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I force myself to pull away, before I melt completely. With a glare, I stalk over to where Ivy is watching the ceremony, discreetly demolishing cakes at the buffet table.
“You look like you need a cold drink,” she says with a smirk.
“Or an icy shower,” I say with a sigh – just as a cold droplet of rain splashes onto my arm.
“Wow,” Ivy laughs. “I knew you had this wedding on lock, but you control the weather now, too?”
I pause, looking up. Since when does the universe answer my prayers?
Clearly, not now, because the droplet is joined by another. And another. And then suddenly, the skies open, and a deluge of cold water rains down on the party.
The bridesmaids shriek. Avery lets out a cry. “My hair!”
People scatter, racing for cover. “This way!” Anna calls. “The Jeeps are parked just around the bend!”
Everyone grabs their things, and races after her, leaving a mess of blankets and picnic stuff behind.
The event is well and truly ruined.
“See?” Josh finds me scrambling in the wreckage. “Even the universe knows this marriage is doomed.”
“Are you going to gloat, or help me?” I demand, trying to grab things as the rain pours down.
“I can multitask,” he smirks, but he helps out collecting armfuls of cushions and abandoned flower crowns before we squelch after the others.
“You planned this, didn’t you?” I say through gritted teeth. I’m soaked through, my thin tank top and pants no match for the pouring tropical rainstorm. “You knew it was going to rain.”
“I tried to warn you, but you insisted.” He grins, looking unconcerned for a guy with rivulets of water running down his face and his T-shirt plastered to his chest.
His broad, sexy chest…
“Ugh!” I exclaim, frustrated – in every way. “I can’t believe you. What makes you so arrogant to think you know what's better for your uncle?"
“What makes you think theyshouldget married?” he shoots back.
“Um, maybe because your uncle decided to propose to Avery, plan a lavish multi-day event costing millions of dollars, and fly everyone out here to celebrate and watch them say, ‘I do’!” I cry. “Compared to your vague gut feeling that it won’t work out, I’d say the evidence is on my side!”
“It’s not just a feeling,” Josh insists, coming to a stop on the trail and blocking my path. “I’m telling you, he’s making a huge mistake. You want to know one of the worst parts about my divorce?” he demands, eyes flashing. “The minute the paperwork was final, my friends admitted they saw it coming, that they never really thought we’d last. I wish to God they’d done me a favor, and said it from the start,” he adds, rueful. “Maybe then, they’d have saved me from the heartache – and lawyer fees.”
I feel a brief pang of sympathy, but I can’t let him win. “Look, I’m sorry your marriage didn’t work out,” I tell him firmly. “But that doesn’t give you the right?—”
“To what?” Josh interrupts me, looking fired up in the rain. “Test them a little? Their wedding vows are going to be ‘for better or worse’. I’m just helping shed some light on their true natures, that’s all.”
“You mean,Avery’snature.” I make another noise of frustration, pushing past him. “It’s so typical!” I exclaim, squelching on the muddy path. “You men always get so wound up about gold diggers, but how about youth diggers? Beauty diggers? Your uncle is the one running around with a woman half his age. Did it ever occur to you that he doesn’t care about Avery’s personality? He just wants a pretty trophy on his arm!”
“Robert’s not like that.” Josh argues, striding after me.
“Really? Because from where I’m standing, he looks like every other guy who has a midlife crisis and figures he’ll get a flashy car and a hot girl, and pretend like he’s not creeping ever-closer to death!”
I speed up, emerging from the trees to the makeshift parking lot where the Jeeps are waiting to take us back down the mountain.
Except, there’s nothing here, except some muddy tire prints. The cars have all gone.
They’ve left us behind.
14
HAZEL
