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“If you travel with Lady Mairead, if you need to go see the woman who...”

“I daena. I winna go.”

I straightened his tuxedo jacket and his tie. “But if you do have to, come back in the morning, November 25, so I don’t worry.”

“Aye. I will be home in the morning.”

“I’m going to organize the hotel room for her. Then there’s the rest of this party...”

“Aye, ye should do that. We daena want tae ruin the night for Chef Zach and Emma.”

“Okay.”

He kissed me once on the lips and left to speak to the guard.

18 - KAITLYN

Hayley rushed me as soon as I returned to the reception. “What did she do? What did she say?”

I adjusted a gift that was shifting from underneath the pile of wedding presents. “I had to make another bargain with my creeptastic mother-in-law and yeah, it’s life and death and this is how she rolls.”

“I’m sorry honey, but at least you have Magnus now, where is he by the way?”

“He’s leaving with her, but not in a bad way, he’s taking her to her hotel. Because she is not staying in my guest room.”

“That is the truth. I don’t even think she should get to stay on the island. So we get to dance now?”

“Yes. Let me hug the bride first.”

I found Emma at a table laughing with Zach. I leaned down to speak to them. “First, I’m sorry I was gone for so long. Magnus has taken her to a hotel.”

“Jim drove them?”

“Yep, so for now, we’re unprotected, like the old days before life got all drastic and insane. But hey, enough about me, how’s the wedding so far?” I looked at my phone. “It’s almost over actually, we only have the place booked for another thirty minutes. I’m going for a drink and I’ll be dancing with Hayley, but I’m totally at your service — anything you need?”

“No I’m perfect, Katie, thank you so much, the night was really great.”

“Good.” I hugged her because I felt kind of overcome. I went to dance it out to pop wedding music on a dance floor crowded with Emma and Zach’s relatives.

Two songs later we watched Emma, Ben on her hip, and Zach rush out the door with umbrellas over them to their waiting car. We maybe should have thrown something at them for good luck but they were pelted with rain and none of us wanted to go out in order to manage it.

Hayley hung around for a bit and helped me load the presents into garbage bags to protect them from the rain and Emma’s dad and uncle raced them out to their car. They were planning to give me a ride home because Magnus and the security guard, Jim, left in mine. Hayley asked if I needed her to come home with me and I told her no Magnus would come home. I just didn’t tell her when he was coming home.

I hugged her goodbye and we all rushed to our waiting cars.

Emma’s dad helped me cart all the presents to the house and then left me for the night in my big new home, all alone.

I changed into pajamas and grabbed a beer from the fridge.

I opened the rain-dripping garbage bags, pulled out the presents, and stacked them on the dining room table. I made it pretty. I toweled off the ones that were wet. I played my Spotify, ‘I’m doing great!’ Playlist with lots of Ariana Grande and Katy Perry. About thirty minutes later there was a soft knock on the front door. Jim’s knock.

“Katie, I wanted you to know I’m back. I’m checking outside. I’ll be on the back deck.”

“Thanks, Jim.”

“Magnus was set up outside of her hotel room. He said he’d be back first thing in the morning.”

“Sure, of course, thank you, Jim. Need any food or anything?”