Page 9 of More Than My Hometown

Maisey’s appearance truly is a surprise.

I nod, unballing my fist and exhaling. Hard. Because I’m still having to think about how to breathe. Breathing—the thing that is supposed to be the most natural function on this earth. But no, not with Maisey Phillips within a hundred feet of me. All that does is make me forget everything except the most horrible words I’ve ever uttered in my entire life.

This town is my life—with or without you in it…

Regret settles over me, as if it’s not my ever-present shadow, dampening everything around me. The heavy beat of the music matches my pulse, speeding up as my mind whirs with what to do next. As much as I want to slip out and go home, there’s no way. It would be noticed if one of the groomsmen went missing. Not to mention, we have a big send-off planned.

“Ewan,” Hux says, knocking me out of my headspace.

I look at him, the realization of my silence hitting me.

“Yeah, yeah.” I nod. I turn toward the bar and raise my hand to signal the bartender, who thankfully understands my unspoken request and hands me another beer. I’m not usually a big drinker, but tonight might need to be the exception. “Question then, I guess is, why…”

“To see you, silly!”

Laughter pairs with the slight lilt on the feminine voice cutting me off. Narrowing my eyes, I turn, pretending to glare at my partner in crime for the evening, Emily, who is beaming at me like she’s a small child who just learned where someone is hiding candy.

Reaching out, she takes my beer from my hand, taking a sip, her knowing smirk growing as she waggles her eyebrows and hands it back to me.

“Emily Minerva Barrowcliff, it’s a sin to lie,” I playfully chastise.

“Did you just triple name me?” she scoffs, hand flying to her chest in mock horror. “And I am not lyin’.”

I don’t say anything, letting my facial expression be all the response required as I take a drink.

“Just because you don’t believe me, doesn’t make it a lie.”

Milo snickers. “She has a point.”

Not a good one…

I glare at him, raising an eyebrow. He’s supposed to be on my side.

“Don’t you have a fiancée somewhere?” I ask him, hoping he’ll get the message that he has somewhere better to be. Hell, for that matter, so does Hux. Spinning around, I start to give him the same lip, but find he’s already gone. Presumably to find his bride.

“Listen to the girl,” Milo suggests, slapping me on the shoulder. “Might do you some good.”

“I always liked him,” Emily comments, taking my beer again as we watch Milo walk away. “So, what do you say? Shall we grow a pair and go talk to the pretty girl?”

Classy, sassy, and totally smart-assy—that’s Emily. That’s what makes her so much fun to hang out with. But that doesn’t change my answer.

“No.”

“What? Ewan Porter Hayes!”

My eyes go wide. Did she…

“You are not the only one who can triple name,” she sasses.

Well, damn…I underestimated this one. I knew the sass was strong with the women in this family—there is no way a single family produces our town matriarch, Mrs. Phillips, who in her late nineties is still slinging one-liners, Mrs. Burch, the town gossip, plus Dolly, Emily, and Maisey and not have a strong line of sass. But still. I had no idea Emily even knew my middle name.

What I do know is that she won’t drop this. So I’m going to need a better idea to distract her. Something to get her mind off of the idea of me talking to Maisey. Thankfully, the wedding gods—and the DJ—have my back. The music shifts, the heavy dance beat fading into a soft melody, slowing everything down.

“How about a dance, Em?”

I hold my hand out, smiling like I mean it. And I do. She’s my date, and my friend, and I’ve been genuinely looking forward to us spending this evening together. We had a lot of fun together at Willa’s wedding last summer, and my plan was for us to have just as much tonight.

Placing her hand in mine, she returns my smile, letting me drag her out onto the floor. Seconds later, my arms are around her, and we’re moving in time with the music, the whole conversation forgotten. Or so I think.