She sighed. “Remember me telling you about the pompous jackass I work for?”
I nodded. “It’s Jaxson?” I guessed. “He’s not just a coworker, but your boss. Your direct boss.”
“Yes. He specializes in corporate law. I’m his intern. The firm sent us both to Vegas to work on this copyright mess we’ve been dealing with.”
“Is he any good?”
“He’s brilliant,” she admitted. “When we’re in the zone, we work really well together. The problem is we strike sparks the rest of the time. We’re constantly battling with each other.”
I waited. There was more to the story, but she wasn’t telling me everything.
“When I missed my plane, and the snowstorm hit, he helped me get here. I never would have made it if it weren’t for him. Part of the deal was he got to come to the wedding.”
“Okay?”
She waved her hand. “I told him it was enough. To go home. He’s been here far too long already. He refuses to leave.”
“Why?”
She pressed her lips together. “Can we drop it?”
“No. Why is he refusing to leave, Gracie? Why were you so upset that he was sitting at your parents’ table?”
“I don’t want him getting comfortable with them.”
“Why? If he’s your boss and he helped you, what’s the big deal?”
She began to turn away, but I refused to allow it. I grabbed her arm. “What happened in Vegas, Gracie?”
She met my eyes. “I married him.”Chapter 5AddisonBefore I could recover from the bombshell Gracie had just dropped, the washroom door opened, and Heather, Gracie’s sister, came in.
“There you are. Nan and Pops are leaving, Bray is looking for you, Addi, and Gracie, that sexy coworker of yours is prowling around like a dementor. Does he suck the happiness out of every room he enters?”
She finished off her rapid announcement with a hand on her hip, looking exasperated. “He’s a bossy SOB, isn’t he?”
Gracie blinked, then let out an uncharacteristic giggle. My lips quirked at Heather’s tone. The two sisters physically looked alike. Both small with dark hair and delicate features like their mom, Katy, but while Gracie had blue eyes like their mom, Heather had Richard’s hazel eyes that seemed to see everything. That was where the resemblance ended. Gracie was calm, quiet, and unflappable, while Heather was exuberant, creative, and loud. She spoke her mind and used her hands to make a point, as if she were painting a picture for you. Despite their differences, they had always been close, but Gracie had obviously not shared her news with her sister.
“He is a bit over the top,” Gracie stated, smoothing her hands down the front of her dress. “I imagine he’s leaving and wanted to say his farewells.”
Heather shook her head. “I don’t think so. He told Mom he’s alone at Christmas since he has no family, and she invited him to stay. She offered him the spare room.”
Gracie paled. “What? He doesn’t need the spare room. He has his own home in Toronto.”
Heather glanced in the mirror, tucking a loose tendril behind her ear. “He told her that.”
Gracie blew out a relieved breath. “Oh. Okay.”
Heather grinned. “He said he’d love to come back, though, so he’ll be here Christmas morning.” She grabbed the door handle. “I guess Christmas just took on a different feel. I hope he learns to smile by then. Come say goodbye to Nan and Pops.”
She left in traditional Heather style, a whirlwind of fabric and her signature lilac scent.
Gracie and I exchanged glances. “Well.” I smirked. “This is gonna be interesting.”
She grabbed my hand. “You can’t say anything, Addi. It was a mistake, and it will be corrected. It’s private.” Her eyes widened. “My dad cannot find out. He’ll go berserk.”
“I won’t say anything, but I want the whole story.”
“I’ll tell you,” she promised. “Just let me get through this mess first. I need to go and uninvite Mr. Richards.”
I couldn’t help it. “Gracie?”
“What?”
“If you stayed married to him and hyphenated your name, maybe you could use Grace Richards-VanRyan. Sort of a twist, you know? Your dad might actually like that.” I tried to hold in my laughter, but a chuckle escaped my lips.
For a moment, her lips quirked, then she frowned. “Addi, that was uncalled-for. I think you’re channeling your inner Aiden.” She yanked open the door. “And this marriage is history. It never happened,” she hissed quietly.
Still chuckling, I followed her slowly, thinking about Jaxson’s remark and the determined look on his face.
I had a feeling Mr. Richards might not agree.BraydenGracie rushed past me, heading toward the table where her mother sat with the guy she’d brought as her plus-one. Jason? Justin? I couldn’t remember. He seemed pretty intense, but I had other things on my mind right now.
Specifically, finding my bride.
She appeared ahead of me, and I strode toward her. “I’ve been looking for you, Mrs. Riley.”