Rudy had heard that love changed people, and his brother was still quiet and surly most of the time, but he'd never known Scott to smile as much as he did since Kennedy turned his world upside down less than a year ago.
Kennedy never told them exactly what was up with Eden, but Rudy couldn't help wondering if she was just being melodramatic and overreacting to something. She struck him as that type when he met her a couple months ago at Scott and Kennedy's wedding.
He'd recognized her high-maintenance type right away; carefully manicured fake fingernails, false but realistic-looking eye lashes, expensive clothing, and even more expensive jewelry. She reminded him of his sister Debbie before she toned down the flashiness and simplified her life.
Knowing she came from money, he assumed she was an over-indulged socialite who threw a tantrum anytime things didn't go their way. That's how Meredith, his girlfriend from high school, had acted. She was pampered and spoiled by her rich parents, and the first chance she got to leave this small town, she took it.
Scott and Kennedy had been trying to line him up with Eden for months, but things had never worked out, for which Rudy was grateful. Eden was pretty and friendly. She was fun to be around, and he could see himself falling for someone like her. But the last thing he wanted to do was fall for another woman who hated small towns.
The disastrous ending to Scott and Kennedy’s wedding should be a reminder enough to keep his distance from Eden DuPont. He hadn’t meant to injure her. He was only trying to protect her from her overzealous cousin, like Kennedy asked him to. But he’d seriously underestimated Violet’s momentum and determination to catch the bouquet.
Violet took him down, and he took Eden down, giving her a bloody nose and ruining her dress in the process.
The radar gun's noise escalated and rose in pitch. Rudy looked at the speed it clocked on the blue mini-SUV coming down the hill. Only six over the speed limit. He looked back at the car, deciding to let it go. But as he watched, it strayed from the left lane to the right then jerked back again.
He flipped on his lights and pulled onto the freeway.
The car swerved once more before pulling over to the shoulder.
Well, that was easy.
It often took people forever to realize he was behind them. He hadn't even needed to get on the tail of the BMW X3 to let the driver know he needed to pull over. He liked it when they made it easy on him.
Pulling up behind the small SUV, he lifted the radio to call in the license plate. But then he replaced the handset when he spotted the letters on the plate: DADSGRL. He knew someone who drove a metallic blue BMW X3 with that license plate, and she was coming to town today.
Eden DuPont.
His breath hitched at the prospect of talking to her. He hadn't seen her since Scott and Kennedy's wedding. The night he accidentally gave her a bloody nose.
He'd let her off with a warning today, unless he determined she was inebriated or something. He didn't think she drank, but why else would she swerve all over the road? Even as he watched through her back window, she swung her arms around her head.
What's wrong with the woman?
He climbed from his car and approached her window. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, a bee flew through her open window and hit his cheek. He ducked and swatted at the insect.
No wonder she flailed her arms!
He bent to look at Kennedy's dark-haired friend. "Are you—" His words died off when he saw the wide-eyed, panicked look on her face.
She pressed a hand to her bicep. "It stung me!"
"Are you serious?"
He recalled the scene she made at the wedding when two bees swarmed around her, trying to get at her and Kennedy's bouquets of fresh flowers. When he gave her a hard time for disrupting the wedding, she'd informed him she was deathly allergic to bees.
"You think I'm making it up to get out of—?" A tight cough cut off her words, followed by another series of violent coughs that had her nearly hitting her forehead on the steering wheel.
Wheezing, she rubbed at her arm where the bee must have stung her, and an angry red welt rose almost instantly. Red splotches covered her face just as quickly.
Rudy swore under his breath.
Coughing again, she grabbed her purse off the passenger seat and dug through it with frantic motions. "Where is it?" Her words were little more than a raspy whisper.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she pulled out an Epi Pen and snapped off the cap.
Rudy cringed when she lifted the hem of her skirt and rammed it into her thigh. He silently counted with her and sucked in a deep breath when he hit five, and she pulled the pen away from her leg.
He gasped when she looked up at him.
