Linking my arm with Ford’s, we hurry out of the room and towards his pickup. Before long, most of the other guests filter out too.
“She’s going to lose it,” Ford chuckles.
“I didn’t know how many more rounds I could go before I lost my fake pleasantness. Thank God Gina sent you to get me. My reputation wouldn’t have held up much longer,” I admit.
He winks at me. “Gina didn’t send me. I figured you needed an out. Wanna grab a burger with me?”
Ford Stokes interrupted a bridal shower to give me an escape and now wants to take me out to eat? “I can’t think of anything I’d like more,” I say.
The smile on his face makes my stomach flip, and I can’t help but wonder if what Eric and Gina said was true. Has Ford really had a thing for me all these years?
Chapter 16
Alex
“Ialmost feel bad for her,” Kenzie says, glancing at the three strangers in the room. “Can anyone really blame Harper for being jealous? I completely understand her little outbursts.”
“She didn’t really have an outburst,” I retort. “You did.”
She waves her hand dismissively and carries on. “It must be so tough for poor Harper. The man she expected to marry on Christmas Eve fell head over heels for her best friend.”
I roll my eyes, trying to gauge how tipsy Mom is. If she’s just drunk enough, I can sneak away without her noticing and avoid a lecture for skipping out on the party for my future sister. Ugh.
“What was all that about the deposit?” Betsy asks, clearly still invested. Of course, she stayed. She’s the biggest gossip in all of Frosthaven Falls.
“Oh, that? It’s a lie. Asher paid for the venue, which is why he kept it. But if it makes Harper feel better to think she had a part in everything, I’m more than happy to let her believe it.”
“No, it’s totally true,” Tracy chimes in. “I asked Brandon, who handles all the event schedules. The money came from Harper, not Asher. He never canceled the date; he just called to update it from Harper to Kenzie.”
Betsy’s jaw drops, and I swear she’s about to drool with excitement. She loves this kind of drama. Who doesn’t? This is the scandal of the year.
“And we all know Asher isn’t making much money,” I add. “He may be my brother, but his website designs are awful. I had to hire someone else to fix what he broke.”
“Go away,” Kenzie hisses.
“Gladly.”
“I’m coming too,” Tracy says. “I was only told I’d have to endure this for an hour, and it’s been an hour and a half. Happy bridal shower or whatever, Kenzie.”
We rush out to the car, laughing. “That was the worst shower ever.”
“It’s pretty typical for anything Kenzie organizes.”
Tracy slaps my arm, squealing as she checks her phone. “Oh my God, it’s starting!”
“What is?”
“The bridesmaid dresses are in.”
“And we’re excited for this because…?”
The dresses aren’t terrible, but they’re not great either. Kenzie totally pulled a27 Dressesby saying we can “just shorten it and wear it again.” No one actually does that. It’s just ridiculous.
“Okay, remember how the bridal assistant said there needs to be a password on the account to make changes?”
I nod, confused. “Yeah.”
“Well, I might have overheard it. You’ll never guess what it was.”
