Page 80 of Runaway Bride’s Husband

They’d planned everything without even asking me, put me in a dress I hadn’t chosen, and expected me to march toward an altar I’d never agreed to stand at. When I’d said no, they’d gone ahead anyway, so I’d run, and somehow, it’d been Ryan’s arms I’d run into—and frankly, I didn’t regret a second of it.

Daniel might be a good man. I’d heard that so many times that it had to be true, but while he was a good, kind man, he wasn’t mine. Not in my heart, and he never would be. Perhaps a friend, but never my love.

Ryan, on the other hand, might well be the person I thought I’d never find. That one weirdo who looked at my weird and wanted nothing more than to be weird together.

“Come on,” Cathy said, tugging my arm. “Let’s grab a seat.”

I let her pull me toward the bar, noticing Ryan’s expression tightening when she pulled out two stools from farther along the bar and dragged them closer. I could practically feel his discomfort, but I still sat down beside him, my fingers itching to reach out and take his hand.

“Hi,” I said quietly.

“Hey, Mags.” His voice was a little rougher than usual and he cleared his throat, stealing a quick glance at his brother, who was staring between the two of us with his features trapped between amusement, horror, and curiosity.

Marcus turned to face me before I could ask if Ryan had told his brother about us, smiling as he reached out and squeezed my shoulder. “It’s good to see you back in the land of the living, dear sister. What, did you girls decide to have a spontaneous bachelorette party before the big day?”

Cathy moved her stool beside him and sat down, but frowned as she glanced up into his eyes. “What are you talking about?”

“The wedding is back on,” he said. “Haven’t you heard?”

Cathy blinked a couple times, but my heart dropped as I looked at Daniel, who’d finally turned around but was still standing at the bar, obviously waiting for our drinks. He shrugged when his eyes met mine. “Your mother has been spreading the word.”

My eyebrows shot up. “Excuse me?”

Marcus grinned. “She’s just trying to squash the rumors that are popping up about why it’s taking you two so long to get back down the aisle.”

“Little fires everywhere,” Daniel said mildly, like he was just completely okay with all of this and honestly couldn’t care less about what happened. “She’s just trying to help, I guess.”

I gaped at him. “What are you guys even talking about right now? No one has told me anything about the wedding being back on. I haven’t sent out invitations.”

When I stole a quick glance at Ryan, he looked like he’d rather be anywhere else, but he didn’t ride to my rescue on a fancy white steed. Instead, he just glanced up at Marcus too. “What, exactly, has Adelaide been telling people?”

He voiced the question carefully, with more than a little hesitation, but Marcus didn’t seem to notice. He just kept grinning like he was getting everything he’d ever wanted, his friend marrying his baby sister and legitimately becoming part of his family.

“Just the truth,” he said. “The wedding is back on, but it’ll be smaller this time and invitations will be following shortly.”

Daniel passed me one of the drinks the bartender had just slid over, his expression precisely the same as if he’d just been told his appointment with his dental hygienist had been moved up and though he wasn’t looking forward to it, he’d also already decided not to complain. My brow furrowed as I turned to my brother.

“Has she given anyone a date?” I asked quietly.

He waved a hand like it didn’t even matter. “She’s just trying to get ahead of the rumors, Mags. Don’t stress. She and Cathy have got it covered.”

My friend just shrugged and took a sip of her drink, gazing adoringly at Marcus while I felt like he was personally responsible for tearing whatever happiness I’d had a shot at with Ryan apart. I was about to light into him for not telling me what my mother was doing earlier when he suddenly pointed at Ryan.

“Honestly, he gets most of the credit.” Completely oblivious to the fact that I was seconds away from either screaming or committing a felony, he clapped Ryan on the shoulder, but he was looking at Daniel. “This is the only guy who’s been brave enough to put up with Maggie’s flare for the dramatic ever since she nearly bit through his finger.”

My gaze slid to Ryan’s and I couldn’t force myself to look away no matter how hard I tried. We had to speak up. Now.

Between Cathy, Marcus, and Daniel, we might actually get the support we needed to pull off a miracle. If anyone had the clout, brains for scheming, and the necessary understanding of our family structures to pull it off, it was those three people. And Holden, well, we’d just have to hope he could either help or keep a secret.

But then Marcus lifted his drink in a toast. “To Ryan,” he said. “If you ask me, he’s more than earned the few million coming his way.”

It took me a few seconds to process those words, said in that exact order, but as I did, it felt like the world just dropped away. My heart started roaring in my ears, stealing every other sound in the bar as my vision narrowed only to Ryan’s eyes before it started swimming.

He’s more than earned the few million coming his way. What. The. Fuck?

Ryan, my Ryan, who’d bought me a butter-yellow wedding dress because I’d mentioned it one time, who’d found me a haunted chapel, and who’d held me while I’d been crying about my grandfather’s possible indiscretions, was being paid for this.

When I finally managed to refocus on him, he didn’t say a word, but his face told me he wasn’t surprised by what my brother had said. Marcus hadn’t just told him anything he hadn’t already known. This wasn’t a gift my father and Marcus were springing on the guy for getting me this far.