“Tiff?” Brooke straightened away from the wall. “Oh, thank heaven I finally reached you.”
“Brooke? Is that you? Where in the world are you, and why do you sound a million miles away?”
Brooke laughed and leaned her hip against the counter. “Oh, Tiff, you’re not going to believe this. When I went to lie down in your car, I climbed in the wrong vehicle. Anyway, to make a long story short, the man whose car I climbed in didn’t realize I was there and took me with him up in the mountains. At this moment, I’m trapped in a cabin in the worst snowstorm imaginable. My only hope of getting home is for you to come and get me.” When she ended, her breaths came fast as if she’d run a race.
“Brooke, you know my car isn’t a four-wheel drive. I’d never make it up the mountain.”
Brooke forced another laugh, hope for her rescue fading. “Well, I guess you won’t be able to come until the storm passes and they clear the roads, huh?”
“And how long will that be?”
She glanced out the window at the sheets of snow slicing in the wind. “I don’t know. The weatherman says it should clear out by tomorrow night.”
“Let me know when it does, and I’ll be right there to get you.” There was a pause, before she asked, “Brooke? Who is this man?”
When she detected the worry laced in her sister’s voice, Brooke’s heart sank. Tiffany had warned her about men like Chuck, and thankfully, her big sister still tried to protect her. Too bad the rest of the family couldn’t be more understanding.
Turning away from the living room, Brooke continued in a lower voice. “I don’t know who he is. He seems okay. He’s probably in his late twenties, and so far, he’s been a real gentleman. Well, not at first, because he was quite rude about taking me back home, but he’s mellowed out quite a bit and seems nice enough.”
“Please be careful, anyway.”
“Oh Tiff, do you think after what happened with Chuck, I wouldn’t be careful?”
“No, I guess not.”
After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, Brooke asked, “So, how was the rehearsal?”
“Good grief, sis, you’re not going to believe what happened.”
“What?”
As Tiffany rattled nonstop about the wedding rehearsal – or lack of it – shock expanded in Brooks’ body and vibrated quicker the more her sister talked.
Brooke gasped. “No way!” She bit her lip and tried her hardest to hold back the laugh threatening to bubble up from her throat. “Then what happened?”
While her sister rambled, Brooke struggled to keep a serious tone in her voice for her sister’s benefit. Tiffany absolutely doted on their spoiled cousin.
“Oh, that’s so... so sad.” Laughter lodged in her throat, threatening to spill forth at any moment, so she quickly tried to end the call. “Listen Tiff, I better get off the phone, but I’ll call you and let you know when the storm passes.”
“Okay. Take care, and please, be careful.”
“I will. Love you. Bye.” Brooke placed the receiver down and laughed until tears gathered in her eyes.
Her uproar overrode the boom of Justin’s footsteps when he rushed into the kitchen. Upon seeing her, he stopped, and a smile touched his chiseled features.
“Is something wrong?” he asked.
She momentarily calmed her joy and wiped the excess liquid from her eyes. “Who are you closer friends with? The bride or the groom?”
He shrugged. “The groom. Why?”
She hiccupped another laugh. “Be-because, the wedding rehearsal never took place. Robin’s fiancé walked out on her, and from what my sister said, Robin was extremely humiliated.” She laughed harder.
He cocked his head to the side. “And this is good news?”
“Yes. Robin finally got what she deserves, if you ask me. She’s been horrible to a lot of people, and it’s about time she received a taste of her own medicine.”
“So, Robbie was very distraught, huh?”
