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“It’s a Nancy Meyers classic,” I inform him. “You should watch it sometime. In fact, go lock yourself in your cabana right now - and don’t come out again until they’ve said, ‘I do’.”
“Only if you plan on joining me.”
I scowl. He just grins. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re sexy as hell when you’re mad?” he says, reaching out to brush a lock of hair from my cheek.
Heat rushes through me from his touch, but I duck away. “You really think you stand a chance with me now, while you’re out here trying to ruin this wedding?” I demand.
He shrugs. “I’m the optimist, remember? I’ve always been a glass half-full kind of guy.”
“Yeah, well I’m emptying that glass over your head,” I snap. “And there are no free refills on offer, mister. So, stay away from me. And them,” I add, gesturing to Robert and Avery. “And everyone!”
I stomp off, going to join Brooke and Ivy who are sauntering slowly along the trail, bringing up the rear of the group. “That guy!” I exclaim, annoyed – and still annoyingly attracted to him.
“Who?” Brooke asks.
I shake my head. I don’t want to tell her about Josh’s sabotage, but it turns out, I don’t have to: they’re already speculating about Avery and Cash Hendricks.
“I heard they got married in a secret Vegas wedding, and then had the whole thing annulled in under a week,” Ivy reports, sipping from her water bottle.
Brooke shakes her head. “No wedding. Avery would have told me.”
“So what’s the real deal with him?” I ask, wondering if Cash could really break up this wedding.
“He’s an asshole,” Brooke says fiercely.
“I could tell that from outfit.” Ivy snorts with laughter. “Who wears leather pants when it’s eighty degrees out?”
“They had a whirlwind fling, years ago,” Brooke continues. “He’s all brooding and hot, but totally toxic.”
I pause. “Toxic how?” I ask, worried. “Did he hurt her?”
“No, not like that,” Brooke says immediately. “He just lied, and cheated, and broke her heart. Regular selfish asshole behavior.”
“I know that kind,” I mutter, glaring over at Josh.
Brooke checks her phone, and sighs. “Are you guys getting reception?”
Ivy looks at her own phone. “Nope, sorry.”
“Me either. The guide said reception is pretty spotty around here,” I tell them. “Maybe it’ll be better when we get to the top.”
“Jamie’s finding out if he got Chief Resident,” Brooke reports, naming her fiancé. “I know I should be more supportive, but I barely see him out of the hospital as it is.”
“You moved across the country with him, and you’re basically paying all the bills until he’s done with his medial training,” Ivy replies. “I’d say that’s plenty supportive.”
I see Josh talking with his uncle and Avery up ahead.Crap. “Catch up with you guys later!” I blurt, then speed-walk my way through the group to reach them.
“Hi! Sorry! Coming through…!” I say breathlessly, as I weave my way through the rag-tag bunch. Half the wedding party didn’t take my advice to change, and are huffing along in teeny beach shorts and crop tops, and the other half went overboard: toting massive packs and hiking boots.
“…I love his music, he really has this romantic spirit.”
I arrive to find Josh waxing lyrical about the creative genius of Cash Hendricks.
“Isn’t this great?” I exclaim brightly, elbowing him out of the way. “I love being in nature. And this ritual of yours, I can’t wait. What a special commitment,” I continue. Avery’s got a tense smile fixed on her face, and it’s giving me a bad feeling. Still, I keep up my perky attitude, as we head up the trail. “Now, tell me all about this shaman of yours. I heard he used to be a software engineer, until he went to Bali and got reborn!”
After another fewmiles of hiking, I’m relieved to see the top of the mountain up ahead. I’m exhausted, and not from the walking. It’s been one hell of a workout trying to keep the conversation positive and upbeat – and cut off Josh’s attempts to steer talk back to the genius bad boy of British rock. But the time we emerge from the trees line, I’m ready for a cold drink, and a nap.
“Oh my God, babe, it’s gorgeous!”
