Maggie pressed her head to the cool passenger side window and looked out at the sparkling blue-green
water as she crossed over the Harkers Island bridge in her dad’s car.
How could the day be so beautiful when she felt like this? She felt like the crystal blue sky and summer sunshine were mocking her. It wasn’t even a slight bit humid. Last night’s storm had clearer the usual August mugginess from the air. Missy and Josh were going to have the perfect day. She looked ahead and tried not to think of the wedding that would be taking place less than a mile behind her.
“Sweetheart?” Denny looked at his daughter with concern.
“Yeah?”
“You sure you’re ready to leave? I can try to talk to the young man again. I shouldn’t have dropped in on him like that. Would it help?”
The car rolled onto the mainland. The island was behind her. “No, it wouldn’t. It was my fault. And if you don’t mind, I really don’t want to talk about it anymore.”
“Of course, darling. Let’s just get you home. Your mother is going to be so excited to have you home for a week before you head to Charleston.”
Six
Blair
Justyn pulled Blair in close, pressing his palm into the small of her back. The band had finally switched to a slow song, and he had been able to coax her on the dance floor.
“Aren’t you having a good time, darlin’?”
Blair knew what Justyn was trying to do, but it wasn’t working. Nothing could pull her out of this funk. Her best friend was gone.
“The wedding was great. I’m fine. You can stop worrying.” Knowing he could probably see right through her flimsy attempt to appease him, she wrapped her arms a little tighter around him.
“I’m not buyin’ it,” Justyn whispered in her ear.
The music stopped and the wedding guests applauded. “We’re going to take a ten-minute break. Be right back,” the lead singer announced before hitting play on his prerecorded playlist. The guests dispersed back to their tables.
Blair walked toward the seats where she and Justyn had been assigned for the evening.
“I’m glad looks can’t kill, because you have shot Reid more death stares in one night than any man deserves.” Justyn sat next to her and reached for his beer. “Maybe you could ease up on him. Doesn’t look like he’s having a good time.”
Reid was sitting at the head table with the rest of the wedding party.
“Maggie should be here,” Blair responded. “The only reason she’s not is because of him.” She glared at Reid again as he pounded his fifth beer of the night. She had been counting.
Justyn slid his hand under the table and along the hem of her blue dress. “We agreed we weren’t going to get in the middle of it. Remember?”
Blair’s bottom lip extended. “I know, but I want it fixed. Maggie should be here. We should all be here together and getting ready for a cruise around the island as soon as the bride and groom head out. Don’t you want that too?” She turned to face her date. Didn’t he agree that this was a huge injustice?
“If you can see past the misunderstanding, why can’t he?”
Justyn’s eyes gleamed a little more than usual with the candles flickering from the centerpieces. “Because, one, I’m an amazing guy.” He winked. “And two, I know why you are spending all your nights with me, and it’s not to get top secret boat intel.”
Blair smiled. Maybe he really was Mr. Perceptive.
He added, “It doesn’t hurt that your last name is Emory.”
“If it had been the other way around and I was a Zeal, would you have—?”
Justyn’s thumb rounded to the inner softness of her thigh. “We need to get out of here.” He kissed her on the cheek and stood.
“But they haven’t cut the cake or tossed the bouquet.” Blair searched his face for an explanation.
“Come on. They won’t even know we’re gone.”