignoring her protests.

“What are you doing?” she asked. “Where are we going?”

“You need to get out of those wet clothes.”

“No. I’m fine. Just a towel, please.”

In the bedroom, I rummaged through the closet and pulled out a dry shirt and sweatpants.

“Change into these,” I said, handing them to her. “No arguments.”