Page 100 of Runaway Bride’s Husband

I got into the car and he followed, but he still wouldn’t shut up. “Mom is going, so we should too. Someone has to keep an eye on her.”

“She’s a grown woman. I’m sure she can navigate a wedding all by herself. They’re not known to be particularly dangerous.”

“In those circles?” He snorted. “They’re sharks who will eat her alive if we’re not there.”

“She’ll manage, Holden. Those sharks used to be her friends. She knows how to deal with them. Either way, I’m not going.”

He buckled his seatbelt and promptly twisted to face me. “You cannot surrender this easily, man. Come on. Where’s your fighting spirit?”

“It died.”

“Really?” He sucked in an exaggerated gasp. “I never would have been able to tell.”

I sighed, but the truth was that staying away was the noble thing to do. Maggie had made her choice. She was marrying Daniel. I was still trying to accept that, and seeing her, even as she said her vows to him, would probably set me back weeks.

“All I’m saying is that maybe it’ll give you closure if you attend.” He leaned back in his seat. “Seriously, Ryan. You obviously need it or you would’ve moved on by now. It’s going to drive you crazy if you don’t find a way to either fight for her or move past it.”

“It’s way too late for that,” I said. “I’ve already been driven crazy.”

“So you’re not thinking about going at all? Like, not even a little bit?”

I shrugged. “Honestly, the only thing I’m concerned about is that she might run again.”

Holden frowned. “What?”

“What if she panics and runs again?”

He practically gaped at me. “That’s what you’re concerned about?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, then she runs,” he said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Is it really your responsibility to stop her?”

“I don’t know,” I said slowly, my head shaking as I shoved the car into gear and backed out of the parking spot.

Part of me wanted to say yes, of course, it was my responsibility, but the other part knew better. If Maggie ran again, it would be up to either Daniel or Marcus to bring her back. Realistically, I didn’t fit into that picture. I was just an old childhood friend who’d gotten in too deep.

My fault.

I sighed, but thankfully, Holden finally dropped the topic and we drove back to my apartment in peace. I was still unlocking the door when my phone started ringing, but with the wine and two grocery bags in my hand, I couldn’t reach it as fast as Holden reached his own, which had started ringing seconds later.

He pulled it out of his back pocket and showed me the screen. “It’s Jane. What do you want to bet we’re going to have to run back to the store for something she’s forgotten?”

“Ten bucks says she’s calling not because she’s forgotten something, but to remind you to be there tonight. If she needed anything, she would have called me.”

He flipped me off. “I’ll put it on speaker, but get ready to owe me money.”

As he hit the button, my phone stopped ringing, and we strode inside, setting the groceries down on the counter while the puppy, who we’d eventually named Mickey, acted like I’d been gone for weeks. Holden riled him up even more as he held his phone in front of his mouth with one hand and used the other to play with the dog.

“Hey, sis,” he said between yelps, barks, and laughter. “What’s up?”

“Are you still with Ryan?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Put me on speaker.”

“Way ahead of you.” He frowned when he caught my gaze where I’d been packing away the groceries in the kitchen. “What’s going on? You don’t sound so good.”