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I stifled a grin, loving feisty Whitney. I’d take feisty Whitney over disappointed Whitney any day of the week. “I figured one kidnapping was enough for today.”
“What is it you want then?” I hadn’t thought of an excuse to talk to her, then I remembered the detailed schedule she had for today, checking my watch to make sure I had the timing right.
“Where’s Barb?” I asked.
We both looked around the room. I silently breathed a sigh of relief that we couldn’t find her. My excuse for talking to her would have immediately been blown had Barb been standing behind me.
Speeches were supposed to start shortly now that everyone had taken their seats for dinner and Barb was the mistress of ceremonies.
It was the perfect in.
Whitney’s head swiveled around searching for the woman of the hour. “Shit.”
I grabbed her hand, leading her around the cellar to see if we could find Barb.
At first Whitney tried to pull out of my grasp, but that made me only hold on to her tighter. I dragged us through the crowds, smiling and muttering pleasantries at the people we passed.
Spotting Katie Kooney’s tall, blond figure, I redirected us to the staircase. We’d searched most of the cellar anyway and hadn’t found Barb yet.
I turned around to find Whitney biting her bottom lip in concern. “Don’t worry. We’ll find her.”
Truth was, I started to worry when we didn’t find Barb right away. I had just used her absence as an icebreaker to talk to Whitney. The fact that she couldn’t be found didn’t bode well.
But I couldn’t let Whitney see me sweat.
Besides, Barb probably had just gone to the restroom, or to visit the girls at the check-in table. She was an old hat at this. She wouldn’t leave right when we needed her the most.
We took the stairs, with Whitney pressed right against my back. She had to be since I didn’t let go of my grip on her hand.
“Let’s check the bathroom.” I pointed with my free hand at the ladies’ room sign.
I knocked on the door while Whitney called out, “Barb, you in there?”
With no response, we moved on, continuing our search.
My gaze swept the tasting room, Barb’s signature gray bob nowhere to be found.
“Where the hell is she?” Whitney muttered beside me.
“Excellent question.”
“How much time do we have?”
I checked my watch. “Five minutes.”
Our eyes locked. Hers were a mix of frustration and something else, longing, maybe? I couldn’t be sure.
“Worse comes to worst, I’ll lead the ceremony,” I promised her.
A sharp nod. “That could work. I have an extra copy of the script behind the podium already, you could use that.”
I smiled, and she returned it. My heart clenched hoping for the best. That she’d forgive me, and we could be together. Even though I only had a taste of what it was like being with her, I knew it was what I’d been missing. I missed her. I needed her. She was my person.
And in that damn dress, showing just enough skin.
But now wasn’t the time and hauling her into the nearest closet wasn’t an option.
That gave me an idea. I had seen Barb and the chief looking awfully chummy earlier. Maybe they were thinking the same thing.
