“You can’t make the time to see me before the wedding? They aren’t getting married until three.”
He didn’t ask how she knew those details. It didn’t matter.
“Sorry,” he said. “Another time.”
His mother sighed. “Maybe we can see about Easter.”
Oh God. The thought of any family holiday after this wedding made him want to dive under the covers and pull them over his head for the next decade.
“Maybe.” Anything to get her off the phone. When there was a knock at the door, he was thankful for the timing. “I’ve got to go, Mom. I think my ride is here.”
“Bye,” his mother said and just hung up.
It was for the best.
He went to the door and opened it. Natalie was standing there. “Hi. Where is your bag?”
Please don’t let her have changed her mind.
No, if she had, she wouldn’t have come here.
“In my car,” she said. “It didn’t make sense to bring it up here to then bring it down. I’m parked close to you outside and I’ll leave my car here this weekend. I’ll just move it to the parking garage.”
“Always so practical.”
He’d offered to pick her up, but she’d declined.
It was funny she was going away for the weekend with him yet he couldn’t find out where she lived.
Baby steps. Sort of.
Not sure how that could apply when they’d be sharing such close quarters for two days.
“Someone has to be. We all can’t just jet set around the world on a moment’s notice.”
“I haven’t done that in a long time. Let me get my bag.”
He grabbed a small overnight one and put it on his shoulder.
“Sorry, but aren’t you wearing a suit? There is no way it’s in there, unless you’re buying one.”
“I’ve got a few at my grandmother’s,” he said. “There is no reason to travel with one. If I thought I needed one, I’d buy it.”
She shook her head and said nothing more.
The two of them made their way to her car, she pulled her small suitcase out and a bag with a dress in it. He couldn’t see what color it was or what it looked like.
It didn’t take them long to get to the airstrip.
“Have you flown in a helicopter before?” she asked.
“I have. Have you?”
“No. This is my first time.”
“I like it. It’s different from a plane.”
“I don’t mind flying, so should be fine,” she said.
