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“Sorry to break it to you, ladies,” Reynolds said, “but there’s no way you’re going to make it to Denver in thirty minutes. Unless you’ve got wings.”
Poppy grinned. “It just so happens I have the next best thing. There are some advantages to dating the starting pitcher for a Major League Baseball team. Such as friends who can lend you the use of their helicopter for an afternoon. You see? It’s all settled and for a good cause.”
Reynolds took his sweet time in answering, finally shrugging his shoulders and turning to her. “Of course you can go, Waverley, if you want to. But don’t let my sister guilt you into going if you’re not comfortable.”
“Guilt? Moi?” Poppy asked innocently.
The only wedding Waverley had been involved in the planning of was her own, and that had been pretty much taken from her hands by the wedding planner that her father insisted on hiring for the occasion.
The one time she ventured out to find a dress for herself and the bridesmaids, it had been the worst possible hell she could imagine. The women—all chosen from her and Spencer’s college “friends”—fought and bickered over every detail, from the color and cut of the dress to the height and color of the shoes. When it came to deciding between updos or waves, it had almost been an outright war. By the time Waverley tried on a dress—three of them carefully chosen and preapproved by her father—she had been happy to go with the first one that didn’t make her gag just to end the torturous day.
So she didn’t have a good place to measure whether she’d be of any use to anyone today.
With that said…seeing as how she was just an observer with no stakes in the game, she couldn’t deny being curious about what it might be like to take part in what she’d once anticipated to be a fun and carefree occasion.
“I guess if Reynolds is okay with it, then I’d love to go.”
Poppy and Meg squealed in excitement as Avery grinned quietly.
“Here are today’s messages,” she said and handed Reynolds the stack of pink pages. “And if I’m not back, don’t forget you have a phone appointment at one.”
“Thanks,” he said, taking them from her. “Actually, I meant to tell you. I have to run lead on an investigation up in Cheyenne for a couple of days. I was planning on heading out after my call.”
Waverley nodded, keeping a smile on her face even as she struggled not to show her disappointment. Why did this not surprise her, though?
“You can reach me the usual ways,” he continued.
“Will you be back in time for our flight on Friday?” she asked, suddenly alarmed by the possibility that he’d changed his mind about joining her in the Keys this weekend. Or worse, changed his mind about helping her at all.
He nodded. “Don’t worry. I’ll be back in time to get us there.”
“Then it looks like we’re all set,” Poppy said. “And with that decided, we probably should be going. Thanks again, Reynolds.”
Waverley barely had a chance to grab her stuff before Poppy was dragging her out the door. For a split second, she met Reynolds’s eye, searching for something in that momentary connection that would assure her everything was well.
“Have a good time, ladies,” Reynolds said and nodded almost imperceptibly.
It wasn’t a significant gesture, but it was enough for her to feel a tiny connection to the guy, one that would have to tide her over for now.
* * *
“I still can’t believe how amazing that view was from the sky,” Meg said as the car that picked them up from the landing pad turned into traffic in downtown Denver.
“It was definitely something,” Avery said, a little less enthused since she’d had a moment before takeoff when her face turned white, and she’d had to lean forward to suck in big breaths of air before they took off.
“I’m sorry you were nervous,” Poppy said, touching her friend’s shoulder. “I didn’t know you were afraid of flying.”
Avery smiled. “I didn’t, either. But then again, I’ve never flown in a helicopter before.”
“I felt the same way when Damon surprised me with a ski trip to Vail for Valentine’s Day,” Poppy said. “How about you, Waverley? What did you think of the ride?”
Waverley felt a little uneasy. Today’s ride was far from the first time she’d flown in a helicopter since so many of the people in her father and Spencer’s crowd owned and used them regularly. But these women didn’t know her or her background, and she really didn’t want them to, not at the risk of alienating them and having them treating her differently.
She nodded. “It was great. Definitely beats a long drive.”
“We’re here,” Poppy said in excitement when the car stopped a few minutes later. “Now, Avery, I know you want to keep things low-key, and you’d rather pick up something off the rack the weekend before and be done with it, but trust me. The woman who owns the shop buys all sorts of unique and one-of-a-kind dresses, bridal and otherwise, so if you don’t see anything you like, she would be more than happy to keep looking until you’re happy.”
Avery smiled. “I’m game for trying anything.”
