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mean that in the nicest possible way.
None taken. Brent crossed his arms. You re right. I m a dick.
I wouldn t go that far. Matt sighed. Actually, I take it back. I would go that far.
Thanks, buddy.
Any time. They both turned as Daniel walked into Quincy s. Looking highly
preoccupied, he didn t see them until Brent put his fingers in his mouth and whistled. He
leaned against the wall beside Brent and nodded at them, but didn t speak. Just stood
there, twisting the engagement ring on his finger. Brent and Matt shared a look.
Hey Danny, you missed it. Matt here just broke his record for consecutively spoken
words. Giving advice, no less.
No response from Daniel.
Seriously, if I d closed my eyes, it would have been like Dr. Phil was standing right next
to me.
Still nothing.
All right, what s up with you, man?
Daniel blew out a breath. I don t know. Something was off with Story this morning.
Have you spoken to Hayden?
Nope. And thanks for rubbing it in.
She wouldn t even look at me before she left for work and now she s not answering her
phone.
It s nothing, Matt insisted. You guys are solid. Stop overanalyzing.
Brent smiled. See? Dr. Phil without the goofy accent.
Daniel grabbed Brent s Coke and took a healthy swallow. Yeah& yeah, you re probably
right. Before the words left his mouth, a phone rang and Daniel all but gave himself
whiplash trying to extricate the source of the noise from his pocket. It s her.
Matt and Brent rolled their eyes.
Hey, sunshine. He listened silently for long moments, his skin growing pale. Brent
could practically hear Story s frantic voice through the phone and frowned. Something was
definitely wrong. His whole body tensed as Daniel met his eyes. Whatever had gone
wrong, Hayden was involved. Jesus. How bad could it be? When Story finally paused,
Daniel s responded very quietly. Okay, listen to me, baby. You need to stall. Do
whatever you have to do. Just don t let it happen. He hung up.
Brent swallowed. What is it?
We need to get down to City Hall.
A moment later, Brent burst through the front entrance of Quincy s and ran full speed
for the ESU truck, Daniel and Matt right behind him.
Chapter Seventeen
Hayden and Story sat side-by-side on a hard wooden bench outside the city clerk s
chamber, waiting for Hayden s turn to get married. She d gone with a simple navy pencil
skirt and white blouse. Her mother s pearl earrings. In clear protest of her decision, Story
had shown up in frayed, cutoff jean shorts and moccasins. Last night, amid a sea of
Chinese food containers and empty wine bottles, with Troop Beverly Hills playing in the
background, she d confessed everything to Story. Her friend s reaction had been as
expected, simultaneously sympathetic and outraged, but she d managed to exact her
promise to keep quiet about Hayden s impromptu wedding.
After speaking with her father, she d rushed to Stuart s apartment before any more
damage could be done, negotiating his reinstatement of the loan payment in exchange
for her promise to marry him the following day. To his credit, he hadn t made her grovel,
even though he d been decidedly smug. Just before she d left, he d asked her about Brent.
He s a nonissue, she d said, nearly choking as she said the words.
Stuart, who stood several feet away, wore a perfectly tailored suit. Unfortunately, it
only made her think of the king-size suit she d rented for Brent. How amazing it had
looked on him. And off of him. With a gulp, she tried to think of something anything
else besides the man who d barged his way past her defenses. Twenty-four hours ago,
she d been in bed with him. Hope burgeoning in her chest, along with a sense of
rightness. Yesterday morning felt like it had taken place a decade ago, even if the pain of
walking away from him was still horribly fresh.
Her fiancé laughed into his cell phone and checked his watch for the third time in as
many minutes. He had a meeting to get to, after all.
Whoever said romance is dead?
You don t have to do this, Story whispered to Hayden, blue-green glare fixed on
Stuart. Having just met Hayden s future husband for the first time, Story had taken an
immediate dislike to him. A rarity for her amiable best friend. Hayden didn t blame her.
There has to be another solution. I mean, my God, you re not some& sacrificial lamb.
This is archaic.
Did you come up with that line in the bathroom just now?
Yes. Did it work?
Hayden patted her hand. Sorry, Shakespeare.
Story sighed. I know you were in no mood to discuss the elephant in the room last
night she dropped her voice but come on. What about Brent?
He s more of an ape. And I m still in no mood.
Too bad, Story snapped, making Hayden s eyes widen. There is something between
you two. What do you think he would say if he was standing right here? If he knew you
were about to marry someone else?
She swallowed hard. Don t think about it. He d probably say What are you doing here?
The shoe sale is two blocks over! Then he d walk away, knuckles dragging on the
ground.
You don t believe that.
The knuckles part?
All of it. Story pushed to her feet and started to pace just as a happy-looking couple
emerged from the clerk s chamber. Their parents followed behind them taking pictures.
Tears pricked Hayden s eyelids. Her parents wouldn t even be at her wedding. When
she d gone to Stuart yesterday afternoon and agreed to marry him, she d done it on the
condition that he leave her father in the dark. She didn t want him finding out before it
was finished or he d try to stop it. Her mother, on the other hand, seemed satisfied with
this turn of events and was presently making sure her father stayed occupied until the
deed was done.
Stuart Nevin and Hayden Winstead, a court officer called from the chamber door,
signaling their time had come. For a moment, she felt rooted to her seat, the pit in her
stomach too heavy for her to move. Breathing steadily in and out through her nose, she
stood on shaky legs and approached the chamber. She glanced over at Story, who
chewed her lip as she followed them inside.
Last chance, Hay, she whispered. Say the word and we re out of here. I ll have us
riding donkeys in Mexico by tomorrow morning.
Hayden gave a sad laugh. I know you would, sweetie, and I love you for it. When
Story barely bit back a sob, the pit in her stomach yawned wider. She attempted a brave
face even though she felt her world caving in around her. Hey, none of that. We can still
ride donkeys in Mexico. This isn t going to change anything.
Story looked her square in the eye. It s going to change you, Hayden.
Hayden s mouth dropped open, but no response came out. What could she say? Story
was 100 percent right. A loveless marriage, a lifetime spent putting on a happy face,
would kill her emotionally. She d become just like every other bored and miserable high-
society mama in Manhattan. Trying to fill the void with possessions.
Brent. What would become of him? He d meet some spunky, outdoorsy-type with cute
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