As I opened my mouth, something splattered on Kai’s shoulder. His jaw fell open in shock, and a bird called out from the trees above us.
“A bird just shit on my jacket, didn’t it?”
I winced. “Yeah, that’s looking like bird poop.”
He looked down, frowning. “Damn it.”
“Hey, Izzy and Kai!” We both turned as Shawn rounded the corner. “Good morning! You two are out early.”
“A bird just shit on my jacket,” Kai answered flatly.
Shawn winced. “Early bird gets the best man, I guess.”
We all laughed. “I should run back and take care of this,” Kai grumbled.
“Go ahead. I’ll make sure your date arrives safely,” Shawn said.
We turned and smiled to each other as Kai hurried away, cursing under his breath. Shawn and I hadn’t really had a chance to talk the night before, but I instantly connected with his energy. He was wearing a shirt for the Allegheny Observatory, a place I loved, and the sunlight glinted off his glasses.
“Congratulations on your wedding day,” I said as we started walking.
“Thanks! I’m excited. I just needed to get out for a walk and clear my head. I get nervous about this kind of thing.” He shook out his hands, then shot me a big smile. “You’re having a good time with Kai?”
I felt myself blushing immediately. “Yeah, I am.”
“Good.” He hummed to himself, then skipped once, letting off some nervous energy. “You know, I was talking with Cass last night, and we were saying how nice it is to see him dancing and having fun with you.”
I swallowed. “Oh yeah?”
“Yeah, definitely.” He shifted his weight from side to side, and I could tell he was trying to figure out how to say something. “Not that it’s any of my business, but you know... Kai’s having a good time, too.”
My blush must have been flaming. Shawn talked so gently; I could tell he was working hard not to step on my toes.
But clearly, he and the other guys had been talking about me and Kai. And instead of feeling freaked out by that fact, it actually felt kind of good.
They must like me, I realized.
Hemust like me. At least a little.
“Can I ask you a question?”
My throat felt dry. I was nervous he was about to put me on the spot and ask what I thought of Kai. I’m sure it was written all over my face, but that didn’t mean I wanted to admit it. “Yeah?” I answered.
“You’re a botanist, right?”
I blinked, surprised. “Yeah, I am.”
He skipped once more, then landed beside me. “Can you tell me about these trees? Because I could really use a distraction from my nerves.”
I laughed with relief and adjusted my backpack. “Trust me,” I said. “I’m always more than happy to answer a question like that.”
Chapter Ten
Kai
In additionto the rehearsal dinner speech, another thing I hadn’t really considered at the wedding was standing up in front of the crowd and having to keep my shit together.
Because the second the vows started, it got a little dicey for me.
